In 2013, we created the most incredible reward trip with Aeroplan, circling the globe with Star Alliance. And in 2018 we're doing it again!
Sailing the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar.
TurnipseedTravel debuted nearly six years ago (and does anyone else remember our very first green and grey template?). Nearly 18 months later, that debut became a fully fledged launch when Ryan and I took our readers along for the journey of a lifetime.
We cashed in all our points for what was technically a trip to Australia but instead embarked on an amazing round-the-world trip fueled entirely by Aeroplan. See, we had learned about all the reward flight loopholes needed to "hack" our travel plans and create a mini round the world trip with Star Alliance partners. With stops in Europe, Asia, North America (and, of course, Australia), we had 9 flight segments on Star Alliance flights (and visited about 15 different locations) and paid about $300 each for taxes and fees. As you can tell from our nostalgic photos, thanks to Aeroplan, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Or so we thought.... We're making our Star Alliance reward points work for us.
This flight path makes my heart swoon - and, yes, my head does ache a little too.
Hello, 2018. We're going to do it all over again!
Yes, we have cashed in all of our Aeroplan points and have booked a trip to Australia. And, once again, we are taking advantage of the plethora of Star Alliance flight schedule possibilities and making a whole lot of "free" stops along the way. It's shaping up to be our most incredible trip ever and, just like the first time, we hope you'll join us for every leg of the journey. What are these "free" stops we speak of? It's embracing and manipulating the natural gaps in the Star Alliance partners' flight schedules to our advantage. It's capitalizing on the rules which allow for two extra stops on your itinerary. Imagine the very opposite of a direct flight, a meandering, chopped up flight path that's technically a trip to Australia but in reality is the opportunity to visit several cities along the way - provided each additional layover is less than 24 hours. For those hoping to reach their main destination as quickly and easily as possible, this would be a nightmare. But for us, it's a dream come true, with endless opportunities to discover incredible cities, one day at a time. We've been loving the opportunities and challenges of layover based travel for years - you can read our top tips here (including what we do with our luggage). Check out our spectacular itinerary!
So where are we going and when? This fall, we leave home (with just one carry on bag each) and hit our first under-24-hours-layover, New York City. If you have a keen memory, you'll recall that this was the first stop of our 2013 trip too. We're feeling sentimental, so we might retrace some of our stops - like tracking down an "egg cream" for me to drink.
Next, we'll be flying overnight to Milan. We'll have a day in Italy's fashion capital. We're looking forward finally seeing more of the city than just the train station. And, if I'm being honest, we're also looking forward to finally eating a Milanese meal that's NOT prepared in said station's Burger King. Next, we fly overnight (eek! Two nights in a row. In economy class. Oh dear....) to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We had dearly hoped to have a free day here but alas the schedules were not in our favor. In fact, it's our shortest layover of the entire trip - just two hours. So we're going to wake ourselves up after the long flight with a dash though the airport!
Next, we fly to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe - site of our first stopover. As mentioned above, reward flights such as ours allow for passengers to turn two of the short layovers into full, lengthy stopovers. We'll be spending 3 weeks here and throughout Southern Africa, including Zambia and Botswana. It will be Ryan's first time in Africa and my first visit since 2004, when I lived Malawi.
When Ryan and I got engaged all those years ago, I wanted to honeymoon in Botswana. Sadly, our budget only covered two nights of camping in New Brunswick (Canada) instead! So while we always welcome the chance to explore further afield during stopovers, this particular adventure is going to be very meaningful. From our stopover in Victoria Falls, we're heading to Johannesburg via a very short stop in Gaborone, Botswana. My fellow book lovers know Gaborone is the setting for the "No 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series by Alexander McCall Smith. It's a long shot but I cherish hopes of finding a kiosk at the airport which sells the book. It would be the perfect souvenir of a very short stop! (Update! No such luck. We did, however, see a kiosk about Botswana diamonds. No souvenirs for us). Our time in Johannesburg is tight. We're hoping to cram in as much as possible - as well as potentially fitting in a visit with one of Ryan's friends, who he last saw when he lived in Belgium at age 18. On our 2013 trip, we made a special trek to Liege, Belgium, to retrace his teenage steps and it would be wonderful to revisit this time period once again. Also - because I'm no fool - I am determined to stay at a hotel with a great bar that specializes in South African wines. Why should our late evening arrival limit our opportunities to deepen our wine knowledge?
Believe it or not, we haven't even hit our main destination yet! From Johannesburg, we head to Singapore for the day. Yes, I'm bravely revisiting the city where I was viciously attacked by a caterpillar! Though we'll no doubt be tired from our long overnight flight, Singapore is the perfect stopover location. Day tours are easy to arrange from the airport, which is also home to a huge list of amenities and lounges for easy recuperation. There's just one thing we want to do differently from our 2013 trip. No Burger King! Or, in the case of Singapore, "Hungry Jack" (same brand, different name). Due to some poor planning (on our part, and that of others) our last visit was a bit scattered and we didn't get to explore the city's famous food scene. What is it with us and Burger King? Hopefully we'll do better this time.
From here, we finally head to Perth, Australia, our main destination. We'll be here for just under a week. We are extremely excited for Perth's many world class (and free!) attractions - we already have a page of notes outlining different ideas and potential plans. And, while we know that Sydney and Perth are different cities on different coasts, we are hoping we can copy some aspects of our 2013 Sydney itinerary. That includes visiting Australia's gorgeous beaches, spending some time at an animal rehabilitation center, visiting galleries, and exploring the food scene.
From Perth, we head to Bangkok. While our 2013 trip included two stops in Bangkok, we really didn't get a sense of the city. Instead, we were cooling our heels in the hotel as protests congested downtown. But we weren't complaining - it was a welcome spot of rest and relaxation in a very busy trip. This time, we're hoping to get in one concrete activity (but we won't beat ourselves up if there's also a bit of extra sleep and some lazy room service orders).
Next up, we have an overnight stop in Dubai. This is a tricky stop. It's really just 12 hours and it's overnight. Should we go into the city and try to see a bit late at night? Should we relax at a beautiful airport hotel? We're struggling because we want to see it all - but we also don't want to be unrealistic. This is one stop that definitely requires a lot of research to facilitate our decisions. Thankfully, Withlocals provides incredible inspiration with their long list of flexible, private tours in Dubai - perfect for anyone with a layover like us. (And there are several foodie themed adventures - so tempting!) Fortunately, we have a leisurely day at our next stop - Istanbul. This was my least favourite stop from our 2013 trip. I was tired and grouchy. And a less-than-stellar tour certainly didn't help. Thankfully, we were able to salvage the day and a subsequent visit in 2015 made me fall in love. This time, Istanbul was a non-negotiable stop. Among other reasons, I have a list of spices to pick up from the market - and if that isn't a reason to fly thousands of miles, I don't know what is! Next, it's on to our final stopover. We're flying to Rome and we're going to spend a day or two in the Eternal City before heading to Tuscany. We've been dreaming of an extended visit to Tuscany for a while now, constantly drooling over travel shows that highlight the region's incredible wine, cheese, olive oil, and more. I'm also looking forward to revisiting Rome. On my last visit, I was covered in bed bug bites - not ideal for an enjoyable trip. Last but not least, we're in Zurich for the longest of all layovers. We're here for just under 24 hours. We loved our time in nearby Bern in 2016 and we can't wait to become acquainted with the city and discover cheese, chocolate, history, museums, and more. Finally, we're on our way home, with just one very short layover in New York standing between us and our bed in Ottawa. Can you believe that all this cost less than $500 a person? Seriously! The total taxes and fees are just $497 per person.Here's how we did it, building upon the success of our last trip. What you need to know to book your own Star Alliance round the world rewards trip.
Everyone wants to know exactly how we managed to pull this together - and with such a tiny cost. There's no real secret to it, but there are a lot of tips and tricks that make it all come together.
First, you've gotta love research. Or, at the very least, be motivated to learn all you can. Ryan led the charge, reading all the fine print and rules regarding reward flight redemption. He also frequently visited Flyer Talk, a website which is home to a community of passionate travelers who are an invaluable source of information and inspiration. Secondly, you've gotta be organized. Building a reward flight is quite the experience. The world is your oyster and there's virtually nowhere you can't go - provided that Star Alliance (of which Aeroplan is a member) will fly there. But there are a few limitations. For instance, your entire trip must be 16 flight segments or less. There are a lot of limitations when it comes to backtracking - for the most part, you have to be moving closer to your main destination with each flight segment. And while it's generous, there is a limit to how many cumulative miles are allowed for all your segments. And we pushed it - in one case, we were just 29 miles under the limit! Luckily Ryan had an incredible spreadsheet to track all our options. Third, you can't fall in love too easily. As we discovered, there were a lot of theoretical flight paths that don't translate into real life flights - let alone flights with availability for rewards members. There were a lot of dream destinations that we had to kiss goodbye because the route didn't seem to exist outside of the flight map. And sometimes the rules can break your heart. As you know, all layovers must be 24 hours or less. We were SO CLOSE to having a layover in Yangon but we would have been on the ground for 10 minutes too long. It was a no go. We wanted to return so badly - it was a beloved 2013 stop - that we even seriously debated making it one of our two stopovers. In the end, Rome won the battle. Fourth, you need a balance between firmness and flexibility. In 2013, when we were much newer at all this, we basically copied a route that someone else had created (thanks, Flyer Talk friend!) We were open to anything and everything! This time round, with more knowledge than ever before, we realized that we could go just about anywhere. Suddenly, nothing seemed off limits. It was incredible to realize we could include Africa in our trip - but we also spun our wheels a lot considering theoretical routes, including stops in Bogota, Madrid, Lome, Accra, Bahrain, Delhi, Amsterdam and (heartbreak!) Paris. It really helps to know what your priorities are, what you're willing to compromise on, and what you're willing to be utterly flexible about. One extra reason to be flexible - saving money. Some Star Alliance members have fuel surcharges and others don't. Certain airports are expensive to fly to or from as they charge improvement fees. We easily saved hundreds of dollars by keeping this at the forefront of our minds as we looked at potential itineraries. And, in some cases, certain countries were dropped from our plans because their tourist visa costs were prohibitively high for a wee 24 hour visit. (*shakes fist in the direction of globe - You know who you are!*) Fifth, you've gotta make sure it all works. This means checking and double checking your dates, times, mileage, routes, and the actual existence of all the flights. You've got to put all these tips together! We had the most amazing Aeroplan agent (Petra from Montreal - we LOVE you!) but I've heard from other travelers than some agents get a bit overwhelmed when it comes to booking these itineraries. Be prepared for a long phone call. It took us about 2 hours and $30 each, the standard cost of doing a phone booking. All well worth it to have it confirmed by a real human!
Yes, we really are flying in economy class!
Yes, we really are doing this entire trip in economy fare seats. And, yes, we may just be crazy. We have cross referenced the various aircraft with Seat Guru to select the least objectionable seats which are close to the front (so we can quickly get off and enjoy that layover!) On one flight, we'll be paying a bit extra to select exit row seats. It will cost us $100 but we think it will be worth it on a 10 hour flight! But that is our only 'upgrade', if you can call it that. (We're still investigating if we can take advantage of the stopover-paid-by-carrier program. You should check it out - yes, you really can have your airline pay for your hotel on certain stops.) Along the way we will be flying on many Star Alliance partner airlines: Air Canada, United Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways, Singapore Airlines, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and SWISS.
Sailing out of Mandalay and down the Irrawaddy River.
How we earned our Aeroplan points
While this trip sounds impressive, Ryan and I actually aren't that into mile hacking. If we put more effort into it, we probably could have done this all in business class! So how did we accumulate all these points? The first time round, Aeroplan was having a special promotion. If you visited a certain number of Aeroplan-partner businesses in a certain time period, you got a huge amount of bonus points. It seemed impossible - until we realized that buying just $3 worth of gas at an approved gas station counted as a business visit. Suddenly our $60 fuel purchase was worth 20 "visits", so long as we bought $3 worth at a time. It took a long time to fill up our car every week, but we did it and, combined with a few other savvy stops, we got our bonus and made it past the necessary threshold.
This time round, there were no special promotions. We've each had an Aeroplan Visa card for nearly 10 years. (And if you have an American Express Platinum Card - you can transfer your AMEX points to Aeroplan points!) We use them often but not obsessively. We still visit the Aeroplan partner gas stations - but not all the time, and only if their prices are the best. But in the five years since our last trip, we've traveled more than ever in our work as travel writers. More flights means more points, especially when we book them with our Visa. We've also had a few large purchases in the past 5 years, like when we bought all new appliances for our new house. Overall, no tricks, no secrets - just slow, steady growth. Normally, I'd encourage everyone to read the rules, follow the promotions, and just keep at it, using your credit card responsibly and within your budget. But it's worth noting that Air Canada has announced that they're decoupling from Aeroplan by 2020 and will launch a new program of their own. We're not sure what that will look like and we're eager to make the most of our classic points while we can. This is the right move for us right now. And while I'm sure we'll have moments where we'll regret not using all our points for a first class flight to a singular destination (Hawaii, we thought long and hard about this), we might never get a chance like this again. We're going to make every moment of this slightly crazy trip count and we hope you'll follow us with as much enthusiasm as last time. We love having you along for the ride! 
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54 Comments
27/1/2018 10:42:43 pm
Major travel goals right there, wow! We have taken advantage of a few layovers like that including 24 hours in Ireland on our way to Ethiopia and 24 hours in Singapore on the way home from Bali. I absolutely loved both but you really make me want to try this more often.
Vanessa
28/1/2018 09:48:29 am
We've done layovers in Ireland too! Actually, come to think of it, we've done a few. Dublin is a great city to see quite a bit in a short amount of time and now we have *our* favourite pub that we usually try to visit for dinner each time we're there (it's called the Harry Lemon for anyone interested...)
Vanessa
28/1/2018 09:48:56 am
Thanks Julie! 28/1/2018 02:13:14 am
Life goals! This is something I've always wanted to do. I'm taking a trip to Africa this summer with one layover in each direction, but I would love to do a much more involved itinerary like this. Maximizing points is so much fun. This will definitely motivate me to dig more deeply into the research for the next big trip.
Vanessa
28/1/2018 09:52:15 am
We're now trying to book all our trips (including the "normal" ones that aren't reward flights) with a natural layover or two built in. We've seen quite a few cities this way and, while there are definite limitations, it's remarkable how much you can see in a short time. Wow wow wow. I am SO impressed. I was wondering throughout the whole time how many miles it takes to go on a round the world adventure! But you used the credit card on regular purchases... it's pretty ingenious. I don't really use my Aeroplan card as I don't have a credit card for it (I have a different card with travel rewards) but maybe it's something to think about for an epic adventure like this one!
Vanessa
28/1/2018 05:21:40 pm
Great point - this is 100k in points. Normally, it would be just 90k for Australia but one of our stopovers is in Africa, so we have to use the higher category (had we just stopped for a layover of 24 hours or less, we'd still be considered "Australia"). 29/1/2018 12:19:28 pm
This is all completely new to me. I have never traveled out of India and don't know much about the travel point rewards. But reading this gave me some light on this thing. Will plan and keep this in mind for sure.
Vanessa
29/1/2018 03:59:26 pm
I hope you get to have a rewards flight soon! I know it's not really "free" travel (because you did pay for those points one way or another...) but it feels free and it's awesome! 29/1/2018 05:36:32 pm
Woah this is an impressive way to travel! Amazing you can do it - but it also sounds like a lot of effort and hard work researching to me! How do you find visiting so many places for such a short time? Sometimes when I have lots of short layovers I get a bit tired - as much as I love seeing and exploring a new city. Well done though - what a fantastic trip!
Vanessa
29/1/2018 05:57:42 pm
It IS a ton of research. Fortunately, we're geeky like that so we don't consider it wasted time and, having done it once before, we found the learning curve quite a bit easier this time. 29/1/2018 05:53:00 pm
You are my hero.... I also travel around with my Aeroplan points and I told my husband what you two are doing. Unbelievable. I'm looking forward to seeing and reading all the stories.
Vanessa
29/1/2018 05:58:46 pm
Hey there, fellow Aeroplanner. I hope you get to cash in and have a rewards flight soon! Vanessa this looks like an amazing trip. And it's nice you did a trip like this before and can plan your stopovers better. I've got 30K in Aeroplan points sitting around and I know I gotta use them. Originally I was going to cash them in the fly home to Canada from Dublin, but now I might see if I can tack on a stopover somewhere.
Vanessa
29/1/2018 06:38:38 pm
YAAAS! Tack on that layover if you can! 30/1/2018 01:12:28 am
This is extreme travel hacking at it's finest! I am so impressed with what you two have managed to work out with the Aeroplan and Star Alliance. It's incredible that you can visit so many places for so little money!! Not everyone could handle this, and you both have a great, reasonable attitude about the logistics of your layovers. You've inspired me to look into how this could work for us on our upcoming travels!
Vanessa
30/1/2018 10:02:18 am
Thank you so much for your kind words -this absolutely warms my heart. I hope you can incorporate some of these tips for your next travels.
Vanessa
30/1/2018 09:40:44 pm
The points definitely accumulate faster than you think - it's worth looking into! I saw your posts about this on Facebook so it's nice to read more about how you did this! Sounds like it's going to be such a fun adventure-can't wait to follow along. So many amazing stops that we'd love to check out…all the stops in Africa, Istanbul, Perth, Bangkok, Rome…all of them really, haha! Good luck in Singapore! Hope you don't get attacked again, lol!! You really have me considering something similar now…I'm a bit obsessed with collecting miles and we book reward flights quite often. Thanks for the inspiration and hope it's a wonderful time!
Vanessa
30/1/2018 09:41:36 pm
The great thing about it is even if you don't have enough points right now, researching it is a ton of fun and you can learn a lot so when you're ready to go, you know it's going to be easy to book. 31/1/2018 06:15:25 am
That's a lot of hard work and research that has gone into looking fr the right deals, tips and tricks but you did good, and all of that time and sweat spent in research has paid off pretty well for you guys, kudos to you. Wish you all the best for 2018's adventures and travels.
Vanessa
5/2/2018 10:21:13 am
Aw, thank you so much! We're so excited for this trip and it's so wonderful to hear everyone's encouraging words. First of all, I'm super impressed how you both have a small backpack to travel around the world with! That's so smart and I wish I could compress everything I bring into one carry on. Your trip sounds absolutely amazing and I can't believe how you're using the rewards so smartly. I'd love to visit Zambia and Botswana.
Vanessa
5/2/2018 10:22:20 am
Stay tuned for pics of my new backpack.... After 5 years of traveling with the same pack we're mixing it up a bit (and the new one is even a tiny bit smaller!) I know this trip is going to bring some real packing challenges but I think it will be worth it to not have to worry too much about lost luggage. 11/2/2018 03:59:11 am
This is such an awesome travel hack indeed! It may sound exhausting if you really think about all the stops, but I guess that’s the beauty of the experience! So many places to visit at one go! :) I would definitely love to try this at least once.. So good to know you can save up points and use it for a more extensive and lovely trip!
Vanessa
12/2/2018 04:01:43 pm
Thank you so much for all these kind words! Yep, it IS a bit exhausting. We're trying hard to get some more balance in this trip compared to years past. For instance, we have two overnight slights in a row (New York to Milan, Milan to Addis) - we've booked a hotel at the Milan airport. Even though we aren't able to spend the night, I think we're going to be thrilled to have a nice spot to nap for a few hours and also have a hot shower. In the past, I'd just power through but now I appreciate going at a bit of a slower pace.
Danila Caputo
11/2/2018 07:26:09 am
Oh gosh this sounds like a grand adventure, you were SO incredible for doing it! Milan is lovely and ignore Burger King! Eat risotto alla milanese, it's delicious!
Vanessa
12/2/2018 04:03:13 pm
I have been researching all about the risotto and I'm so excited to try it ;-)
Vanessa
12/2/2018 04:03:44 pm
Thanks - I hope there's a great rewards trip in your future too.
Megan Jerrard
11/2/2018 11:21:28 pm
We did an around the world trip with Star Alliance in 2016 and it was incredible! I love their airline partners –such a fabulous alliance. It sounds like such an incredible trip you have planned, I can’t wait to follow, especially as you make your way to Africa. I’ve heard that Ethipoia is an incredible destination, and will probably explode onto the scene as the next hottest place soon.
Vanessa
12/2/2018 04:04:59 pm
Thanks for the great feedback on Dubai. I think you're 100% right. It's a bit of a shame because even a few hours of exploring can help you get a sense for a city but in our case sadly I think it's not going to happen ;-( 12/2/2018 12:14:38 pm
This is incredible! I've never had the patience to put together something like this, but I can see the payoff is worth it so I want to look into it. Imagine all those incredible memories for that amount of money! It's good you could be flexible to really make the savings.
Vanessa
12/2/2018 04:05:42 pm
If absolutely takes some real patience to pull it all together but it's worth it in the end. 13/2/2018 03:48:45 am
This is a fantastic way to travel! I love how you guys have made it work for you and got to travel around the world doing it! This reminds me that I need to really take advantage of the rewards programs. I am often flying to and from New Zealand from Europe so really I should have a free trip by now haha!
Vanessa
13/2/2018 12:01:04 pm
You're right - you absolutely should! I hope you get on a rewards flight soon ;-)
Vanessa
14/2/2018 01:44:29 pm
This of me when you make your first spreadsheet ;-) This is amazing, getting around with the points. I did not realize that the halts could be a day long ones. Somehow it never struck me. Thanks for giving me that idea for now I will actually look out and see if my points allow me those stops. Cheers and here is to more of you exploring
Vanessa
14/2/2018 01:45:07 pm
Let me know if you're able to work some layovers in on an upcoming trip. Very impressed. I have never done a rtw using the frequent flyer miles. However we did use them for our trip from India to Europe and a few countries there. I Am sure it would require a whole of miles to book a RTW . All the best for your impending travels. Let me know if you will be in Mumbai.
Vanessa
14/2/2018 01:46:04 pm
We were SO close to being in India for one of our stops but the timing wouldn't line up for us in Yangon (which was the stop before...) Maybe on the next one!
Vanessa
19/2/2018 06:21:04 pm
We're really looking forward to it as well - having a great time reading all about the new destinations.
Vanessa
19/2/2018 06:24:00 pm
A big part of it for us is avoiding expensive airports with a lot of fees (like London, Toronto) and avoiding airlines with high fuel surcharges (Air Canada, Thai). 20/2/2018 12:00:40 pm
On the one hand I am very impressed by how many places you visit in such a short time and that you are so motivated. I definitely need my time to explore a city and I learned on a longer trip that I need to take breaks in between otherwise I just want to fly home. Is this program also available for Europeans? I am thinking alreaday for a longer time to get a credit card that gives points but Europe is not so keen on such programs as the US, that's what I have noticed. How long are you traveling in total? Research well about India because I think you're not allowed to leave the airport without a visa and for us Austrians it wasn't all that easy to get one. Happy travels you too!
Vanessa
19/4/2018 05:53:19 pm
Def available for Europeans or anyone who is a member of Star Alliance.
Jennifer Melroy
21/2/2018 12:06:36 am
I feel exhausted just reading this. I would love to visit all of these places but I would rather just focus on my main destination and then do all the other places on other trips.
Vanessa
19/4/2018 05:53:59 pm
Thanks Jennifer - I'm sure it's going to be an amazing (and tiring!) adventure.
Vanessa
19/4/2018 05:54:26 pm
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