Flying oneworld around Europe - worth it?

[trippin_the_rift]

Hi all,

I am off to Europe for a month on a family trip. I am travelling with my aged (not necessarily elderly) mother. We are eyeing off some short trips ex. Geneva & Paris. I have done a bit of research and found that some of the oneworld carriers (e.g. Airberlin) are massively over-priced compared to others such as Easyjet. Is the price difference really worth it or not so much?

Also - if we book through the Qantas website, does that mean we are able to use our Qantas Club membership there as well?

Where in Europe are you travelling to initially? Assuming London? If not - then consider Emirates where they fly directly into the other city as opposed to QF where you need to transit at Heathrow.
I find some LCC's in Europe are good especially when you tick all the boxes/upsells. It turns into a premium airline experience.... at the premium airline price!

To use your Qantas Club membership you'll need to be on a Qantas flight number. Nobody here mentioned it - but this will cost you more. So essentially you'll be paying for the use of Qantas Club/Points. Do the math and make sure it's worthwhile for you both.

 

[codash1099]

Like a number of others, I'd strongly suggest taking the train.

I used to fly around Europe to maximise points and SC's but found it's not worth the cost and hassle. Even more so under QF's "simpler and fairer" where earnings are minuscule. And rail is more comfortable, generally quieter and you get to see countryside rather than clouds,

 

[dajop]

Trains are good instead of planes, agreed, on shorter sectors (up to 90 mins flight perhaps?). But obviously not for every trip. For longer journeys ( eg Madrid - Vienna, London - Milan etc) a non stop service on a low cost carrier is probably much better, as long as it isn't to/from "nearby" airports 100km away!

 

[Bajar]

Thanks again - we are based in France for the most part, but may also be flying out of Birmingham if the need arises. We are exactly halfway between Paris and Lyon, so we have a few options.

 

[ajw373]

The only lounges in Europe you will be able to use with your Qantas Club membership are British Airways lounges in London Heathrow

Nope, try the American Airlines lounge.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Also if you go and play around on the earning points calculator, anything these days that involves OW without a QF flight #, will see you earn a lot less QFF points than prior to Jul 14.
If your mum is still ok about going budget airlines, go budget airlines, and save the $ or as others have said, go by train.
If QF had not made earning QFF points under OW, (ala Jul 14 changes) so low earning as to QFF, I would have said, do a mix of OW airlines, budget airlines and train. But with the low earning QFF as it now flying OW, not really worth paying through the nose to collect the few measly QFF points.
Just using an eg, flying ADL to KUL with MAS, earns a measly 836 or so QFF points on the discY class. Makes flying D7 (AAX) better, what with their Bigshot program too.

 

[whatmeworry]

Oh geez, I was using the QF calculator to see which OW airlines fly out of CDG and I got this message at the bottom. Wow, why go to the middle east to get back into Europe?

• THERE ARE 35 ADDITIONAL DESTINATIONS IN EUROPE VIA DUBAI
  
• Show routes via Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB)

From CDG, according to the QF calculator your options are:

C

• Cork, Ireland (ORK)

D

• Dublin, Ireland (DUB)

H

• Helsinki, Finland (HEL)

L

• London, United Kingdom (LHR)

M

• Milan, Italy (LIN)

R

• Rome, Italy (FCO)

V

• Vienna, Austria (VIE)

From ORY:

B

• Berlin, Germany (TXL)

L

• London, United Kingdom (LHR)

M

• Madrid, Spain (MAD)
• Milan, Italy (LIN)

LYS:

L

• London, United Kingdom (LHR)

M

• Madrid, Spain (MAD)

And BHX:

D

• Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB)
• Dublin, Ireland (DUB)

 

[mannej]

Just using an eg, flying ADL to KUL with MAS, earns a measly 836 or so QFF points on the discY class. Makes flying D7 (AAX) better, what with their Bigshot program too.

Just like others refuse to fly with 3-4-3 in Y on a 777, there are those who will not fly 3-3-3 on a 330. D7 offers 3-3-3 on their 330's, MH do not.