For only a couple of hundred pounds more, Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong is available. Because of all the
strife in Hong Kong, demand for this superb airline is weaker than it might be. In your position I would also
build in a stopover, even if merely of the “arrive in the morning, fly on in the evening” variety.
If you can possibly travel on Christmas Day, you will find fares significantly lower, and the airport process
more benign, as few people are prepared to fly on 25 December. I travel quite often on Christmas Day
(which also happens to be my birthday) and find it an enjoyable experience. You could even find those
Cathay Pacific flights for less than £1,000 return on 25 December.
Finally, if you intend to visit anywhere else in Australia on the same trip – such as south of the state of
Victoria, which is beautiful – then consider an “open jaw” itinerary, flying into Sydney but out from another
city, to avoid doubling back.
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