Strategies for Cheap Business Class Flights to Europe

Etihad Airways business class
Etihad Airways Business Class. Photo: Etihad.

The trip from Australia to Europe is a very long one. Unless you’re on one of Qantas’ direct flights from Perth to Rome, London or Paris, you’ll have to stop at least once along the way. And the trip usually takes at least 24 hours.

That’s a lot of time to be sitting on a plane! So, many Australians look for cheap Business Class flights to Europe to spend the trip comfortably lying flat.

The trouble is, buying Business Class tickets out of Australia is expensive. Market forces have added an invisible “Australia tax”, making tickets originating in Australia dearer than flights departing from overseas. But even if you live in Australia, there are several strategies you can use to book cheaper Business Class tickets to Europe.

1. Book return flights originating in Europe

Round-trip Business Class tickets from Europe to Australia are regularly available for around half the price of the same ticket in the opposite direction. There are often excellent deals to Australia from Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway. You may also be able to find some good deals out of Frankfurt or Paris.

Paris, France
Travelling to Europe more than once per year? Consider buying return tickets from Europe instead of Australia. Photo: Alexander Kagan on Unsplash.

As an example, Turkish Airlines currently has round-trip Business Class fares from Sofia to Melbourne for under $4,000.

If you live in Australia, you can take advantage of this if you travel to Europe at least once or twice per year. The idea is to buy round-trip tickets originating in Europe, “nesting” the return leg to use as the start of your next trip.

Most airlines will allow you to take the return trip up to twelve months after the outbound leg. However, some discounted airfares have “maximum stay” restrictions that could prevent you from doing this.

Even if you’re currently in Australia, you can easily book a flight originating overseas through the airline’s own website or with any good travel agent. As you’ll probably be paying in the local currency of the country of departure, you may wish to use a credit card with no overseas transaction fees.

Avoid long-haul flights departing from the UK

When booking premium cabin air tickets out of Europe, try to avoid flights that originate in the UK. That’s because the UK government charges a rather hefty Air Passenger Duty. This adds £200 (~AU$385) per passenger to the cost of your ticket to Australia.

The Air Passenger Duty applies to both paid and reward tickets. But you don’t have to pay this tax if you’re only arriving or transiting in the UK.

2. Book Business Class tickets from Asia to Europe

Even if you’re not travelling to Europe frequently enough to use the previous strategy for cheap Business Class flights, there’s another way you can still take advantage of the much lower prices in other markets.

You can often pick up great value Business Class fares from Asia to Europe. Finnair, Etihad, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Saudia and Air Astana all regularly offer cheap flights to Europe from various cities in Southeast Asia.

Air Astana A321LR Business Class seats
Air Astana A321LR Business Class. Photo: Matt Graham.

Round-trip Business fares to Europe from countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka or the Philippines are often available for between $2,500 and $3,000 (in Australian Dollars).

For example, Finnair often has good deals to Europe departing from Bangkok or Phuket. With Finnair, you can also earn Qantas points and status credits as it’s a Oneworld member airline.

New Finnair Business Class seat
Finnair’s A350 Business Class “AirLounge” seat. Photo: Finnair.

Etihad also has a current sale fare from Kuala Lumpur to Munich, which you can book in Business Class for $2,740 round-trip.

Etihad KUL-MUC fare on Google Flights
Screenshot from Google Flights.

Stop over in Asia

To make this strategy work, you would need to purchase a separate return ticket from Australia to the Asian stopover point.

For the Australia-Asia part of your journey, it’s up to you whether you wish to just purchase a cheap Economy ticket, buy a Business Class fare, or perhaps redeem points for that part of the trip. Either way, you’ll still be in Business Class for the longest part of the trip – and you’ll almost certainly save money.

If you can find a cheap Jetstar Business Class or ScootPlus fare between Australia and Asia, that could be a good compromise. Both of those products are closer to “Premium Economy” on full-service airlines, but you can often get return fares for around $1,000 return. That’s great value!

Jetstar Boeing 787-8 Business Class seats
Jetstar Boeing 787-8 Business Class seats. Photo: Jetstar.

When breaking your trip up with separate tickets, beware that you won’t be protected in the event that your inbound flight is delayed and you miss the connection. Therefore, it’s a good idea to allow at least a day between flights and enjoy a stopover in Asia along the way.

This is also a great way to break up the long trip between Australia and Europe. You’ll arrive feeling more refreshed!

Break up your trip to Europe with a stopover in Singapore, or elsewhere in Asia
Break up your trip to Europe with a stopover in Singapore, or elsewhere in Asia. Photo: Matt Graham.

If you’re travelling on separate tickets, you may need to enter the country and collect your luggage at your stopover point. You may also require a visa to do so. But some good travel agents might be able to book everything onto a single PNR for you, which would save this hassle.

The cheapest fares to Europe are often available from Manila

Some of the cheapest Business Class flights from Asia to Europe can be found during sales. But Etihad Airways consistently has great Business fares from Manila to European destinations, including Barcelona, Dublin and Munich for around $2,500 return. Manila to Istanbul in Etihad Business Class is closer to $2,200 return.

Beware that some itineraries require a long layover in Abu Dhabi.

Etihad Airways 787 flying over Abu Dhabi
Etihad often has cheap Business Class flights from the Philippines to Europe, via Abu Dhabi. Photo: Etihad.

To get to the Philippines, you could redeem Qantas points or buy a ticket to fly with Qantas from Sydney to Manila. Or, Philippine Airlines flies non-stop from Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to Manila. (There’s also low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific if you want to save money at the expense of your comfort.)

To search for deals from different departure airports yourself, try using the Google Flights “Explore” feature. Many of the best deals are also posted by AFF members on our Cheap Flights & Travel Deals forum.

Google Flights Explore mode
Use Google Flights’ “Explore” mode to find cheap airfares.

See our guide to using Google Flights for more tips.

3. Look for discounted Business fares on “second-tier” carriers

Carriers like Vietnam Airlines, China Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Asiana or Oman Air might not be your first choice. But they all offer fully lie-flat beds in Business Class and their pricing to Europe can be highly competitive.

Many airlines charge well over $8,000 for Business Class tickets from Australia to Europe. But Asiana, Vietnam Airlines, Air India and SriLankan Airlines Business fares are often closer to $5,500 return. You can also get some great deals with Oman Air, flying on a Malaysia Airlines aircraft from Australia to Kuala Lumpur and then Oman Air (via Muscat) the rest of the way to Europe.

SriLankan Airlines A330-300 Business Class tea service
SriLankan Airlines A330-300 Business Class. Photo: SriLankan Airlines.

If you don’t mind a long layover in China, you can even book Xiamen Air from Sydney to Amsterdam in Business Class for around $4,600 return.

Qantas Premium Economy to London is often a similar price to this.

Speaking of Premium Economy, Vietnam Airlines and China Airlines (based in Taipei) often have good Premium Economy deals to Europe for around $2,000 return. There’s also a decent Premium Economy fare available at the moment with China Eastern to Rome or Madrid for about $2,500 return. This is a pretty good alternative to flying Economy, without spending that much more money.

Scoot tickets from Australia to Athens or Berlin are also sometimes available for around $2,000 return in ScootPlus.

Beware that the lower ticket price sometimes comes at the cost of a long en-route layover in one or both directions.

4. Wait for a sale

Even highly-rated full-service airlines do sometimes offer good Business Class sale fares all the way from Australia to Europe. For example, Cathay Pacific recently offered sale fares from Australia to London for around $5,500 return in Business Class.

Cathay Pacific A350-1000 Business Class
Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 Business Class. Photo: Cathay Pacific.

Etihad also has some last-minute Business Class fares available now from Sydney or Melbourne to Europe for under $6,000 round-trip.

5. Book a Lufthansa Group round-the-world ticket

The Lufthansa Group – which includes Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines – offers some great value tickets from Australia to Europe in all four classes of travel.

With these fares, you can travel to and from Europe in any direction (via Asia, South Africa or North America) for similar prices, and stop over along the way for free. You can also get a few included stopovers in Europe.

See our guide to Lufthansa round-the-world tickets for more.

Swiss A340 Business Class seat
SWISS Airbus A340 Business Class. Photo: Matt Graham.

6. Use frequent flyer points

An alternative to buying Business Class tickets to Europe is to redeem frequent flyer points.

You can earn points from flying, credit card spend and many other methods. Credit card sign-up bonuses can be a particularly handy way to earn large amounts of points for minimal outlay.

Credit Cards with great sign-up bonus offers

Qantas Premier Titanium
Earn
1.25

Qantas Frequent Flyer Qantas Points on everyday purchases

Signup Bonus

150,000 Qantas Points

Apply by 01st May 2024

Annual Fee
$1200 p.a.
Read the guide
Qantas American Express Ultimate
Earn
1.25

Qantas Frequent Flyer Qantas Points on everyday purchases

Signup Bonus

100,000 bonus Qantas Points

Apply by 02nd Apr 2024

Annual Fee
$450 p.a.
Read the guide
American Express Velocity Platinum
Earn
1.25

Velocity Frequent Flyer Velocity Points on everyday purchases

Signup Bonus

100,000 bonus Velocity Points

Apply by 15th May 2024

Annual Fee
$375 p.a.
Read the guide

It’s possible to redeem points with many different frequent flyer programs to get from Australia to Asia – or all the way to Europe. For example, you could redeem Qantas points to fly with airlines including Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, China Airlines or Emirates.

If you have Velocity points, you could book reward seats to Europe on Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways or Etihad.

Qatar Airways business class Qsuite
You could redeem Velocity points to fly Qatar Airways Qsuites to Europe. Photo: Qatar Airways.

But reward seats on Qantas and Virgin Australia’s partner airlines can be difficult to find at times. Additional carrier charges also apply when redeeming Qantas or Velocity points on most of those partner airlines.

Which is the best frequent flyer program for Australia-Europe redemptions?

If you’re just starting out on your points journey, and ultimately want to redeem your points to get to Europe, we’d recommend looking into Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.

That’s because Singapore Airlines often has good Business Class award availability from Australia to Europe. KrisFlyer also charges fewer miles to get to Europe than Australian-based programs. Plus, there are no carrier charges when redeeming KrisFlyer miles for Singapore Airlines flights.

Singapore Airlines has good award availability to Europe and no fuel surcharges
KrisFlyer miles are a good currency to have if you want to get to Europe. Photo: Singapore Airlines.

However, KrisFlyer miles expire after three years. There’s also a risk that any frequent flyer program could make changes that devalue its points in the future.

Therefore, you may wish to earn points with a flexible credit card rewards program such as American Express Membership Rewards. You can then transfer your points at a later time to KrisFlyer – or to a range of other frequent flyer programs, if another one suits better – as needed.

Our Favourite American Express Cards

American Express Platinum Card
Earn
2.25

American Express Membership Rewards (Ascent Premium) Points on everyday purchases

Signup Bonus

200,000 bonus Membership Rewards points

Apply by 09th Apr 2024

Annual Fee
$1,450 p.a.
Read the guide
American Express Velocity Platinum
Earn
1.25

Velocity Frequent Flyer Velocity Points on everyday purchases

Signup Bonus

100,000 bonus Velocity Points

Apply by 15th May 2024

Annual Fee
$375 p.a.
Read the guide
American Express Explorer
Earn
2

American Express Membership Rewards Points on everyday purchases

Signup Bonus

50,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points

Annual Fee
$395 p.a.
Read the guide
Qantas American Express Ultimate
Earn
1.25

Qantas Frequent Flyer Qantas Points on everyday purchases

Signup Bonus

100,000 bonus Qantas Points

Apply by 02nd Apr 2024

Annual Fee
$450 p.a.
Read the guide

Buying frequent flyer points

If you still don’t have enough points to redeem for a reward flight, another option could be to buy frequent flyer points at a discount from an airline that sells them. Frequent flyer programs that sell miles include Air Canada Aeroplan and British Airways Executive Club.

Air Canada’s loyalty program often has among the best award availability between Australia and Europe. This is helped by its partnerships with niche airlines like Air Mauritius – in addition to Virgin Australia, Etihad and all the Star Alliance members.

Air Mauritius Airbus A350-900 Business Class seat
Air Mauritius Airbus A350-900 Business Class. Photo: Leon Loganathan.

When redeeming points, award availability is limited – especially for long-haul flights in Business Class. So you’ll need to be flexible with your travel dates and book well in advance. Also, beware of the carrier charges that some airlines add to the cost of your reward ticket.

If you’re having trouble redeeming your points, the Frequent Flyer Concierge service may be able to help you with finding flights.

Frequent Flyer Concierge

Having trouble finding and booking reward seats?

Our Frequent Flyer Concierge is here to help!

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.
________________________

Related Articles

Community Comments

Loading new replies...

It's striking how Velocity partners with the three airlines that currently have the best availability to/from Europe: SQ, QR & EY.

They're totally trouncing Qantas at the moment when it comes to Australia-Europe J award travel.

Reply 3 Likes

Another tip is to try and be flexible on where you fly in/out of “Europe”. Some of those heavily discounted J fares ex-Asia are usually limited to specific city pairs but it might be a short hop from that Euro port to your final destination. Same general rule applies for travelling on seperate tickets of course or take a train.

CX also has good fares around. I’ll be doing CGK-HKG-LHR//MAD-HKG-DPS in a few weeks time. Including QF rewards flights SYD-CGK//DPS-PER-SYD, it’ll be sub $4k + points. DPS-PER will be JQ 😳 but a day flight.

It's striking how Velocity partners with the three airlines that currently have the best availability to/from Europe: SQ, QR & EY.

EY have good availability because they were the first to Jack up carrier surcharges. The QR redemption via QFF is a whole other story - as we all know…😔

Reply Like

click to expand...

EY have good availability because they were the first to Jack up carrier surcharges.

I think the blame lies with VA rather than EY. EY is very cheap on Aeroplan, for example.

~$AUD150 fees & taxes Australia to Europe, for example:

View image at the forums

Reply 2 Likes

The best airfare I've ever had flying to Europe was MEL-FRA-MEL with China airlines for $1750 return in 2018 in PE. The food was standard Y fare but the hard product was very very good. It also gave me enough FF points for a one-way flight between any two cities in Asia, although I never got to use it.

SQ points availability to Europe these days seems just as appalling as everyone else's.

Reply 1 Like

I think the blame lies with VA rather than EY. EY is very cheap on Aeroplan, for example.

~$AUD150 fees & taxes Australia to Europe, for example:
View attachment 326521

Aeroplan doesn't add carrier charges for any airline, including Emirates.

I believe Velocity felt at the time they were forced to add the Etihad carrier charge after Etihad unilaterally increased the cost of its award seats to VA without notice.

Reply 1 Like

The best airfare I've ever had flying to Europe was MEL-FRA-MEL with China airlines for $1750 return in 2018 in PE. The food was standard Y fare but the hard product was very very good. It also gave me enough FF points for a one-way flight between any two cities in Asia, although I never got to use it.

SQ points availability to Europe these days seems just as appalling as everyone else's.

China Airlines has great PE which we exeperienced Brisbane to Vancouver in 2019. The return flight was in J and the cost for the flights was around $2950 return The seats were 7 across on a 350. Had a full day stopover in Tapei both ways which we enjoyed. Friends did Brisbane to Europe in PE for around $2000 return in 2019.

The food was acceptable and in PE you get to use the toilets in J and also access the self service snacks in J.

Checked out the cost of return PE flights on China Airlines in October 2023 to Vienna and they were around $3800.

Reply Like

click to expand...

Another strategy that's not mentioned in the article: booking mixed class fares (typically on carriers who don't fly all the way to Australia) with economy to SE Asia then business.. I am aware that both Turkish Airlines and Finnair offer such a product, and I think Lufthansa at least used to.

The big advantage over booking positioning flights to and from SE Asia is that the connections (typically in SIN or BKK), are protected, meaning that the airline must look out for you if the connection doesn't work (this came in very handy when TG changed a flight from having a 5 hour layover in BKK to a 22 hour one - I was able to get TK to rebook me on MH free of charge).

Reply 1 Like

click to expand...

Aeroplan doesn't add carrier charges for any airline, including Emirates.

No, but Aeroplan charges extra points to fly EK.
I

Reply 1 Like

You can also get cheap seats through Qantas via China Airlines from Mel to Taipei for business e.g. 75,000 points for Business Rewards and try and find a deal to Europe from Taipei.

Reply Like

I go to Italy every year for four months and always buy my tickets ex FCO until Covid cancelled my return after two years. Now have to purchase ex OZ until next year when I’ll have enough points to get a one way back to Italia and get back to purchasing ex FCO. It has saved me $1000’s over the years. The prices ex OZ are outa control.

Reply 3 Likes