Flying to Europe in Business Class is tough enough to find reward seats as is... Let alone reducing availability even further when we try to route via Asia instead of the Middle East.
But if you’re flexible — and you know where to look — there are still ways to get to Europe using Qantas Points without flying through the Middle East.
Here are some of the best ways to fly to Europe with Qantas Points via Asia.
1. Fly via Colombo with SriLankan Airlines (Single Booking)
One of the more interesting options is flying from Australia to Europe via Colombo with SriLankan Airlines.
This can be booked using Qantas Points, and when Business Class availability appears, it can be one of the better ways to avoid the Middle East.
For example, I recently found availability from:
Melbourne to Paris via Colombo
182,900 Qantas Points + taxes
Business Class
2 seats available
The routing was:
Melbourne to Colombo
Then
Colombo to Paris
This is not the kind of flight you’ll find every day. Seats are limited and often scattered across random dates, but they do exist.
The benefit of this option is that it gives you a full Business Class journey from Australia to Europe while avoiding the usual Middle East hubs.
The downside is availability can be very patchy. You may find one or two seats on random dates, but it’s not something you can rely on if your dates are completely fixed.
2. Fly via Singapore with British Airways
Another rare but excellent option is flying to Europe via Singapore with British Airways.
These seats can be booked with Qantas Points when reward availability appears.
For example, I’ve seen:
Sydney to London via Singapore
182,900 Qantas Points + taxes
Business Class
5+ seats available on some dates
This is one of those options that looks amazing when it appears — but it usually does not last long.
British Airways Business Class reward seats from Australia to London via Singapore can disappear within hours once people find them.
That’s why these are the types of seats I alert my paid Points Hub members about as soon as I come across them. Join The Points Hub Here
They can be a great option if you want a simple one-ticket journey from Australia to Europe using Qantas Points, but they are extremely competitive.
3. Break the Trip Into Two Separate Segments
This is where things get more strategic.
Instead of trying to find one perfect award seat from Australia to Europe, you can split the journey into two separate parts:
Australia to Asia
Then
Asia to Europe
This opens up far more options.
For example, you might search for:
Sydney to Singapore
Brisbane to Tokyo
Sydney to Hong Kong
Melbourne to Bangkok
Perth to Singapore
Then separately search:
Singapore to London
Singapore to Paris
Tokyo to Helsinki
Tokyo to London
Hong Kong to London
Bangkok to Paris
This strategy works because availability from Australia to Europe as one full route can be incredibly hard to find. Qantas understands most of the demand is from Aussies located in Australia. But there is less demand for flights from Asia to Europe (completely avoiding Australia).
But availability from Australia to Asia, and then Asia to Europe, can sometimes be tricky to piece together. That is the downside, it takes more work.
You need to find two separate reward flights that line up within a reasonable timeframe. Sometimes that means staying one or two nights in Asia before continuing to Europe.
But that can also be a positive.
Instead of treating the layover like an inconvenience, you can build in a mini-stopover in Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong or Bangkok before continuing to Europe.
This is one of the best ways to use Qantas Points if you are struggling to find direct Europe availability.
4. Consider Business Class for Only Half the Trip
Sometimes the dates simply will not line up perfectly.
You might find great Business Class availability from Asia to Europe, but nothing from Australia to Asia.
In that case, it may still be worth booking the long-haul Asia to Europe flight in Business Class and finding another way to get to Asia.
For example, you could:
Pay cash from Australia to Singapore or
Use points for Australia to Asia in Economy
Then fly Business Class from Asia to Europe
This can still be a great result because the Asia to Europe sector can be one of the longest and most important parts of the journey.
Flights like:
Singapore to London
Singapore to Paris
Tokyo to London
Tokyo to Helsinki
Bangkok to Europe
Hong Kong to Europe
can often be around 12–14 hours.
That’s the part of the trip where Business Class really matters.
If you can’t get the entire journey in Business Class, getting the longest overnight sector in Business Class may still be a smart compromise.
Best Asian Cities to Search From
If you’re trying to fly to Europe with Qantas Points via Asia, these are some of the key cities I’d be searching:
Singapore
One of the best gateways for Europe. Look for onward flights to London, Paris, Frankfurt and other major European cities.
Tokyo
A strong option for flights onwards to Europe, especially if you can find availability from Australia to Japan.
Hong Kong
Can be useful for Cathay Pacific and other partner options, depending on availability.
Bangkok
A strong positioning city if you are open to splitting the trip and searching separate awards.
Colombo
Useful for SriLankan Airlines flights into Europe, especially when rare full-route Business Class availability appears.
Could You Fly via the USA Instead?
It is also possible to think about flying:
Australia to USA
Then
USA to Europe
For example, flying to New York and then continuing to Europe.
But in reality, this is usually much harder.
Reward seats from Australia to the USA, especially places like New York, are already extremely competitive. So while the strategy can technically work, it is usually not as reliable as routing via Asia.
For most Australians using Qantas Points, Asia is usually the better place to focus.
Need more help?
Inside The Points Hub, this is exactly what I help members with.
Today, I shared options with members for flying to Europe via Asia in July — including routes, dates, points required and the best ways to piece the trip together.
Stop guessing and stop letting your points sit there doing nothing.
Get flight alerts so you can snap up those rare seats when they drop, get a points expert on your side so you can ask questions when you’re stuck, and finally let your Qantas Points work for you.