Article: What’s the Best Way to Fly from Australia to Europe in 2026?

[AFF Editor]

Canonical URL

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/australia-europe-routes-2026/

What’s the Best Way to Fly from Australia to Europe in 2026? is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

What's the Best Way to Fly from Australia to Europe in 2026?

Given the ongoing flight disruptions caused by the Iran War, many Australians are now looking for routes from Australia to Europe that avoid the Middle East. We take a closer look at the options.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Understand some folk are reluctant to fly Air India, but if you are connecting AI—>AI and have boarding passes in hand I think the connection is fairly smooth. You have to do transit security and get your boarding pass stamped and and all that, but it’s fairly ok. There are issues with non-AI connections, having to wait for the relevant airline rep.

The Mauritius option might have long layovers but best if combined with a few days break in Mauritius!

 

[Beer_budget]

I'm just grateful all our planned Euro trip (and mum in law's solo UK trip) was booked on SQ. Now the biggest question is aviation fuel as the year grinds on. Then again if that goes to hell, I think I have more faith in SQ making our international trips happen than I do in QF managing to deliver our domestic travel as planned.

 

[Pushka]

Get to Bali on Jetstar for very little outlay then fly on all airlines operating from that airport. Turkish airlines for us in J for great price. But also the usual Asian airlines operate there.

 

[goldenhorn]

Get to Bali on Jetstar for very little outlay then fly on all airlines operating from that airport. Turkish airlines for us in J for great price. But also the usual Asian airlines operate there.

Love TK. Approx what kind of $ do you pay for a J return from Bali on TK?

 

[Warks]

We've got flights to Stockholm booked via Doha - Qatar Airways (VA points in J) and then Finnair (paid). The cheapest option I can see to Stockholm not via the ME is Air China via Beijing. That wasn't mentioned in the article I think (only did a quick scan). But it is an option.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

We've got flights to Stockholm booked via Doha - Qatar Airways (VA points in J) and then Finnair (paid). The cheapest option I can see to Stockholm not via the ME is Air China via Beijing. That wasn't mentioned in the article I think (only did a quick scan). But it is an option.

Yup, CA has fares in June for as little as $1650 return to Paris and other euro cities.

Flight times are fast, but there can be some long layovers.

 

[SYD]

I’ve not flown them yet, but the UL schedules appear to have improved with decent connection times in CMB (used to 10+ hrs).

There’s actually reasonable award seat availability also.

What’s the transit like? (Ignoring stopovers and the random hotel coughshoot we read about)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I’ve not flown them yet, but the UL schedules appear to have improved with decent connection times in CMB (used to 10+ hrs).

There’s actually reasonable award seat availability also.

What’s the transit like? (Ignoring stopovers and the random hotel coughshoot we read about)

Improved connection times are on the days they have extra flights? In think they boosted frequency by three or four flights weekly.

 

[Forg]

I'm just grateful all our planned Euro trip (and mum in law's solo UK trip) was booked on SQ. Now the biggest question is aviation fuel as the year grinds on.

Similar here … big-budget self-funded trip on CX in J, June-July. Travel in Europe is all on trains, so in theory powered by coal & nukes & renewables … and if push comes to shove we can catch the train to/from Sydney airport (again coal-powered - it’s like the steam era!) … but I’ll still believe our flights are going ahead only once our flights go ahead.

 

[Warks]

Yup, CA has fares in June for as little as $1650 return to Paris and other euro cities.

Flight times are fast, but there can be some long layovers.

Yes I've seen 8, 12 and nearly 24 hours.

 

[luxury-lizard]

I've booked China Southern via Guangzhou (CAN) for late May) SYD-CAN-IST with an overnight connection in CAN (you can go straight through with a long connection) but this way both are day fights. Cost one-way in J was $3000 pp (next best was over $7200 SYD-BKK-IST-MLA which is my actual destination)

Booked this after cancelling my award flights via DOH (Virgin) and another backup (award) flight via BKK to FRA where the timing wasn't the best.

 

[BCons]

Booked with SQ late April to FRA a few months ago when they had a bit of a sale to a few Eu destinations - 3.5k cheaper in F than usual. Wud dearly like to push back my return date but dare not ask at the risk of being qtd a laarge fare increase. 777 outwards but return from FRA is on the A380 which gets subbed in for the summer SIN/FRA/JFK service, tho I do wonder if that thirsty aircraft will continue on this 5th freedom run and exactly how busy that US leg will be..

 

[Beer_budget]

Similar here … big-budget self-funded trip on CX in J, June-July. Travel in Europe is all on trains, so in theory powered by coal & nukes & renewables … and if push comes to shove we can catch the train to/from Sydney airport (again coal-powered - it’s like the steam era!) … but I’ll still believe our flights are going ahead only once our flights go ahead.

If Qantas falls over before Singapore we'll be in a pickle, since we've got an unprotected domestic connection to get on those flights. Could be interesting to figure out.

No use stressing about it for us though, it's only a holiday and everything else is booked fully flexible so if it's cancelled, it's cancelled.

 

[ScotchAussie]

Get to Bali on Jetstar for very little outlay then fly on all airlines operating from that airport. Turkish airlines for us in J for great price. But also the usual Asian airlines operate there.

 

[Zinger]

Flying in the first week of May CNS-BNE-DOH-CDG in business class on a VA award ticket. Returning on another award ticket on SQ.

The current situation doesn't give me confidence that travel in the Gulf area will be feasible. QR and other airlines in the region are flying some of their planes to Spain for storage and currently it's a lottery if flights will take place.

Looking at other options. I considered China Southern but the price suddenly doubled overnight.

Found a deal with Air Canada flying BNE-YVR-YUL-CDG. I haven't flown them for a long time and their business class product seems OK. I figured I'll use the refunded points another time.

I cancelled my VA award flights. The points were reimbursed to my account immediately as was my credit card payment for taxes. Excellent service from VA and so much better than what some other airlines are doing right now.

The flight arrives into CDG a few hours later than originally planned so I cancelled my SNCF ticket from CDG and bought a ticket on a later train. Amazingly I was refunded the following day.!

 

[BigCatHunter]

China Southern Airlines booked for 1st week of October, before the fuel crisis but after the start of the war. Flying times and Lay over (2-4 hours) compare well to Middle East (before it all started) but it seems prices have now gone up.