Article: Strategies for Cheap Business Class Flights to Europe

[AFF Editor]

Strategies for Cheap Business Class Flights to Europe is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

Strategies for Cheap Business Class Flights to Europe

If you live in Australia, there are several strategies you can use to book cheap Business Class flights to Europe.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[levelnine]

It's striking how Velocity partners with the three airlines that currently have the best availability to/from Europe: SQ, QR & EY.

They're totally trouncing Qantas at the moment when it comes to Australia-Europe J award travel.

 

[SYD]

Another tip is to try and be flexible on where you fly in/out of “Europe”. Some of those heavily discounted J fares ex-Asia are usually limited to specific city pairs but it might be a short hop from that Euro port to your final destination. Same general rule applies for travelling on seperate tickets of course or take a train.

CX also has good fares around. I’ll be doing CGK-HKG-LHR//MAD-HKG-DPS in a few weeks time. Including QF rewards flights SYD-CGK//DPS-PER-SYD, it’ll be sub $4k + points. DPS-PER will be JQ but a day flight.

It's striking how Velocity partners with the three airlines that currently have the best availability to/from Europe: SQ, QR & EY.

EY have good availability because they were the first to Jack up carrier surcharges. The QR redemption via QFF is a whole other story - as we all know…

 

[levelnine]

EY have good availability because they were the first to Jack up carrier surcharges.

I think the blame lies with VA rather than EY. EY is very cheap on Aeroplan, for example.

~$AUD150 fees & taxes Australia to Europe, for example:

 

[drcam]

The best airfare I've ever had flying to Europe was MEL-FRA-MEL with China airlines for $1750 return in 2018 in PE. The food was standard Y fare but the hard product was very very good. It also gave me enough FF points for a one-way flight between any two cities in Asia, although I never got to use it.

SQ points availability to Europe these days seems just as appalling as everyone else's.

 

[Mattg]

I think the blame lies with VA rather than EY. EY is very cheap on Aeroplan, for example.

~$AUD150 fees & taxes Australia to Europe, for example:
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Aeroplan doesn't add carrier charges for any airline, including Emirates.

I believe Velocity felt at the time they were forced to add the Etihad carrier charge after Etihad unilaterally increased the cost of its award seats to VA without notice.

 

[moffat39]

The best airfare I've ever had flying to Europe was MEL-FRA-MEL with China airlines for $1750 return in 2018 in PE. The food was standard Y fare but the hard product was very very good. It also gave me enough FF points for a one-way flight between any two cities in Asia, although I never got to use it.

SQ points availability to Europe these days seems just as appalling as everyone else's.

China Airlines has great PE which we exeperienced Brisbane to Vancouver in 2019. The return flight was in J and the cost for the flights was around $2950 return The seats were 7 across on a 350. Had a full day stopover in Tapei both ways which we enjoyed. Friends did Brisbane to Europe in PE for around $2000 return in 2019.

The food was acceptable and in PE you get to use the toilets in J and also access the self service snacks in J.

Checked out the cost of return PE flights on China Airlines in October 2023 to Vienna and they were around $3800.

 

[MELso]

Another strategy that's not mentioned in the article: booking mixed class fares (typically on carriers who don't fly all the way to Australia) with economy to SE Asia then business.. I am aware that both Turkish Airlines and Finnair offer such a product, and I think Lufthansa at least used to.

The big advantage over booking positioning flights to and from SE Asia is that the connections (typically in SIN or BKK), are protected, meaning that the airline must look out for you if the connection doesn't work (this came in very handy when TG changed a flight from having a 5 hour layover in BKK to a 22 hour one - I was able to get TK to rebook me on MH free of charge).

 

[jase05]

Aeroplan doesn't add carrier charges for any airline, including Emirates.

No, but Aeroplan charges extra points to fly EK.
I

 

[david jones 77]

You can also get cheap seats through Qantas via China Airlines from Mel to Taipei for business e.g. 75,000 points for Business Rewards and try and find a deal to Europe from Taipei.

 

[Gary T]

I go to Italy every year for four months and always buy my tickets ex FCO until Covid cancelled my return after two years. Now have to purchase ex OZ until next year when I’ll have enough points to get a one way back to Italia and get back to purchasing ex FCO. It has saved me $1000’s over the years. The prices ex OZ are outa control.

 

[sydney slug]

I am using Oman Air J coming back from the Rugby World Cup after getting there on SQ points. FRA SYD with a 3 day stopover in Muscat was a smidgin over 3k.

 

[ginbe]

I go to Italy every year for four months and always buy my tickets ex FCO until Covid cancelled my return after two years. Now have to purchase ex OZ until next year when I’ll have enough points to get a one way back to Italia and get back to purchasing ex FCO. It has saved me $1000’s over the years. The prices ex OZ are outa control.

Hi Gary
I am trying to book a trip to London, need to be there on 23/9. Should I fly to FCO and take a flight to London from there…? Would appreciate any suggestions?
Gina

Post automatically merged: May 1, 2023

I go to Italy every year for four months and always buy my tickets ex FCO until Covid cancelled my return after two years. Now have to purchase ex OZ until next year when I’ll have enough points to get a one way back to Italia and get back to purchasing ex FCO. It has saved me $1000’s over the years. The prices ex OZ are outa control.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I go to Italy every year for four months and always buy my tickets ex FCO until Covid cancelled my return after two years. Now have to purchase ex OZ until next year when I’ll have enough points to get a one way back to Italia and get back to purchasing ex FCO. It has saved me $1000’s over the years. The prices ex OZ are outa control.

If you go each year, consider Ita to Aus for points redemption or purchase. IMHO it’s cheaper than aus to ita. Use points to get to ita, then book ita-aus return with long return date. We used to do this. Very economical.

 

[clifford]

I am trying to book a trip to London, need to be there on 23/9. Should I fly to FCO and take a flight to London from there…? Would appreciate any suggestions?

Do you also need to come back? It could make a huge difference to the routing/fares? Here's a few quick searches from google/flights:

 

[ginbe]

Do you also need to come back? It could make a huge difference to the routing/fares? Here's a few quick searches from google/flights:
View attachment 326682
View attachment 326683
View attachment 326684

Wow, that’s really cheap. I need to fly on around the 20/9 to be there for a wedding on the 23/9. That fare doesn’t come up for those dates. I will be travelling from Adelaide, it may be cheaper flying in to another city in Europe rather then London. Any thoughts?

 

[Skyring]

Thank goodness for AFF alerts. I read the article with interest. Until a couple of hours ago I'd been looking at buying a J ticket SYD-LHR via Oman. One way for just under $4K and I'd have to work out to get up to Edinburgh and then back home. Plus an overnight layover in Muscat.
Now I have return flights BKK-HEL-EDI with Finnair for the same price. Granted, I have to get to and from Bangkok and there's a 23 hour layover in Helsinki but most of my trip will be in comfort.
Business Light so I added a checked bag both ways and lounge access on the way back for a couple of hundred extra.
Now, I'm wondering what my options are for a night in Helsinki and possibly BKK to and from.

Oh yeah. What sort of QFF and SC earn can I expect on AY?

 

[SYD]

Oh yeah. What sort of QFF and SC earn can I expect on AY?

If the fare base is in the QFF earn table for AY, then the QF earn calculator will be correct. Usually 120 SCs each way from Asia to HEL. Should be 60 SCs to EDI.

 

[Gremlin]

Wow, that’s really cheap. I need to fly on around the 20/9 to be there for a wedding on the 23/9. That fare doesn’t come up for those dates. I will be travelling from Adelaide, it may be cheaper flying in to another city in Europe rather then London. Any thoughts?

Obviously the wedding date is locked in, but how flexible are you with your travel date(s)? When are you planning on returning? That timeframe has you hitting school holidays so cheaper fares will be challenging to find.

 

[tdimdad]

Now, I'm wondering what my options are for a night in Helsinki and possibly BKK to and from.

When are you going? If it's the northern mid-summer, of course you'll be dancing in the parks of Helsinki all night in the (near) midnight sun...