EY J Singapore to Europe just over $3,000 return

[serfty]

Sorry if off the main topic, but what are some options these days to get to SE asia (positioning flights?) these days in J. I have always seen there are better J deals to Europe ex-BKK/MNL/etc rather than ex-Australia, but never found a great way to get to these to start.
Any advice appreciated
9

It may seem like blasphemy, but daytime or early evening flights in economy (aisle) are not that onerous.

MH has 9am'ish options to MEL and SYD, often awards are available.

 

[jase05]

Just beware on EY too that they do wet lease Vamos aircraft on some routes and I’ve seen mention of EY using the Vamos aircraft on AUH-MXP and AUH-FCO next year and they have used them to CGK and MNL previously

 

[VPS]

It may seem like blasphemy, but daytime or early evening flights in economy (aisle) are not that onerous.

MH has 9am'ish options to MEL and SYD, often awards are available.

It is blasphemy

 

[jase05]

It may seem like blasphemy, but daytime or early evening flights in economy (aisle) are not that onerous.

MH has 9am'ish options to MEL and SYD, often awards are available.

Cheap points flights are also an option in J

 

[WilsonM]

Sorry if off the main topic, but what are some options these days to get to SE asia (positioning flights?) these days in J. I have always seen there are better J deals to Europe ex-BKK/MNL/etc rather than ex-Australia, but never found a great way to get to these to start.
Any advice appreciated
9

Would suggest looking at this article for some ideas as well (getting to SEA isn't the main focus, but it's covered): Case Study: How I Book My Flights to Europe

 

[wfdTamar]

I've looked at Turkish Business Class either Singapore to Madrid or even Melbourne to London. They offer a free 2 night hotel in Istanbul if your Istanbul stopover is more than 22 hours (you would need a visa = $100).

I can not work out the process to get the stopover and their support are clueless what I'm asking. You search the flights and the long Istanbul wait times ones have the 'Stopover' label on them. So I want to know do I book the flight as if I'm going straight through, select to have the stopover, then THEY alter the flight out from Istanbul? Or do I have to make two bookings either side of Istanbul allowing time for the free stopover, then claim for it? Or they have a search option for stopover, but that makes no mention of the free hotel.

That's the first problem. Then even for a normal BC flight Mel to LHR, they claim to have x seats left when you search, but none when it comes to pay. Or the leg from Mel to Singapore (or Bangkok) is Economy.

 

[Mattg]

I've looked at Turkish Business Class either Singapore to Madrid or even Melbourne to London. They offer a free 2 night hotel in Istanbul if your Istanbul stopover is more than 22 hours (you would need a visa = $100).

I can not work out the process to get the stopover and their support are clueless what I'm asking. You search the flights and the long Istanbul wait times ones have the 'Stopover' label on them. So I want to know do I book the flight as if I'm going straight through, select to have the stopover, then THEY alter the flight out from Istanbul? Or do I have to make two bookings either side of Istanbul allowing time for the free stopover, then claim for it? Or they have a search option for stopover, but that makes no mention of the free hotel.

That's the first problem. Then even for a normal BC flight Mel to LHR, they claim to have x seats left when you search, but none when it comes to pay. Or the leg from Mel to Singapore (or Bangkok) is Economy.

You would need to select the flights you want upfront at the time of booking, choosing a longer connection in Istanbul. You may need to use the Turkish website's multi-city function for a stopover of more than 24 hours, or to be honest, it's probably easiest if you just go to a travel agent for this.

 

[OZDUCK]

Etihad prices in J ex Singapore have drifted back down a bit today. You can get Sin - Fra or Sin - CDG return in May/June for just under S$6,500 for two. Interestingly, for us, you can do a multi city routing arriving Frankfurt and departing Paris for basically the same price. That would suit our intentions of starting off in Strasbourg and working south.

 

[OZDUCK]

We have now booked this trip. It appears that the few hundred dollars reduction was possibly part of a Black Friday promotion. We fly Singapore-Frankfurt on 22/5 and then will return from Paris on 20/6. This cost S$6,473 for two. I could have saved about $120 by accepting a slightly lower baggage limit and much increased change and canx fees. Three of the flights are on the A380 with the second leg to Frankfurt being on a B787-9.

We will probably use ScootPlus to get up there and this will should cost just under A$2,000 return for two. One or two nights in Sin before departure.

 

[Disco]

We have now booked this trip. It appears that the few hundred dollars reduction was possibly part of a Black Friday promotion. We fly Singapore-Frankfurt on 22/5 and then will return from Paris on 20/6. This cost S$6,473 for two. I could have saved about $120 by accepting a slightly lower baggage limit and much increased change and canx fees. Three of the flights are on the A380 with the second leg to Frankfurt being on a B787-9.

We will probably use ScootPlus to get up there and this will should cost just under A$2,000 return for two. One or two nights in Sin before departure.

Hi @OZDUCK, sorry, just to clarify. The $6,473 is fare for each person with 2 people booked or total fare?

 

[OZDUCK]

Hi @OZDUCK, sorry, just to clarify. The $6,473 is fare for each person with 2 people booked or total fare?

No worries. The TOTAL fare for two people was S$6,473. Being a cheapskate I jumped at it. The best I could see for SQ around the same dates was S$8,296. And that was a non-cancellable fare and was just Sin/Fra/Sin. Turkish Airlines could be booked for a few hundred dollars cheaper than EY but again with no cancellation option and on planes with 2x2x2 J seating and often with one leg on an A320.

 

[Disco]

No worries. The TOTAL fare for two people was S$6,473. Being a cheapskate I jumped at it. The best I could see for SQ around the same dates was S$8,296. And that was a non-cancellable fare and was just Sin/Fra/Sin. Turkish Airlines could be booked for a few hundred dollars cheaper than EY but again with no cancellation option and on planes with 2x2x2 J seating and often with one leg on an A320.

That's a great fare, thanks for posting it.

 

[MELso]

I've looked at Turkish Business Class either Singapore to Madrid or even Melbourne to London. They offer a free 2 night hotel in Istanbul if your Istanbul stopover is more than 22 hours (you would need a visa = $100).

I can not work out the process to get the stopover and their support are clueless what I'm asking. You search the flights and the long Istanbul wait times ones have the 'Stopover' label on them. So I want to know do I book the flight as if I'm going straight through, select to have the stopover, then THEY alter the flight out from Istanbul? Or do I have to make two bookings either side of Istanbul allowing time for the free stopover, then claim for it? Or they have a search option for stopover, but that makes no mention of the free hotel.

That's the first problem. Then even for a normal BC flight Mel to LHR, they claim to have x seats left when you search, but none when it comes to pay. Or the leg from Mel to Singapore (or Bangkok) is Economy.

If you're prepared to endure Jetstar in economy for eight hours each way (or if you're lucky Thai), TK still has very good value mixed class fares out of MEL. They run to $4.7k-$5k, and are a lot cheaper than starting in SIN. Not as cheap as EY's fares in this thread and you'll be connecting onto TK's dated A330 or (for now at least) 777 business class, but it does offer a protected connection through SIN or BKK, and you can use SQ's excellent lounge in SIN.

Having booked this before, and assuming you're stopping over on the way over (reverse the gap in flights in IST where stopping over afterwards), you need to:

1. Check you're flying into an eligible country here: https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-int/flights/stopover/
2. Book three flights using the multi-city booking tool: MEL-IST, IST-MAD (assuming you're flying into Madrid) and MAD-MEL. You need to leave at least two nights between when you arrive in IST and when you fly to MAD, so check the timing of the flights carefully. (EDIT - the 'stopover in Istanbul' tool automates this process by inserting the necessary time in IST - just select whether you want the stopover on the way over or way back and the number of days.)
3. Send an email to [email protected] with your name, PNR, ticket number, desired accommodation dates, preferred room type, telephone number and email address.

Note you'll need an eVisa to enter Turkiye as an Australian citizen. Good luck!

 

[Dieselcanberrra]

If you're prepared to endure Jetstar in economy for eight hours each way (or if you're lucky Thai), TK still has very good value mixed class fares out of MEL. They run to $4.7k-$5k, and are a lot cheaper than starting in SIN. Not as cheap as EY's fares in this thread and you'll be connecting onto TK's dated A330 or (for now at least) 777 business class, but it does offer a protected connection through SIN or BKK, and you can use SQ's excellent lounge in SIN.

Having booked this before, and assuming you're stopping over on the way over (reverse the gap in flights in IST where stopping over afterwards), you need to:

1. Check you're flying into an eligible country here: https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-int/flights/stopover/
2. Book three flights using the multi-city booking tool: MEL-IST, IST-MAD (assuming you're flying into Madrid) and MAD-MEL. You need to leave at least two nights between when you arrive in IST and when you fly to MAD, so check the timing of the flights carefully. (EDIT - the 'stopover in Istanbul' tool automates this process by inserting the necessary time in IST - just select whether you want the stopover on the way over or way back and the number of days.)
3. Send an email to [email protected] with your name, PNR, ticket number, desired accommodation dates, preferred room type, telephone number and email address.

Note you'll need an eVisa to enter Turkiye as an Australian citizen. Good luck!

Hi Melso
Im interested in the mixed class fares that you mention above for $4.7 to $5k. How can you book these? Had no luck on the TG website. Looking to get to Munich (or FRA). Thanks

 

[Dieselcanberrra]

If you're prepared to endure Jetstar in economy for eight hours each way (or if you're lucky Thai), TK still has very good value mixed class fares out of MEL. They run to $4.7k-$5k, and are a lot cheaper than starting in SIN. Not as cheap as EY's fares in this thread and you'll be connecting onto TK's dated A330 or (for now at least) 777 business class, but it does offer a protected connection through SIN or BKK, and you can use SQ's excellent lounge in SIN.

Having booked this before, and assuming you're stopping over on the way over (reverse the gap in flights in IST where stopping over afterwards), you need to:

1. Check you're flying into an eligible country here: https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-int/flights/stopover/
2. Book three flights using the multi-city booking tool: MEL-IST, IST-MAD (assuming you're flying into Madrid) and MAD-MEL. You need to leave at least two nights between when you arrive in IST and when you fly to MAD, so check the timing of the flights carefully. (EDIT - the 'stopover in Istanbul' tool automates this process by inserting the necessary time in IST - just select whether you want the stopover on the way over or way back and the number of days.)
3. Send an email to [email protected] with your name, PNR, ticket number, desired accommodation dates, preferred room type, telephone number and email address.

Note you'll need an eVisa to enter Turkiye as an Australian citizen. Good luck!

Apologies Melso. Just saw them on Turkish airlines site

 

[MELso]

Hi Melso
Im interested in the mixed class fares that you mention above for $4.7 to $5k. How can you book these? Had no luck on the TG website. Looking to get to Munich (or FRA). Thanks

Go onto https://www.turkishairlines.com/ and do a business class search. Sort results by price and you'll see fares for $2.3k-$2.6k per leg with the first leg on Jetstar, Thai or possibly Malindo. These are the mixed class fares and will have fare classes E-J-J or E-K-K (for Jetstar) or Q-J-J or Q-K-K (for Thai).

Other airlines that sell pre-packaged mixed class fares include Finnair and Oman Air but you typically have to book these through travel agents.

Mixed class fares are a bit easier to manage than deals like these where you have to DIY to SE Asia as you don't have to worry about missing connections, whether baggage will be checked through, interline agreements and the like.

(EDIT - should also mention that out of ADL, full business fares on TK can be as low as $6k.)

 

[Dieselcanberrra]

Go onto https://www.turkishairlines.com/ and do a business class search. Sort results by price and you'll see fares for $2.3k-$2.6k per leg with the first leg on Jetstar, Thai or possibly Malindo. These are the mixed class fares and will have fare classes E-J-J or E-K-K (for Jetstar) or Q-J-J or Q-K-K (for Thai).

Other airlines that sell pre-packaged mixed class fares include Finnair and Oman Air but you typically have to book these through travel agents.

Mixed class fares are a bit easier to manage than deals like these where you have to DIY to SE Asia as you don't have to worry about missing connections, whether baggage will be checked through, interline agreements and the like.

Thanks - do you think the Jetstar legs are star class (or whatever they call their J class)? or is it right down the back?

 

[MELso]

Thanks - do you think the Jetstar legs are star class (or whatever they call their J class)? or is it right down the back?

Cattle (unless you book the full fare business class, although why you'd do that with Jetstar when TK offers many better carriers or their own metal is beyond me).

However, IME you can select extra legroom seats free of charge (currently have row 10 seats booked for a trip in March and April). Not sure what else to expect as the only other time I did this I was on TG going over and, due to a schedule change, MH coming back.

 

[Dieselcanberrra]

Cattle (unless you book the full fare business class, although why you'd do that with Jetstar when TK offers many better carriers or their own metal is beyond me).

However, IME you can select extra legroom seats free of charge (currently have row 10 seats booked for a trip in March and April). Not sure what else to expect as the only other time I did this I was on TG going over and, due to a schedule change, MH coming back.

MELso
Thanks very much for all this info. I could handle Jetstar if we had extra legroom (and own headphones on). Glad they let you select these seats w/o charge. Would prefer Thai but can't see any of their flights on the cheaper deal. Appreciate all the info you have provided.