Hong Kong: €3,496 Lufthansa or Swiss First Class from Dublin

Star Alliance members Lufthansa and SWISS rarely offer a discount on first class tickets these days, especially to a destination not named Dubai. That makes their current offer from Dublin to Hong Kong an outlier, with tickets selling as low as €3,500.

Included in the deal are two business class rides between the Irish capital and either Frankfurt or Zurich, and roughly 24 hours of First Class travel from Europe to Asia. On top, you can access Lufthansa’s and Swiss’ dedicated First Class lounges during your layovers. You also enjoy a generous baggage allowance of three bags, weighing up to 32 kg each.

Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates for less than €3,600 for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to Lufthansa or Swiss with your selected flight dates.

European flights are operated by Airbus A320 family planes (Lufthansa) or Airbus A220 with Swiss. While the seats in business class are largely the same as in economy, the seat next to you will remain empty and you will receive free food and beverage service.

Long-haul flights are operated by Airbus A340-600 airplanes from Frankfurt and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from Zurich. Here is a glimpse of Lufthansa’s and Swiss’ First Class cabins:

SWISS First Class

In SWISS’ first class, you’ll be served excellent food in a comfortable seat that can be turned into a flat bed. Usually, the 8 first class seats are in a 1-2-1 formation, meaning that every seat has direct access to the aisle. You’ll be allowed to check in 3 pieces of luggage and bring 2 carry-ons. In Zurich, you’ll enjoy the first class lounge, which was recently named the best in the world. You can read all about SWISS’s first class in this review.

Lufthansa First Class

Lufthansa has its own terminal for First Class passengers! This and the food in Lufthansa’s First Class are widely considered to be among the best. The First Class terminal has its own airport security control, free food, hotel-like rooms with bed and bathtub, and so on. You get driven to the plane in a limousine.

The seat can be turned into a 210 cm long bed (roughly 80 cm wide) and has all the usual comforts, such as power sockets, inflight entertainment, WIFI, and so on.

Search & Book

According to the fare rules, this little rascal is on sale without an expiration date or minimum stay. You can find availabilities as early as August 2024, with availability peaking in early 2025.

Google Flights previews availabilities with decent accuracy. You can also use Lufthansa’s best price search tool to find fitting flight dates. This comes with the added benefit of booking directly on the airline’s website, which we strongly recommend.

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.

Miles & Points

Both airline issues long-haul tickets in booking class A, the European legs are booking class J. A roundtrip with Swiss via Zurich earns the following miles & points:

If you choose to fly Lufthansa via Frankfurt, you can expect the following accrual:

Destination

Information & Tips for Hong Kong

Hong Kong is an Asian city-state and a vital trading metropolis in the Pearl River Delta not far from the Chinese coast. The city has long been a center for trade and business. Hong Kong is one of the largest air traffic hubs in Asia and therefore offers excellent connections to the rest of the world, hence the good deals that various airlines often provide. Flights in economy class usually are between 400€ and 500€ sometimes for even less than 400€.

Best Time to Visit

Winters are mild and dry, whereas summers are hot with rainfall and high humidity. The best time to travel is from October to early December when the weather is sunny, cool and therefore very pleasant.

Entry & Visa

Entry is possible for most EU citizens without a visa, and only a passport is required. A permit for 90 days is issued upon entry. For further information, please visit the website of your countries Ministry of foreign affairs.

Currency

The local currency is the Hong Kong Dollar ($, HKD, HK$). One Euro is approximately HK$8. Many credit cards may charge a foreign currency fee (up to 2% for payment) in Hong Kong Dollars.

Getting from the airport to the city centre

The fastest and most convenient way into the city is by Airport Express. This train will take you to the city centre within 24 minutes and will cost you around €12 per trip. Alternatively, you can also get into a taxi and pay approximately €35.

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