Five ways to get to London without Qantas

Tower of London by drone: beautiful birds-eye view of UK capital. Image: Team BlackSheep Source: Supplied

• Qantas flights to London now go via Dubai 
• But that's not the only option for Australians 
• Warning: New air route could land you in trouble 

SO you don't want to fly via Dubai? There are plenty of other options for getting to London. Here are a few you may not have thought of.

We all know that Qantas is flying via Dubai and that they have a great connection through to Europe on Emirates now. But what if you DON'T want to fly via Dubai? What if you were one of those flyers who loved packing your swimmers in your carry-on and heading to the rooftop airport pool for a quick dip in between connections in Singapore? (There's a rooftop pool? Yes. There is.)

Although the Qantas alliance has been much publicised there are still dozens of ways you can get to Europe from Australia. It's not the end of the world. There's at least one flight that takes LESS time than the Qantas flight, is cheaper and arrives later than 7am. Here are our top five flights for travel to Europe on the 18th of May and returning June 1. 

1) The cheapest economy class fare to London within those dates according to Expedia is Virgin Atlantic. This flight stops in Hong Kong. It takes 24 hours in total and costs $1759 including taxes and fees. The layover in Hong Kong is one and a half hours. The Airbus A340-600 will get you in to London at 5.25am.

2) The next best economy price is British Airways. Breaking up with Qantas has made BA better. Yesterday they released their revamped cabin interior. If you're lucky enough to fly business or first class they will even serve you a cocktail. And yes, BA still has first class. You may get an upgrade if you are really lucky. BA's flight will set you back $1778 and it stops once in Singapore so pack your swimmers. There's only 1 hour and 20 minutes for the stop over so you may need to swim fast. The Boeing 777 arrives at London Heathrow at 5.30am. 

3) There's even Malaysia. Flying via KL on Malaysian airlines will take you 25 hours. Three of those hours will be spent at KL airport. The transit hotel offers a gym and showers. You don't even have to go through customs. From Sydney to Kuala Lumpur this $1843 flight will be on a A330-300. From KL to London it will be on an A380-800. It arrives into London at 5.50am.

4) China Southern also flies to London from Australia. The flight total time on an Airbus A330 then and Airbus A330-200 is slightly longer at 26 hours and 10 minutes. Three hours and ten minutes will be spent checking out the airport at Guangzhou. Maybe this one isn't the best option. But it's still cheaper than Qantas and Emirates at $1789. The bonus is this flight arrives into London at 3.25pm. Just enough time to head out, check out some sights, have a few pints and then crash into bed. 

5) Flying Singapore Airlines will set you back $2223. The flight takes 22 hours and 24 minutes. That's actually shorter than the Qantas flight via Dubai, despite claims to the contrary. The stopover in Singapore is one hour. Maybe not enough time for a swim, but enough time for a quick manicure or at least a decent walk. Singapore flies at Boeing 777-200 from Sydney to Singapore and then a Boeing 777-300 to London. The food and service on Singapore Airlines has been voted on of the five best in the world. Better than any of the other airline mentioned. And it arrives into London at a much more reasonable 7.35am. 

Then there is Qantas. The flight will take 23 hours and 30 minutes from Sydney via Dubai. It will cost $2238. The layover in Dubai is one hour and 30 minutes. Qantas flies an Airbus A380-800. It arrives in London at 6.35am. 

Qantas is entering a partnership with Emirates that will see all flights to Europe go via Dubai. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

So there really isn't much difference between flights. The only difference is where you want to stop over and how much you want to pay.

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'Overheating' forces Qantas plane to land

AMBULANCE crews are at Sydney Airport assessing about 50 passengers for dehydration after the cabin of their plane overheated.

An ambulance spokesman said paramedics were called to the aiport around 1.30pm (AEDT) on Monday after "reports the temperature inside was quite high," he said.

He said it was unclear whether the plane, which was at a gate, had been departing or arriving.

Two women were being treated for dehydration, the spokesman said.

A spokeswoman for Qantas said she understood there had been an incident on board one of its aircraft and she was seeking more information.

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Qantas repeats call for 2nd Syd airport

SYDNEY should have a second airport by 2030 and the best location is Badgerys Creek, Qantas Airways chief executive Alan Joyce says.

Speaking at the airline's first half results presentation on Thursday, Mr Joyce reiterated that Qantas supported a second airport for Sydney at Badgerys Creek, as recommended by a joint NSW and federal government report.

"It is a very forward thinking document. It explains the case very well and explains the need to do this before 2030," Mr Joyce said in response to a question.

"We are of the same opinion.

"We have been very strong for some time about the need for a second Sydney airport."

The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) - a collection of local governments including Parramatta, Blacktown and Penrith councils - was due to meet on Thursday night to reconsider its long-held opposition to an airport in the area.

"Although there has been significant community opposition in the past, we suspect that attitudes have changed significantly during the past 20 years," WSROC president Councillor Tony Hadchiti said in a statement.

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