What started as a simple family trip turned into a fully-built round-the-world itinerary across five regions—South America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. This post unpacks how I designed the entire route using miles, premium cabin deals, oneworld lounges, and a series of perfectly timed connections.

Ever wondered how much flying it actually takes to earn oneworld Sapphire or Emerald status? In this post, I compare how the same London–Sydney trip earns across eight oneworld airlines — from American to Qatar — to see which program gets you there fastest and what it really costs in 2026.

No single airline can reach every corner of the globe — that’s where airline alliances come in. From Star Alliance to oneworld and SkyTeam, here’s how these global networks connect travelers — and which one I find the most rewarding to fly with.