SYD - LHR - best prices for Xmas 13

[ramflyer]

Hi

Hopefully i can post this query in this forum.

Would appreciate if anyone can help on query I have for a travel booking. I just found out that my work has a compulsory shut down during xmas.:shock:

As a result, I need to now book a economy flight from SYD to LHR. Departing SYD around the 19 Dec 13 and the return flight departing LHR around 6 Jan 14. Would like flights to be under 30 hours travel both directions and only on One World airlines so I can use the lounges as i am hoping to be QF SG by then. I also want to maximize the points earned for FF and SC.

At the moment the cheapest flights i can find are around $2500 on Finnair with 2 connections.

Does anyone know the best search engines for flights to use to get a lowest fare? I am pretty hopeless at this sort of stuff.

Also what would be the best time in the next few months to make a travel booking for a Dec/Jan flight? I thought its peak season so booking early is always good.

In advance, thanks for your help.

ramflyer

 

[MYT105]

Not a cheap time to travel, so $2,500 is not a bad price form a quick look I just had. There were cheaper flights on China Southern and some of the other China airlines but not more then about $200 so not really worth it, in my book.

I use ITA Matrix for most quick searches to work out who flys where and the different routing options, then it is off to those airline sites to see if they show a better price.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Thank you for being specific with dates...makes it easier to poke around.

That is a really really tough time to get cheap fares. I agree with MYT105 that $2500 is not too bad especially on a oneworld airline.

I am not sure of your budget but I have just found some very interesting fares on BA....

$3,625 in Premium Economy. CX or QF SYD-HKG-SYD and BA HKG-LHR-HKG. Pick the right days/flights and you can get at least some of the flights on BA's new A380 from HKG *and* QF A380 SYD-HKG-SYD.

Sensational price really, If I had the money I think I know what I would be doing this Christmas!

Edit: And this won't be of use to you personally, but perhaps to someone - across that Christmas period BA are offering J PER-SIN-LHR and return for under $5500...however I wouldn't be surprised if you could find that ex-SYD or MEL with a bit of snooping.

 

[markis10]

I agree with others, under $2500 is hard to find unless you go earlier, otherwise the PE fare is good value.

 

[ramflyer]

MYT105, Markis10 & Must...fly! - thank-you all for your helpful comments.

Budget will be an issue for me, so i would only fly economy.

If this is the cheapest for one world suring xmas, i am happy to go for the finair deal.

 

[vitagen]

If you can stretch it a little, go for PE. With 1k difference, It's very justifiable. Also you can request points upgrade to J. At the full economy discount.

 

[drewbles]

Hi

Hopefully i can post this query in this forum.

Would appreciate if anyone can help on query I have for a travel booking. I just found out that my work has a compulsory shut down during xmas.:shock:

As a result, I need to now book a economy flight from SYD to LHR. Departing SYD around the 19 Dec 13 and the return flight departing LHR around 6 Jan 14. Would like flights to be under 30 hours travel both directions and only on One World airlines so I can use the lounges as i am hoping to be QF SG by then. I also want to maximize the points earned for FF and SC.

At the moment the cheapest flights i can find are around $2500 on Finnair with 2 connections.

Does anyone know the best search engines for flights to use to get a lowest fare? I am pretty hopeless at this sort of stuff.

Also what would be the best time in the next few months to make a travel booking for a Dec/Jan flight? I thought its peak season so booking early is always good.

In advance, thanks for your help.

ramflyer

You may be better off posting this here:

Flight Search Assistance

This is a paid-option to have people assist you in finding the best fares. It's a way of passing a little something back to people for all the help they do in saving you a lot of money

(AFF don't make any cash out of this, but for a few bucks you'll likely save a whole heap!).

 

[ramflyer]

Thanks drewbles.

Didn't realise people offered this service. Something i would definately explore if it saves me $$!

 

[sinophile888]

My work colleague decided about a month before Christmas 2011 to take herself and her three teenage children to the UK for Christmas.

She contacted a Student Travel Company at Murdoch Uni. and they found her a fare of $1800 return. However, it was an overnight flight from Perth to Djakarta with a 12 hour stopover. Then on to the UK with a full service airline. The next best option she found was $2700 pp. It all went well.

My daughter and I did a similar thing when going to Europe in December, 2010. We flew to Singapore on Qantas, then on to Dubai and Rome on Emirates. And back from LHR to Dubai and Singapore. The PER -> SIN return fare on QF was $1200 and the SIN -> Europe and return on Emirates was also $1200. This was done to have all daytime flights. (It took 4 days with no jet lag and two days in Dubai in both directions.) The PER -> Europe fare on Emirates was also $2700.

There are some pretty cheap fares from Perth to Asia at times; I don’t know about from Sydney on the dates you require.

Good luck!

 

[drsmithy]

Would appreciate if anyone can help on query I have for a travel booking. I just found out that my work has a compulsory shut down during xmas.:shock:

OT, but I've never worked anywhere like this and I'm curious - do they force you to use up your regular annual leave for compulsory shutdown days ?

Because personally I'd be raising a stink to high heaven about that, if they did. If you're happy to work and they don't have any work for you to do, that's their problem, not yours, and you shouldn't have to suffer for it.

 

[markis10]

OT, but I've never worked anywhere like this and I'm curious - do they force you to use up your regular annual leave for compulsory shutdown days ?

Because personally I'd be raising a stink to high heaven about that, if they did. If you're happy to work and they don't have any work for you to do, that's their problem, not yours, and you shouldn't have to suffer for it.

Its normally quite ok:

Annual shut down - Leave - FAQs - Fair Work Ombudsman

 

[nonpop]

OT, but I've never worked anywhere like this and I'm curious - do they force you to use up your regular annual leave for compulsory shutdown days ?

Because personally I'd be raising a stink to high heaven about that, if they did. If you're happy to work and they don't have any work for you to do, that's their problem, not yours, and you shouldn't have to suffer for it.

Fairly common in some industries. Where I work it happens & Annual leave is required to be taken. And with fair notice it is legit and the employer can do it.
Annual shut down - Leave - FAQs - Fair Work Ombudsman

 

[drsmithy]

Well, I recommend to the OP that he checks those links, and whatever employment agreement applies to him, and not take any of his own leave unless legally required to.

 

[blu]

NSW Public Service (Administrative) has been doing it for years. They also don't let you accrue more than 30 days recreation leave (some are still on 40 days but moving towards 30). It also ensures the Annual Leave Loadings are paid when due. It's all to minimise Liabilities.

 

[ramflyer]

OT, but I've never worked anywhere like this and I'm curious - do they force you to use up your regular annual leave for compulsory shutdown days ?

Because personally I'd be raising a stink to high heaven about that, if they did. If you're happy to work and they don't have any work for you to do, that's their problem, not yours, and you shouldn't have to suffer for it.

Yes. It's a company policy and only skelton staff work. In total i have to take 7 days annual leave due to the shut down.:evil: They are flexible if you need to take time off later in the year because of the forced leave.

Edit - most of our clients, the law firms and accounting firms we use all close for at least two weeks during the same time.

 

[Chicken]

At $2500, I would buy it now.

I did this few years ago. $2500 SYD LHR using VS, on X'mas day (because X'mas day is the cheapest day during that period). It went from $2200 then $2500, I though it's not going to go any cheaper so I booked $2500 X'mas day. A week later? X'mas day $3000. I wouldn't even want to think about the price for the flight on X'mas eve.

 

[spudseamus]

Does Christmas make any difference to Mid Eastern airlines ? As regards to frequency and pricing?

 

[ramflyer]

Thanks for all your assistance.

I ended up booking SYD - HKK - HEL - CPH and then LHR - HEL - SIN - SYD all on OW carriers for $2640. Decided to go to CPH instead as i could meet a mate there and then make my way to LHR for an extra 50 pounds a week later. In all it cost a bit more than my original $2.5K quote due to the seats i wanted on the longer legs and the annoying CC fees.

Looking forward to the trip!!