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Etihad Airlines Business Class Return from Melbourne: to Rome $5974, London $5983, Dublin $5980, @ Etihad

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This might be of limited appeal, but some excellent pricing that hasn't been seen in a while from one of the the majors in Business Class from Melbourne (also from Sydney but at around $6200).

Check for dates via Google Flights and book direct with Etihad. These are available in each month up until June 15th.

Book your seats by 18 January for travel between 23 January - 15 June 2024

Sample Dates- Melbourne- Rome May 17th-31st $5974

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closed Comments

  • +31

    considering last year i knew people who paid a bit over 4k to fly economy to Europe this is a good deal

    • +11

      Reminds me of pre -pandemic pricing.

        • +18

          spuriousgeorge might be more apt

        • +4

          I'd have thought you would not want to be using a computer, you know they can read your thoughts through these things. Although with you they might get bored easily…

        • +1

          Oh here we go, there's always one 😃

          • @Brianqpr: If only it was only one … #cookerwatch

      • I recall pre-pandemic it was regularly $4k return Business on Singapore. Mid-pandemic the prices were mindboggling. At the end of the pandemic it was around $10k. Now $6k seems to be the new norm.

        Those lucky enough to have points have effectively seen a huge value increase in their FF points.

        • still seeing plenty of $10k business class pricing….Singapore and Emirates. Hopefully they go down again by the time I want to go to Europe, but that won't be for a couple of years….I did see some good $7-$8k deals on sales at the end of last year though, so not sure why they are so high again.

    • yep - Dec 2023 prices were easily double what I paid in Dec 2019 for travel to Europe :(

    • +7

      Didn't know if was that expensive to go to Europe, you reckon staying in a Hostel in Melbourne during a rainy week would be a close enough experience?

      • +17

        You'd have more Europeans around you in the hostel.

    • -1

      I just paid $600 for one-way Mel to Paris. Pretty chuffed with that tbh.

      • You may get some decent prices for the Olympics if you are going in the opposite direction of the people traveling for the games

    • -1

      Yep, my return leg in economy from Prague to Melbourne cost $3800. Even though work paid i was still appalled

    • Well we paid 12K per return ticket for business class last year….(profanity) me this is cheap

  • +6

    Damn. That's a really good deal. 1/2 the price I paid for Qantas.

    • +21

      No one else read this as someone on here bought a ~$12000 and thought wow?

      • +8

        Yeah not sure I would still be reading ozb if I had $12k to throw at a plane ticket

        • +8

          Orrr it's because you read ozb that you have $12k to throw at a plane ticket ;)

      • +16

        Those $1 USB cables come a long way.

        Jokes aside though, I’ve been saving up and haven’t travelled for years and don’t buy anything for myself. I know it’s a stupid decision but travel’s one of my vices and to be fair, 1/2 price is probably a bit dramatic on my part. It was closer to $10k. Still a lot of stupid money to fly with a bigger seat.. but yeah.

        • +12

          Mate none that is even remotely stupid… You enjoy what you saved/worked for your own way. There's lots of different things people blow thousands on and traveling is nowhere near the stupid pile 🙂

          • @scud70: I think one of the stupidest things one can do is overspend on a plane ticket. Suck it up and get there and back again on the cheap, and save the extra thousands to spend on the ground when you get there.

            • +2

              @lj87: That's what we do as a fam of 5.. if it was just me and my wife and that's all we splurge on then there's nothing wrong with it…I've never been on business class not even for work, but doesn't make it silly if that's what someone else loves to splurge on … Hopefully one day I'll experience it just to tick it off the bucket list .. but at the moment the main thing for us is experiencing different places and cultures as a family … As I get older I try to not judge others on how they do things .. we got one life and we all should experience as much as we can while we are around 🙂

          • @scud70: Thanks bud. Appreciate you 🙏

      • (profanity) me, I put my above comment before I saw yours…..yes !

  • That’s really good. Almost tempted!

    Done LON-MEL before and their product/ in- flight experience was very good (even on the 777 compared to BA, not as good as CX/QR though) lounges so-so (the one at AUH was one of the most disappointing I’ve used).

    • +3

      Abu Dhabi has finally opened a new major terminal with new Business, First Class and Joint US Preclearance Lounges.

    • +1

      Etihad have multiple business lounges at AUH, maybe you went to the small one?

      The main one has a spa inside which offers showers and massages included as part of the ticket.

      Food was a little average there though, especially compared to Sydney where you can just order off a menu (maybe AUH you can too, but i've only ever been there at non-dinner hours).

      Note: I was last there pre-covid.

  • -3

    Any deals on first class? hehehe

    • +2

      Buy this business ticket, then upgrade from AUH-LHR to the Residence

  • +1

    Great price.

  • Just FYI their 777 J class is a much inferior product to 787 and A350. Melb is served by 777 and Syd by both 787/777

    • +8

      MEL <> AUH is served by both 777 and 787 - EY463 is B789, and EY461 is B77W.
      Seat on the 777 isn't horrible, but definitely not as nice as the 787 which is a lot more modern. Having said that, I found it easier to sleep on the 777 as the footwell is lot bigger and less cramped.

      • Fair enough, timetable might have been updated then. I did it Aug and missed on 787 out of melb as they were serving only 777. A350 8/10 tho.

  • +1

    Damn, good deal OP.

  • +7

    Make sure to choose a date where you are flying to/from Melbourne/Sydney to/from Abu Dhabi on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in comparison to the Boeing 777-300ER. The product is much newer

    Velocity Platinum Frequent Flyer can use the Etihad First Class lounge in Abu Dhabi
    Velocity Frequent Flyers can earn velocity points and status credits on Etihad
    FYI: Cheap upgrades on the Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow sector are commonly available from as low as $600 USD, which is worth it in my opinion

  • +9

    Another good deal Ex, Jakarta

    Qatar Qsuites (Business) from Jakarta to New York JFK from $4,400 return (when booked through American Airlines as a codeshare)

  • +9

    my time to shine.

    787 J is great. 777 is bleh. much older aircraft. The seat is largely the same (787 footrest is completely enclosed and this is better than the 777 which has an open footrest on the window side which i kept slipping out of) however the age of aircraft are ridiculously old for the 777.

    Brand new terminal A lounge. haven't tried it yet but much better than the old AUH lounge. Food was decent however.

    these numbers RETURN to business are unreal. would definitely take it up.

  • +1

    Just completed MEL-AUH-LHR in J. Agree that the 777 ex MEL is not a great product and should have been retired a few years ago. New lounge in AUH was more than decent. Most of the sectors to LHR are on A380 but we took the 787 and it was light years ahead of the 777 in every aspect.

  • -5

    am i the only one who …..

    "Thanks OP bought 10"

  • +3

    Nearly at a price I could justify paying for business

    • +1

      Yes needs to be at least $6k

  • +4

    You guys have too much money

  • sometimes I am really curious about demographic numbers of business class/first class ticket holders. As in age, income level, debt level, how often they travel in business class, considered as business expense etc.

    • +2

      Yeah, it used to only be those with more money than they knew what to do with (i.e. multi millionaires), or people not paying for it (on business/government work). They said the pent-up demand/accumulated savings from the pandemic meant that business cabins have been far fuller than pre-pandemic, which accounts for the obscene amounts demanded, and near total absence of award availability. I managed to catch a business flight last year to London, only to find a screaming five year old a couple of rows away (amazing how brattish some kids can be). I'd hate to have paid full price and copped that disruption. :)

      • wow, a 5 year old in business class….shouldn't be allowed lol

    • +8

      48 yrs old, 30 years in the workforce, earn around $150k, no debts (mortgage paid off), wife who earns the same. Work for govt so no overseas travel, all travel is self-funded.

      • +1

        great.

        • +1

          There is alot of wealthy out there FYI.

          Not to be a downer but people around me make close to $1m a year…. it is what it is….

    • +4

      My parents do. Late 60s, paid off home and combined $1.5m in super so not overly rich. Just enjoying what they have until they’re too old to travel any more.

      • +1

        Accurate comment for those over 70 with no mortgage and decent super balance.

    • +1

      I have friends who fly business class internationally. They’re not well off, and don’t save all that much as a result of this kind of spending.

      So it varies a lot.

  • Globehunters showing as $5405 return. Anybody have any experience booking through globehunters,

    • +14

      I personally would always book direct with the airline. YMMV.

  • Was going to do this leg, but decided on to fly to a hub so did trips via HKG and SGP instead to get the 787 and A380 combo. IMO worth it.

  • +5

    But I paid $1700 business return to Rwanda…..

  • +1

    So keen to fly business but still almost 4 x what I would pay in cattle class. Maybe I can justify it when I’m older haha

    • +7

      Nah, it's 24hrs of your life. Fly cattle & spend money when you get there. I don't get why people pay it.

      • +4

        Yeah, if you imagine you weren't paying for your tickets, and someone in economy offered you 2 grand to be a little uncomfortable for 20 hours. You could spend a couple of days in a luxury hotel at the other end and be no worse off, but enjoy much more.

        This is why many of us churn the credit cards.

        • +10

          The main reason I am willing to fly business (since I am lucky enough afford it) is that it turns what is normally a low point of the holiday into a high point. Yes, its only 24 hours but the whole experience changes. Quick check-in, straight to lounge w/free food drinks, etc., priority boarding, much better service and comfortable seat so I'm not dreading long-haul flights. Arrive and I'm basically first off the plane and ready to get my luggage and beat the main crowd through arrivals. I'm not saying it's "worth it", but this is why I do it.

      • +2

        I used to travel to the US economy (back in the 747 days) and was exhausted after I arrived, plus I had very bad GI issues upon landing. Took 24 hours of rest to feel back to normal again. Try staying awake for 30+ hours straight, it isn't fun. Being 6'2 in economy is no fun either.

      • There are people who can afford both…

      • That’s my thinking currently

  • Not the most reliable airline in-terms of their service and customer support. I had booked a return ticket to Istanbul and they cancelled the flight and as a result I missed my connecting flight from Istanbul onwards. It took more than six months to get only the accommodation cost in Melbourne and nothing else was reimbursed.

    It was impossible to get any sort of response from them and the only option was social media where they responded fairly consistently.

    • 2 different bookings ?

      • +1

        Yes but I am not too concerned about the second booking now that I know they don't care about that. It was more that they didn't reimburse me for the taxi to and back from the hotel and the cost of meal during the 24 hour delay.

    • I can vouch Customer service is not the best and actioning refunds is slow, took almost 3 months to get a compassionate refund with multiple follow-ups and resending and explanation of documents, whereas Singapore Airlines done it within a week with no interrogation.

  • +12

    Trouble is now that I can afford to go Business class , on average I only have a few years of life left on this planet! Reckon I should go while I can still get around.

    My only certainly about staying this side of the grass is that I realize the bits will start to fall off and I do not know which bits will cause me grief and which bits will prevent me travelling again!

    Love finding a bargain here and am still kicking myself for missing out on Kigali!

    Thank you to all the posters who post those cheap fares and to those members who post relevant information to help make a worthwhile decision.

    • +1

      live your life to the fullest while you still can!

    • I got the Rwanda deal of the century then changed my mind and got a refund.

  • I just bought a ticket for Feb a month ago. If only this appeared sooner!

  • -2

    Over 125 votes, but I still wonder how many people here would actually fork out $6k for a return ticket just to be pampered a little with extra butt room and nicer food? For a family of 4 costing $24K, that's a richie rich man's flight. I'm quite sure it's a great deal, but still is a luxury that's out of reach for many.

    • Having done it many times I still can't really justify the extra spend for 24 or 48 hours of my life. Unless the money is burning a hole in your pocket, you're crazy to fly business IMO. Depends on your circumstances I suppose but I think a lot of people live above their means.

    • +1

      most of them are trying to find the cheapest cattle class tickets.

  • are these the flights that you can take a shower ?

    • +1

      thats only for first class passengers n i think only in A380s.

    • Yeah not sure about Etihad but Emirates A380 has showers only for first class

      • +3

        The two airlines that feature onboard showers are Emirates and Etihad. Showers are found solely on their Airbus A380 aircraft. They are reserved for passengers travelling in First Class (on both Emirates and Etihad) and The Residence (on Etihad only).

  • +1

    For the life of me I can't figure out why these are up voted unless you just have too much money.

    Would I basically pay $3500 to upgrade my hotel room for one night? Or would I prefer to have that for spending money for my trip.

    Noone actually trying to save money would buy this as it's such poor value. It may be cheaper than the usual RRP but that doesn't make it a good option.

    • +1

      I think its more to cycle of life or stages in people life. Those who made it (succeed during crisis) deserved their efforts, those who are surviving gotta wait and save bit by bit for future rewards

    • +3

      I gain 3-4 days of holiday enjoyment by being able to sleep the whole way there/back to Europe. That's worth it to me, and I can afford it, so why not? Sure beats arriving in London at 6am having not slept for 36 hours.

      • arriving in London at 6am having not slept for 36 hours.

        This is a rookie mistake.

        If you're travelling ghetto class, then you need flights that arrive at your destination early in the evening.
        Go straight to bed when you arrive, sleep all night, and you're good to go the next morning when your holiday begins.

        • Cool, but SQ does one flight a day to Amsterdam and it arrives at 0600.

          • @sheikyerbouti: So definitely don't fly with them, there's a gazillion other flight choices. You know you won't be able to get much/any sleep in economy - arriving in the evening is paramount.

  • Why book with Etihad and 3rd party sites are up to $500 cheaper?

    • +1

      If you need to make any changes or are stuck booking direct with the airline makes a huge difference.

      • 100%. You'll be wishing you paid the extra $500.

  • Damn. Some rich ass people on here

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