Air China is currently selling discounted tickets for flights in business class from Stockholm to Australia and New Zealand. A round-trip from Europe to Melbourne starts at only €1,810 / SEK 19,560. If you prefer Auckland as a destination, prices go up to around €1,956 / SEK 21,135. You will be able to find available connections in November and then again in early 2020.
We’re presenting you this deal thanks to our reader Dirk! He reported this offer via Report a Deal.
A huge advantage of this deal is that you will fly via Beijing on your way to Australia or New Zeeland and back again. This way you can stop over and visit an additional city at no extra cost. You can find more information on the Chinese stopover requirements on travelchinaguide.com.
From Europe to Air China’s hub, the carrier will operate an Airbus A330. The same aircraft will be used for flights from Beijing to Australia in most cases. Of you’re traveling to New Zeeland, you might be onboard a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
In any case, Air China offers a solid business class product. Although there will be a 2-2-2 configuration and consequently no aisle access for some passengers. Check out these two flight reviews to get a better idea of what will await you onboard:
Search & Book
The fare rules state that tickets for this deal will be sold until October 31st. The offer is valid for trips commencing between now and May 31st, 2020. That said, we haven’t been able to find flights in December. And depending on your destination, there might also be limited availability in early 2020.
The requirements for the minimum stay are 6 days, and you could spend up to 3 months in China before returning to Europe.
Unfortunately, flights with Air China can often be tricky to find. Google Flights (instructions) won’t be a big help since connections and/or prices are usually not displayed at all. Or at least not correctly. You will have to search for flights using the ITA Airfare Search (instructions) to find the fare:
Once you’ve settled for a time, use the dates to enter them into our Travel Dealz flight search. That way, you should be able to find the lowest prices that OTAs offer. Alternatively, you can also try to book your flight directly on the carrier’s website.
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.
Mileage
All tickets for this trip will be issued in booking class R. This results in an earning rate of 100% to 125% on most Star Alliance frequent flyer programs. You could be credited with the following amount of miles for a trip to Melbourne:
- 24,554 Award Miles + 4,912 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 24,554 AsiaMiles on Asia Miles
- 24,554 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 24,554 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 24,554 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 24,554 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 24,554 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 24,554 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 24,554 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 24,554 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 24,554 Miles on Egyptair Plus
- 21,606 Miles on Asiana Club
- 21,606 Award Miles + 19,642 Tier Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 21,606 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 21,606 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 21,606 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 19,642 Award Miles + 800 Points on Miles&More
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
Information & Tips for Sydney
Sydney is Australia’s most populous city and offers a lot to see for tourists. The metropolis on the east coast of the country is also Australia’s largest transport and trade center and therefore relatively easy to reach.
Flights to Australia usually start at around €1,000 for Economy Class tickets. However, we regularly show you deals with prices far below € 1,000.
From the airport to the city
The airport is 9km from the city center and easily accessible by train, bus, taxi, and ferry. A ride by train costs about 10€, a taxi ride about 25€.
→ All Dealz for Sydney
Information & Tips for Melbourne
Although Melbourne is not the capital of Australia, the metropolis with a population of 4.4 million is in constant competition with Sydney for becoming the cultural capital of the country.
From the airport to the city
Depending on the traffic, the journey by Skybus or taxi takes between 30 and 60 minutes. Airport busses cost around 9€, a taxi ride between 35€ – 42€, Uber is slightly cheaper.
Best Time to Visit
Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are the most suitable periods for tourism thanks to moderate temperatures and right weather conditions.
→ All Dealz for Melbourne
Information & Tips for Auckland
Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand with a population of approximately 1.5 million and a wide range of tourist attractions and activities for visitors. The city is also an excellent starting point to explore the rest of New Zealand. Auckland is connected to Southeast Asia and Asia pretty well, even non-stop flights to the USA are available. As of now, you’ll have to switch planes at least once when flying to New Zealand from Europe. But this may change since long-range flights are hitting new limits all the time
The Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Auckland is between March and May and September and November. These are the times when you’ll find comparatively few tourists and can enjoy sunny days and moderate temperatures.
From the airport to the city
A bus to the city centre runs every 10 minutes, and the journey will take you about 40 minutes and a ticket for a one-way trip costs approx. €7.50. A taxi can cost up to €60, while Uber or Zoomy (similar to Uber) will cost between €24 and €43.
→ All Dealz for Auckland
Cover Picture: © Bernd Leitner - fotolia.com