Opinion wanted on options for flying from Istanbul to Sydney with Layover

Flights & Airfares
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Hi all,

New member, long time lurker here.

I made a flight redemption to fly First class Emirates to Istanbul in October (big thanks to Point Hacks). I have yet to book a return flight and I’m considering the following options:

  1. Emirates Business class (IST → Dubai, Dubai-> Mel → Syd, 3-4 days layover in Dubai): 171k QFF + 754GBP. I visited Dubai before and would love to revisit, hence the multi-day layover. That airport tax/charge is extortionate though.

  2. Qatar Airways (IST → Doha in Business, Doha → Syd in First, 3-4 days layover in Doha): 215k QFF + 508GBP. Much lower airport tax/charge and I haven’t been to Doha. Not sure if I’ll regret skipping Dubai.

  3. What I think is the most economical option but also more complicated:
    IST → Dubai: Purchase ticket or redeem QFF with Emirates (20K QFF + 86EUR for Economy or 44K QFF + 258EUR for business). It’s a 4.5 hour flight so having a bed is not a necessity for me.
    Dubai → Abu Dhabi → Sydney: Redeem Etihad Business using 186,100VFF points (no additional cash so very good value). There is complimentary bus coach from Dubai to Abu Dhabi airport so I only need to worry about transfer time.

I probably will skip option 1 simply due to the high charges. So it’s between Option 2 or 3 for me. I’ve read reviews on respective business cabins and Dubai-vs-Doha comparisons. Yet the choice remains not clear cut, so I appreciate your thoughts/opinions on the subject.

Many thanks!

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Hi @dwi

The option I would personally take is one you haven’t listed: Singapore Airlines Business class from Istanbul to Sydney via Singapore. You have enough Velocity points for this redemption.

However, if you loved your previous visit to Dubai, that’s reason enough to visit that region again. I agree that option 1 represents poor value for money. Neither option 2 or option 3 are bad choices; it’s entirely about your personal preferences and how much extra in surcharges you’re willing to countenance.

I hope this helps!

1 Like
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Hi @sixtyeight

I couldn’t find any SQ Business class within my target week (17-22 Oct), hence why I didn’t list it.

Premium cabin availability from Velocity partners for this region seem very poor. Wonder if I should wait a few months and see if availability improves. Would be nice to try out the new A350 Etihad business class (should be a possibility between Istanbul and Abu Dhabi?).

Cheers!