Want to fly business class to Europe with an Asian stopover for less than the price of a direct flight? Writing a recent report on therevealed what looked to be an unbelievable business-class fare from Manila to Milan, return in May from just $3267.
An alternative to the direct flight is a stopover in Kuala Lumpur. A business class flight with Emirates from Kuala Lumpur to Milan costs from $3972 one way, while the business class return flight between Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian Airways starts from $4342 for a total of $8314.However, fly business class with Jetstar Asia from Melbourne to KL and total cost of the flight from Melbourne to Milan drops to a starting price of just $5746.
The same applies to flights via Vietnam and Thailand, where the cost of a return business class flight to either country from Australia with a full-service carrier jacks up the total cost to Europe, making these less attractive options than some other Asian stopovers.Some of the best bargains are out of Manila.
If you were to fly business class direct from Sydney to those European cities, the cost of a return business class ticket for those dates with Emirates from Sydney to Rome starts from $9998, to Milan from $9982 and to Frankfurt from $8689. A flight from Sydney to Rome with a multi-day stopover in the Philippines therefore costs $2522 less than the direct flight.Although the cost is higher, a stopover in Bali is another option for business class flyers to consider.