Cheap flights - LHR to BNE Oct 2009

[Linny]

Hi there

This is my first post! I hope I am posting in the right section!

I have redeemed my QF FF points so my husband and I are flying BNE to LHR in September 2009 and only have to pay the taxes.

We are looking at flying LHR to BNE in early October 2009. I know airfares aren't released for that timeframe yet, but does anyone know when Qantas and Singapore Airlines release their earlybird fares for that time of the year? I would assume I would need to book from the UK versions of their websites?

Or, if anyone has any other airline suggestions, would be much appreciated. We are trying to fly as cheap as possible but without compromising our safety!!!!

Thanks

 

[NM]

Hi there

This is my first post! I hope I am posting in the right section!

Welcome to AFF

I have redeemed my QF FF points so my husband and I are flying BNE to LHR in September 2009 and only have to pay the taxes.

Actually, you are playing considerable more than just the taxes. You are also paying the fuel surcharges, which are not taxes, but that is another story.

We are looking at flying LHR to BNE in early October 2009. I know airfares aren't released for that timeframe yet, but does anyone know when Qantas and Singapore Airlines release their earlybird fares for that time of the year? I would assume I would need to book from the UK versions of their websites?

One-way fares from the major airlines are often as much as a return fare. The cheapest option will be with one or more Low Cost Carriers such as Air Aisia X. Its generally the LCCs that offer one-way fares.

And as strange as it may seem, it may be cheaper to fly from somewhere in continental Europe rather than from London. Airlines structure their fares in strange ways and its often cheaper to fly to Australia from places like Amsterdam than from London, even with the same airline and routing back through London to get to Australia.

 

[albatross710]

I've been looking out for SIA fares to Europe in October 09 but I don't think they have released fares yet.

Bestflights.com.au have a good summary of European fares Australian Travel Agent : Best Flights - discount travel - Travel Agent Australia. The headline fares are usually ex-Perth excluding taxes. Drill down on the fares to get the fares for your departure point.

 

[Linny]

Thanks for your replies.

We had trouble getting QF FF award flights BNE to LHR. Every day they were released, they seemed to be snapped up straight away! So as soon as 10th September 2009 was released I booked us both one ways to London!

In hindsight, maybe I should have just booked one of us return BNE/LHR and then booked the same flights with QF when the fares were released later.

I hope we don't end up paying a fortune for two one way flights LHR/BNE.

I guess one good thing is that because we live near OOL, we could fly to KL from LHR, have a day or two there, then fly Air Asia X to OOL?

 

[NM]

Do you have enough QF FF points for the return flights? If so. its worth calling the QF FF service centre and asking them for availability. They have access to additional flights and perhaps routings that are not presented on the web site. For example, Cathay Pacific flights don't show on the web site but can be booked via the telephone agents (includes an additional 2500 points per ticket).

 

[Linny]

Hi NM

Unfortunately we don't have enough QF FF points to redeem any further award flights.

 

[Linny]

I have an update!

I have cancelled our two one way flights and have lost 10,000 QF points as the cancellation fee. I am not worried about that.

Will now book my husband return BNE/LHR flights using QF FF points and I will just pay for my return flights (just hope we can get on the same flights!).

Now that QF have released their earlybird fares, we are going to change our dates to leaving BNE late September 2009 and I will only have to pay $2009 for return flights!