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

Our Scoot flight to Europe includes a six-hour layover in Singapore in the witching hours.

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 anyway.

“Oh, you’ll be raw dogging”, comments a friend, referring to the aviation buzzword of long-haul flying without entertainment, because “staring at the back of a seat” doesn’t have the same ring.

When fully reclined ScootPlus lives up to its name and I’m feeling ScootSmug.

In an algorithm only decipherable by top tier Scooties (self-named Scoot employees), the ScootPlus seat is oddly priced less than an economy seat. After the eight-hour leg to Singapore I attempt to downgrade due to the slippery, foot-dangling nature of the premium economy leather chair.

But there’s redemption on the 12-hour night flight because when fully reclining with leg rest, ScootPlus lives up to its name and I’m feeling ScootSmug. It feels premium (ish) in the 18-person cabin, comfortable (ish), like a premium economy Aldi of the skies. There’s no big brand name, it’s still good, just different.

The catch: a sanity tax of a six-hour layover in Singapore in the witching hours and landing in Athens (or Berlin or Vienna) without that being where you actually want to go.

The long way around

My points flight with United was cheap, with a case of serious mid-air regret.Credit: Getty Images

Never again. That was the thought on an 11-hour night United Airlines flight headed to San Francisco from Frankfurt, before transferring onto a 13-hour Australia-bound flight. And this, only five hours in, not yet having faced the joyless US immigrations officers in a cattle-style customs hall or transferred bags (both of which are required).

Nabbing a frequent flyer ticket is notoriously difficult, mine stashed for regular dashes from my European base to beloved, ageing parents at home, avoiding sky-high last-minute prices. Travelling via the USA to/from Europe is albeit a longer route but irrefutably more economical in both dollars and points because seriously, who would do that (ahem).

The flight on United Airlines is appealing because firstly, it’s the only ticket available, the more direct being long gone. Secondly, with Velocity (Virgin Australia) it consumes 59,800 points and $158 taxes (versus 80,000 and $457 if flying via Abu Dhabi on partner Etihad).

The Qantas frequent flyer program always appears to have fewer available seats, is harder to accrue points with, and tickets attract larger taxes. A flight last month via Dubai on partner Emirates was 66,000 Qantas points but the taxes were a gag-worthy €387 ($644).

Andrew Stark, global managing director of Flight Centre confirms, “Prices for frequent flyer eligible airfares can differ significantly across loyalty programs.” He also advises, “London has the highest taxes, with Gatwick a more affordable option to fly to than Heathrow,” pointing to other alternate European gateways such as Istanbul or Rome.

The catch: serious mid-air regret during the lengthy United Airlines route. And at another time, a more direct Emirates flight I took with higher points and charges terminated in Brisbane, requiring a separate $120 Jetstar flight to Sydney. “So, a free frequent flyer ticket isn’t exactly free then,” notes my astute dad, eyebrow raised.

The long layover

Perfect for lengthy stopovers … Changi Airport’s rooftop pool and jacuzzi.

Cheaper flights can involve lengthy stopovers. This can be a bonus – think the pleasures of the Jewel nature-themed shopping mall and entertainment complex or a rooftop pool open until 10pm at Singapore’s Changi Airport. Or a 10-hour pause in Tokyo’s Haneda Airport that’s just enough thanks to an onsen discovery, shopping and noodle-ing.

If transiting over six hours, city tours become an option in places like Hong Kong, meaning a holiday on the way to your holiday. China Southern Airlines offers a free hotel and shuttle if a layover is over eight hours.

But then there’s also when the kids almost got hypothermia (top tip, don’t stay in Beijing International Airport for 12 hours during winter) and a midnight to 6am random Jakarta pause that’s best forgotten. Read the fine print: the timing of a long layover can be make or break.

Catch: if the timings involve sleeping in an airport during odd hours or investing in a hotel room, the value flight loses its sparkle.

The verdict

A frequent-flyer, direct ticket avoiding tax-heavy airports is the most painless, economical method to Europe. Low on points? Find a credit card with more than 120,000 points as a sign-up bonus (they abound) as a shortcut, just beware the Ts and Cs, some require an ABN. The card and you may quickly part ways after the honeymoon period but enjoy that bonus trip to Europe.