chris_2020

Hi there,

I am looking at booking business class for a solo trip to Australia in January. I am very much a novice at this, so would appreciate any tips with the below.

I have noticed flying out of London is much more expensive than picking a European departure point. Currently I am favoring Cathay Pacific from Amsterdam to Melbourne. Available for around £3800 return. I am open to fly from any European destination though, and am also open to fly into either Adelaide or Melbourne.

Then in terms of airline, I am very conflicted. I want the best value but I’m also keen on securing a good product as it is a special trip for me. As mentioned, Cathay Pacific is currently my top option but I’ve started to worry this offering does not compare favourably to say a Q Suite with Qatar flying Copenhagen to Adelaide. Which is available for maybe £600 more.

Does anyone have any tips for searching for these best prices across various departure countries, but then also any recommendations in terms of preferred OneWorld airlines in Business? Earning tier points is key for me too, and on my first look at Cathay it appeared I would accumulate a fair amount of tier points for the journey.

thanks so much 🙏

Mwenenzi

Start - mid - end of January? May make a difference.
AU tennis open late Jan in Melbourne

Want to fly only Oneworld (for avios / TP) ? Or willing to consider other options if price is right. Are many options for airlines~routes. If LHR-SYD due to LHR & SYD curfews all airlines depart/arrive about the same time.

Ex OSL favoured by many.
A UK airport other than LHR may get a different answer.
Qatar QR flys into all major AU airports. To many has the best seats
BA only LHR-SIN-SYD. Changing flights at SIN will get more TP's. LHR-SIN & SIN-SYD instead of LHR-SYD.
Qantas QF LHR to PER, MEL & SYD

A map from the Great Circle Mapper - Great Circle Mapper

This question has been asked before.

Schwann

You can use Google Flights to assist. You can select multiple departure and arrival points to search for the best fare.

chris_2020

Thanks for the reply. It is the very start of January, probably 1st or 2nd departing.

And yes really keen to stick to Oneworld only, for tier points and Avios.

As it is something rare for me, and a special occasion, I’m tempted by the Q Suite (Copenhagen to Adelaide, with a layover in Doha). The Q Suite product looks more ‘wow’ than Cathay business? But then having said that Cathay is coming in roughly £600 cheaper.

Thanks for the Google Flights tip Schwann, I’ve run a search for most major European airports and looks like these are indeed my best two options….1) Copenhagen to Adelaide, via Doha

Qatar, Q Suite - £4566



2) Amsterdam to Melbourne, via Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific - £3849

Is the Q suite leaps above Cathay in terms of standard? May be worth splashing out more for? I’m just nervous Cathay business looks slightly dated and also does not have individual cabins with doors. Although more expensive, a Q Suite could feel much more premium…

wb1969

It’s also worth looking at different departure and arrival airports in Europe. QR sometimes has deals on eg Dep FCO and Arr AMS.

It’s very short notice for Australia in J and January is peak season.

Qsuite is a good product but there are many who prefer the older J seat.

I went to Australia earlier this month and had a mixture of Qsuites on 777s and standard J on A380s and I have to say I much prefer the A380. It is also a much quieter plane.

FlightDetective

Having flown both, I find the food on Cathay Pacific to be much better than that on Qatar Airways. It's really QRs only achilles hell. Nothing wrong with it, but it's generally always the same and I've never found it to be "wow" for me. Whereas on other oneworld airlines like CX, the food has often been remarkably good. There is also the Hong Kong Milk Tea on CX which is lovely, as is their Cathay Delight drink. Cathay's seat is pretty much the same as a bunch of other airlines and is very good. The CX J lounge in Hong Kong is also superb!

With QR, the Qsuite is quite lovely with great finishes, however it didn't impress me as much as the people screaming about it on the blogosphere will lead you to believe. It was great and the cabin looks slick with top quality finishes. Also, the dine on demand on QR cannot be faulted, nor the service. The Al Mourjan lounge in Doha is also very good, though it's never been to my taste (I prefer the more cosy lounges CX offer).

Honestly, if you think you'll be flying business class again in future, take the cheaper deal and save QR for later. I used to be able to get QR J to Australia and back out of ARN for about €2,300. Who knows if we'll see those prices again (and they were regularly like that), but that might put the current QR pricing more into perspective. Personally, I always take the cheapest, knowing that one day it'll be the other airline that is cheaper and then I'll be flying them.

Bullswood

As a too frequent traveller on the route, I agree with FD as above. In addition to price considerations and a personal preference for CX lounges over QR bling, I prefer the CX A350 over the long QR sector on the 777 for the better cabin atmosphere (on the other hand, the QR A380 to SYD is fine, even without Q Suites). The only route I actively avoid is the two night BA/QF etc via SIN - the short second overnight sector and early morning arrival just ruin my first day in Oz!

OldFruity

Hi. Pre covid I was a regular commuter between Au and GB at my own expense (5xa year) and have flown up the front with most carriers incl multiple trips with QR and CX. Earlier this year I flew CX J and only last week I returned to MEL with QR in a Qsuite for the first time. I actually booked the A380 out of LHR (for the bar onboard amongst other things) but an acft chnage last minute resulted in a 777. FWIW the A380 was always my Go To choice before the recent Qsuite experience. Overall I found the CX HKG lounge choice better/more interesting than the Doha option but felt that the service and food wow factor of the CX product had diminished post covid, whereas the QR experience has always been excellent with attentive service (especially if down the back as an Emerald) quality food /drink and a resonably comfortable seat. The additional privacy offered by the Qsuite was also a plus IME and will be my default choice going forward. Any price below about A $ 8k is pretty good in my recent experience.Good luck in your choice - looking back over 30+ trips its always exciting to travel Downunder for the first time - whatever your ride or class of travel - just a bloody long way!.
Rgds
OF

Rack of Lamb

Panacotta

Amuse Bouche

Tuna

Bfast omelette

orbitmic

Remember Q Suites are never guaranteed. Qr are notorious for swapping equipment, some times at the last minute.

Having said that, you are already paying very significantly more due to wanting to fly on one world, so arguably, as it seems that budget is not one of the key considerations, you might as well go all the way and select the product that takes your fancy.

Palmer

Dates in January:

EY: BCN-SYD in J for 2831EUR return

Palmer

Strawb

My annual trip to Melbourne in January has been booked with the majority of flights (all one way) booked between May of this year and this month. I have only one segment to book and it is the first flight to position myself to begin my trip from LIS.

UK ‐ Vietnam
Positioning flight LHR-LIS is yet to be booked. In May I booked a one way through ticket on BA from LIS-LHR Economy connecting same day LHR-HKG on Cathay Pacific in Premium Economy. Fare was £390 one way, E Class. Arrive following day connecting on Cathay Pacific to HAN same day. This was an Avios Economy redemption booked via Qatar for 6000 Avios + £48 tax. Overnight in Hanoi.

Vietnam - Australia
In September I booked a Lifemiles redemption from SGN to BNE (via TPE) in Business on Eva Air. Cost was 40,000 Lifemiles and US$90 taxes and redemption fee. Flights were booked to arrive on the final weekend of the Australian Open. Positioning flight from HAN-SGN was booked earlier this month, Economy one way on Vietnam Airlines for around £59, connecting to Eva Air to TPE. Overnight in Brisbane. Following morning Virgin Australia BNE-MEL one way for AU$190 in Economy. One week in Melbourne.

Australia - Korea
Originally I booked Qatar Airways Q-Suite MEL‐DOH-LHR for beginning of February for 90,000 Avios + £186 taxes and fees. This was cancelled as I needed the 90,000 for a potential BA 2‐4‐1 companion redemption. Instead I booked Jetstar Business SYD-ICN one way for AU$749. As I had a AU$400 voucher for a delayed flight I only paid $349, equivalent to the £186 taxes and fees I paid for my Qatar Q-Suite redemption. Also redeemed 12,500 Avios for MEL-SYD on Qantas in Business. Overnight in Sydney and overnight in Seoul. Edited to add: Qantas flight now cancelled, rebooked Virgin Australia Sale fare in Y for AU$119 including checked bag. Cost £23.50 loss of taxes for Avios cancellation. 12,500 Avios richer for a total cost of Au$119 + £23.50.

Korea - Japan
I used Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points to book a one way flight in Business on Korean Air from ICN-KIX. Again, just one night in Osaka. Cost was 15,500 points plus US$21 taxes.

Japan ‐ UK
Earlier this month I booked Singapore Airlines NRT-SIN-LHR one way in Business for 228,200 JPY (approx £1179). Plan is to take Japan Railways Kodama Shinkansen (Platt Kodama green car) from Shin-Osaka to Narita Airport in the morning for my evening departure with overnight layover in SIN. Arrival in SIN is at 01:20am and departure for LHR is at 09:00am. Distance NRT-SIN-LHR is just under 500 miles less than MEL-SIN-LHR, providing great mileage earning opportunity 👍

Koru Flyer

Some ideas.
I quite like QR whether Q suites or the 380 with the bar. But to honest if CX was cheaper, I would go with them, as I quite like the food, drinks and lounges. Seat is fine, esp. the a350 with the new TVs.
I am also a fan of doing AU run with JAL. The over the top flight to HND/NRT and then the next flight is an overnight on the same timezone. I tend to stay awake on the first flight and crash on the second. Works well. And JAL is a quality outfit, esp. the Apex seats which are great to sleep in.
Finnair (AY) is also a cost competitive options, I find them not in the same league as CX or QR. And the flight from asia to AU is on QF, BA, or CX.
AU is just challenging at the moment, as it is still at way lower capacity than re-covid.
Lots of discussions in this forum and the qantas forum

steveholt

If you've never flown business before, both Cathay Pacific and Qatar's business class will be lovely. I would suggest you save the money and use it during your time in Oz.

SxMan

I’ve only ever done Etihad or Emirates – with the former, upstairs on the 380 is amazing with the lounge option between first and business including watching live television and non-stop drinks and snacks. Select the right emirates plane and you get a proper bar as well as a lounge area. Hardly seemed worth sleeping😂

Funky Spike

If it's TPs you're after BUD-LHR-JFK-LAX-MEL bookable on AA.com for £3.9k

Spike