[MarcusGB]

Hi all.

Post Covid, now it seems on scanning fares Worldwide, that fares are Double to Asia, and down to Australia than Pre Covid. I mostly fly Long Haul Eastwards, and to Australia…

I do see some fares on KLM / AF my main FFP Carriers to Cuba and Columbia currently, for £1,750 returns ex UK. Most fares are over £2,200 to that region otherwise.

I have a return on Air France Ex LHR – CGK, Via CDG & Singapore,(a Garuda flight) -Total £1,850. leaving in June, as a part Journey down to Australia, (by buying two tickets)
A fare to Bali a little further was £2850!
Air France are running the “New Business Suite” on the 773-ER to Singapore, to add to the treat.
I can stopover for a few days as planned with an option of hopping to any local islands too.

I then had a sale on Malaysia Airlines with 1/3rd off, from CGK, via KUL to Sydney Biz, for £1,200 return. They also credit My Flying Blue FFP, as code share with KLM and AF!
So in fact, my return to Australia was £3,050.
I gain 2/3rd of the XPs Frequent flyers in Flying Blue needed to renew my Platinum for 2024, and Platinum for life!

What is your “treasured” deal so fare this year, in the days when fares have doubled?

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AMcWhirter

[christ]

My best fare was in March:

Cathay A350 flat bed – Seoul to HK
BA A350 – flat bed – HK to LHR;
BA 777 – flat bed (less good) LHR to HK

It was about £1,800 equivalent. Seems starting from Seoul as was visiting a friend knocked the price down massively.

[Rferguson2]

I have actually turned to purchasing points when significant promos are offered and then redeeming them immediately for flights.

An example, Air Canada AeroPlan recently had a promotion of 110% bonus on purchased points.

I booked SQ Melbourne – Singapore – Bangkok for 45k aeroplan points which cost me just around £550 one way.

I also booked Gulf Air Bangkok – Bahrain – Manchester for 80K points which cost me around £800 one way.

Avianca LifeMiles also often launches similar promotions. I flew from HND to SYD on ANA for 42,000 points on way which cost me around £700.

These prices also include the taxes and fees.

The other aspect of buying points for redemption that I like is that it essentially becomes a semi-flexible fare. Aeroplan allows cancellations up to two hours before travel for CAD$200 and LifeMiles has a sliding scale for cancellations.

The downside is finding availability and obviously you don’t accrue points/miles.

I only buy points however when I have seen the flights I want available.

[AndrewinHK]

Qatar Airways HK to MXP returning from MUC via Doha in June, 2300 GBP.

[FRANCESCABARNES]

I’m very happy with my JetBlue Mint flight from my home airport LGW to JFK for £1249. I usually go from DUB, so have the cost of flight there and overnight hotel, and still works out pricier. What a treat to go from Gatwick.

[alistairNicoll]

Back in July 2022 I picked up a bargain fare for March 2023 with Austrian Manchester to Bangkok return for £1540 which I was more than happy with

[Simon]

Booked last summer, LHR-Nairobi out on KLM, return on AF at Easter this year – a shade under £1,500.

[AJDC]

A trip to Germany from NYC in September.
Several weeks ago, I purchased a business class return ticket for the trip on Singapore Air for $2,500. Lufthansa had same routing for $4,600

[MartynSinclair]

Best ticket purchase this year has been:

2 club europe tickets, Gatwick to Malta (return), using points and a 241 voucher, £50 each. Regular fare for same flights in excess of £1,000 each.Purhased 4 months in advance.

[Senator]

Prices have certainly gone up, but there are still some superb finds from Stockholm (ARN and BMA). For some odd reason, the Caribbean is a good spot..

American Airlines have a prices excl. taxes and fees to NAS, UVF, SKB, to mention a few
Business INN0NMN1 AA I Round-Trip 1512.00(GBP)
First ANN0NMN1 AA A Round-Trip 2192.00(GBP)

Beauty here is you can book with one day advance, only stay for 24 hours and use the 23:59 rule in transit. Works with both American and BA metal across the pond. I did NAS a few years back when I needed short visit in NYC on two different days the same week. Then I could turn around on NAS the same day. Flew Monday across, meetings on Tuesday before heading down one segment for overnight. Then down to NAS and return to NYC on Wednesday with late arrival before return back on Thursday.

The Lufthansa Group (SN, LH, LX, OS) has also some incredible deals down to the Caribbean starting from
Business PNCSW LH P Round-Trip 897.00(GBP)
First ANC9SW LH A Round-Trip 3014.00(GBP)

Here you can do stopovers for €100 in each direct. The cheapest fares require 8 days at destination. Another challenge is that United and Air Canada (transit via US/CAN) very often are sold out in the lower booking classes from EWR/IAD/ORD/IAH to the Caribbean. We went to AUA using these deals in 2019-20, including upgrades to First on Swiss using Miles & More and PartnerPlus. I believe I paid around £3,200 in total for my wife and I.

I certainly miss paying £2,000 for two to Singapore with Qatar like 2017. Those were the days…

[superchris]

My trip is somewhat ‘around the houses’ but I need to go to Dubai, India and Singapore in the Autumn. Used airmiles business class to Dubai on Royal Jordanian, Saudia business class DXB via Jed to Delhi £280, Delhi via Colombo on Sri Lankan Airlines business class for £250 then finally Singapore back to UK on Qatar on Avios again in business.

Rather looking forward to some quirky airlines!

[MarcusGB]

Thanks all for your sharing the great deals.

Interesting the use or miles or Points from you FFP.
Annoyingly, VS Flying Club where i have a good amount of miles from booking hotels etc via their “Shops away”, BUT they want up to £601 along with all the miles Each Way, for a long Haul. That is quite a rip off.

KLM/AF – Flying Blue, are now tagged to the actual fare for yr miles, and simple madness to use half a Million miles on one Asia return! I may earn 16,000 miles for a return Business class ex UK to Asia, so the value is nothing.
But 21,000 miles to a European destination each way (2 flights via AMS)is fair.

Also, on Flying Blue, you can buy miles and they will double the amount you recieve. Periodical offer.
But, you can also “Accelerate the miles earned the month before by up to 4 times, with a Payment.
Better to do this with a few Thousand 4-6000 PCM, otherwise it ends up being hundreds of Euros.
I have been transferring in Accor points monthly, then accelerate them!

This has given me flights from Indonesia or Malaysia, down to Various Australian cities each way Biz, for 51,000 miles. This involves Garuda or Malaysia Airlines, (not the best!), but saving around £2000+ for fares on many Airlines.
Paid Returns from Europe, to CGK or KUL can be cheaper than SIN, BKK, or Bali, by up to £1200 less!!!

Fares are in fact double or more then last year over to Asia from the UK, around £3,500, but around £2000 starting from AMS with Eva Airways, Swiss, Thai, and LH.
Down to Australia, it is wiser to buy two separate different Airline tickets paid in the local currency, and a nice unrestricted stopover.
It is worth the time to search, whilst also earning lots of miles and points, as there maybe an extra flight or two involved, but it benefits your FFP bank, and Status needed?

[AlanOrton1]

£2,600 via TC Tim and team.
MXP-SIN & HKG-LHR in Oct with Qatar with minimal transit at DOH.
Substantial saving versus starting the journey in LHR.
Looking forward to Q suite and although a few OneWorld options, I think the Q suite just shades the new Finnair J seat and BA CW suite.

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CheerUp

[alistairNicoll]

Wow just picked up fare with Austrian flying Manchester Bangkok in March returning in May for a bargain £1887. Happy as punch

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

£2500 for September – F to Miami for 1 night, J to Cancun on AA and J back to LGW. Would have been £200 less if didn’t have to change date on 1 leg.

Only £200 more to go via MIA in F on the A380. Sadly only BA F and not an SQ/EK/QR experience but still looking forward to it.

[Author]

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