Budget Business to Europe

[TrevorC]

After watching Matt’s October webinar I found and booked 2 x business tickets SYD-CDG-SYD for May 2023 with Oman Air at an attractive $5900 pp. Not the speediest flights but an acceptable 29hrs out and 25hrs back. First leg via KUL with Malaysian, and last leg with Thai via BKK. My enthusiasm started to wane within a week or so when the BKK-SYD leg was rescheduled by Thai to depart before the flight from MCT arrived. Soon afterwards, Oman rescheduled 2 other legs putting further arrival/departure times out of sync and making the ticketed itinerary a nonsense. Apart from an email from Thai, all of the rescheduling was without notice or consultation, with no attempt to realign flights. I just happened to look at my booking on the Oman website. To their credit, Oman responded appropriately to my refund request and I received the money after 5 weeks. I have now rebooked with Vietnam (previous good experience and I enjoy the virtually mandatory stopover on the return flight) for about $500 pp more, and through an agent, who charged for the privilege. But worth it based on my experience.

 

[Cossie]

After watching Matt’s October webinar I found and booked 2 x business tickets SYD-CDG-SYD for May 2023 with Oman Air at an attractive $5900 pp. Not the speediest flights but an acceptable 29hrs out and 25hrs back. First leg via KUL with Malaysian, and last leg with Thai via BKK. My enthusiasm started to wane within a week or so when the BKK-SYD leg was rescheduled by Thai to depart before the flight from MCT arrived. Soon afterwards, Oman rescheduled 2 other legs putting further arrival/departure times out of sync and making the ticketed itinerary a nonsense. Apart from an email from Thai, all of the rescheduling was without notice or consultation, with no attempt to realign flights. I just happened to look at my booking on the Oman website. To their credit, Oman responded appropriately to my refund request and I received the money after 5 weeks. I have now rebooked with Vietnam (previous good experience and I enjoy the virtually mandatory stopover on the return flight) for about $500 pp more, and through an agent, who charged for the privilege. But worth it based on my experience.

You may not want to fly with them, but Sri Lankan has excellent prices out of Melbourne to Frankfurt in J at the moment. 1 hour 30 minutes connection on the way over, coming back you get into Colombo at 6am and leave just after midnight.
I looked at the Vietnam flights, but the connection time is too long.

 

[TrevorC]

You may not want to fly with them, but Sri Lankan has excellent prices out of Melbourne to Frankfurt in J at the moment. 1 hour 30 minutes connection on the way over, coming back you get into Colombo at 6am and leave just after midnight.
I looked at the Vietnam flights, but the connection time is too long.

Yes I looked at Sri Lankan initially. One stop flights and good price. Not sure the return layover is worse than Vietnam btw. However, when I contacted an agent (in November) in search of a value option (they’re supposed to be the experts) she told me I could lose my money if I went with Sri Lankan and basically told me I was dreaming if I expected a fare under $8k. Mind you the agent I finally went with told me much the same re price until I gave him the actual preferred flight details from ITA Matrix. My takeout: do your own detailed research and use an agent to book if you want to minimise the inconvenience when something goes belly up. And expect to be charged as the agent seems to get zip or close to from the airline these days.

 

[Cossie]

I tend to go through the airline web site, although July last year I did use byojet (part of Flight Centre) to go from Bangkok to Berlin with Oman. I would happily fly Oman again, but at the moment their prices are on a par with the other Middle Eastern airlines, except Saudi which I really don't want to use!

 

[OZDUCK]

I tend to go through the airline web site, although July last year I did use byojet (part of Flight Centre) to go from Bangkok to Berlin with Oman. I would happily fly Oman again, but at the moment their prices are on a par with the other Middle Eastern airlines, except Saudi which I really don't want to use!

I was looking at Oman as well, out of KL, and was also finding their prices were not especially exciting. However, if you start your journey in Singapore the fare, including a MH flight in J Sin - KL, was about 2/3rd's of the ex KL fare. For example departing 2/8 and returning 1/9 out of KL the price is, converted to Aud, $11,165 for two. For the same dates but departing from SIN the fare is $8,225. To be honest I am not convinced that this is a real price and I have seen reports on-line of people buying cheap J flights on them and then being forced to travel in Y.

I can't get an acceptable price out of Perth as the Oman website seems to want me to travel either on Malindo - no way - or on the MH 737 flight which we have been unfortunate enough to have to have done once after a plane substitution. Once was enough.

 

[Cossie]

Thanks for this, looks very interesting for our dates and Qantas into Singapore is a good price at the moment as well, much better than Bangkok.