Opinions on flight ticket price to Sydney

Hi everyone,

So glad to see this forum still so active!

Quick question for those who’ve recently traveled to Australia: I found a Singapore Airlines flight from Marseille/Frankfurt/Singapore/Sydney for 1425 € round-trip (from 11/10 to 12/8).

Do you think that’s a good price??

I checked directly on the Singapore Airlines website, but the price is way higher than on the comparison site.

Thanks for your input!

Hi there, Here’s the price chart from https://www.google.com/travel/flights?hl=fr for Paris–Sydney as of today for these dates. For Marseille–Sydney, it’s way less precise.

Do your searches on Google Flights, but ONLY buy on the airline’s own site.

Best,

Hi there,

Personally, I never buy my tickets this early—10 months before departure, you're looking at the higher end of the price range. Between 6 and 2 months out is usually a good time. Also, consider flying from another airport in France or Europe, even if it means taking a budget flight to get there. For example, flying out on the 10th/11th and returning on the 7th/12th from London, you can find fares for 993 € with a solid airline like China Airlines, including a layover in Taipei and 2 checked bags. Try searching with +/- 3 days, too—the price difference can be significant.

Everything’s possible! !

Hi there,

You're probably talking about a Singapore Airlines ticket with a connection in Frankfurt. A single end-to-end ticket. Check Lufthansa’s website too, not just Singapore Airlines’. That said, the price seems pretty reasonable. If you can connect in Munich instead of Frankfurt, it’s safer and has fewer risks of hassles and delays.

Michel

Hi,

I’m quoting another contributor: "Also consider flying from another airport in France or Europe, even if it means taking a low-cost ticket to get there."

When tickets are bought separately, if the first flight is canceled or delayed so you miss the connection, the second ticket is simply lost!

Unless it’s absolutely impossible, you should always buy a single ticket for the entire air journey. In that case, if the first flight is canceled or delayed, you’re rebooked for free on a later flight and taken care of (meals + accommodation) while you wait for the rebooking.

Some savings can end up costing you a lot!

Best regards

Hi there,

Of course, it's best to give yourself plenty of time, especially if there's no rush. I do this often and save huge amounts—never had any issues, whether in business or economy. When I say savings, I don’t mean 100 € or 200 €; sometimes it’s over 1,000 € on a business ticket or more than 500 € on an economy one. When you're traveling with two or more people, it’s a game-changer. You might even miss your flight just by going to the airport—that’s all part of the adventure! It’s good to know all the options to make the right choice.

Hello,

Yes, but flight delays are common. I’ve lost count of my delays lasting several hours. And when it comes to canceled flights with re-routing (ONE booking for the ENTIRE air journey), I’ve had 3 arrivals at my final destination with delays of several DAYS. The worst case is described here: https://retardimportantavion.wordpress.com/2024/01/12/reacheminement-catastrophique-droit-indemnisation-meme-circonstances-extraordinaires-2/

Here, we’re talking about an expensive ticket (Marseille - Sydney). You’d have to be a real gambler to risk losing a ticket (or tickets) at that price, especially if you’re traveling with family. You could end up having to buy a second ticket at the last-minute price—if you can even afford to rebook for the whole family at such a cost!

Yes, you can also miss your flight just by getting to the airport. But in that case, the risk is much more limited—and, above all, much more manageable (unlike a canceled flight!). You can build in a buffer: for example, if public transport gets disrupted (which has happened to me), you can call a taxi. Or if you have a long trip of several hundred kilometers to the airport and it takes two extra hours (also happened to me), everything’s fine if you’ve planned plenty of extra time.

But once you’re fully aware of the risks, everyone does what they want.

Best regards

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all your advice.

It’s true that flying from a city other than MRS can be more budget-friendly. I looked into London or Paris. Flights are indeed cheaper.

However, you have to add the cost of the connecting flight and, most importantly, allow extra time to avoid stress in case of delays! So that makes the trip even longer... Something to consider.

Have a great Sunday, everyone! 🙂

Yeah, everyone sees what works best for them. I’m traveling without any time constraints, so I don’t mind an extra layover at all, or if it takes a few more hours. Since I travel several times a year around the globe, I mainly focus on the quality-price ratio. That’s allowed me to fly business class multiple times at prices you can’t find when departing from France—and even worse, having to layover in Paris on long-haul flights. Lol! Happy travels, everyone! !

Hi Patrick,

I quite agree with you—sometimes there are really good deals to be had by looking for flights from another country, whether by plane or even by car. For business-class flights, savings of around 1000 € can sometimes be the reward. Of course, there’s a small element of risk, and you need to allow a few extra hours—or even a whole day—as a buffer, plus have a backup plan for getting there. Wanting to depart and return from an airport close to home is, in any case, a luxury mostly for Parisians; everyone else knows that to have a good range of flight options, they have to accept the risks of getting there on their own.

Michel

Hey Michel,

Yeah, totally. I flew Barcelona to São Paulo in business class three times, 2 and 3 years ago. Tickets were bought from Aeroméxico but the flight was operated by Air France between BCN and MEX via CDG, then MEX-GRU with Aeroméxico. All three cost between 500 and 600 € each. One-way, of course. AF was asking for 1800 €. I also flew Budapest to Tokyo in business with Egyptair for 620 € one-way in December 2023, part of it operated by Air India. Several times, I did Tunis-Bangkok round-trip for 850 € with Saudia in business. Of course, there are constraints with the connections, but it’s still a great deal even after adding the cost of the connections. Plus, I earn tons of miles each time, whether with SkyTeam or Star Alliance. I’m always on the lookout for good deals, lol! 😉

EgyptAir in business class—it really has to be for the miles 😏. But yeah, otherwise I agree, and I’ve often done stuff like that. Which Star Alliance airline are you with for the card?

Michel

SkyTeam (Korean Air), Star Alliance (Lufthansa). Yep! EgyptAir is great for miles—we even got the 787 to Tokyo with their new business class.

It's really a shame to be stuck with Miles and More LH—the worst program that only lets you reach a decent tier with *extreme* difficulty. On Turkish or Aegean, you’d be Gold by now. Korean is probably a smart choice; I have one too, but it’s completely empty. It overlaps with Aeroflot Bonus and Flying Blue, where you can’t get anything worthwhile anyway.

Michel

Yeah, I flew Lufthansa about 10 years ago because I had a few flights with them in Europe. It’s not my main alliance—that’s still SkyTeam. I went with Korean Air because I do a lot of intra-Asia flights, plus their miles last over 10 years. But honestly, when I see Aegean or Turkish Airlines, it makes me think. I think I’ll use up the remaining miles with Lufthansa and take a closer look at those airlines.

Hi Laura,

I live in Australia and used to be a travel agent, and in my opinion, this is actually a pretty good fare. That said, yes, it’s possible to find cheaper options by breaking up your trip or flying from another city on low-cost carriers, as others have suggested, but I agree with ElviajeroPar—it’s really risky to do that. If your flights are on separate tickets and you’re delayed on one, causing you to miss the next, you’re out of luck. The airlines won’t do anything to help. So, it’s worth considering whether it’s really worth it. And if you build in a lot of buffer time between flights, either you’ll have to pay for accommodation (and your savings disappear), or you’ll end up with a *very* long wait in airports—it’s already long enough as it is! ;)

Also, I know it’s cheaper on comparison sites, but that can be a false economy if something goes wrong. They’re usually impossible to reach if you need help. It doesn’t happen often, but I’ve seen cases where people had to rebook flights at their own expense because of an issue that would’ve been easily resolved if they’d booked directly with the airline (a name typo, flights canceled due to a cyclone, etc.).

Anyway, in an ideal world, booking directly with the airline is better, and I agree with others—Lufthansa has good fares right now. Also check out KLM, which works well from regional airports. Otherwise, Vietnam Airlines or Thai Airways are solid choices with good prices. For me, around 1500 or even 1600 € is reasonable if you don’t want too many stops.

Thanks Claire for your message.

We’ll check out several airlines’ websites before deciding.