Melbourne & Sydney: €534 / £457 from London & Milan with Air China (incl. 2 Checked Bags, Long Layovers)

It appears to be a renaissance of Chinese airlines offering great deals to Oceania. It’s currently Star Alliance member Air China‘s turn to reactivate an old deal: from London and Milan to Sydney and Melbourne starting at £457 (~€531).

While Air China may not be the go-to airline to many of our readers, the 2 pieces of 23-kilo checked bags and the price definitely compensate for their reputation. The itinerary includes two long layovers in Beijing, which is much more subjective. On the plus side, you can spread your legs, sightsee or just rest. Although it does lengthen your trip by a margin.

You can travel on the following routes:

• London – Melbourne at £457 (~€531)
• London – Melbourne at £473 (~€549)
• Milan – Melbourne at €628
• Milan – Sydney at €647

Unfortunately, we couldn’t create an availability calendar for this deal. However, you can play around with the departure dates as long as you start your journey by June 16, 2024. You can choose to be redirected to Air China’s website or Skyscanner. We recommend the former for the Milan routes as OTAs aren’t much cheaper.

You would find the following aircraft on these routes:

• Airbus A330-300 (2-4-2 configuration): Beijing – London Gatwick
• Airbus A350-900 (3-3-3 configuration): Beijing – Melbourne, Beijing – Milan and the CA855/CA866 Beijing – London – Beijing rotation
• Boeing 777-300ER (3-3-3 configuration (although they also have 3-4-3 B777s)): the CA937/CA938 Beijing – London – Beijing rotation
• Boeing 787-9 (3-3-3 configuration): Beijing – Sydney

Regardless of your aircraft type, you can expect free meals and drinks in addition to inflight entertainment on your flights. You would stop in Beijing for a while on both legs.

Search & Book

According to the fare rules, this fare will expire on April 30, 2024. There is a minimum stay of 6 nights and a maximum stay of 6 months. You must begin your travel by June 16, 2024.

Unfortunately, Google Flights doesn’t display prices for Air China itineraries and ITA Matrix’s calendar doesn’t include these prices in its results. However, you can play around with dates in our Go2 form before clicking Air China. Their website has a surprisingly well-functioning +/-3 day calendar, showing you the best options. You can then book through them for the benefits of booking on the airline’s website, or insert your found dates into our Go2 form and book through online travel agencies (OTAs) via Skyscanner.

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

Tickets are issued in booking class L or P. From London to Melbourne, you’d earn the following (take Aegean with a pinch of salt: while their official website also writes 200%, it considers P as a First Class booking class):

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 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 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: © Bernd Leitner - fotolia.com