Is Business Class $1900 from SE Asia - Europe cheap? (No lounge)

[LionKing]

This is another illustration of quite cheap ticket ex-Europe to Asia.



Theoretically you can ditch the last leg however I would say not to, so that you can actually go to Peking, and change for Peking for a connecting Air China service to Australia.

We need to reduce the demand for European and connecting travellers travelling from Hong Kong to Australia so that we can leave the valuable seats to Hong Kongers who need to come to Australia to dig gold.

You have now clarified your requirements.

Your original post omitted the most important details, which were route, and dates.

$1900 is a good fare for that route on those dates.

Although $3100 for the return on Etihad is much better than 2 x one ways.

My post listed Turkmenistan airlines for $1000. That’s from Kuala Lumpur and/or Bangkok to either London, Frankfurt or Milan. All operated by ex Cathay 777s with flat beds. The fare is available at short notice, it’s the standard fare.

But if you find those combinations, and if they’re on the same airline, it’s often possible to get a far cheaper fare with an open jaw.

Etihad return for $3160 will likely be far cheaper than $1900 one way… and trying to find $1200 for a return flight.

I am sorry I was unable to get close to a computer that time I posted to show those fares.

It would be cheap for $3160 return, I am a bit concerned if I have to change my outbound flight, they may recalculate the return fare based on the fare class available and ended up a domino effect to pay for a higher return fare (even there's no change on the return flight).

 

[Ansett Nostalgic]

Wonder if the Turkmenistan Air flights can credit anywhere.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Wonder if the Turkmenistan Air flights can credit anywhere.

They don’t even have their own FFP.

Another way Turkmenistan makes travel relaxing and easy

 

[LionKing]

They don’t even have their own FFP.

Another way Turkmenistan makes travel relaxing and easy

I saw passengers can stand up whilst take off?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I saw passengers can stand up whilst take off?

I’m sure click-bait travel bloggers have probably reported an experience of that somewhere. It’s not supposed to happen, of course, and IIRC it’s possible they were off-duty crew (still no excuse).

They have reverse herringbone seats on their 777s… so unlikely any passenger is going to be in harms way!

 

[TravelingJ]

CX seems to use the regional J config a fair bit out of CGK. Its quite a distance too. Its a shame.

 

[SYD]

CX seems to use the regional J config a fair bit out of CGK. Its quite a distance too. Its a shame.

It’s weird. The current trip we’re on has flat bed A330 CGK <-> HKG ea way on “day flights”. But next year, it’s regional both ways - same day flights. Hopefully that changes or we at least get the refurbed regional product.

The first time we did CX just after Covid ex CGK and open jaw back to DPS was booked as flatbed both ways but the CGK-HKG was subbed for the regional config a month or two out. “Not happy Jan” on the 1am redeye. We now avoid that flight.

We’ve done done two QR trips ex CGK in between and they’re obviously more reliable for at least a flat bed but a pitfall for lounge access for non status PAX if they’re only offering Lite fares (but still ~$1k return cheaper than CX J).

 

[WilsonM]

Already posted obviously in the AOTW thread, but I think this does highlight how cheap RT Asia-EUR fares can be:

Post in thread 'AFF's Airfare of the Week'

Sep 16, 2026

This week's Airfare of the Week is Gulf Air's great Business Class fares from Manila - Rome return for $2,186, with a free stopover package on offer in Bahrain.

Airfare of the Week: Gulf Air Business Class Manila – Rome from $2,186

Gulf Air has round-trip Business Class fares from Manila to Rome from $2,186, with a free Bahrain stopover. Here's our Airfare of the Week pick, including full booking details.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

• AFF Editor

• 
• 
• 

 

[SYD]

Already posted obviously in the AOTW thread, but I think this does highlight how cheap RT SEA-EUR fares can be:

Post in thread 'AFF's Airfare of the Week'

Sep 16, 2026

This week's Airfare of the Week is Gulf Air's great Business Class fares from Manila - Rome return for $2,186, with a free stopover package on offer in Bahrain.

Airfare of the Week: Gulf Air Business Class Manila – Rome from $2,186

Gulf Air has round-trip Business Class fares from Manila to Rome from $2,186, with a free Bahrain stopover. Here's our Airfare of the Week pick, including full booking details.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

• AFF Editor

• 
• 
• 

I had to re-read that to work out it wasn’t ex Seattle (SEA)…

 

[WilsonM]

I had to re-read that to work out it wasn’t ex Seattle (SEA)…

Edited

 

[futaris]

I had a quick look at CGK-MXP / xx_-CGK open-jaws.

Seems to work from most European and UK cities. Seems to be around the 3000 AUD mark for business if you can find the right availability in Business.

 

[MELso]

FWIW, just booked KUL-HKG-AMS/MAD-BRU-HKG-KUL on CX (and IB) in J for $3.8k. Quite a decent earner of SCs, with 200 over and 260 on the way back, although only the regional J to/from KUL (but they're 4 hour daytime flights so meh).

 

[SYD]

FWIW, just booked KUL-HKG-AMS/MAD-BRU-HKG-KUL on CX (and IB) in J for $3.8k. Quite a decent earner of SCs, with 200 over and 260 on the way back, although only the regional J (but they're 4 hour daytime flights so meh).

Did you book that direct with CX?

 

[MELso]

Did you book that direct with CX?

Yup. Charged in MYR, so it was a good excuse to get a Revolut Metal credit card and get some points.

 

[SYD]

Yup. Charged in MYR, so it was a good excuse to get a Revolut Metal credit card and get some points.

We usually book CX direct (and use 28° MC), but for next year ex CGK (again), it was slightly cheaper via Trip.com and we were able to pay in AUD. But that was ~$1k more pp than what you paid going into BCN and out of MUC.

 

[VPS]

We usually book CX direct (and use 28° MC), but for next year ex CGK (again), it was slightly cheaper via Trip.com and we were able to pay in AUD. But that was ~$1k more pp than what you paid going into BCN and out of MUC.

have you ever had any issues using Trip

 

[SYD]

have you ever had any issues using Trip

Not yet.

Started using them for stuff in China (trains, transfers, attractions) and the occasional hotel stay subsequently.

First time booking flights, but that was off the back of positive comments here by others.

 

[MELso]

We usually book CX direct (and use 28° MC), but for next year ex CGK (again), it was slightly cheaper via Trip.com and we were able to pay in AUD. But that was ~$1k more pp than what you paid going into BCN and out of MUC.

MAD, not MUC.

One big advantage of MAD (if you're chasing SCs) is that on days their MAD service doesn't run, CX will pop you onto a connecting IB flight (often for no extra $$$, as was the case for me) but earning 60SCs. The AFF mantra strikes again: why fly direct when you can connect?

(Have used Trip, but not for flights though.)

 

[esseeeayeenn]

MAD, not MUC.

One big advantage of MAD (if you're chasing SCs) is that on days their MAD service doesn't run, CX will pop you onto a connecting IB flight (often for no extra $$$, as was the case for me) but earning 60SCs. The AFF mantra strikes again: why fly direct when you can connect?

(Have used Trip, but not for flights though.)

Another bonus is that IB is one of the better airlines for intra-European flights.

 

[SYD]

MAD, not MUC.

Yes. We just flew out of MAD on CX but will be MUC’ing around next year…

One big advantage of MAD (if you're chasing SCs) is that on days their MAD service doesn't run, CX will pop you onto a connecting IB flight (often for no extra $$$, as was the case for me) but earning 60SCs. The AFF mantra strikes again: why fly direct when you can connect?

But a much earlier start to your day from memory? In hindsight, that Schengen flight would have allowed us to use the new OWE lounge at MAD. Instead, we had to allow time for EES and then the T4S lounge - which was a complete zoo…

Inbound, we got a “free” tag flight to HEL via MXP, but that included the trauma of “entering” the Schengen zone on a transit. Not advisable.