Carlton Supporters Club

Best flight to Europe I ever had was Melb to Tokyo to London with one night in Tokyo at  a hotel near the airport.  Fantastic. I arrived really fresh. Don't think that's available these days or is super expensive.

I don't get the demand for these non-stop long haul flights, megalomaniacs who think their business may collapse if they are gone for a second longer than they need to be. Business managers who think stop-overs are a rort! I gather the same poor people are being made fly economy by companies on this flight, because I doubt holiday makers would pay the premium for non-stop, like the premium charged by Singapore or Cathay Pacific for non-stop. If they were on a Concorde or one of the up coming Boom supersonic flights then that is a different matter, because non-stop won't be 19hrs if they can travel that far without refuelling.

Here are my rules for dealing with long haul flights for anyone not experienced enough in travelling;

 - If you flying long haul for business then fly business, if you're company won't fly you business for long haul then they are a crap company and not worth working for, don't go and find a new job! The savings are going straight into your managers bonus, even if your manager comes from some charity. Big companies usually bleat that they fly so many people they cannot afford it, but when you fly lots of people regularly you don't pay the market rates, they get business for closer to premium economy rates! Secondly, the cost is always the excuse, I recently had a owner/manager who kept cutting costs, he pulled the pin on business class saying it was too expensive, then we found out he'd discharged two full mortgages years in advance with money ripped out of the business!

 - Don't get sucked into flying Qantas by default, it's controlled by British Airways, there are a myriad of great services vying for your business. If you like going to dinner at the local Chinese for dinner then try Singapore or Cathay Pacific, don't be afraid. They all fit in with my next point;

 - If you are going on holiday, break your flight into two legs each not longer than 11hrs.

 - If you can stop-over for 24 - 48hrs on the way through, you might be surprised what you find.

 - If you can't stop-over but have a lengthy wait, treat yourself halfway. At most major airports there are any number of day spas or day hotels that might not be cheap but treat yourself anyway. You can find them all online, do not book through the travel agent to get the best rates. It's amazing how much better you'll feel at your destination.

 - Keep an eye out for specials, I book well in advance, and I find that in the interim I might see some crazy good deals saving hundreds or even thousands. Do not be afraid to change your booking if such an offer arises. Beware, sometimes startlingly cheap airfares are because a stop-over destination is going through renovations or rectification, so do not get stuck in the airport, with the money you save extend and get out of there and spend a day or two!

 - Leave and return mid-week, and Tuesday is usually the best days for deals because of the way airlines report and pay sales bonuses.

 - On board, eat when they offer you food.

 - Sleep when they dim the lights.

 - Don't drink too much, a couple of small glasses with lunch and dinner is fine as long as you back it up with water.

Happy flying, from someone who has logged millions of kilometres.

PS: Upgrades
 - Airlines rarely or won't give free upgrades to flyers who book through Ted's dodgy discount ticket service or similar, those tickets have a different class allocation and you are basically persona non grata. If there a lots of standby passengers waiting for an economy seat the upgrade order is generally airline frequent flyers, full fee paying passengers who book directly with the airline, discount fee passengers who have booked directly with the airline. Some airlines will offer crazy low upgrade fees at the stop-over point or at check in counter, so it's always worth asking the question.

Best flight to Europe I ever had was Melb to Tokyo to London with one night in Tokyo at  a hotel near the airport.  Fantastic. I arrived really fresh. Don't think that's available these days or is super expensive.

Had an overnight 19hr stopover in Vancouver once where I stayed with the father of an Olympic racewalker, who medalled at the recent world champs. I would've been nice and fresh, except me made me drink lots of beer..lol.

I was with my late wife so we had dinner and were in bed at a "respectable " hour. 

Given I'll probably never be able to afford first or business class, I can't think of anything worse than a 19hr flight. Best economy international flight I've had was with Air New Zealand to LA. Where possible, I'd fly with them in future too.

Given I'll probably never be able to afford first or business class, I can't think of anything worse than a 19hr flight.................

Agree Miss Maven.