There are some great premium airfares available now from Australia to Europe, with Premium Economy flights to Amsterdam on full-service airlines starting from just $1,883 return! Meanwhile, Business class fares are available from Australia to Europe from $3,715 return.
Premium cabin airfares from Sydney to Vancouver, Canada are also now available for a similar price, with Premium Economy starting at $1,709 return. And full-service Economy fares from Sydney to Rome are on sale for as low as $939 return.
The cheapest Premium Economy and Business class flights currently available to Europe are with China Airlines. This Taipei-based carrier is a member of the SkyTeam alliance and uses modern Airbus A350s on its flights to Australia and Europe. These aircraft feature lie-flat Business seats and a comfortable Premium Economy product.
The China Airlines Business Class fares aren’t quite as cheap as the recent Black Friday sale fares on Air China Business class from Germany to Australia. But with these China Airlines deals, you can comfortably start and end your trip in Australia.
The main catch is that there are long layovers in Taipei when flying from Australia to many European destinations. But flights to some destinations, including London, do not require long stopovers.
China Airlines airfare deals: Things to know
The cheap China Airlines premium fares to Europe (and North America) can be booked as long as you depart from Australia between 6 January and 12 December 2020, subject to availability. There is a maximum stay at the destination of 12 months.
Stopovers in Taipei of more than 24 hours are permitted, but cost extra. (If you want to take the opportunity to visit Taipei without paying for a stopover, simply book a routing that requires a long overnight stop.)
The good news is that this is not a limited-time sale. You can book these China Airlines Premium Economy and Business fares on the China Airlines website until 26 February 2020, or until sold out.
It is possible to fly Premium Economy in one direction and Business class in the other direction, taking advantage of the sale fares in both cabins.
China Airlines Premium Economy deals to Europe
Although China Airlines also flies from Brisbane and Melbourne, the cheapest flights appear to be available when departing from Sydney. Here are some examples of China Airlines Premium Economy deals that we found:
- Sydney-Vancouver from $1,709 return
- Sydney-Amsterdam from $1,883 return
- Sydney-Frankfurt from $2,004 return
- Sydney-Rome from $2,125 return
China Airlines Business class deals to Europe
Here are some examples of China Airlines Business class deals we found:
- Sydney-Amsterdam from $3,715 return
- Sydney-Rome from $3,738 return
- Sydney-Frankfurt from $3,836 return
- Sydney-Vancouver from $3,941 return
Earning points & status with China Airlines
Although China Airlines is a Qantas Frequent Flyer partner, you won’t be able to earn Qantas points or status credits for these flights. This is because the Qantas codeshare does not cover China Airlines flights to Europe. Instead, you can credit these flights to any SkyTeam frequent flyer program.
If you were to credit a round-trip booking in Premium Economy from Sydney to Amsterdam to the Air France/KLM Flying Blue program, for example, you would earn 88 XP points. For context, you would need to earn 180 XPs in 12 months to earn Flying Blue Gold status, which is equivalent to SkyTeam Elite Plus. Alternatively, you could credit the flights to Delta SkyMiles, which don’t expire and can be redeemed for Virgin Australia flights.
If you don’t currently have SkyTeam status but do have status with another airline, such as Qantas, you could even take advantage of the Delta status match to enjoy benefits like lounge access during your trip with China Airlines.
Other current deals to Europe
Japan Airlines still has those excellent Premium Economy deals from Sydney and Melbourne to Europe. For example, you can fly in Japan Airlines Premium Economy from Sydney to Helsinki for $2,305 return. Flights to other European destinations via Helsinki, with intra-Europe flights operated by Finnair, are also available. For example:
- Sydney-Warsaw from $2,329 return
- Sydney to Lisbon from $2,332 return
- Sydney-Oslo from $2,356 return
- Sydney-Vienna from $2,379 return
- Melbourne-Athens from $2,464 return (via London, with London-Athens on British Airways)
Japan Airlines has an outstanding Premium Economy product, and you can of course earn Qantas points & status credits for these flights.
Vietnam Airlines currently has some solid Premium Economy deals to Europe too, with return flights from Melbourne to Paris starting at $2,210 return and Sydney-Paris from $2,229 return. Vietnam Airlines is in the SkyTeam alliance.
Meanwhile, China Airlines also has an outstanding, all-inclusive Economy class fare available from Sydney to Rome for just $939 return. The catch is that there’s a full-day layover in Taipei in both directions.
Happy flying!
