mangochutney

I posted a variation on this in the 2017 TP run thread a few weeks back, but since then it's gotten far more complicated...(!)

So after a terrible 2017, my Mum and I have decided to try and go on a long trip LON-SYD-AKL and possibly beyond towards the end of this year. Mum wants the cheapest flights; predictably, with my love of a. Asia, b. stopovers and c. 'above economy' quality , I've convinced her to at least consider stopovers, ex-EU and biz class. I'd said that QR via DOH would be the best bet, but of course she's declared she'd like to do a stopover in Dubai and possibly HK, and I've floated the idea of tacking on Japan or a Beijing stopover too...

I'm keen to make this as good a trip for Mum as possible, as she hasn't been long-haul I think for about 20 years, but our budget is still going to be limited (and I only have about 80k Avios/MR points to put towards this). Needless to say, unless we get very inventive, all of the above isn't going to be possible. Does anybody have any budget-friendly routing ideas we could look at which includes at least some of the proposed stopovers - or, indeed, some which might be even better?

Thank you in advance

flatlander

LON-AKL can usually be done via SYD for little extra. Alternatively, buying that ticket for cash isn't too terrible.
If you want to amuse yourselves, get on the LATAM flight between AKL and SYD. Flat bed and Pisco Sour on boarding, in J

mikeyfly

For starters - don't start your journey at LHR - don't look to use MR / Avios on the longhaul, save them for the short hops. QR is your friend!

https://www.google.com/flights/#sear...R175;sc=b;px=2

Super quick search gets two adults in J all the way on QR for under £3,000

flygod

Get an Amex Plat, then refer your mum, yourself and anyone else you know for a Nectar Amex. If you keep the Plat, the car insurance will come in handy in Oz!

The Nectar is free for the first year and as long as they buy something on it (and they may not even have to do that!) before they cancel, you get the 18k MR referral.

(The trick is you refer them for Plat and they then select Nectar)

That will give you a quick doubling of your miles and maybe help a little!

mangochutney

Oh this would be great and I'll def look into it, except I've already got a Gold so wouldn't get the signup bonus, and am not 100% I'd be eligible for Plat anyway (I've just graduated after going back to uni... draw your own conclusions ). Is there a similar trick with Gold?

Mwenenzi

Dubai as a OneWorld airline stopover will be hard, as QF will not be flying DXB-SYD/MEL from April. May have to go on CX.
CX fly AKL-HKG. And they have PE
QR fly AKL-DOH.
CX & QR both fly into SYD, MEL and other Au cities
BA fly LHR-SIN-SYD, as will QF from April

Stopovers may push the price up

Trans Taman Aust-NZ with OW you have QF & LA. And many others.

mangochutney

I should have been clearer - the current plan is for probably 3 weeks in Aus, before NZ for about 2 weeks. So straight to AKL not what we're looking for. (Pisco Sours and flat beds would amuse my Mum greatly though )

Worth pointing out the reason my Mum wants to do Dubai is purely so she can 'go up the tower'! I was hoping to take advantage of one of the stopover tour things for that purpose.

flatlander

Do consider the AKL-HKG-... route on CX on the return, though. Skip a transfer through SYD if you can.

It might be reasonable to do ...DXB-SYD-AKL-HKG-... from some cheap starting point, that hits all your desired highlights "...without hesitation, repetition or deviation"

Mapman

Have a look at this routing: https://www.google.com/flights/#sear...R167;sc=b;px=2

Slightly more expensive, and excludes the "tower" in DXB, of course. But there's a better view from the observation deck of the Sydney CBD tower - or indeed from bedrooms in the Shangri-la from which you can see the Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, depending on the location of the bedrooms.

mangochutney

Oh yes, my Mum has suggested CX actually, and I won't rule out PE (I usually do long-haul in PE, just suggested biz because... well, y'know!). So that's very much an option, especially if it covers all the bases

Quick q about BA status - I may try to get myself back up to Silver between now and then so we can use lounges and advance seat choice (I usually have to call the BA assistance line to get the latter). What kind of seat choice options might that get us on QR/CX?

darthlemsip

Leaping_Deere

If you are looking for cheap J. QR usually have cheapest deals to SYD/AKL every so often, common deals are EX OSL and ARN.

Hopping across the Tasman is not too expensive. If you are not specifically looking to accrue status then you have several options NZ, QF and JQ and Virgin, I'm sure some reward redemptions can be used for this.

You see the odd CX deal and the route from HKG-AKL is an A350, IHMO opinion CX version of the A350 (particularly in J) is the best plane variant on the market. think its mostly 777-300 to SYD, which is still a good aircraft

I think that BA, QF demand for their LHR-SYD is quite static and both routes are 'blue ribbon' for both airlines so you don't offer see good deals, even in sale periods. I'm sure other will be better clued but I've never seen an cheap EX EU deal on either carrier.

I've never noticed preferential seat selections when flying with QR, CX or QF as either BA silver or gold.

choosethedrew

QF also has this nasty rule in all but C/J fare classes that NO stopovers are allowed in Australia, whereas the BA / QR / CX fares usually allow 2. Basically means that for a holiday or where you want to visit more than one place, it is totally unaffordable to use QF going to Aussie which I am gutted about because they're one of my favourites.

EsherFlyer

OP, have you thought about looking at round-the-world (RTW) fares? They're disccussed quite often in the OneWorld forum:

Mwenenzi

And EK, SQ, CI (China Airlines), LA and D7 (Air Asia) also fly trans Tasman.
There are many flights from a wide range on NZ/Au airports. No just SYD & AKL
Fares can be Au east coast/NZ $200~$300 one way (~3:30hr flights)

The oneworld explorer ticket FAQs