Route notes
Why this routing works
This 13-week routing is built as a long eastbound progression from New York City into Europe, then onward through the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, Japan, and back to the USA in Spokane. The sequence keeps the trip moving in one broad direction while mixing longer stays such as Lisbon (12 nights), Bali (7 nights), Melbourne (7 nights), and shorter operational stops including Dubai, Hong Kong, and Ayers Rock.
There are two notable surface or open-jaw elements in the structure. Florence is reached overland after Lisbon, with the flight pattern resuming from Milan, which is a practical way to separate arrival and onward departure within Italy. Later, the itinerary shows an open-jaw into New Zealand before continuing Auckland-Wellington-Christchurch-Auckland by air, allowing the Australia section to finish in Melbourne before the New Zealand flight chain resumes.
Within Asia-Pacific, the ticketing logic groups together shorter regional hops: Phuket to Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Bali, then Bali to Sydney, followed by Sydney-Ayers Rock-Melbourne. The New Zealand and Fiji segments continue that pattern with Christchurch and Auckland separated by a return northbound leg before crossing to Nadi and then Tokyo. This kind of sequencing is typical for a multi-stop ticket where regional sectors are used to connect larger long-haul sections efficiently.
September departure timing fits the stated Jul-Sep season and supports a continuous 13-week schedule without needing to compress the stop lengths. With business class throughout and a sold range of USD 18,887 to 24,725, this is a complex premium itinerary best understood as a logistics-driven multi-continent routing with a mix of long stays, short stays, and a small number of intentional surface breaks.