As the autumn and winter months approach in UK / Europe, many people start thinking about jetting off to get some southern hemisphere sunshine – with Australia being the destination-of-choice.
Flight prices have been higher in 2010 than the previous 2 years and the days of sub-£500 fares to Australia seem long gone. As we move into high-season current fares for an economy ticket from UK to Australia are priced around £750-£1,250. The significant increase in UK Air Passenger Duty (APD) from November 1st 2010 has not helped matters either.
There are a few factors to consider when booking flights to Australia:
Alliances – can you get miles or points for your primary or secondary frequent flyer program?
Connection Times – You may wish to avoid overly long waiting times at connecting airports. Also, what if your first flight gets delayed and you miss the connection – how long will you have to wait for the next flight?
Stopovers – Consider breaking up the long journey by stopping off for a few days in the Middle East or Asia. You may be able to get an accommodation deal with your airline.
Peak Season – Avoid flying out around the Christmas period when prices reach their highest level for the year.
Exchange Rate - Another factor to consider is that the Australian dollar has been very strong against the GB pound (rate:1.66) and euro (1.40) so travellers will notice everything in Australia being more expensive. Normal hotel rates in Sydney of AUD 200 per night equates to around £120 or €145 – not exactly cheap. And if you head out to a popular resort town like Byron Bay over Christmas and new year you will find eye-watering accommodation prices.
Let’s take a look at the airlines on the London to Australia market:
British Airways – Flies London to Sydney via Singapore and Bangkok using Boeing 747s and 777s. Economy seat pitch of 31″. BA only flies to Sydney in Australia but has a joint-service agreement with Qantas which gives them a little more flexibility. However they face significant competition from Asian and Middle eastern carriers who are able to utilise aircraft more efficiently on the route.
Qantas – Flies from London to Australia via Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong. Some services via Singapore are by Airbus A380. Standard seat pitch is 31″. Large Australian network means you can reach almost any part of the country, so Qantas remains a popular choice.
Virgin Atlantic – Flies to Sydney from London via Hong Kong using Airbus A340s. Codeshare arrangements with Singapore Airlines and also Virgin Blue for domestic Australian flights. Seat pitch 31″, prices similar to BA/Qantas.
Air New Zealand – Flies from London to Auckland via either Hong Kong or Los Angeles. From Auckland you can connect onto services to Sydney or other Australian cities. Good economy service, reasonable 33″ seat pitch which is superior to BA, Qantas and Virgin but be aware of 10 across seating being introduced soon on the 777-300ER. A drawback is the longer route to Australia which takes over 30 hours. Travellers wanting to avoid the US should be careful to select the Hong Kong flights.
Singapore Airlines – Serves various major cities in Australia from London via its hub at Changi Singapore – one of the world’s best airports. Operates some flights between London and Sydney/ Melbourne with the A380. Pretty decent service, seat pitch 32″ but always priced at the higher end.
Cathay Pacific – Likewise serves various cities around Australia from its Hong Kong gateway. Flies Boeing 747s/Airbus A340s from London to Hong Kong – then uses Airbus A330s to Australia. Seat pitch 32″. Like Singapore Airlines they have frequent connections. Occasional sale fares are competitive.
Malaysia Airlines – Offers competitive fares from London to Sydney (and 4 other Oz destinations) via its Kuala Lumpur hub. Uses Boeing 747s, 777s and Airbus A330s. Class leading 34″ seat pitch. Not a member of a major alliance.
Thai Airways – Flies London to Bangkok using B747s. Onward flights to Australia on A330s and A340s. Roomy 34″ seat pitch but prices tend to be on the higher side.
Emirates – Middle East heavyweight flying via Dubai. Departures from London and 5 UK airports – which makes them a serious choice for regional UK flyers. Note that some Australian leg flights make stops in Asia. Seat pitch up to 33″, but again, note the 10 across economy seating on the 777s.
Etihad - Flies from Abu Dhabi non-stop to both Melbourne and Sydney. Seat pitch 33″ on Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft. Their Coral Economy service is a reasonably good product and the airline is gaining a solid reputation.
Qatar Airways – Flies London-Doha-Melbourne using combinations of A330s, A340s and B777s. Seat pitch around the 33″ mark. Watch for occasional special offer fares.
Some other ‘off-beat’ options, not necessarily recommended but also flying the kangaroo route:
Royal Brunei – This airline serves Perth and Brisbane from London with stops in Dubai and Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei). Now using B777 aircraft (instead of 767s) on the London-Brunei-Brisbane flights with 32″ pitch. They often have some of the cheapest airfares on the market. Note caveats – Royal Brunei is a dry airline; some of their cheapest fares coincide with long stopovers at Brunei airport meaning revenue may be recouped from passengers who decide to spend extra on meals and hotels.
Air Asia X – Budget airline flying from London Stansted to Kuala Lumpur using an A340. From there serves Perth, Gold Coast and Melbourne with A330s. London-Australia through-tickets are not possible – you need to make separate bookings, collect luggage and re-check-in. Allow plenty of time for any connections. Prices during special promo offers can be cheap but sell-out quickly. Be aware of tight seat pitch of around 30″ (9 across seating) and extra fees for meals and luggage.
China Airlines – Flies London to Taipei using an A340, then on to Sydney or Brisbane with A330s. Seat pitch 32″. Prices are competitive (particularly in business class). Their website can be a bit clunky.
Korean Air – Not particularly cheap but flies London-Seoul-Sydney with B747s with 33″ pitch.
Air Mauritius – Flies from London to Mauritius (on A340s) and on to Melbourne and Perth.
China Eastern Airlines – Flies London-Shanghai-Sydney with A330s. Seat pitch 32″.
Alternative: Consider a round-the-world (RTW) ticket which will cost extra but can give you much more interesting stopover opportunities.
We recently tried out the A380 upper deck economy cabin on a 13 hour flight between London Heathrow and Singapore Changi airport. We found the $50 investment for row 81 was money very well spent. In comparison, Qantas charges AUD80 (around US$80) for a pre-assigned exit row (A380 lower deck or 747) on the same route.
