Flights to Oz...

[irisred]

I'm planning to go to Australia in November - Flying from London to Sydney. A few questions

a) where are the best and worse places to stop off en-route

b) which are the best airlines to fly with in terms of service and comfort - can only afford to fly economy!!

Thanks!

[Buenchico]

If you've not been to Singapore, it's somewhere you should really make time to see on your way to Oz. (You can do a day trip into Malaysia if you wish but, with so much to see in Singapore, you might not have the time).

Airline? I'm happy to recommend Qantas but Singapore Airlines also have a good reputation.

Chris

[dzug]

It would be worth sussing out Air New Zealand via Los Angeles. They've recently done up their fleet.

Stopover in Tahiti and/or New Zealand as an alternative to LA

[jno]

I think the quickest way is probably via Tokyo rather than LA - 3 or 4 hours shorter, as I recall. But Air NZ are comfy - lots of leg room (check out www.airlinequality.com for up-to-date details, but I think they've got 3 inches more room than Qantas) and LA is pretty interesting.

[Trotbot]

Singapore is Asia for beginners, enough to do for 3 days, very ordered and quite interesting. You will never see so much ivy as is next to the road in from the airport.

Bangkok is more chaotic, lots to do and see, and probably deserves longer that just a stop over. However, a stop over is better than nothing.

KL has a much fewer choice of flights (they lost a lot when messing about with the new airport). KL itself has less to recommend it than Sing or Bangkok, but if you got a cheap flight you could amuse yourself for that long.

Tokyo is longer flying and typically much more expensive to transit through. It's also harder to get around that either Sing or Bangkok

It's been a while since I flew economy, but Singapore Airlines have the best in flight entertainment. Almost all flights have 60+ films and 200+ TV programs and 200+ CDs on demand. The seat would be similar to Qantas or BA. Thai Airlines tend to be cheaper but the in flight entertainment is substantially worse.

[Denise S.]

We flew with British Airways stopping at Singapore on the way to Australia, and Bankok on the way home.

SINGAPORE EVERYTIME !!! GREAT PLACE

[probian9910]

a) Best by far is Singapore with HK as second. Can't imagine anyone stopping at KL voluntarily. Avoid LA though San Francisco may be worthwhile.

b) Singapore (SAL) - no question, then Emirates. Even Kiwis are avoiding Air NZ as it goes through USA and tends to be more expensive. Qantas and BA are probably bottom of the barrel.

Ask your Agent about a SAL stop-over package which gives 50% discount at Singapore hotels, 50% off food at the hotel chosen plus free and/or discounted city and local trips, including free transfers airport/hotel.

Enjoy.

Singapore hotels are tops but take one in Orchard Road for convenience. Orchard Hotel, as an example, is 5*, very good and not expensive with the discount, with an extra plus as the city sight-seeing bus stops outside. The city is ultra safe for a lone traveller ( if that's what you will be) and no pestering by touts or beggars. Don't carry chewing gum or dope.