I tested three cheap(er) ways to fly to Europe; here's my verdict
There's some good news (finally): flights to Europe are slated to descend in price. Then there's the bad news: the cost of living has soared. So how to bridge that gap between licking a gelato in Rome (although you might switch the Jubilee city for an alternative this year) and being able to afford the maraschino cherry on top upon arrival?
With airfares the largest initial outlay for a European jaunt and northern summer flights nudging capacity, here's how to save more so you can spend up upon touching down.
The low-cost carrier
An acquaintance is posting a photo of a 1A ticket with a #sograteful upgrade hashtag. That's not us today, people, someone has to take a hit for the team so here I am on Scoot, a low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, #reality.
When that $410 economy or $840 ScootPlus sale fare to Athens pops up as it did in January, we all think about it (tell me you don't). But usually, the frontal lobe kicks in with logic before hitting 'Pay now' – or the fare quota expires and prices jump another tier. This time neither happened.
Scoot famously has no screens and no complimentary power outlets in economy (although the latter can be purchased from $5). The variety of device holders and power packs on board is astounding and there are many empty hours ahead to germinate the idea of a (potentially lucrative) gadget store adjacent to the Scoot boarding gates. The name even apparates somewhere over Malaysia – The Device Dealer.
The meals are good (black pepper beef, can recommend), the entertainment retro (a paper book, so 1999) and after a budget airline toe-dip on a Sydney to Singapore flight, I declare it's bearable but wouldn't fly to Europe in one hit.
Then I do.
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West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
On the stepping stone between home and away
I've flown on a lot of airlines recently, but flying to India and back with Singapore Airlines has been a reset. The speed, charm and professionalism with which the faultless cabin crew look after the cabin has always been a benchmark. In their elegant uniforms, they think and act fast. It's brilliant. On the first leg of the four flights, I learnt a lesson. The company that had booked the flights for me sent me the details and I went to 'manage my booking' online and chose seats for each leg, and logged my preference for the Asian vegetarian meal — which, for my taste, is the best meal on an economy ticket anywhere. The booking company changed the outbound flights by a day. When I checked in for the flights, I found seats weren't allocated, and there were only middle seats left. So this is just a warning to others that if you change your flights, check you don't lose your preferences (as I stupidly did). Middle seats? A third of the passengers have to sit in the middle, so why not me? On the first leg of the four flights, I found myself in the middle of a party of 100 students from Japan going home from a school trip. They were all dressed in uniform (white shirts, ties and blue jackets for the boys, blue skirts for the girls). And there was me, in row 66, in the middle of this sea of them. And what a refreshing experience. What a polite, well-organised, sensitive and well-supervised group. Those sitting next to me didn't speak English, but we exchanged polite greetings through the translation app on our phones. + The nice thing about the Singapore Airlines flight is that I'm not the only one wearing a mask. Yes, I'm still wearing a mask in planes. + Just a little tip: the earphones on the first flight can, of course, be used on the following flights. So I roll mine up, slip them back in their little resealable bag, and take them with me. I do like the electric buggies in Singapore's Changi Airport which carry the less mobile to their gates. They have a flashing light on top, play a cheery tune and (rather than a beeping horn), and have a recording of someone politely saying: 'Excuse me. (Pause) Thank you.' Others (with different, jaunty music) announce: 'Vehicle approaching. Please give way.' It's midnight at Changi and the shops are shutting. Travellers are looking for places to perch. The place is slowing down. And I settle down, too, on a seat opposite Chow Tai Fook and Victoria's Secret, to wait for my flight, which boards at 1.35am. I am in transit, and that gives me time to think . . . . . . I'm in transit, in every sense. Physically, I'm just at the waypoint, waiting for a flight. I'm precariously on the one stepping stone between home and away. I have my passport and boarding pass close to hand. But I'm in transit internally, too. Emotionally. Spiritually. I'm on the way to India, to a place known, and (unusually for my journeys to India) I do not have a group of readers with me. I am not responsible for anyone or anything except myself, my wellbeing, and the stories I will write for you. I will write 2000 words a day. I will file and caption every picture I take, every day. I will be awake, seeking, absorbing, processing, reacting and writing for 18 hours a day. And that feels, frankly, gorgeous and self-indulgent. All I ever wanted to do was to be a writer and work hard. And here I am, heading for a place that's comfortable for me, doing it. But for now, I'm in transit. In transit: the action of passing through or across a place. The passage of a celestial body, in astronomy and astrology (both of which are alive and busy in everyday life in modern India). Perhaps we are one person at home and a slightly different person when we are away. That is one of the attractions of travel. We are cut loose and liberated. We are freed. We miss home and family (we long for home and family), but we are footloose and there's a lightness to that if we just embrace it. My carry-on bag is heavier than when I left home. I believe in the serendipity of airport bookshops, which leads me to WHSmith at Perth Airport. And there on the shelf is William Dalrymple's latest, The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed The World, published by Bloomsbury Publishing. It is, I know, the book for this trip. I had an unpleasant experience with Mr Dalrymple and Perth's writers festival some years back, and haven't read his books since. So it's a big moment when I tap my phone and pay the $39.99 for his book. I have moved on. I am the better off for it (and so, in this case, is Mr Dalrymple). (A reminder of the advice once given to me that the only thing left after they cremate a human body is the grudges.) PS The book is excellent and I do recommend it to readers interested in India, and how it has very much had a hand in shaping today's world. I read The Times Of India online several times every week (as I do French, German, British and other online newspapers). A lot of stories are insightful from a different perspective, which I find healthy and refreshing. Some stories show the pattern of the world in a different way ('Russia says India to get remaining S-400 systems by 2026'). I am engaged by its local news (''Wait, is my matar paneer safe?' Inside the Indian cottage cheese controversy'). I remain rather enchanted by some of its quirks. It has a whole astrology section ('The most loyal zodiac signs: who stands by you no matter what'). And so, as you see, with time to pause comes time to reflect, absorb and expand. And that is one of the treats of travel.
The Age
7 hours ago
- The Age
Cereal and a bread roll: You call this business class food, Qantas?
Uluru dream realised Owing to a surprise health issue, which has affected both my mobility and confidence, flying seemed like a challenge too far. Through all of these life changes my wife has been magnificent so, when she daydreamed about visiting Uluru to see the drone show, it moved me enough to take a deep breath and see if it could happen. From the moment we arrived at the terminal in Sydney, through Ayers Rock Airport, to be wheel-chaired back to baggage collection in Sydney, all the Qantas ground staff and flight crew were amazing – professional, calm, considerate and friendly. John Veitch, Burradoo, NSW Find my iPad While travelling to London earlier this year, I realised that I had left my iPad at the security check-in gate at Changi Airport. I discovered this about four hours into my Singapore Airlines flight to London and approached the senior cabin staffer who quickly helped me complete a 'lost property' email to Singapore. She also notified customer service at Heathrow. On arrival at Heathrow she personally introduced me to the customer service representative who said that he would take up my case. I was relieved but not too hopeful. Two days later, the CSO emailed me to tell me that they had found my iPad at Changi, and it was on its way to Heathrow. It duly arrived, and I arranged for it to be couriered to my residence in London, again with the CSO's help. Customer service at its finest. Peter Keane, Eltham, Victoria Tips included My wife and I recently inquired about a European tour by coach with Trafalgar. I have travelled with them before and they are exceptional. I tipped as I thought warranted throughout the trip. This time though, I was advised 'all tips and gratuities are included in the tour price'. I was told this amounted to $535. Add-on VAT/GST and 'incidental' expenses suddenly became testing. Involuntary tipping, in my opinion, is a form of automatic theft and should be outlawed. Ray Armstrong, Tweed Heads South, NSW Cabin kindness I'm a frequent traveller to unusual destinations. On recent Jetstar flights between Sydney and Melbourne, when boarding is via the stairs and not an air bridge, I've been delighted to be offered assistance by young men who take my cabin luggage up the stairs, then put it into the overhead locker. I'm 73 and fit-ish, but white-haired and these kind gestures, while unnecessary, were welcome, and accepted gratefully. There's a lot of goodwill out there. Fran Kirby, Castle Hill, NSW Oh, no Canada I messaged Virgin Airlines via their website about difficulties I was having booking seats on a code-share flight with Air Canada from Vancouver to Melbourne via Brisbane. Within three hours I had a response, and seats from Brisbane to Melbourne were booked at no charge. Air Canada, who we had done the original booking with, were difficult to reach, unhelpful and wanting to charge for the seats. I appreciated the service from Virgin – Air Canada, customer service matters. Sandy Guest, Yarraville, Vic Tip of the week: As you wish Aside from the Louvre in Paris, the Musee D'Orsay is possibly the most crowded museum in the city. It can be difficult to enjoy the fabulous paintings surrounded by hordes of people, many posing for pictures in front of the artworks, but a Carte Blanche ticket provides unlimited visits to the Orsay and the Musee de l'Orangerie and early access to the former at 9am. I filled in the form, available online, took it and a passport-sized photo to the Orangerie (where lines for ticket purchase are much shorter) for immediate entry and the cash desk issued me the card with attached picture, so no other identification document was needed when entering either museum. Being able to view the artworks with only a few other people is such a wonderful experience. Merryn Sterling, Randwick, NSW Tap turn-off Our family is staying in New York City and were advised by an official at the subway to tap on with our mobile phones at the gates, instead of buying a paper OMNY ticket from the machines. It may feel more convenient to simply tap, but all four of us were charged multiple times for a single ride at different times and at different stations. Although we tried to report it, there was no recourse with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. We put in disputes with our banks and fortunately were refunded. Could have done without the hassle. Sally Polmear, Barkers Creek, Vic Bath-time Steve McKenna's report on visiting Bristol and Bath (Traveller, May 19) prompts me to alert readers to the excellent free walking tours of Bath by The Mayor of Bath's Honorary Guides ( Operating since 1934, these tours provide a fascinating insight into the history of this jewel of a city. Highly recommended, and even better, given the never-ending debate about tipping, no tips are accepted. Brooke Broughton, Leura, NSW Give Milan a break I am leaving Milan after a week and heartily disagree with your previous correspondents who have said it is grey and boring. Like all European cities, Milan has been transformed by a huge reduction in cars, replaced by walking, bikes, and excellent public transport. Notably there are no electric scooters. Streets are wide and clean, buildings majestic and beautiful, parks gorgeous and the food fabulous. Milanese are polite and unhurried and the only place a bit crowded was the stunning Duomo and nearby Galleria. Museums are wonderful and user-friendly and the house museums a delight. Every shop window is a design wonder. Take time, relax and enjoy. Heather Barker, Albert Park, Vic Flyover wonder Having been fortunate enough to experience a Qantas scenic flight over Antarctica many years ago, it gave me a vivid picture of the fortitude of those early explorers and the majesty of this untouched continent. Yes, if I had the money, I could actually stand on Antarctica and see its wonders close up, but is this a good idea? Every extra human encroachment of this pristine environment destroys part of its uniqueness, never to be recovered. Marjie Williamson, Blaxland, NSW Price watch On a recent road trip from Brisbane to Sydney and back (down the Pacific Highway and up the New England Highway) I was astounded at how much the price of fuel changed from town to town. The cheapest diesel we found was 162.9 a litre in Coffs Harbour. The most expensive at Macksville (193.9) just 40 minutes down the road. Thank goodness for fuel price watching apps like PetrolSpy. By using the reliable information on the app we made huge savings bypassing towns with expensive fuel, and motoring in to a town where we could save 20 or even 30 cents a litre. Ed Cooley, Buderim, Qld
Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Cereal and a bread roll: You call this business class food, Qantas?
Uluru dream realised Owing to a surprise health issue, which has affected both my mobility and confidence, flying seemed like a challenge too far. Through all of these life changes my wife has been magnificent so, when she daydreamed about visiting Uluru to see the drone show, it moved me enough to take a deep breath and see if it could happen. From the moment we arrived at the terminal in Sydney, through Ayers Rock Airport, to be wheel-chaired back to baggage collection in Sydney, all the Qantas ground staff and flight crew were amazing – professional, calm, considerate and friendly. John Veitch, Burradoo, NSW Find my iPad While travelling to London earlier this year, I realised that I had left my iPad at the security check-in gate at Changi Airport. I discovered this about four hours into my Singapore Airlines flight to London and approached the senior cabin staffer who quickly helped me complete a 'lost property' email to Singapore. She also notified customer service at Heathrow. On arrival at Heathrow she personally introduced me to the customer service representative who said that he would take up my case. I was relieved but not too hopeful. Two days later, the CSO emailed me to tell me that they had found my iPad at Changi, and it was on its way to Heathrow. It duly arrived, and I arranged for it to be couriered to my residence in London, again with the CSO's help. Customer service at its finest. Peter Keane, Eltham, Victoria Tips included My wife and I recently inquired about a European tour by coach with Trafalgar. I have travelled with them before and they are exceptional. I tipped as I thought warranted throughout the trip. This time though, I was advised 'all tips and gratuities are included in the tour price'. I was told this amounted to $535. Add-on VAT/GST and 'incidental' expenses suddenly became testing. Involuntary tipping, in my opinion, is a form of automatic theft and should be outlawed. Ray Armstrong, Tweed Heads South, NSW Cabin kindness I'm a frequent traveller to unusual destinations. On recent Jetstar flights between Sydney and Melbourne, when boarding is via the stairs and not an air bridge, I've been delighted to be offered assistance by young men who take my cabin luggage up the stairs, then put it into the overhead locker. I'm 73 and fit-ish, but white-haired and these kind gestures, while unnecessary, were welcome, and accepted gratefully. There's a lot of goodwill out there. Fran Kirby, Castle Hill, NSW Oh, no Canada I messaged Virgin Airlines via their website about difficulties I was having booking seats on a code-share flight with Air Canada from Vancouver to Melbourne via Brisbane. Within three hours I had a response, and seats from Brisbane to Melbourne were booked at no charge. Air Canada, who we had done the original booking with, were difficult to reach, unhelpful and wanting to charge for the seats. I appreciated the service from Virgin – Air Canada, customer service matters. Sandy Guest, Yarraville, Vic Tip of the week: As you wish Aside from the Louvre in Paris, the Musee D'Orsay is possibly the most crowded museum in the city. It can be difficult to enjoy the fabulous paintings surrounded by hordes of people, many posing for pictures in front of the artworks, but a Carte Blanche ticket provides unlimited visits to the Orsay and the Musee de l'Orangerie and early access to the former at 9am. I filled in the form, available online, took it and a passport-sized photo to the Orangerie (where lines for ticket purchase are much shorter) for immediate entry and the cash desk issued me the card with attached picture, so no other identification document was needed when entering either museum. Being able to view the artworks with only a few other people is such a wonderful experience. Merryn Sterling, Randwick, NSW Tap turn-off Our family is staying in New York City and were advised by an official at the subway to tap on with our mobile phones at the gates, instead of buying a paper OMNY ticket from the machines. It may feel more convenient to simply tap, but all four of us were charged multiple times for a single ride at different times and at different stations. Although we tried to report it, there was no recourse with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. We put in disputes with our banks and fortunately were refunded. Could have done without the hassle. Sally Polmear, Barkers Creek, Vic Bath-time Steve McKenna's report on visiting Bristol and Bath (Traveller, May 19) prompts me to alert readers to the excellent free walking tours of Bath by The Mayor of Bath's Honorary Guides ( Operating since 1934, these tours provide a fascinating insight into the history of this jewel of a city. Highly recommended, and even better, given the never-ending debate about tipping, no tips are accepted. Brooke Broughton, Leura, NSW Give Milan a break I am leaving Milan after a week and heartily disagree with your previous correspondents who have said it is grey and boring. Like all European cities, Milan has been transformed by a huge reduction in cars, replaced by walking, bikes, and excellent public transport. Notably there are no electric scooters. Streets are wide and clean, buildings majestic and beautiful, parks gorgeous and the food fabulous. Milanese are polite and unhurried and the only place a bit crowded was the stunning Duomo and nearby Galleria. Museums are wonderful and user-friendly and the house museums a delight. Every shop window is a design wonder. Take time, relax and enjoy. Heather Barker, Albert Park, Vic Flyover wonder Having been fortunate enough to experience a Qantas scenic flight over Antarctica many years ago, it gave me a vivid picture of the fortitude of those early explorers and the majesty of this untouched continent. Yes, if I had the money, I could actually stand on Antarctica and see its wonders close up, but is this a good idea? Every extra human encroachment of this pristine environment destroys part of its uniqueness, never to be recovered. Marjie Williamson, Blaxland, NSW Price watch On a recent road trip from Brisbane to Sydney and back (down the Pacific Highway and up the New England Highway) I was astounded at how much the price of fuel changed from town to town. The cheapest diesel we found was 162.9 a litre in Coffs Harbour. The most expensive at Macksville (193.9) just 40 minutes down the road. Thank goodness for fuel price watching apps like PetrolSpy. By using the reliable information on the app we made huge savings bypassing towns with expensive fuel, and motoring in to a town where we could save 20 or even 30 cents a litre. Ed Cooley, Buderim, Qld
