SYD-LHR return mainly in QF. Is $6018 a good price?

[Pollywaffle]

Hello.

I might be heading to London for 2 weeks around the Christmas period. I just took a quick look at both Best Flights and Qantas websites and found the cheapest return J flight on QF is $6018.

It's via Frankfurt on the way over and the LHR-HKG leg is on BA, which I have never flown before.

Is this a good price for a mostly QF flight?

Thanks, pw

PS. I only have approx 20K QFF points, so nothing I can really do with them.



[TABLE="width: 100%"]
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[TD="class: flights_out_title, bgcolor: #6BBEFF, align: center"]FLIGHTS
OUT[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_out_main, bgcolor: #E8F7FF, align: center"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_out_main, bgcolor: #E8F7FF, align: left"]

Qantas Airways (QF5)
Business

[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_out_main, bgcolor: #E8F7FF, align: center"]22h 30m[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_out_main, bgcolor: #E8F7FF"]Sydney [SYD]
16:55 22-Dec-2012[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_out_main, bgcolor: #E8F7FF"]Frankfurt [FRA]
05:25 23-Dec-2012[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]$6018
($4709 + $1309 taxes)
Expiring soon

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Qantas Airways (QF3601)
Business
Codeshare

[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_out_main, bgcolor: #E8F7FF, align: center"]01h 55m[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_out_main, bgcolor: #E8F7FF"]Frankfurt [FRA]
07:20 23-Dec-2012[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_out_main, bgcolor: #E8F7FF"]London-Heathrow [LHR]
08:15 23-Dec-2012[/TD]
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BACK[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_back_main, bgcolor: #F2F2F2, align: center"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_back_main, bgcolor: #F2F2F2, align: left"]

Qantas Airways (QF3528)
Business
Codeshare

[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_back_main, bgcolor: #F2F2F2, align: center"]11h 40m[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_back_main, bgcolor: #F2F2F2"]London-Heathrow [LHR]
21:00 05-Jan-2013[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_back_main, bgcolor: #F2F2F2"]Hong Kong [HKG]
16:40 06-Jan-2013[/TD]
[/TR]
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[TD="class: flights_back_main, bgcolor: #F2F2F2, align: center"]

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[TD="class: flights_back_main, bgcolor: #F2F2F2, align: left"]

Qantas Airways (QF88)
Business

[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_back_main, bgcolor: #F2F2F2, align: center"]09h 25m[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_back_main, bgcolor: #F2F2F2"]Hong Kong [HKG]
23:30 06-Jan-2013[/TD]
[TD="class: flights_back_main, bgcolor: #F2F2F2"]Sydney [SYD]
11:55 07-Jan-2013[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
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[Katie]

I think so. Apart from specials, I think it's normally more like $10k for J.

 

[amaroo]

BA currently have a special J fare for $5,999.....fully flat bed all the way - which QF won't provide:idea: Be quick, ends tomorrow.

Flights, Hotels and Holidays with British Airways - BA.com

 

[Pollywaffle]

BA currently have a special J fare for $5,999.....fully flat bed all the way - which QF won't provide:idea: Be quick, ends tomorrow.

Flights, Hotels and Holidays with British Airways - BA.com

Thanks for the link but there is no way I can buy tomorrow as my leave is not approved yet.

 

[amaroo]

Thanks for the link but there is no way I can buy tomorrow as my leave is not approved yet.

I'm not an expert but if you book with a TA you might get a few days grace......then cancel if it doesn't come through.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Yes, that is a really good price, especially a couple of days before Christmas. Coming back via BA to HKG is a real bonus - it means you will depart the UK from T5 at LHR, which is a VASTLY superior experience than T3, especially the great BA Galleries Lounges at T5.

My only concern about the whole thing would be the QF88 ex HKG. (It's an A330, which is an aircraft I avoid where possible). Was there an option to fly on the QF128 (which would be either an A380 or a B744), which would also chop a couple of hours off your transit time at HKG?

 

[Pollywaffle]

My only concern about the whole thing would be the QF88 ex HKG. (It's an A330, which is an aircraft I avoid where possible). Was there an option to fly on the QF128 (which would be either an A380 or a B744), which would also chop a couple of hours off your transit time at HKG?

Thanks for your advice. There were several options but I only selected the first as an example to post here.

We are "encouraged" to take leave at Xmas. These policies drive me nuts as I don't like to waste my valuable annual leave days. I was going to just take the two days bw Boxing Day and the weekend off but am now considering this longer trip.

I can't do anything until all leave requests are submitted and vetted. It's such a pain since I work in a role that is about as far removed from the end customer as you can get.

 

[simongr]

I do think that is a great price. Also routing via FRA might earn a few more status credits than a straight return. I dont like to transit FRA though - I havent had good lounge experiences.

The whole Xmas annual leave thing is interesting. I too work in a non-customer facing role but I also encourage people to take time off over Xmas - if they aren't then I like to know what they are working on (although we aren't external customer facing we have lots of internal customers who equally wont be around over Xmas).

 

[The Rok]

I booked PER-SIN-LHR-DUB for a couple of weeks over christmas this year. All on QF except for the LHR-DUB is on BA. SIN-LHR is the A380. All in J, $6,700 each.

 

[ozmille]

Price doesn't seem too bad if you miss out on the BA promotion, say hi in the Flounge on the 22nd if you book it!

 

[Deewhy]

My only concern about the whole thing would be the QF88 ex HKG. (It's an A330, which is an aircraft I avoid where possible). Was there an option to fly on the QF128 (which would be either an A380 or a B744), which would also chop a couple of hours off your transit time at HKG?

What would be the main concern with A330 besides the inclined straight bed?

 

[tuapekastar]

Thanks for the link but there is no way I can buy tomorrow as my leave is not approved yet.

If the fare happened to be fully refundable (though I have my doubts about that, you would need to carefully check the fare rules/conditions - perhaps you already have ), then you could purchase it now, and if the leave does not come through, cancel and get a refund.

 

[futaris]

Not only that, child fares are 75% of the above... 5252 AUD for adult before taxes, 3939 AUD for child before taxes...

So an adult should earn ~640 SCs for ~6400 AUD, and a child for ~4970 AUD.

 

[Pollywaffle]

The whole Xmas annual leave thing is interesting. I too work in a non-customer facing role but I also encourage people to take time off over Xmas - if they aren't then I like to know what they are working on (although we aren't external customer facing we have lots of internal customers who equally wont be around over Xmas).

I work in Learning & Development for a very large company. As we are planning, designing and developing training courses in advance, there is always work to be done. In fact, I like working during the Xmas holidays as you get so much more done because of the lack of interruptions. And all of this can be easily monitored. It's either done or not. There is no one else to pass the buck to.

My dislike of these policies is that it forces me to use my leave entitlement when I prefer not to. Most of my personal travel is in Europe and the US and there are much better times of the year to visit instead of deepest December.

If the fare happened to be fully refundable (though I have my doubts about that, you would need to carefully check the fare rules/conditions - perhaps you already have ), then you could purchase it now, and if the leave does not come through, cancel and get a refund.

I've never thought of doing this before. You are probably right about the sale fare conditions but it's a tip worth keeping in mind for another time. I always learn something more than anticipated on these forums. Thanks!