Planning a trip to Italy

[jb747]

Looking at booking a business class trip to Italy next year, and I'm surprised that the ME brigade are appreciably more expensive than I can get with SQ. Is this normal? The prices I'm seeing almost make my old employer viable.

 

[offshore171]

Have a look at JAL and Finnair's options over the north pole route via TYO.

I've seen some decent deals.

 

[RooFlyer]

Is this normal? The prices I'm seeing almost make my old employer viable.

Not 'normal' in my experience. I’m not tied to any particular alliance or airline so my travel agent usually gives me prices and schedule for at least QR, SQ and maybe one other if I’m going to Europe or anywhere for that matter. I think of my last five times has been three times on QR and twice on SQ.

Definitely worth having a look at the AY and LH so called round the world fares ( doesn’t have to be around the world - also there and back) . You’d end up flying into Helsinki or Frankfurt and then you get a free flight onward in Europe in your case to Italy.

i’m doing an AY version this Christmas into Europe; much cheaper than of the shelf here to Europe and back.

Matt wrote an ask about these a year or so ago but you can’t book them yourself. You have to go through a travel agent which in my opinion is not a bad idea anyway.

 

[p--and--t]

Roundabout travel often have multi stop RTW J and Y fares way cheaper than a "there and back"

 

[RooFlyer]

Roundabout travel often have multi stop RTW J and Y fares way cheaper than a "there and back"

they are the AY and LH fares that I referred to above. Roundabout have a good business in those but I wouldn't necessarily go to them for the fare as other travel agents can probably offer the same price but with better service.

You don't have to go RTW with them, you can just go there and back if, for instance, you didn't want to go through the USA unnecessarily.

 

[jb747]

.... you didn't want to go through the USA unnecessarily.

Or at all.

The boss is a terrible traveler at best, so I think RTW is off the plate. Probably the same for any flights with any level of backtracking.

 

[RooFlyer]

The boss is a terrible traveler at best, so I think RTW is off the plate. Probably the same for any flights with any level of backtracking.

So if, for instance, you chose the AY fare, you could go MEL/SYD-SIN/BKK (on Qantas) and a stopover if you liked, or connect straight through, then onto HEL on AY, stopover there if you like, then HEL to your Italian destination. AY fly into a number of Italian ports:



You are allowed an open jaw, so you could depart from another port to HEL, and return home.

For LH, you would also fly Qantas, surprisingly! (or SQ) to BKK or SIN, then to FRA and FRA to Italy.

These guys want you on their metal to Europe, then within Europe and offer some good deals.

 

[luckypierre]

Looking at booking a business class trip to Italy next year, and I'm surprised that the ME brigade are appreciably more expensive than I can get with SQ. Is this normal? The prices I'm seeing almost make my old employer viable.

QR have some good pricing SIN-FCO return from about SGD 3500, for APR/JUN next year, if you’re happy to book separate flights Oz-SIN