Australia Island Travel

Try Flight Centre UK they are really good i paid £1165 for a return open gap ticket to Australia for this July.
Saying that am not going first class but am not going in a stuffed up cheap **** aeroplane either

First class will never be cheap. And yes it is silly…. how much does it really cost the airline to give you a bit more service. A would rather have that money to spend when I get to where I am going.

A lot of airlines have premium economy and other grades that are better. You can book the economy flight and inquire about how much it cost to upgrade at check in. If they have the seats it is often way cheaper than just booking it in the firstplace. (Don’t be the very first to check in…. wait until the initial check in rush is over).

Once you have indentified what airline you will be flying with sign up for their frequent flyer program. You won’t need the card they send but just the number. This will increase your odds for an upgrade even if you have never used it.

But what often works, especially on the long flights is to ask the flight attendant once you have been in the air for awhile. Pull out laptop and inquire if you could possibly move to where there is a bit more space to concentrate (a nearby crying baby helps). Or you are in a middle seat and you feel a bit clausterphobic. Mention any of this super politely when you are heading to the loo. If you ask from your seat the crew won’t want to give you a different seat….. as the peole around you may get irritated. And oh, a nice little tip each time the drink cart comes by goes a long way.

Remember, polite, polite and more polite from checkin to plane.

Emirates offer the cheapest business class fares I believe. Contact VOA flights on 01444881111 my friend recently booked through them.

I depends how picky you are about who you fly with.
You can get flights with China Eastern, through Shanghai in first class for about £2,500 depending on what time of year you go!
If you’re looking at big airlines then Emirates do cheaper ‘companion fares’ if you are travelling with someone, but its probably still around £2,500 in business class.
Some airlines like BA and Virgin have flatbeds in Business, so just as good as first class, but you will pay bit more with them – nearer what you’ve already been quoted.
And if you can’t afford that you could look at premium economy, which gives you at bit more space. BA would start around £1,400 i think. The best value premium economy will definitely be Eva Air (think its called elite class)
Hope all this helps