Advice needed: Travelling to Europe next June/July. Is it too late?

[doublecatered]

Hi there
I have a shedload of points I would like to use up next year on a trip to Europe. I fear I may be too late as looking at availability
around that time, there is nothing available in J class on Emirates from MEL/SYD/ADL/BNE to Dubai.

My question is, have I missed the boat for next year or am I simply looking too early?
Would Emirates be likely to release seats for June/July in due course?
Am I better off biting the bullet and go via HKG on CX via ADL (which is available) but in the process, having to utilise more
points than the EK option?

Any advice apprecizted

 

[RooFlyer]

Timing - depends a bit on your QantasStatus.

But in any event, definitely look at less direct routes vi HKG, HND, KIX, NRT, CMB, KUL and SIN and various departure ports for those routes.

 

[goldenhorn]

What itinerary are you looking at?

For July booking I would be checking in August but I’m NB so don’t get to see availability until later.

 

[Mattg]

No, if anything it's still a little too early. Emirates seats are only released ~330 days out. That said, as this is the very peak period for travel to Europe, it's possible that some airlines won't release any award seats to/from some cities around this time of year.

 

[doublecatered]

Thanks for your replies
My itinerary is really flexible. If I can at least get to DXB, I can choose a myriad of European destinations which are showing available.
I am leaving around 8-10 June. The only EK flight that is available around then is 20May MEL/DXB
Im thinking Mattg is correct in that its peak time going to Europe and there wont be many award seats available.

Has anyone had luck in booking award seats to Europe around June in the past??

 

[JennyMG]

Yes, In june 2020 we're going. I found booking award J seats TO Europe difficult. So did a work around, not ideal, but very happy with end result.
Yes, you have to be flexible.
I found a great (Paid) deal on another airline, Air France actually, that went Syd, Sing, Paris. Happily took that one.
Coming back, I used my QFF, I also have a lot and could have easily taken the two way. But since there were none I wanted, to the place I wanted (I didn't care about the stopover, but I did care about the final destination), I paid for the way over, and took an award on the way back. Cost pretty much the same as Y tickets both ways. Pretty happy. Maybe don't be too fussed on the stopover place? or the airline? as long as you get the class you want?
I'll use the rest of my points for the next holiday!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks for your replies
My itinerary is really flexible. If I can at least get to DXB, I can choose a myriad of European destinations which are showing available.
I am leaving around 8-10 June. The only EK flight that is available around then is 20May MEL/DXB
Im thinking Mattg is correct in that its peak time going to Europe and there wont be many award seats available.

Has anyone had luck in booking award seats to Europe around June in the past??

The problem with the QF award booking tool is that it doesn't show many of the possible connections. Getting EK from SIN is usually pretty easy. Getting to Singapore is possible via multiple routes... either EK, or QF via SYD/PER/wherever.

Use the multi-city tool and search Australia to SIN, you may need to throw in a connection. Or use the AA(.com) booking tool. This doesn't require membership and will show potential connections. Once you find a flight to SIN, getting from there to DXB and Europe (or USA) is usually pretty easy. (Note that the QF tool may show MEL-SIN non-stop, or via SYD, but may not show MEL-PER-SIN even if those flights are available).

Another route I did last year was AU to Denpasar (Bali). From MEL there were options for non-stop or via SYD. EK then took me out of DPS.

 

[doublecatered]

Yes I really don't mind where I go via. Like I said earlier, I can book an award ticket on CX departing from Adelaide then EK to Milan via DXB. Just irks me I need to fork out substantially more points than EK all the way. That's ok. First World problem lol
Thanks for the input

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes I really don't mind where I go via. Like I said earlier, I can book an award ticket on CX departing from Adelaide then EK to Milan via DXB. Just irks me I need to fork out substantially more points than EK all the way. That's ok. First World problem lol
Thanks for the input

That's why I focussed on Qantas and Emirates. They are both in the same award table, so you can combine those in any way and still pay the low 'Qantas' rate (for example AU-SIN on QF plus SIN-DXB-Europe on EK is 126K in business.)

Starting to combine airlines in different tables can become very expensive, especially if one of those airlines is BA with their very hefty fule surcharges

 

[doublecatered]

The problem with the QF award booking tool is that it doesn't show many of the possible connections. Getting EK from SIN is usually pretty easy. Getting to Singapore is possible via multiple routes... either EK, or QF via SYD/PER/wherever.

Use the multi-city tool and search Australia to SIN, you may need to throw in a connection. Or use the AA(.com) booking tool. This doesn't require membership and will show potential connections. Once you find a flight to SIN, getting from there to DXB and Europe (or USA) is usually pretty easy. (Note that the QF tool may show MEL-SIN non-stop, or via SYD, but may not show MEL-PER-SIN even if those flights are available).

Another route I did last year was AU to Denpasar (Bali). From MEL there were options for non-stop or via SYD. EK then took me out of DPS.

Hi MEL_Traveller. You are a legend. I didn't even think of checking MEL/SYD/BNE to SIN on EK.
There are a few seats available via BNE so im all set. And from there it looks good onwards to DXB and Europe.
Thanks for your suggestion.
This forum really is a great resource.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi MEL_Traveller. You are a legend. I didn't even think of checking MEL/SYD/BNE to SIN on EK.
There are a few seats available via BNE so im all set. And from there it looks good onwards to DXB and Europe.
Thanks for your suggestion.
This forum really is a great resource.

If there are options, try and get the A380 from SIN onwards to DXB (I think it's all A380 now that they cancelled their 777 on the SIN-CMB-DXB route).