australia at xmas 2008

kiz_2

Hello. I've searched for similar topics but felt i'd get the best answer if I posted my own one.

If I was to book flights to Australia (either Brisbane or Melbourne) from any London airport, Birmingham International or Manchester, what kind of price would I be looking at?

Looking to travel around the 22nd December 2008 and returning around 3 weeks later. Hopefully booking the flights in January. Would I be able to get them for around the £700-£900 price range as it is quite early?

Thanks.

lozkate

I doubt it , we flew from Manchester to Brisbane last year on 15 Dec and booked as soon as the flights were released and paid about £1250 each. Prices go up around 9th December.

Party_Animal

Yes but it was worth it Kate!
Just seems like a distant memory.

insomniac

It can sometimes be cheaper to buy a round-the-world ticket to get to Australia at Christmas time. I think RTW tickets are the same price year-round while the regular return fairs are seasonal.

I uusally add stops in San Francisco and somewhere like Singapore or Bangkok. If you can spare an couple of extra days it also helps with the jetlag.

Sam_Bee

Quite simply, no.

If you'd been amongst the first to book for those dates in 2007 (for London - Brisbane), the cheapest you would have found would have been Korean Air for about £850 + tax (about £250).

However, if you had waited until December 24th, Cathay Pacific would have been around £700 + tax.

If you can travel December 24-25th then you can get decentish prices. If you want to arrive in Australia just before Xmas, then budget £1150 - £1350. And that's still with booking very early (i.e. early January).

richardw

Going east on 24th December can be cheaper, but you would have to delay festivities until the 26th or 27th.
Did BKK-SYD departing 8am on the 25th and the flight was nearly empty.

Are RTW tickets cheaper? That is quite interesting.

bclark

I have been told that flying out on 24th or 25th is cheaper, does anyone know if Boxing Day is included in this cheaper period? I want to be out there for New Year next year.

richardw

26th is probably more expensive because demand will be higher.

Perhaps enjoy your festivities a little earlier and then get the late evening flight on the 25th.

bclark

Thanks Richard, is flying on the 25th notably cheaper? I suppose I could do it as now I am older and I have no kids Xmas day doesn't quite hold the same magic.

finnis

I'm flying to Perth on December 12th. For four of us it's £3,900-ish. Adult fares are about £1100, with Malaysian.

What I did when researching prices was to go to Lastminute.com because it provides you with a matrix so you can see the variation in prices on different dates. Early Dec is much cheaper, then jumps up around the 9th but there are some bargains to be had if you fly close to Christmas day (around the 22nd). Just do a lot of web research once the flights are released and you'll save a yourself a fair few quid.

I didn't book through lastminute, but it gave me an indication of when the prices went up and down so was very useful. Emirates, Malaysian and Singapore were the best deals out of the airlines I wanted to go with, with BA/Quantas around £400 pp more expensive for adults. We were going to go with Emirates but plumped for Malaysian in the end just because we are getting an extra day in Oz becasue of the way the timetables fall.

Also spoke to a couple of agents, one of whom told me that the seat prices only go one way after release and that's up, but they don't change much between Jan/Feb and Sept (which is when I booked).

Sam_Bee

finnis wrote: »

I'm flying to Perth on December 12th. For four of us it's £3,900-ish. Adult fares are about £1100, with Malaysian.

Also spoke to a couple of agents, one of whom told me that the seat prices only go one way after release and that's up, but they don't change much between Jan/Feb and Sept (which is when I booked).

Unfortunately you've highlighted why you should book early, and not leave it until September.

The cheapest Malaysian Tickets for Perth departing the UK on December 12th 2007 are £900 (ish) including tax.