ANA Round-the-World Award Tickets Are Disappearing After June 23, 2025
Here’s What You Need to Know (and Do Fast)
If you've been hoarding ANA miles like a squirrel in autumn, this is your wake-up call. One of the most coveted travel hacking gems—the ANA Round-the-World (RTW) award ticket—is getting the axe. Starting June 24, 2025, these unicorn-level redemptions will no longer be bookable. Let’s pour one out, and then talk strategy.
In this post, we’ll cover:
What the ANA RTW award is (and why it’s amazing)
Why it’s being discontinued
Important deadlines to remember
Who can still benefit before it’s gone
Step-by-step guide to booking one before the cutoff
Alternative sweet spots after June 2025
Let’s get into it—time is ticking!
What Is the ANA Round-the-World Award Ticket?
ANA (All Nippon Airways) is a member of Star Alliance, which includes airlines like United, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and Swiss. Their Round-the-World award ticket allows you to book a multi-stop international itinerary that literally takes you around the globe, using miles from the ANA Mileage Club program.
Why It’s Legendary
Here’s why travel hackers swoon over this award:
Fly up to 8 stopovers (yes, 8!)
Can include multiple continents
Business class redemptions are an absolute steal
Prices are based on total mileage flown, not cash cost
For example, you could fly from New York to Lisbon, hop over to Istanbul, then onto Bangkok, Tokyo, and finally back home—all in business class for as little as 125,000–145,000 miles. Try pricing that out with cash. Spoiler: it’ll cost more than your car.
ANA’s Announcement: The End of an Era
ANA quietly announced that the Round-the-World award will be discontinued as of June 24, 2025. Here's what they said:
"The Round the World Award will be discontinued on June 24, 2025, as part of our revised award program."
The change comes as part of a broader restructuring of their mileage redemption system. ANA plans to roll out a new, more “flexible” but less generous award chart. Translation: the RTW party is over.
Key Dates to Remember
Let’s break it down:
🗓️ June 23, 2025 – Last day to book an ANA Round-the-World award
🗓️ June 24, 2025 – RTW awards officially discontinued
📅 You can book up to 355 days in advance — so technically, you can travel well into 2026 if you book before the cutoff
That means you can still book RTW trips up to May/June 2026, if you lock it in before the end of June 23, 2025.
Who Should Jump on This (Like, Now)
This is a golden opportunity for:
Anyone sitting on a pile of ANA miles (especially transferred from Amex)
Travel hackers looking to check off bucket list destinations efficiently
Remote workers, digital nomads, sabbatical-takers
Families who can travel slow and want to stretch value
If you’ve ever said, “One day I want to do an around-the-world trip”—this is that day.
How to Book an ANA Round-the-World Award (Before It’s Too Late)
You’ve got a little time—but not much. Here’s how to get it done:
Step 1: Join ANA Mileage Club (Free)
Go to ANA’s website and sign up if you haven’t already.
Step 2: Transfer Points
You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards to ANA at a 1:1 ratio. It takes 2–3 days, so plan accordingly.
Tip: ANA doesn’t allow holds. You’ll need the miles in your account before booking.
Step 3: Plan Your Route (Use a Map or Tool)
Must travel eastward or westward only—no backtracking
Minimum of 2 stopovers, maximum of 8
You must cross both the Atlantic and Pacific
Max total mileage allowed depends on class of service:
Up to 22,000 miles: 85,000 ANA miles (economy)
Up to 29,000 miles: 125,000 ANA miles (business)
Up to 38,000 miles: 145,000 ANA miles (business)
Use a tool like PointsYeah or FlightConnections to visualize and calculate your route.
Step 4: Search Star Alliance Availability
Use the United or Air Canada Aeroplan websites to find Star Alliance award space (ANA’s own site is limited).
Pro tip: Look for Saver-level award space—that's what ANA requires.
Step 5: Submit Your RTW Booking Request
You’ll need to call ANA (yes, the phone 😬) or fill out their online form with your full itinerary. Be prepared to send:
Dates
Flight numbers
Cities
Class of service
Then wait for ANA to manually price and ticket the award.
Can You Make Changes After Booking?
Yes, but not many. ANA allows some changes:
Date and time changes are free
Route changes are not allowed after ticketing
You can cancel for a small fee (usually around $300 USD)
So double- and triple-check your itinerary before confirming.
The Clock Is Ticking: Should You Book Now?
If you’re even considering doing a big international trip in the next 12–18 months, you’d be crazy not to look into this.
Here’s why:
After June 23, this redemption is gone forever
ANA’s new award chart will likely be more expensive and more restrictive
This is one of the best business class redemptions ever, full stop
Sample ANA RTW Itineraries You Could Still Book
Need some inspo? Here are a few real-world RTW routes that still fit within the award chart limits:
🌍 Option 1: Classic RTW in Business (145K miles)
New York → Lisbon
Lisbon → Istanbul
Istanbul → Bangkok
Bangkok → Tokyo
Tokyo → LA
Total miles: ~28,000
🌍 Option 2: Family RTW in Economy (85K miles)
Chicago → Paris
Paris → Delhi
Delhi → Singapore
Singapore → Tokyo
Tokyo → Vancouver
Total miles: ~21,000
You could even fly the whole family in economy for fewer miles than a single one-way in business on some airlines.
What’s Replacing the ANA RTW Award?
As of now, ANA hasn’t announced a direct replacement for the RTW award. Their upcoming program overhaul will introduce:
Seasonal pricing
New distance-based redemption tiers
Possibly dynamic pricing elements
Translation: less predictability, fewer outsized sweet spots. The new system is expected to be more aligned with market prices—i.e., worse for us.
Alternatives to Consider After June 2025
While ANA’s RTW award is going away, here are a few other creative redemptions to consider:
1. Aeroplan’s Stopovers
Add a stopover for 5,000 points
No need for a full RTW, but good for 2–3 destinations on one ticket
2. Asia Miles Multi-City Awards
Still allows complex routings with partner airlines
Pricing isn’t as favorable, but flexibility remains
3. United’s Excursionist Perk
Free one-way within a region when booking round-trip
Limited, but still a trick worth keeping in your back pocket
4. Alaska Multi-Partner Awards
These are rumored to be changing, but still offer value for Asia and around-the-Pacific routes
Final Thoughts: Get in While You Still Can
This is your “it’s now or never” moment. ANA’s Round-the-World award ticket has long been one of the most powerful tools in the travel hacker’s toolkit. With just 145,000 miles, you could fly business class across three continents, soak in four cuisines, and earn enough Instagram content to last you a year.
Don’t let this unicorn redemption vanish without at least trying to ride it.
TL;DR:
ANA RTW award tickets disappear after June 23, 2025
You can still book travel through mid-2026
It’s one of the best uses of Amex points, ever
Book before the deadline or lose the chance forever
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