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

[Tiki]

Has anyone flown Oman Air through Muscat recently?

Yes, I was there last month on a QF award BNE-BKK (JQ) - MCT-IST (WY). Oman Air is a decent airline and reliable. I was in Y and spend 3 days in Oman including a side trip to Nizwa by bus. It's a beautiful country, friendly people and you would never know the neighbor countries are at war. They are swapping aircraft around, apparently using planes that would normally do intra-Gulf flights to add more flights to Asia and Europe. I got a newer 737 from BKK with an entertainment screen. The plane to IST was an older one with no entertainment for the 6 hour flight to IST, luckily I had some movies downloaded on my laptop. Oman is "reconsider your travel" so most travel insurance still covers you. Aussie passport gets free entry for 14 days.

 

[Kim Low]

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.

You have left out a convenient method to avoid the ME - Finnair flies from BKK or HKG to Helsinki and then to anywhere in Europe. As part of One World you can connect with Finnair from Australia through any of the One World airlines eg Qantas, BA, MH etc. Another way is if you can get to SG, you can use SIA or its budget, SCOOT to connect with Europe.

 

[VPS]

Turkish Airlines is a great airline to fly with. Transit times are good, their lounge in Istanbul is the best I have ever been in for Business Class (plus you can visit their amazing Archaeological Museum inside the airport while in transit & their service on board is excellent. I have flown with them 3 times to Italy, Turkey & am using them again to fly to London in May instead of via Middle East.

and welcome to AFF

 

[prozac]

Turkish Airlines is a great airline to fly with. Transit times are good, their lounge in Istanbul is the best I have ever been in for Business Class (plus you can visit their amazing Archaeological Museum inside the airport while in transit & their service on board is excellent. I have flown with them 3 times to Italy, Turkey & am using them again to fly to London in May instead of via Middle East.

Welcome to AFF also @Gail S

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)

Also interested to know about on-board UL and onward bookings ex CMB.

 

[Q Class Plebeian]

Welcome to AFF also @Gail S

Also interested to know about on-board UL and onward bookings ex CMB.

I flew on TK last week, can't complain they were very good.. Travelling with TK I missed all the dramas with carriers transiting via the middle east. Only had a push back on the way home for an hour due to force majeure. I had booked with TK well before the current situation in the middle east. I did research TKs network and safety record before booking.
At time of booking their fare was several hundred dollars less than the other carriers.
I travelled economy and found the seats were wide ,more comfortable and there was a little more leg room.
The unlimited messaging as a M&S member was great as I could keep in contact with family at home and in Europe.
IGA is a large airport but was easy to get around. I didn't have lounge access so I used the IGA lounge.I did apply for a status match ,following the advice on AFF but as a Qanta LTG/OW sapphire they knocked me back.
I didn't have to wait too long for my connection to Europe.
On the way home I can back on Qantas from Singapore.It seems they have a contractual relationship with Qantas, so I earned points with TK not Qantas.
What I did note was that Qantas flight seating was narrower and less comfortable than Tks. I will no doubt fly with Tk again.

 

[RooFlyer]

Has anyone flown Oman Air through Muscat recently?

Doing it in June.

I was on TK long haul for the first time a week ago. All pretty good and would be happy for the price if its $1-2K less than, say, QR as it was when I priced it for a separate trip, earlier this year.

 

[sydney slug]

Welcome to AFF also @Gail S

Also interested to know about on-board UL and onward bookings ex CMB.

A year ago we flew UL J to London from Sydney with 2 hour layover on the way there and a 2 week stay in Sri Lanka on the way back. I am a little odd but I would say the dry fish curry with milk rice might be the nicest breakfast I have ever had in the air. Seat was for me way better than half of SQs fleet with the weird tiny foot cubby. Would absolutely fly them again.

As an aside we were diverted to Muscat for a medical on the way back from London. The Attendants wearing saris that show midriff were not at all pleased at the prospect of having to stay. We got back in the air arriving at Colombo 4 hours late but well dealt with by all.

 

[Warks]

As I've mentioned before I'm booked on VA1 to Doha in August and on to Stockholm on Finnair. I've been checking the Doha airport website and it seems lots of flights are going through now but VA1 isn't. With the current insanity I can understand why but the contrast to the other airlines is great. My plan B flight via Beijing has gone up by $400 so I'm still hoping that the skies clear by August.

 

[Joolz49]

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.

We had planned to fly to Europe in May with Emirates, until the playground got nasty.
So on looking around for cheaper J with Asian airlines, we went for Vietnam Air - we'd travelled with them before and been perfectly happy, not one of the most luxurious but safe and comfortable. Pilots used to all be trained by Qantas - not sure if they still are. By using points to Singapore, we actually managed to get flights via Ho Ch Minh for under $4k! The only downside was a long layover in HCM both ways, but they also code share with Air France, so flights HCM - Paris return were with AF. No reason it shouldn't work.

 

[Milemuncher]

Doing it in June.

I was on TK long haul for the first time a week ago. All pretty good and would be happy for the price if its $1-2K less than, say, QR as it was when I priced it for a separate trip, earlier this year.

I’ve got an award J studio seat Oman booked for BKK-MCT-LHR on Jun 4, and a back up flex revenue ticket on TK same day in case ME goes to custard.

Sounds like either way the flight should be good!

 

[OZDUCK]

We had planned to fly to Europe in May with Emirates, until the playground got nasty.
So on looking around for cheaper J with Asian airlines, we went for Vietnam Air - we'd travelled with them before and been perfectly happy, not one of the most luxurious but safe and comfortable. Pilots used to all be trained by Qantas - not sure if they still are. By using points to Singapore, we actually managed to get flights via Ho Ch Minh for under $4k! The only downside was a long layover in HCM both ways, but they also code share with Air France, so flights HCM - Paris return were with AF. No reason it shouldn't work.

Our trip with them Singapore/Frankfurt return was perfectly fine - except for the long layovers as well. However what I most remember is having the Pho for breakfast on the flight to Germany and being unable to finish it. Not because of the taste as it was very nice but because it was huge, My wife was also unable to finish hers.

 

[Warks]

Just checking the Doha airport (Hamad International) website each day and it seems fewer and fewer flights are cancelled now. But I read VA1 was cancelled until 15 June. So Virgin will only offer refunds when they cancel - no option to re-route? Given it's Qatar Airlines they don't really have other non-Gulf options I guess.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I read over on OMAAT that Lufthansa is introducing some hefty fees for cancelling flexible tickets in some markets. Up to €400 for economy, €1000 for business class and €1500 for first.

Part of the reasoning, it seems, is people booking back-up tickets on LH and cancelling last minute when their ME3 flight is confirmed as operating.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I booked two trips last December with MH via KL.
The first was 23 February - 8 March.
No impact except a small northward diversion on the return flight.
The second trip is coming up for 23 May - 8 June.
I'm hoping this goes ahead as we have tickets to Roland Garros for the French Open.
A third round match on 29 May, the mixed doubles final and a women's semi final on 4 June, and the men's final on 7 June.
If I don't make it my Parisian partner will take someone else!

 

[transpactraveller]

I read over on OMAAT that Lufthansa is introducing some hefty fees for cancelling flexible tickets in some markets. Up to €400 for economy, €1000 for business class and €1500 for first.

Part of the reasoning, it seems, is people booking back-up tickets on LH and cancelling last minute when their ME3 flight is confirmed as operating.

Are they removing fully-flex tickets from sale? Or are they retrospectively applying change/cancel fees to tickets people had previously bought because they had no fees. That seems very wrong if they are. Charging a higher "flexible" fare with all the fees of a discount fare!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Are they removing fully-flex tickets from sale? Or are they retrospectively applying change/cancel fees to tickets people had previously bought because they had no fees. That seems very wrong if they are. Charging a higher "flexible" fare with all the fees of a discount fare!

The fees are only for new tickets, in select markets. The ticket is still ‘flexible’, just with a high fee to make the changes.

Fair enough I suppose… lots of folk buying back-ups.

 

[RSD]

Possible concern that I can see is being in Europe when the jet fuel shortage bites and being stuck there. Given that the fuel shortage is caused by war - it seems likely that travel insurance won't cover you for accom etc while you try to find another way home...

I'm supposed to be going to Hannover at the end of May for a trade show sort of thing and I'm really wondering how wise it is to be going at the moment given the jet fuel situation....

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Possible concern that I can see is being in Europe when the jet fuel shortage bites and being stuck there. Given that the fuel shortage is caused by war - it seems likely that travel insurance won't cover you for accom etc while you try to find another way home...

I'm supposed to be going to Hannover at the end of May for a trade show sort of thing and I'm really wondering how wise it is to be going at the moment given the jet fuel situation....

Insurance may not cover you for accommodation, but EU261 will.

We’re only talking 20% of the world’s oil. There’s still all the rest of it out there! I don’t think we’re going to see global aviation come to a standstill when there’s still 80%?

 

[I love to travel]

Possible concern that I can see is being in Europe when the jet fuel shortage bites and being stuck there. Given that the fuel shortage is caused by war - it seems likely that travel insurance won't cover you for accom etc while you try to find another way home...

I'm supposed to be going to Hannover at the end of May for a trade show sort of thing and I'm really wondering how wise it is to be going at the moment given the jet fuel situation....

See my post in jet fuel shortages looming - I have the same dilema. Really do not know what to do,