Circle Pacific Airfares
Globe-trotting trips have become a passion for modern day travelers, and they don’t
ever hesitate to take out their time for leisure tours or think twice in spending
money. These kinds of travelers are, in fact, explorers at heart – whether it’s
round the world travel, visiting the Pacific Rim, or traveling in other places in
the world. To fulfill the travelers’ desire, the global airline alliances, individual
airlines and travel companies bring out attractive RTW and circle pacific airfares.
If you are making a circle the pacific tour, it is going to take you several places
in the Pacific such as Australia, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia,
Fiji, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue,
Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Island, Rarotonga &
the Cook Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti & French Polynesia, Tokelau, Tonga,
Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis & Futuna. For visiting these places, buying circle pacific
tickets would be the best thing for you as it will help in saving money as well
as make your travel smooth.
Circle Pacific Fares
The circle pacific fares are similar to round the world (RTW) fares, but the travel
is however limited to destinations in the South Pacific and Asia. There is also
a circle pacific pass that allows travel to limited destinations in South America
as well. In fact, the circle pacific fare is a unique program that permits travel
around the Pacific Rim in one general direction, usually flying a combination of
two airlines for one circle pacific ticket. There are many different vendors each
with their own unique set of rules that offer attractive circle pacific airfares.
The tickets for circle pacific are mostly available to travelers who start their
journey in one of the nations bordering the Pacific Ocean. The two major global
airlines alliances – Star Alliance and Oneworld – provide fares for circle pacific.
(a.) Star Alliance Circle Pacific Fare:
The circle pacific fare of the Star Alliance group allows for extensive travel in
the Pacific Rim. The main features of the circle pacific airfare are the following:
a circular trip around the Pacific Ocean, limited by a maximum mileage of 22,000
or 26,000 miles; airfare is available in first class, business class and economy
class; travel must originate and terminate in the same country, which must be one
of the following such as Australia, Brunei, Canada or USA, China, Cambodia, Cook
Islands, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New
Caledonia, New Zealand, Philippines, Western Samoa, Singapore, Tahiti, Taiwan, Thailand,
Tonga or Vietnam; for travel to/from/via the USA or Canada, only the following cities
may be included in the itinerary such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Las
Vegas, Honolulu or Vancouver; and the ticket has to be purchased seven days in advance
but reservations for many sectors of the journey may be changed during the itinerary
(subject to certain restrictions).
(b.) Oneworld Circle Pacific Fare:
The Oneworld Circle Pacific Fare is the only one that allows travel to South America.
The fare is based on three different mileage levels, which are 22,000, 26,000 and
29,000 miles. However, if South America is also to be included in the itinerary
then 29,000 mile level must be used by the traveler. It is a must for the traveler
to make his/her circle the pacific journey in a circular direction with no backtracking.
Besides, the Oneworld Circle Pacific Fare doesn’t permit travel west of Thailand.
The travelers can use all the airlines of the Oneworld alliance, however, Cathay
Pacific, American Airlines, LAN Chile and Qantas are the only carriers with service
in the region.
Air Pass
There are many good value air passes on offer for making circle pacific travel.
(i.) Visit South Pacific Air Pass:
This interesting air pass allows travel on separate South Pacific airlines to a
number of more obscure tropical destinations. Per segment charges are much less
than regular scheduled fares.
(ii.) Star Alliance South Pacific Air Pass:
Much of the South Pacific can be visited by using the route network of Air New Zealand
and several other carriers with the Star Alliance South Pacific Air Pass.
(iii.) Oneworld Pacific Air Pass:
This air pass covers 46 destinations in Australia and New Zealand using the route
structure of Qantas and other Oneworld airlines.
(iv.) Air New Zealand South Pacific Pass:
This pass is offered by Air New Zealand in conjunction with other airlines allowing
travel to 36 different locations in the South Pacific.
