Ireland to Sydney best options

KanyeSouthEast

Booking a flight for early 2024 from Ireland to Sydney. From peoples experience what’s the best airline to travel with? Thinking of the usual IFE, food, comfort etc . Won’t be doing a stopover will simply be transiting ASAP and getting on the next flight and will only be in Sydney for about a week. Flexible about going through the Middle East from Dublin but would also consider going through London.

thanks

Noxegon

I wouldn't go through London - not so much on the way out, but on the way back when you've been on 20+ hours of flights and have to sit in Heathrow for an hour or two waiting for the last flight home.

Qatar is my first choice for flights down under.

Emirates or Etihad are both decent too.

KanyeSouthEast

Thanks for the reply. Yes I’ve heard good things on Qatar also. Emirates seem to be the one airline that sky scanner are throwing up. Work will be paying for it so not all that worries by cost although I assume they’ll all be much of a muchness. Always wanted to fly Qantas that’s why I was thinking London.

Calahonda52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121198804#Comment_121198804

This pretty much sums the reasonable option up

California Dreamer

Avoid Qantas, total sh1tshow these days

In my own personal preference, and having tried all 3

Qatar

Emirates

Etihad

There is a few other others like going to the UK with singapore or kuala lumpur. But Qatar wins for me all the time

KanyeSouthEast

Thanks very much again for the recommendation on Qatar. It seems to be the clear winner.

ucsie

Definitely go via Middle East, the extra layover is just going to feel so long even if it's a short one.

I've done Emirates and Qatar and found them pretty much the same. The Doha airport is nicer (Dubai always feels so crowded), but we had to be bused from/to the plane for all flights, which I personally hate. Between these two I'd just pick the one with better dates/times.

KanyeSouthEast

Thanks appreciate the advice.

fullstop

Etihad for me. Have done that trip with them, Emirates and BA. Emirates good also, but would avoid BA like the plague.

Sheep Shagger

Using a middle eastern carrier or even Turkish mean the best connections in my experience.

ednwireland

Did Dublin London Sydney on the way out. Perth London Dublin on the way back. This summer.

Qantas both ways . Stopover in Singapore on way out is only an hour so just long enough to stretch your legs. Food was good on Qantas although felt the gap was long between meals London to Singapore but sure if I asked they would have brought some, had snacks anyway.

Just bit the bullet on the flights to spend the time in Australia as in through London had the shortest stopover times.

17 hours Perth to Heathrow is a push but just put the time out of your mind.

Transfers in Heathrow were very easy.

Bags checked from Dublin to sydney and Darwin to Dublin was fine as well.

davepatr07

Go through the ME, far better option than London. Flown all 3 ME carriers. While Emirates is a great airline, like someone mentioned in earlier post Dubai feels crowded. Doha is best airport for transit I found. Will be interesting to see how Abu Dhabi is when new terminal opens (next month I believe), always found the existing terminals claustaphobic and over crowded as a transit hub. Have done Lufthansa through FRA to HK and SIN with Cathay and Air NZ on to AKL. Great to see new cities however FRA again can be hit and miss.

midnightblue

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121201872#Comment_121201872

Agree on these three (but I'd have used them for flights to Manila and not Oz). I'd also add Turkish to the list, decent layover times for all four.

Sexual Chocolate

Qatar is who I flew with when traveling to Australia as well as Cathay when they had their flight from Dublin to Hong Kong a few years ago.

Best advice I can give is to try avoid the 10 abreast 777 on the middle east to Sydney leg (and vice versa) and opt for the a380 or a350 instead.

WishUWereHere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121209236#Comment_121209236

I have just done DUB-CPT via Dubai & can only concur on the 10 abreast. And CPT is ‘only’ a 9 hour jaunt from Dubai but it felt like it would never end.

I don’t think CPT has the A380 option but as I’m going back in March I’m tempted by going via Qatar on the A350.

sandbelter

As you have only a week in Sydney so you probably won't be over the jet lag so you need to keep it as simple as possible.

That means EK or QR and an afternoon/evening arrival back into Dublin to help with jetlag.

The rationale is I find going to bed straight after your arrival helps a lot with the jetlag.

If I'm going for comfort it's JAL. They have the largest economy seats and 8 abreast on the 787 down to Sydney...but it a slow trip so best suit to a longer trip.

If this ****show is still going in the Middle East I would then seriously consider travelling via Canada, US, Latam via MAD and SCL, or with JAL.

California Dreamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121211960#Comment_121211960

Every airline does risk assessments and the situation in Israel will not affect the flights out of Dubai/AbuDhabi/Doha.

nachouser

I flew with Etihad a while back. It was grand. About a 3 hr stopover in Abu Dhabi, they've a smoking area which helped kill the time:-). On the return leg to Dublin I was able to buy the two seats around me for about 60 eur each or something like that. Handy to be able to stretch out and get a bit of a nap in.

nachouser

I flew business on the Dub to Abu leg. Just found the menu pic I took at the time out of curiosity. That was at about half eight in the morning:-)

smurfjed

If your company is paying, I assume that they are sending you business class ?

KanyeSouthEast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121249631#Comment_121249631

I’m not sure yet if it’ll be business or economy so I’m going to assume for now economy.

Noxegon

Apropos of nothing, I've just heard that the new mid-field terminal in Abu Dhabi will open in November. That might change the equation a bit.

The old AUH was a mixed bag.

T1 was architecturally interesting and had mosaic ceilings, but was way too crowded for the number of people going through it.

T2 was a cattle shed used for subcontinent flights with all the charm of Paris Beauvais; I have memories of having a security guard run over to tell me I was getting out a taxi at the wrong terminal because he couldn't believe a group of four caucasians was heading to Bangladesh!

T3 was spacious but characterless, reminiscent of Charles de Gaulle.

If the footage in the new Mission Impossible is anything to go by, I'll give them a chance again.

smurfjed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121250672#Comment_121250672

You should check business class rates or premium economy, it’s a very long flight to sit in economy on your companies expense. Then present them with the business class option.

HTCOne

If you were stopping somewhere for a visit I’d recommend SIA via Singapore, nicer city than the ME ones with far nicer people, and a slightly better product in J, PE & E (I’ve never experienced F on any of them).…but seeing as you won’t be stopping anywhere, things to be mindful of:

QTR: The IFE box in economy on the 787 severely hampers legroom in certain economy seats, meaning you must sit at an angle. This gets more painful the longer the flight.

Emirates: The 777 is 10 abreast in economy, with very narrow arm rests. Just about manageable on the DUB-DXB leg but by god it would be torture on the DXB-SYD leg. The older business class seats on the 777 do not lie fully flat and are2-3-2 layout, meaning you aren’t guaranteed aisle access, especially if you get the bogey middle seat. The A380 is the total opposite, economy seats much wider, more comfortable, and if you are in business, there’s a bar upstairs at the back which is great for killing time.

Etihad: Used to be the clear winner of the ME3 in terms of product, but on board service and product have severely diminished. Haven’t flown them in years but AUH is….miserable.

THY: The Kathmandu A330 incident is enlightening.