MEL-FCO $874 return with Etihad

[Mattg]

Great deal from Melbourne to Rome for $874 return with Etihad.

One stop in AUH on the outbound, and on the return you need to fly via LHR and AUH to get the low price. You can stop in London for up to 24 hours.

Price is available if you depart Australia during February or March 2020, and you have to fly on Tuesday or Wednesday according to the fare rules. One free stopover in Abu Dhabi is permitted. Sale ends 1 October.

Sample routing:

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Nice fare but... be warned that all food and drink outside meal times is buy on board... including a cup of tea or coffee. Or a snack. The meal service itself now mirrors that of Qantas, except it’s just one small portion of main course.

Friend of mine flew after the changes and was not happy. But also said they would fly again if the price was right (they paid $1100 to London).

 

[Mattg]

Nice fare but... be warned that all food and drink outside meal times is buy on board... including a cup of tea or coffee. Or a snack. The meal service itself now mirrors that of Qantas, except it’s just one small portion of main course.

Friend of mine flew after the changes and was not happy. But also said they would fly again if the price was right (they paid $1100 to London).

That is true, but for that price I would be happy enough to fly Etihad. Even if I ended up spending another ~$50 on food & drinks during the flights, or bringing my own snacks on board, I still think it's still a good deal. And you can earn Velocity points & status credits.

If the price was the same as EK or QR (or another full-service airline), I would probably book EK/QR though.