Melbourne & Sydney: SkyTeam Premium Economy for €1,529 from Budapest (Long Layover, Mileage Run)

Thanks to another deal from China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines, you can travel at a cheap price in premium economy to Australia. With departures from Budapest, these airlines will take you to Melbourne or Sydney, starting at €1,529. Due to the long route and the high mileage credits, this is also a very good mileage run.

On the outbound and return flights, a longer layover of approximately 16 hours in Shanghai is usually required. During this time, you can either take a (visa-free) trip to the city or extend the stopover for up to 6 days for an additional cost of around €300 (see below).

You can book with just a few clicks using the form below. Travel is available from September 2023 to January 2024. We have highlighted the cheapest dates for the round-trip with a maximum stay of 28 days in green:

Shanghai Airlines flies from Budapest to Shanghai three times a week, using a Boeing 787-9 with a 2-3-2 premium economy alignment for the 10 to 11-hour flight. After approximately 14-16 hours of layover there, China Eastern will fly you 10 hours to Melbourne with a Boeing 787 (2-3-2) or Airbus A350 (2-4-2). The flight to Sydney would be with an Airbus A350 for 9-10 hours. Luckily, the layover in Shanghai is usually relatively short on the way back, usually lasting 4-5 hours.

Search & Book

The fare rules do not specify an expiration date. They only state that you must travel before June 30, 2024. You can quickly and easily find available dates using Google Flights (instructions). You can then book on China Eastern’s website or at the cheapest OTA that Skyscanner can find. We recommend booking directly at the airline to avoid unnecessary additional fees for changes or cancellations.

Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?

More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:

Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.

If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.

This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.

Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.

This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.

Stopover Flights starting at €1,842

According to the fare rules, stopover flights with up to 7 days in Shanghai are possible – in either direction. This is particularly interesting on the outbound flight since a layover of approximately 16 hours is already required. You can search for stopover flights using Google Flights’ multi-stop search. You can also use our form below to book:

In addition to stopover flights, open-jaw flights starting at €1,544 are also possible.

Mileage

The tickets are issued in booking class P. For a round-trip from Budapest via Shanghai to Melbourne, the mileage credit looks like this (provided the tickets are issued with a China Eastern flight number):

Destination

Information & Tips for Australia

Australia, also know as ‘Down Under’, is an absolute dream destination because of its distance to Europe and its beautiful countryside. But because it’s so far away, the flights are costly. Nevertheless, there is always Dealz for less than 1.000€.

Best Time to Visit

Australia is a vast country with different climate zones. Summers (November to February) are hot and mostly dry, winters (June to September) are relatively mild.

Entry & Visa

Most European citizens require an eVisa which has to be issued before your arrival. You can apply online, and the process will be free of charge.

Finding the Best eSIM Plan

We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as RedteaGO and Airalo. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:

The Best eSIM Plans for Australia 🇦🇺 Compared

→ All Dealz for Australia

Cover Picture: © China Eastern