One of the benefits of running a travel site is learning what people really want, via endless questions and emails. One thing that people ALWAYS want: good deals or how to use miles between Europe, Australia and New Zealand. You could almost say that these routes are the holy grail for travelers, much like U.S to Hawaii flights. Without further adieu, here are a few great strategies to get great deals or use points on this treacherously expensive route!
Consider All Of Europe And Australia, It’s Worth It…
We always advocate for people to earn miles. Why? Because miles can create freebies when you need them. Just 4,500 frequent flyer miles or credit card points is enough to move you from one European or Australian city to another, allowing you to take advantage of far better pricing. That’s right- many of the best deals will be from European, Australian or New Zealand cities you’re not presently in or going to, so you need to shop around to see which city offers the best deals when you need them. If you can get there for free, or on the cheap- it’s only time, not money.
Consider Breaking Up Your Ticket…
This is one where many people go “ah, so simple, why didn’t I think of that”. Asia is seeing an emerging discount airline market, making connectivity between Asia and Australia cheaper than ever. Similarly, we’re seeing the same thing between Europe and Asia. The answer: look at the price of a ticket from Europe to Asia, and then Asia to Australia, versus the price of just a ticket from Europe to Australia (or vice versa). Not only might it be cheaper, you’d also get to explore a cool destination on the way, or just keep on flying- your pick. For example: Prague to Shanghai is currently £860 return in business. If you then found a cheap flight to Australia from Shanghai, you’d have a compelling bargain. P.S., the Middle East can be brilliant for this too- and even has great business class deals from time to time.
Use Miles Part Of The Way On Routes With Easy Avail…
We’ve shown you how to find error fares and the best deals. A true travel savvy genius will often combine a fantastic deal with a good use of points. It’s virtually impossible to find seats between Australia and the UK. Finding seats using miles between Australia and Asia, Australia and Middle East or Middle East or Asia and Europe is actually pretty easy. Why not use points to get half way for (almost free) and then use a great onward deal to get the rest of the way. Some of the best business class deals originate from the Middle East or Asia, meaning you may be able to fly in style for less than the price of an economy ticket using this method. Remember to leave healthy time to connect, since separate tickets aren’t covered if you miss the next segment- you’ll be stuck.
Set Price Alerts From Five Cities To Five Cities For Savings…
This cheap flights tip works for all regions, but it’s magic for Australia. Google Flights allows you to search from up to five departure cities to up to five destinations. The permutations for savings are endless. If you have specific dates, or a little flexibility set alerts from up to five European cities where cheap tickets can be found, to up to five Australian cities which may offer better deals, and are easily accessible. From Europe: Oslo, Stockholm, Geneva, Frankfurt, London and Dublin are common cheap fare cities. This is a great chance to monitor prices and save big. Here’s an example. We’ve highlighted deals as low as $1200 round trip in business class, so it’s great to know that magic does happen- if you’re in the know.
Don’t Forget That You Can Use Miles On Airline Partners…
Yeah, those British Airways miles are good for flights on Cathay, Japan Airlines, Qantas and many more. Same for Lufthansa or Virgin Atlantic miles being valid on Air New Zealand. You can use just 75,000 Virgin Atlantic miles round trip for flights between London and Beijing in First Class. Not economy, premium or business- it’s first class! From there you can use other miles to carry on down to Australia. Remembering that each airline has a network of partners is key to finding seats to travel for as close to free as possible! Don’t give up at the first sign that no seats using points are available.
