Help Me Save Some Money Flying My Family Brisbane to Frankfurt and Back This May

meiztom on 07/01/2025 - 21:27
  • 2 adults, 2 young kids
  • Prices have hovered around 2k each for a long time for good airlines with short stopovers such as Singapore or Qatar, rarely drops
  • I have never been one to churn credit cards for frequent flyer points but I am considering it to avoid spending $8000
  • I thought maybe me and my wife could do this deal: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/875063 and convert our points to Singapore Krisflyer miles and combined they should cover 1 airfare.

Anyone have any better ideas/suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Travel Europe Frankfurt Germany

Comments

  • jv on 07/01/2025 - 21:33
    +14

    Help me save some money flying my family Brisbane to Frankfurt and back this May

    Just watch a travel documentary instead.

  • Wiadro on 07/01/2025 - 21:51
    +1

    i love a good german accent.
    enjoy germany

    • SYLTB on 08/01/2025 - 10:55

      A Blond Helga?

  • neil on 07/01/2025 - 21:54
    +2
    • Aeroplan / Air Canada is offering a 100% bonus if you buy miles. You can buy up to 1,000,000 miles per year. See Loyalty Lobby
    • Air Canada's codeshare airlines offer 1 way economy flights from 65,000 to Europe. So 130k x 4 = 520,000 points. So you'd need to buy 260,000. 1 point is US1.22c or US$3172 which works out to $5,046.38 AU ($1261.60/pp). See Seats.aero to see availability.
    • Business class works out at better value as compared to actual price but availability is much harder and well you're paying a bit more.
    • meiztom on 08/01/2025 - 16:43

      Thanks, I will look into this.

      • meiztom on 09/01/2025 - 12:55

        Didn't have much luck. Only found 1 flight so far in May with enough reward seats available. Also, the bonus is only up to 85%. Apparently up to 100% is targeted. So I need to buy 270000 points to get 229500 bonus. The cost is $9450CAD or $10584AUD. This works out to 1.8c CAD per point. There is also cash to pay on top of this $437ea so $1748 for all 4 of us plus the points cost $10584 = $12332 total or over 3k each, terrible deal.

        Am I working this out right?

        • neil on 09/01/2025 - 20:20

          Ah interesting, only 85%. That's no good. Just read through the comments and looked like it started at 110/115% then came down as people bought up points.

          On their site, you'd have to buy 290,000 and get 246,500 for $10,150.00 CAD or AU$11,390.33. Not worth it.

  • Benoffie on 07/01/2025 - 22:53
    +2

    Can you provide specific dates if available?

    Is Frankfurt a must? Ie is that the end destination?

    SIA probably has best option from BNE to FRA

    Edit:

    Ok, looking at some options before dates known

    China Airlines CI 54 to Taiwan
    Same CI 61 to Frankfurt

    Return $1450 ea

    16 hr layover but you get a day in Taiwan. Might have a day trip?

    There is a good chance that if you book SIA in separate legs and spend a in Singapore, that can come down to $1700 ish

    • meiztom on 08/01/2025 - 16:45

      Specific dates not necessary.

      Frankfurt is the end destination but we would consider flying in and out of Munich etc. if it was worth it.

      I had initially ignored the Chinese airlines as they all have huge stopovers but am now considering it to save money.

      Thanks.

      • Blokeinhisundies on 09/01/2025 - 03:13

        China Airlines are based in Taiwan not China (sorry CCP die hards). They have a good product and Taipei is a decent place to kill a day.

  • djkelly69 on 07/01/2025 - 23:00
    +6

    Honestly $2k seems pretty reasonable for quality airlines with decent stopovers.

    The points idea is ok, but you will be cutting it pretty fine by the time you meet the spend, have the bonus points credited to your account, and can then look at booking reward seats for what is getting close to peak season in Europe. Basically there is no guarantee you will be able to book the seats you want once you get to that point.

    Ideally you want to be trying to reward seats more like 11 months out if possible to give you the most choice.

    Also not sure what availability is like with Velocity, but you can book both SQ and QR reward flights directly through them rather than losing ~50% transferring the points to Krisflyer.

    • ryefig on 08/01/2025 - 08:38
      +1

      SQ is difficult through Velocity though because the awards seats available to the velocity program is noticeably less than the reward seat availability to Krisflyer members. IF You can manage to get it through Velocity it's good BUT the fees/taxes/surcharges are very expensive. Sometimes it is worth transferring to Krisflyer and copping the loss in points value.

  • Gdsamp on 07/01/2025 - 23:07
    +1

    If you don't value your or your family's time then China Southern would save you a fair bit….

    • Benoffie on 08/01/2025 - 00:10

      Yeah its a 32 hour lay over in Guangzhou. Not sure it's where Id want to layover with children for any length of time.

    • ryefig on 08/01/2025 - 08:39

      I've heard so many good things about this airline. Great prices, full service, meals, bags included etc - it's just the layover time that makes it tough.

    • cuethebush on 08/01/2025 - 08:58
      +2

      Flying CZ from BNE to AMS is under $5k for 4x pax in May with a 7 hour layover going over and 14 coming back. Seems to be plenty of dates for this price from the 6/5. Depending on how you value your time versus money this could be a good option. You could always get an airport hotel room for the long layover or just go can see some of a major Chinese city that you otherwise wouldn't?

      And a train from Amsterdam to Frankfurt (if that's where you need to end up) is cheap, fast and reliable. See Seat61 for details on best options and where to book for the best price.

      OP, let me know if you need more details on this option.

      • cuethebush on 08/01/2025 - 12:44
        +2

        Just had another look and found this multi-city option for around $5k total for 4 pax give or take depending on who you book through. Outbound leg BNE to AMS via CAN. Return FRA to BNE via CAN. Layovers aren't good but not too bad (7 hours outbound, 13h40min inbound). So you only need to train one way when you arrive and by the looks you can get the ICE train from Amsterdam Central to Frankfurt for 38 euros pp if you book now.
        edit: the train takes about 3.5 hours end to end.
        edit 2: Airfares for 2 adults, 2 children is ~$500 cheaper than I quoted above.

        • JDMcarfan on 08/01/2025 - 13:48

          OP ive tried but this is a great deal.
          My attempt is $1,056 for a long layover in Taipei outbound and final stop in Milan (you'd take a cheap flight to FRA from there), and $1,295 and $1,366 for flights to FRA and returning from AMS and FRA respectively with CZ.
          SIA and Qatar are arguably nicer, but ive never had any issues with CZ when I've flown.

  • Stewardo on 08/01/2025 - 00:59

    Try Munich or Amsterdam instead. Then get the train.

    • Seaword on 08/01/2025 - 08:27

      FRA would be better served than both those airports I would think?

    • fredz0r on 08/01/2025 - 08:53

      It's 6 hours on a train and about $200. 2k return is pretty good. I just came back from Europe it was 2800pp return Brisbane - London - Finland - Berlin - we than drove around Germany and into France and flew back to Brisbane.

      • Stewardo on 08/01/2025 - 12:44

        3.5 from Munich 4 from Amsterdam

  • Dollar General on 08/01/2025 - 06:25
    +1

    Ask a travel agent

  • Mechz on 08/01/2025 - 06:35

    2k return is a very good price.

    You might get better prices flying Scoot but I wouldn't go anything other than their Biz seats which are great value.

  • Seaword on 08/01/2025 - 08:29

    Have you tried all the airlines that fly from FRA?

    https://www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-frankfurt-fra

    Thai, Vietnam Airlines etc are usually cheaper than SQ. Have flown both, both are fine.

    • meiztom on 08/01/2025 - 16:47

      Yes but only with 1 stopover which rules some out.

  • sonicentropy on 08/01/2025 - 11:16

    Timing has to be right but a true ozbargainer Will try
    Jetstar sale return for free to tokyo ($400 to $600) then norweigan air (tokyo to oslo) ($300 to $400) then ryan air eaziyet to frankfurt ($100)
    You have to be lucky and when i went it involved a 3 day stop over in tokyo.

  • djkelly69 on 08/01/2025 - 16:50

    Not sure it will be great value if you need luggage or if the family can handle Scoot, but I saw something like ~$3500 in May for Sydney to Athens when I clicked through.

    • meiztom on 09/01/2025 - 12:11

      Unfortunately they don't fly from Brisbane.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join