It’s that time of year again when all the airlines discount their airfares to Europe for travel in the following year! Qantas, Emirates, Qatar, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines and many other airlines have all released Europe early bird sale fares. Right now, you can book a return ticket from Australia to Europe on a full-service airline for as little as $1,019!
Europe early bird sales typically take place each year in September or October.
This year’s Europe early bird deals aren’t just restricted to Economy class. Many airlines are also offering discounts on Premium Economy and Business tickets to Europe. For example, Singapore Airlines and Qantas both have Premium Economy fares to London on sale for under $3,500 return. Singapore Airlines, Etihad, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas also have Business fares on sale.
First Class fares to Europe are also on sale now with Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Qantas.
Most airlines will allow you to book an open-jaw ticket to Europe. This is where you fly into one city, then depart from somewhere else. These fares are ideal when travelling around Europe as you’ll often travel between cities by train, bus or car. So you might not necessarily want to depart from the same city that you started your trip in. If you’re planning to include the UK in your trip, we recommend starting there and finishing in continental Europe to avoid paying the UK Air Passenger Duty.
Each airline’s Europe early bird sale covers slightly different travel dates. Here are the key dates you need to know for the major airlines:
| Airline | Sale Expiry Date | Travel Period |
| Qantas | 4 October 2018 | 23 April – 6 June 2019 |
| Singapore Airlines | 30 October 2018 | 14 January – 3 September 2019 |
| Etihad Airways | 12 October 2018 | 15 January – 12 August 2019 |
| Emirates | 4 October 2018 | 23 April – 6 June 2019 |
| Qatar Airways | 31 October 2018 | 13 January – 31 August 2019 |
| Cathay Pacific | 31 October 2018 | 1 March – 31 August 2019 |
| Thai Airways | 5 November 2018 | 1 February – 31 October 2019 |
Thinking of booking a trip? We’ve put together a list of some of the best 2019 Europe early bird deals available from the major Australian airports…
A selection of the best return airfare deals from Sydney:
- Copenhagen – $1,088 with Singapore Airlines
- Istanbul – $1,095 with Qatar Airways or $1,118 with Etihad Airways
- Brussels – $1,204 with Cathay Pacific
- Frankfurt – $1,234 with Qatar Airways or $1,239 with Singapore AIrlines
- London – $1,296 with Emirates, $1,301 with British Airways or $1,320 with Qantas
A selection of the best return airfare deals from Melbourne:
- Istanbul – $1,068 with Singapore Airlines, $1,074 with Etihad Airways or $1,078 with Qatar Airways
- Copenhagen – $1,097 with Thai Airways or $1,121 with Qatar Airways
- Paris – $1,166 with Etihad Airways
- Athens – $1,214 with Qatar Airways or $1,223 with Etihad Airways
- London – $1,256 with Emirates
A selection of the best return airfare deals from Brisbane:
- Istanbul – $1,091 with Singapore Airlines
- Copenhagen – $1,194 with Singapore Airlines
- London – $1,314 with Cathay Pacific or $1,350 with Emirates
A selection of the best return airfare deals from Perth:
- Copenhagen – $1,019 with Singapore Airlines, $1,029 with Qatar Airways or $1,052 with Thai Airways
- Istanbul – $1,019 with Qatar Airways
- Paris – $1,094 with Qatar Airways
- Dublin – $1,147 with Emirates
- London – $1,184 with Emirates or $1,207 with Singapore Airlines
Cheap flights to Europe are also available from Adelaide, Canberra and various other Australian cities. For example, you can fly from Canberra to Amsterdam or Copenhagen with Qatar Airways for just $1,149 return.
