After a long time standing as one of the best deals in international award travel, All Nippon Airways’ (ANA) round-the-world (RTW) award ticket option is about to disappear. For years, this sweet spot in ANA Mileage Club award miles offered families, couples, and solo travelers the rare ability to book a true world itinerary, which is business class award flights across continents, up to eight stopovers, and generous routing rules. It only needs the number of miles many programs charge for just a single round-trip award ticket.
ANA Will Retire RTW Award Ticket On June 24, 2025
But on June 24, 2025 (Japan time), ANA will permanently retire the option to book a RTW award ticket by using ANA miles. While ANA award availability has been thinning for years, this official announcement still lands with a sting for anyone who has dreamed of building a once-in-a-lifetime world trip flying ANA flights and their trusted Star Alliance partners.
Why ANA’s RTW Award Ticket Was A Sweet Spot
As one of the few remaining Star Alliance carriers to offer a traditional RTW award tickets, ANA gave us an opportunity that was hard to match, even among Star Alliance flights from heavyweights like United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, or Air Canada. What made the ANA’s RTW award ticket so appealing wasn’t just its award chart, it was the unique combination of structure, flexibility, and best value for premium cabins.
- Award Rates Based On Total Flight Distance
Unlike other programs that have moved to dynamic pricing or seasonal adjustments, ANA’s RTW award chart stayed stable for over a decade. Whether you were flying in economy class, business class, or splurging on a rare first-class seat, the total distance of your world journey was what determined the mileage costs, not the calendar or the cash price of a ticket.
- Best Value For Business Class & First Class Award
A full business class RTW award ticket could be booked for just 115,000 ~ 145,000 miles. That’s less than what many programs now charge for a one-way redemption across the Atlantic or Pacific. In fact, a single award flight redemption from North America to Southeast Asia by using United Airlines award miles can cost you just as much without the ability to stop in the Middle East, South America, or circle back to New York.
- Flexible Rules That Worked For Families
What made this redemption even more compelling was ANA’s unusually flexible validity rules. While most programs require all travel to be completed within 12 months of ticketing, ANA only required that your first flight depart within one year. From there, you had another 12 months to complete the rest of the trip, which is perfect for families coordinating time off during high season, or planning round-trip award flights that stretched across summers, school breaks, or international moves.
Here’s a real example of what an ANA’s RTW award ticket looked like when booked in 2025:
The travelers flew westbound around the world, starting with a transpacific leg that didn’t have any business class award availability. So, they chose to fly ANA economy class for that segment. However, they scored business class award tickets on Turkish Airlines from Asia to Europe, and then flew business class again from Europe back to North America on TAP Air Portugal. Most of the shorter regional flights were also in business class. It just costs 115,000 ANA miles per traveler (or 115,000 American Express (Amex) Membership Rewards (MR) points) plus $790 in taxes and fees.
Even though not every segment was in business class, it was still an amazing deal. You’re getting two long-haul business class flights and several regional ones, and all of the flights are on one ticket. Considering how many flights were included, the $790 in taxes and fees was actually pretty reasonable. Compared to booking each segment separately with different miles, this RTW award ticket saved a ton of points. And that’s exactly why it became such a fan favorite.
Tool, Transfer Partners And Credit Cards That Made It Possible
ANA’s RTW award ticket bookings were never the easiest way to use miles, but that was part of their charm. You had to understand Star Alliance round rules, navigate open jaws, and use tools like Great Circle Mapper to calculate total flight distance. It was a challenge, but for those who mastered it, the payoff was spectacular.
Many travelers used Amex Membership Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy points to transfer into ANA program. Since ANA is an Amex MR transfer partner, families who had earned from the Amex Platinum or everyday spending thru Amex Gold had access to one of the best ways to book a world redemption. Others from outside of the United States leveraged statement credits or co-branded ANA credit cards issued by their local credit card issuer. The system wasn’t built for beginners, however, it rewarded the patient, the curious, and the strategic award travelers.
Why ANA Is Ending RTW Award
Since 2019, more and more partner airlines have stopped sharing award availability across the alliance, especially for business class award tickets on long-haul routes. The pandemic accelerated this trend, with airlines choosing to protect their own loyalty programs instead of releasing award inventory to Star Alliance airline partners.
- Rising Fuel Surcharges & Fewer Award Flights
At the same time, fuel surcharges have gone up, especially on ANA-operated flights and some European carriers like Turkish Airlines and TAP Air Portugal. While ANA kept its mileage prices low, the cash portion of some tickets, especially those with multiple intercontinental segments, has started creeping up. That meant even the most well-priced awards weren’t always the best bet, particularly for families booking for 4 ~ 6 travelers.
- Building Flexible Trips With One-Way Award Flights
There’s also the simple reality that award tickets are harder to coordinate when every segment has to align. In today’s environment, with people earning miles faster through credit cards, it often makes more sense to build custom trips using one-way flights. You might not call it a “RTW ticket,” but the flexibility and flight quality can be just as good, and sometimes it could be even better.
What We’re Losing With ANA’s Exit
Now, as ANA prepares to shut the door on this award, many of us are reflecting on what made it special: the predictability of ANA’s award chart, the access to Star Alliance network destinations, and the opportunity to experience true luxury through thoughtful planning. That’s no small thing.
- The Remaining RTW Award Ticket Options: Lufthansa & EVA Air
Will this ANA’s RTW award ticket option come back? Probably not. In the past, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada and United Airlines all offered RTW award ticket options but those have now been discontinued. While other programs like Lufthansa or EVA Air still technically offer RTW bookings, the award redemption rates are far higher, which is from 325,000 to 540,000 miles for business class or first class. What’s more is often to come with stricter rules or higher fees. For most travelers, especially families, that puts them out of reach.
- How To Book ANA’s RTW Award Ticket Before It’s Gone
If you have ANA miles or Amex MR points in your account, this is your last chance to build the dream world itinerary. You’ll need to call ANA’s customer support center to finalize it, since RTW award tickets aren’t bookable online. The deadline is June 24, 2025 (Japan time), and you must issue the ticket, not just place it on hold.
📌 June 24 is the final day to issue an ANA Round-the-World award ticket！
🚨 If you don’t already have ANA miles, please think twice and read this carefully:
🔁 Amex Membership Rewards → ANA takes 2–3 business days to transfer.
⛔ During that time, your desired award seats could disappear.💡 So before you transfer:
✅ Search for the exact award space
✅ Write down flight numbers and backup options☎️Call ANA as soon as the miles post in your ANA account
Final Thought: You Don’t Need A RTW Award Ticket To See The World
You don’t need to book a RTW award ticket to see the world. You just need the right plan and the confidence to know your points are working for you. The concept of a RTW trip doesn’t require one neat, tidy ticket. You can still create your own travel experience, visit multiple continents, and fly in comfort by approaching your redemptions in segments. In fact, this approach often works better for families, because it gives you more flexibility to mix cabins, use flash sales, and take advantage of one-way awards tickets.
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