The $700 fare from Australia to Europe introduced in 1972

[pn1]

I am planning a presentation on how I organised my five month "adventure" to Europe in 1974 and am hoping someone on AFF can confirm my memory about a detail of the $700 return fare to Europe introduced in 1972.

I remember the rules were you could fly into one approved location and fly out of another and you could have one formal stopover either on the forward or return journey.

But you could also have a number of transit stops so long as they didn't exceed 24 hours. So it became a bit of an art form to include transit stops of 23hrs 45 mins.

I am seeking confirmation of the number of transit stops allowed. I recall it was four of five but am not certain.

My itinerary was:

Melbourne-Adelaide-Perth (change of planes in Adelaide).
Transit stop Perth
Perth to Johannesburg (South African Airways with refuelling stop in Mauritius)
Full stopover in Johannesburg
Johannesburg to Lisbon (TAP with stops in Salisbury (Harare) and Luanda).
Lisbon was destination of forward journey. I arrived on May Day when everyone was celebrating the revolution of a few days previously.

Own arrangements through Europe

Copenhagen to Tokyo (JAL with refuelling stop in Moscow).
I had been ticketed Tokyo to Osaka (with transit stops in each) but (on the advice of my travel agent) simply tore out the coupon and took the bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka
Osaka to Hong Kong (direct but dont' recall airline). Another transit stop in Hong Kong
Hong Kong to Melbourne with stop in Manila.

All for $823 economy. That would be the equivalent of $8000 or so today?

I was away from April to September 1974. I turned 24 while I was away.

Thank you

Paul in Melbourne

 

[Forg]

This doesn't answer your question and it's not my intention to derail the discussion (I don't think asking this will affect whether you get answers) ... but what is the relevance of "the" return fare of "$700" introduced in that particular year?
Was there a massive sudden halving of fares as all carriers obtained 747's or something like that, and one particular carrier dropped to $700 ... or did a whole bunch of carriers suddenly offer a $700 fare?
As in, what is memorable & significant of this particular fare, such that people are going to remember it? And what was "the" $700 fare exactly?

 

[ausfox]

The $700 fare was significantly lower than the previous economy cost. My +1 and I borrowed the money and went to Europe for Christmas 1972. This began a long and costly hobby of seeing what is over there somewhere. Still exploring but slowing down.

 

[SYD]

This doesn't answer your question and it's not my intention to derail the discussion (I don't think asking this will affect whether you get answers) ... but what is the relevance of "the" return fare of "$700" introduced in that particular year?
Was there a massive sudden halving of fares as all carriers obtained 747's or something like that, and one particular carrier dropped to $700 ... or did a whole bunch of carriers suddenly offer a $700 fare?
As in, what is memorable & significant of this particular fare, such that people are going to remember it? And what was "the" $700 fare exactly?

Apparently, it was a QANTAS fare - primarily aimed at trips like SYD-LHR (return or $450 one-way*) but sounds like you could construct more round about routings.

*there were a lot of Australians heading to London one-way in the 1970s!

 

[OZDUCK]

Apparently, it was a QANTAS fare - primarily aimed at trips like SYD-LHR (return or $450 one-way*) but sounds like you could construct more round about routings.

*there were a lot of Australians heading to London one-way in the 1970s!

We flew one-way to London in the 1970's so my sample of 2 agrees with you. But we did run across other Australians who were also on one-way tickets.

 

[SYD]

We flew one-way to London in the 1970's so my sample of 2 agrees with you. But we did run across other Australians who were also on one-way tickets.

Before my time travelling, but I was thinking of all those famous peeps that left during the “brain drain” / “cultural cringe” period starting in the 1960s eg Barry Humphries, Clive James, Germaine Greer etc and continued on into the ‘80s eg Kylie Minogue!

 

[Murmal]

The airfare prices are correct and the introduction of the 747's was primarily the reason why flying longhaul became so much more affordable.
Prior to 1971 most airlines out of Australia used 707's, far fewer seats and expensive on fuel.
Qantas introduced the 747 starting in 1971 and fares came tumbling down. There was also increased competition, even with chartered flights by such as Freddie Laker.
Unaffordable before 1972, my mother returned to the UK to visit family on a $700 fare (QF, MEL-SIN-KUL-BAH-LHR on a 707, returning QF, LHR-JFK-SFO-HNL-NAN-MEL on 747's).
In 1974 I remember flying QF, MEL-PER (stopover)-KUL (707's)-BAH-LHR (747), returning LHR-BAH-KUL-SIN-MEL (747) for about $800.

 

[moa999]

And I note that in May 1972 the minimum Aus wage increased to $2/hr and remained in the low-2s for most of the 70s.

 

[Forg]

And I note that in May 1972 the minimum Aus wage increased to $2/hr and remained in the low-2s for most of the 70s.

I see pictures of Stratocruisers with bunks, lounges underneath the main passenger cabin, cabin staff carving thick slices of meat off entire roasts that have been cooked in-flight etc etc, and partially wonder how the airlines could afford to even offer that back then. And then I remember - it's because all 80-odd passengers were flying F except that for their F they were paying probably the equivalent of about $50k in current terms for a return ticket between the US & the UK.

 

[Murmal]

I see pictures of Stratocruisers with bunks, lounges underneath the main passenger cabin, cabin staff carving thick slices of meat off entire roasts that have been cooked in-flight etc etc, and partially wonder how the airlines could afford to even offer that back then. And then I remember - it's because all 80-odd passengers were flying F except that for their F they were paying probably the equivalent of about $50k in current terms for a return ticket between the US & the UK.

And in 1974, Y seats were equivalent to today's PE and Y meals were equivalent or better than today's J. Certainly now more affordable to fly but the quality and experience has suffered.

 

[sunanba2]

And in 1974, Y seats were equivalent to today's PE and Y meals were equivalent or better than today's J. Certainly now more affordable to fly but the quality and experience has suffered.

It’s wild to think about the luxury of those flights! How do you think the pricing back then compares to today’s premium experiences? Is it worth it?

 

[Murmal]

It’s wild to think about the luxury of those flights! How do you think the pricing back then compares to today’s premium experiences? Is it worth it?

I don't think in the 70's & 80's most people considered flying Y to be a 'luxury' experience (that was the domain of First Class) but the seats were certainly better than today's and the inflight dining helped to make longhaul flights a special experience. It wasn't as in the 50's with silver service for everyone who was a first class pax but still ample and better quality than a lot of today's J offerings. Flying anywhere was a new and exciting adventure. My 79 yr old grandmother flew from Europe to AUS in 1979, her first ever flight which she never thought would be affordable or an option for her in her lifetime. The whole experience was 'a luxury' to her, more genuine and special than those celebrities that just flew on Blue Origin. She was thrilled, appreciative and could hardly believe she had stepped foot in far off Bombay (Mumbai) and Singapore all in one day before arriving on the other side of the world.
Sadly the 'specialness' of flying has gone, along with the standards and quality of the experience. IMO the value of today's J fares are only worth it if you have a fly flat bed for a long flight. You pay PE fares for what was Y pre 2000. Today's Y has been brutalised by low cost carriers and people demanding cheaper fares at the cost of comfort and amenities. Once customers accept a lesser product, businesses are happy to oblige.

 

[NM]

The significant price reduction of fares from Australia to Europe was the major catalyst for my first international travel experience in 1974. I was not old enough to understand the fare rules and my parents were really only interested in getting the family (5 of us) to the UK and back. Outbound was on BOAC VC10 BNE-DRW-CGK-SIN-CCU-DXB-KWI-LHR. The was Qantas, with a B747 LHR-AMS-SIN and then B707 SIN-BNE.

So lots of refueling stops on the outbound, some with all passengers remaining on the aircraft (middle east), but all were just transits with no stopovers and only SIN on the return being a change of aircraft. We did see a Concorde taxiing in SIN on the return journey, which obviously was not a normal location for that bird to be operating.

As a pre-teen on my first ever flights, economy was luxury for me.

 

[Forg]

You pay PE fares for what was Y pre 2000. Today's Y has been brutalised by low cost carriers and people demanding cheaper fares at the cost of comfort and amenities. Once customers accept a lesser product, businesses are happy to oblige.

I think 2000 is a stretch, maybe pre-1985 or something like that?
As a teen I flew QF Y in a 747 in the late 80’s, that was waaaay squishier than PE and food/drink was still that garbage you’d not pay over $5 for in the Colesworths TV-dinner section.

 

[VPS]

It’s wild to think about the luxury of those flights! How do you think the pricing back then compares to today’s premium experiences? Is it worth it?

and welcome to AFF