ANA Round-the-World Award Strategy 2026
- Up to 14,000 miles total: 105,000 / 200,000 / 300,000 (eco / biz / first)
- 14,001-18,000 miles: 125,000 / 230,000 / 350,000
- 18,001-22,000 miles: 150,000 / 270,000 / 400,000
- 22,001-26,000 miles: 180,000 / 300,000 / 460,000
ANA's Round-the-World (RTW) award is uniquely structured to permit a circumnavigation across all Star Alliance carriers — multiple stopovers in different regions — for as little as 125,000 ANA miles in economy or 270,000 in business class. For travelers planning extended global trips, ANA RTW is among the strongest published trip-type redemptions in 2026.
ANA RTW pricing chart
ANA RTW pricing tiers (based on total flight distance):
- Up to 14,000 miles total: 105,000 / 200,000 / 300,000 (eco / biz / first)
- 14,001-18,000 miles: 125,000 / 230,000 / 350,000
- 18,001-22,000 miles: 150,000 / 270,000 / 400,000
- 22,001-26,000 miles: 180,000 / 300,000 / 460,000
The minimum trip is 8 segments + 16,000+ flight miles. Up to 8 stopovers permitted.
Sample RTW routing
One classic RTW pattern at 18,001-22,000 miles (270,000 ANA miles in business):
- JFK → Frankfurt (Lufthansa, business)
- Stopover Frankfurt 5 days
- Frankfurt → Singapore (Singapore A350, business)
- Stopover Singapore 5 days
- Singapore → Tokyo HND (ANA 787, business)
- Stopover Tokyo 7 days
- Tokyo NRT → Honolulu (ANA 787 or United 777, business)
- Stopover Honolulu 4 days
- Honolulu → JFK (United 757, business)
Total: 4 stopovers, 5 segments, ~21,000 flight miles. Pricing: 270,000 ANA miles + ~$300 in surcharges + $200 RTW booking fee.
RTW rules and restrictions
Key rules:
- Round-trip required. Departure and final destination in same country.
- Both directions must be in the same direction — eastbound or westbound only, no backtracking.
- Up to 8 stopovers minimum 24 hours, maximum unlimited.
- Maximum trip duration: 12 months.
- All segments must be in same cabin or higher.
- Star Alliance partners only on the entire ticket.
How to fund 270,000 ANA miles
Transfer paths in 2026:
- Amex Membership Rewards: 1:1 to ANA with periodic 30-40% transfer bonuses (3-4 times annually).
- Marriott Bonvoy: 3:1 to ANA with 5,000-point bonus per 60,000 transferred.
- Direct ANA flying.
For 270,000 ANA miles in business RTW: target 2-3 transfer-bonus windows on Amex MR through the year. A 30% Amex MR bonus brings the effective rate to ~208,000 MR per 270,000 ANA. With Amex Platinum + Gold + Centurion Lounge + Hilton Aspire stack, building 200k+ MR over 12 months is realistic with strategic spending.
The ANA RTW vs Aeroplan stopover decision
Two approaches to multi-destination award trips:
- ANA RTW: 8 stopovers permitted; full circumnavigation; same direction; one ticket.
- Aeroplan stopover: 1 stopover permitted; $100 charge; flexible direction.
RTW wins for true global trips (3+ stopovers in 3+ continents). Aeroplan stopover wins for 2-destination trips. For a 2-stop Tokyo + Hawaii + return, Aeroplan with stopover at $100 is cheaper than RTW. For Tokyo + Singapore + Frankfurt + LA + return, RTW wins decisively.
Booking RTW: phone-only
ANA does not permit RTW awards online. The booking process:
- Map the routing on Star Alliance partner saver award space.
- Verify all segments are individually available on saver space.
- Call ANA Mileage Club at 1-800-235-9262 (US) with the routing planned.
- Agent books the ticket; $200 RTW booking fee + carrier-imposed surcharges added.
Award space verification before calling is critical — agents won't hold seats while you research.
The premium-cabin redemption framework
For premium-cabin awards on this carrier, the strongest paths typically:
- Identify the cheapest published rate across partner programs. Most aircraft + routes have one program with meaningfully cheaper redemption.
- Match transfer-partner access to your existing flexible-points stack.
- Watch saver award space patterns — most carriers release at +355 days and -14 to -7 days.
- Verify before transferring miles. Phantom award space is common. Call to confirm before committing.
Cents-per-point math on premium awards
Premium-cabin awards consistently produce the highest cents-per-point: Lufthansa First via LifeMiles ~17¢/mile, Cathay First via Alaska ~21¢/mile, Singapore Suites via KrisFlyer ~9.7¢/mile, Qatar QSuite via AAdvantage ~15-17¢/mile. For aspirational once-a-year trips, premium-cabin redemptions produce dramatically more value than standard routes.
How Pointify verifies points-travel research
Pointify's methodology for every disclosure:
- Direct program verification: Every award rate, transfer ratio, and elite benefit verified against the airline or hotel program's own published rules at publication time.
- Date-stamped disclosures: Every post includes a "last verified" date footer.
- Transfer-ratio audit: Bank-points transfer ratios verified against each issuer's official transfer page.
- Award-space pattern documentation: Saver release patterns based on Pointify's ongoing tracking of partner saver inventory.
What changed recently in points travel
- September 2025: Etihad Guest devalued (US-AUH business +15k miles).
- November 2025: Singapore KrisFlyer Suites Saver +5%.
- December 2025: Turkish Miles & Smiles second devaluation.
- June 17, 2024: Marriott Bonvoy ended Korean Air SKYPASS transfer.
Why first-party research matters
Most points-travel content recycles outdated information. Pointify verifies directly against the airline/hotel program at publication time, date-stamps every disclosure, and updates as program rules shift. The goal: give readers points-travel guidance correct at the moment they read it.
The card-stack diversification framework
For most points travelers, a 3-issuer stack (Chase + Amex + Citi or Bilt) covers maximum partner depth: Hyatt + United + Southwest (Chase exclusive), 18+ international transfer partners (Amex), AAdvantage (Citi exclusive). Combined annual fees: $1,200-$1,800 typical with retention offsets. Combined credit menus + lounge access produce ~$2,500-$4,500 annual benefit value for active travelers.
Stacking transfer bonuses for maximum value
Most flexible-points programs run periodic transfer bonuses. The strategic move: identify your target redemption first, then wait for the relevant bonus before transferring. Frequency by issuer:
- Amex MR: 2-3 active per month, 20-40% size. Common partners: BA Avios, Aeroplan, Virgin Atlantic, ANA, Delta.
- Citi ThankYou Points: 1-2 per month; Turkish + LifeMiles + Singapore commonly featured.
- Chase UR: Rare (1-3 per year), typically Hyatt-focused.
- Capital One Miles: 1-2 per quarter at 10-25%.
- Bilt Rewards: Monthly Rent Day on the 1st with periodic 100% partner bonuses.
The cents-per-point decision rule
For every potential redemption, calculate cents-per-point: (cash value / points used) × 100. Decision rules: Below 1.0¢/point: don't redeem. 1.0-1.5¢/point: marginal. 1.5-2.5¢/point: standard. 2.5-4.0¢/point: strong. 4.0¢+/point: excellent. For travelers without aspirational redemptions in mind, portal redemptions at 1.0-1.5¢/point provide a guaranteed minimum.
Find Star Alliance award space on Pointify →
Last verified by the Pointify research team on May 1, 2026 against current ANA Mileage Club RTW award terms.
Written by Pointify Research Team
Published
The Pointify team analyzes loyalty programs, fare data, and booking strategies across 300+ airlines and 25 award programs. Our goal: help you get maximum value from every point and mile.
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