Australia to Europe from $684 return

[Flashback]

Some good deals on China Eastern currently.

https://www.secretflying.com/posts/australian-cities-to-european-cities-from-only-684-aud-roundtrip/

Routes:
Melbourne – Istanbul: $684 AUD
Brisbane – Istanbul: $691 AUD
Sydney – Istanbul: $694 AUD
Sydney – Geneva: $703 AUD-$714 AUD
Melbourne – Geneva: $704 AUD
Melbourne – Budapest: $706 AUD
Brisbane – Geneva: $711 AUD
Brisbane – Budapest: $713 AUD
Sydney – Budapest: $716 AUD

DEPART:
Melbourne/Brisbane/Sydney, Australia

ARRIVE:
Istanbul, Turkey
Geneva, Switzerland
Budapest, Hungary

RETURN:
Melbourne/Brisbane/Sydney, Australia

DATES:
Limited availability from January to March 2026

Example dates:
Melbourne – Istanbul: $684 AUD
20th Jan – 22nd Mar
21st Jan – 4th Feb
23rd Jan – 6th Feb

Brisbane – Istanbul: $691 AUD
20th Jan – 22nd Mar

Sydney – Istanbul: $694 AUD
20th Jan – 22nd Mar

Sydney – Geneva: $703 AUD-$714 AUD
20th Jan – 18th Mar
21st Jan – 28th Mar
23rd Jan – 28th Mar

Melbourne – Geneva: $704 AUD
20th Jan – 18th Mar
21st Jan – 28th Mar
23rd Jan – 28th Mar

Melbourne – Budapest: $706 AUD
25th Jan – 19th Mar
30th Jan – 19th Mar
18th Feb – 4th Mar

Brisbane – Geneva: $711 AUD
20th Jan – 18th Mar
23rd Jan – 28th Mar
31st Jan – 14th Feb

Brisbane – Budapest: $713 AUD
25th Jan – 19th Mar
30th Jan – 19th Mar

Sydney – Budapest: $716 AUD
25th Jan – 19th Mar
30th Jan – 19th Mar
18th Feb – 4th Mar

Possibly more ...

 

[ffhound]

Some good deals on China Eastern currently.

https://www.secretflying.com/posts/australian-cities-to-european-cities-from-only-684-aud-roundtrip/

Routes:
Melbourne – Istanbul: $684 AUD
Brisbane – Istanbul: $691 AUD
Sydney – Istanbul: $694 AUD
Sydney – Geneva: $703 AUD-$714 AUD
Melbourne – Geneva: $704 AUD
Melbourne – Budapest: $706 AUD
Brisbane – Geneva: $711 AUD
Brisbane – Budapest: $713 AUD
Sydney – Budapest: $716 AUD

DEPART:
Melbourne/Brisbane/Sydney, Australia

ARRIVE:
Istanbul, Turkey
Geneva, Switzerland
Budapest, Hungary

RETURN:
Melbourne/Brisbane/Sydney, Australia

DATES:
Limited availability from January to March 2026

Example dates:
Melbourne – Istanbul: $684 AUD
20th Jan – 22nd Mar
21st Jan – 4th Feb
23rd Jan – 6th Feb

Brisbane – Istanbul: $691 AUD
20th Jan – 22nd Mar

Sydney – Istanbul: $694 AUD
20th Jan – 22nd Mar

Sydney – Geneva: $703 AUD-$714 AUD
20th Jan – 18th Mar
21st Jan – 28th Mar
23rd Jan – 28th Mar

Melbourne – Geneva: $704 AUD
20th Jan – 18th Mar
21st Jan – 28th Mar
23rd Jan – 28th Mar

Melbourne – Budapest: $706 AUD
25th Jan – 19th Mar
30th Jan – 19th Mar
18th Feb – 4th Mar

Brisbane – Geneva: $711 AUD
20th Jan – 18th Mar
23rd Jan – 28th Mar
31st Jan – 14th Feb

Brisbane – Budapest: $713 AUD
25th Jan – 19th Mar
30th Jan – 19th Mar

Sydney – Budapest: $716 AUD
25th Jan – 19th Mar
30th Jan – 19th Mar
18th Feb – 4th Mar

Possibly more ...

Can these be open-jawed and if so how would one book it?

cheers Peter

 

[markis10]

MU and CZ seem quite adept at filling planes (except for Japan flights at present), with prices fluctuating almost as much as a Cairns Airport Uber booking! Start high and go low seems to be common.

 

[Flashback]

Can these be open-jawed and if so how would one book it?

cheers Peter

Just play around to see what prices you get, but you can just do a multi city booking to get it to open jaw.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

And Air China is about $100 more (~$800), fromSYD/MEL to various Euro cities including Paris.

I thought China retur. for $500 this coming Jan-Mar was cheap! These fares take it to a whole new level!

 

[Flashback]

One way was pricing up at nearly half too, so in theory open jaw should come back similar, or just book as 2 1 ways.

 

[Scarlett]

Nice fare… but whY?
Maybe 25 years ago I might have.

 

[Mattg]

Nice fare… but whY?
Maybe 25 years ago I might have.

For ~$700 return to Budapest or Geneva I'd put up with it

 

[Flashback]

Nice fare… but whY?
Maybe 25 years ago I might have.

Given most of the aircraft / cabin reviews on AFF these days are for Y, it seems in line with that focus.

 

[transpactraveller]

Nice fare… but whY?
Maybe 25 years ago I might have.

Cost of living crisis and all that

 

[Mattg]

Given most of the aircraft / cabin reviews on AFF these days are for Y, it seems in line with that focus.

I'm not really sure where this comment came from, but

1. Most people fly Economy, and
2. 45% of AFF reviews in the past year have been for premium cabins.

 

[markis10]

For ~$700 return to Budapest or Geneva I'd put up with it

Might even be worth a nice haul of QFF points if I could find the class

 

[Scarlett]

For ~$700 return to Budapest or Geneva I'd put up with it

I ‘could’ also.
But seated as I am, in 4A, in the pointy end of PR212 right now, I’m not sure I ‘would’.

Vive la différence.

And bon voyage to those setting out on their first few international journeys using great fares like this!

 

[Bundy Bear]

At least Chinese airlines can fly over Russia so a bit of a time saving going to Europe.

 

[jase05]

Great prices but a hard no from me. My chiro and physio bills would outweigh the savings after being cooped up in Y for that long

 

[Melburnian1]

Great prices but a hard no from me. My chiro and physio bills would outweigh the savings after being cooped up in Y for that long

Yes, it's torture. The only way to minimise it is to stand by a door or other small available space, but some airlines frown upon this.

My last few trips to UK/Europe have been in J because of what can be the extreme discomfort of Y, especially for flights longer than say eight hours.

 

[ffhound]

I wonder how many hours are saved by flying over Russia vs flying around it?

Mind you I hope they don't fly over Ukraine!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I wonder how many hours are saved by flying over Russia vs flying around it?

Mind you I hope they don't fly over Ukraine!

Looking at great circle mapper and using flightaware, you can compare.

China Southern CZ303 CAN-LHR, the 1315 departure took 12hrs13mins on Monday 29 December. That flight overflew Russia.

Cathay Pacific CX253 HKG-LHR, the 1335 departure took 14hrs54mins on the a same day avoiding Russian airspace.

HKG-LHR is 80 miles longer than CAN-LHR. So making a small allowance for that, roughly 2.5 hours longer when avoiding russian airspace.

HEL-PVG is served by both Finnair and Juneyao Airlines. Finnair takes ~11hrs50, Juneyao around 8hrs50. So almost 3 hours longer to avoid russian airspace in that case.

 

[markis10]

HEL-PVG is served by both Finnair and Juneyao Airlines. Finnair takes ~11hrs50, Juneyao around 8hrs50. So almost 3 hours longer to avoid russian airspace in that case.

Or around 24 tonnes of Putin Jet A1 fuel

 

[clifford]

Yes, it's torture. The only way to minimise it is to stand by a door or other small available space, but some airlines frown upon this.

My last few trips to UK/Europe have been in J because of what can be the extreme discomfort of Y, especially for flights longer than say eight hours.

Well, yes. These flights are great value (for young people), but I wouldn't fly Y for more than about 5 hours, and only on a decent airline.

Not sure I'd call Chinese airlines "decent". Excepting CX of course.