Suggestions for one-way route SYD-LHR

[ENGLISHGIRLINSYDNEY]

My family and I are moving back to the UK in October and wondering if any experienced AFF-ers have any good suggestions for booking our one way trip back.

We want to stop twice and do 3 flights of approx equal length as we have very young children and trying to avoid too much time in the air. I am PS and my family just NB but we’ll be collecting and pooling QFF points so wanting to maximise those. Sadly will be travelling Y and recently wiped out most of our points for emergency travel so no chance for awards etc.

I was thinking SYD-SIN-DXB-LHR, probably via EK but I can’t book this route via Qantas website. I could call but I’d prefer to plan it all online ideally. I want QF flight numbers so we can use lounge passes though.

What does everything think of this route, is it likely to be a more expensive option (I think so because of the airports involved)? Is there a better option or trick with booking one way fares that I don’t know about? I am open to doing 4 flights if it will be cheaper, break up the time and yield better points tally. Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

 

[Mattg]

How about MH SYD-KUL, then UL KUL-CMB-LHR?

My first thoughts would be to buy a cheap one-way ticket to Asia on a low-cost carrier (you could fly JQ if you wanted to earn Qantas points), then pick up a cheap fare from Asia to LHR with one of the Middle Eastern partner airlines, e.g. Emirates, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian etc.

 

[ENGLISHGIRLINSYDNEY]

Thanks @Mattg , I had thought about a cheap airline to Asia but need a decent luggage allowance per person since we’re relocating semi-permanently. SYD-SGN is cheap with JQ but I’d need the $160 bundle per person to get 30kg luggage each. Price difference then not so big compared to QF or EK, for comfort, inclusions and (marginally) better food. Definitely worth another look though. We’ve been to Malaysia many times as I sometimes work there so prefer to avoid MH or AK for that reason.

I hadn’t thought of CMB as an alternative to DXB so will look into that option, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Mattg]

Thanks @Mattg , I had thought about a cheap airline to Asia but need a decent luggage allowance per person since we’re relocating semi-permanently. SYD-SGN is cheap with JQ but I’d need the $160 bundle per person to get 30kg luggage each. Price difference then not so big compared to QF or EK, for comfort, inclusions and (marginally) better food. Definitely worth another look though. We’ve been to Malaysia many times as I sometimes work there so prefer to avoid MH or AK for that reason.

I hadn’t thought of CMB as an alternative to DXB so will look into that option, thanks for the suggestion.

The CMB option could also work using SIN or BKK (etc.) as a stopover point. FWIW I've flown CMB-LHR with UL and it's an easy day flight with good service. This was on a one-way SIN-CMB-LHR booking which I picked up for a very reasonable price.

Regarding Jetstar's Max Bundle, just think of the extra points and status credits you'll be earning

 

[VPS]

Is it worth trying to buy some AA miles to get you there but I don't think there are any bonus sales at the moment

 

[RooFlyer]

For planning, have you looked here? OneWorld planner

Tip: Once it opens, go to 'destinations' at the top and uncheck 'include connections', at least at first, else it presents a mess.

Then, if you click on, say, Colombo, it'll show you routes in and out. Ditto if you click on Doha, for routes onto London.

MEL-(UL)-CMB-(UL or QR)-DOH-(QR or BA)-London might be the best 'equidistant flights' combination of 3 flights. You could substitute Amman or even Jeddah for DOH - there was a TR of someone transiting Jeddah recently on AFF and it didn't seem much of a drama, but I'm sure DOH would be better

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I too was going to suggest one stop, via Sri Lanka. I think they give 30kg per person. The flight is broken into [roughly] two equal portions of 9 hours or so each. Breaking flights into three segments - SIN and DXB may be quite disruptive. All the transit time and travel to and from the airport (three hours at a time) for just a 7 hour flight might be counter intuitive. The mucking around would take as long as the flight.

Colombo on the other hand has a nice Taj group hotel (quite cheap) right near the airport.

 

[juddles]

I too was going to suggest one stop,....... Breaking flights into three segments - SIN and DXB may be quite disruptive. All the transit time and travel to and from the airport (three hours at a time) for just a 7 hour flight might be counter intuitive. The mucking around would take as long as the flight...

Colmpletely agree with this.

 

[ENGLISHGIRLINSYDNEY]

For planning, have you looked here? OneWorld planner

Thanks, that’s extremely helpful, what a great tool!

 

[ENGLISHGIRLINSYDNEY]

I too was going to suggest one stop, via Sri Lanka. I think they give 30kg per person. The flight is broken into [roughly] two equal portions of 9 hours or so each. Breaking flights into three segments - SIN and DXB may be quite disruptive. All the transit time and travel to and from the airport (three hours at a time) for just a 7 hour flight might be counter intuitive. The mucking around would take as long as the flight.

Thanks, something to consider. We had planned to stop for a few days in each place though to have a short holiday, wouldn’t be going straight through or just overnighting. But yes, still a lot of work. I can’t see any flights to CMB that are 9 hours though, everything from SYD is about 12.5-13h with a stop in Asia.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks, something to consider. We had planned to stop for a few days in each place though to have a short holiday, wouldn’t be going straight through or just overnighting. But yes, still a lot of work. I can’t see any flights to CMB that are 9 hours though, everything from SYD is about 12.5-13h with a stop in Asia.

Oh. My bad. Sri Lankan flies non-stop from MEL, forgot about the SYD departure in your case.

 

[ENGLISHGIRLINSYDNEY]

Oh. My bad. Sri Lankan flies non-stop from MEL, forgot about the SYD departure in your case.

Could be worth flying to MEL for the sake of an hour though.

 

[opusman]

Last year mrsOpusman and I flew one way MEL-HKG-HEL-LHR. Melbourne to Hong Kong was on QF points, the rest of the way was an AY J ticket for about $2500 each. I quite like this route because the two long flights are "only" about 10 hours each or so.