Around the World in 11 Days

On a bet, Phileas Fogg endeavored to travel around the world in 80 days. He succeeded. My goal is to travel around the world in 11 days, without checking any baggage. And but for a surly Aeroflot agent in Budapest, I, too, might succeed…

At Budapest airport, en route to Moscow, I encounter the matronly and humorless Aeroflot agent, who resembles a villain in an old James Bond movie. She confiscates one of my two carefully packed carry-on pieces. While the bag certainly would fit in one of the plane's overhead compartments, it weighs 17 kilos, two kilos over the limit. I offer to lighten the piece by two kilos.

"Nyet," she says firmly, gesturing that my two items together must not exceed 17 kilos. I argue, pointing to a sign on the counter that offers a contrary directive. She does not budge. "Nyet," she repeats, firmly grabbing my bag and affixing a tag. I would have argued more, but a stern-looking, gun-toting soldier standing nearby nervously glances in my direction. I change my mind and part with the bag.

Around the World for Free

Budapest is the first stop on a "round-the-world" trip, courtesy of Delta Airlines' (DAL) Sky Miles program.

Frequent flier miles are like currency—you can fritter them away or spend them wisely. I always try to squeeze out the most value when I spend my precious miles. I won't cash miles in, say, for a short hop to Washington, D.C., when I can buy a cheap ticket. But a business-class ticket to Europe, which costs thousands of dollars in cold cash, would be worth it. An around-the-world ticket, business class, seems like a good choice.

Why would anyone who flies as much as I do want to spend another minute suffering the multiple indignities imposed by airports and airlines? (Business class makes up for the indignities, and with Sky Miles it's free.) My commitments limit me to a maximum of 11 days. Is that enough time? (It will do.) Is the trip worth blowing through all those frequent-flier miles? (Life is too short; go for it.) Finally, why do this at all? (Because I can.)

It Pays to Be a VIP

I check Delta's Web site. Tucked away in a tiny corner I find a section called "Round-the-World Awards." For 140,000 miles, I can fly around the world, economy class. Business class costs 220,000 miles. I have more than enough miles to live this fantasy.

Booking this trip on the Delta Web site is not practical, given the many moving parts. I grit my teeth and make the call.

Here my airline experience differs from that of mere mortal frequent-flier travelers, who can spend hours on the phone suffering through endless recordings in vain attempts to find answers to simple questions. As a frequent flier with Platinum Medallion status, I can call a special 800-number supplied by Delta. An electronic voice prompts me to punch in my account number, and a real person, Geena Greene, quickly answers, with all my information at hand.

I soon learn I have Double Secret Platinum Elite status, which is a cut above garden-variety Platinum status. Delta bestows this status on only 2,800 flyers worldwide. (That explains the nifty noise-canceling headphones Delta recently sent me, and the special 800 number, which connects me to Delta's Premium Service Desk.)

By. Travelbiz