How to fly to Australia for £491 return

Cheap flights to cities including Sydney, Melbourne and Perth

Get return flights to Australian destinations for under £500 this year (iStock)

Every so often, Jack Sheldon from Jack’s Flight Club selects a flight deal from the UK for Independent readers that you can’t afford to miss. This week: return flights to Australia for £491.

The bright side of long-haul flights is that you can often find the biggest savings on the furthest routes.

I’ve found two great options to Australia: first with Cathay Pacific, which has great value fares from both London Gatwick and Manchester; and secondly, from London Heathrow with China Southern, whose flights are priced even lower on dates this spring. Two checked bags are included either way, so there’s no hidden additional expenses.

How to book

Head to Google Flights and enter your preferred departure airport and one of the cities listed below as your destination. You may want to add Cathay Pacific or China Southern to the airline filtering to help you search available dates.

Once you pick your dates (which will be highlighted in green on the calendar tool), either proceed to book the itinerary directly on the airline’s website, or go to Momondo and re-enter your itinerary to see which travel agent is offering the flight at the best price.

Return flights from London (LHR)

Sydney (SYD) – £491

Melbourne (MEL) – £493

Perth (PER) – £485

Brisbane (BNE) – £505

Cairns (CNS) – £495

Return flights from London (LGW)

Sydney (SYD) – £580

Melbourne (MEL) – £574

Perth (PER) – £554

Brisbane (BNE) – £585

Cairns (CNS) – £587

Return flights from Manchester (MAN)

Sydney (SYD) – £584

Melbourne (MEL) – £576

Perth (PER) – £565

Brisbane (BNE) – £596

Cairns (CNS) – £590

When to fly

The lowest fares with Cathay Pacific are available from February to November, excluding peak summer dates in July and August. Fares with China Southern are limited from March to May/June.

When to book

These fares should last for three or four days.

Pro tips

On certain routes, China Southern flights have long layovers. If you have a long layover, check if you qualify for a free hotel room.