Riyadh marked the final stop of my recent trip across Africa, and I hadn’t yet finalised my return flight home to Melbourne. Given the long distance, I expected business class fares to be steep—and they were. I wasn’t willing to pay top dollar for a direct flight, but I also didn’t want to compromise on comfort. Fortunately, a bit of flexibility and creative thinking helped me put together an itinerary that delivered both value and experience.
Flying business class is rarely cheap—especially when you’re looking at one-way fares from the Middle East to Australia. A quick search on Google Flights shows the reality:
- Oman Air + Malaysia Airlines via Muscat and Kuala Lumpur: from $3,735 AUD
- Etihad via Abu Dhabi: $7,756 AUD
So instead of going direct, I looked at other options that offered better value. Beyond price, I factored in connection times, airline service standards, airport experiences during layovers, and opportunities to earn or use frequent flyer points. By choosing a multi-stop itinerary, I also turned what could’ve been dead time into bonus travel—enjoying quick stopovers in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur along the way.
In the end, I managed to fly business class from Riyadh to Melbourne for just over $2,500 AUD, with solid comfort throughout the journey. Here’s how I pieced it all together.
My Route: Two Tickets, Four Segments
- Ticket 1: Riyadh → Hong Kong → Kuala Lumpur (Cathay Pacific)
- Ticket 2: Kuala Lumpur → Singapore → Melbourne (Singapore Airlines)
Leg 1: Booking with Cathay Pacific
I bought a cash fare from Riyadh to Kuala Lumpur via Hong Kong for 3,089 SAR (~1,300 AUD) in business class. Oddly enough, it was actually cheaper to book through to Kuala Lumpur than to stop in Hong Kong alone. An interesting quirk of airline pricing that worked in my favour.
Even better, this routing gave me the chance to visit Hong Kong and catch up with family over yum cha before heading on to KL.
Leg 2: Redeeming Aeroplan Points for Singapore Airlines
Instead of buying a full business class fare—which can easily cost over $3,000 AUD—I chose to buy Aeroplan points to redeem this ticket. This strategy saved me a significant amount.
I purchased 30,000 points with a 60% bonus, giving me 48,000 points for around 1,175 AUD. Redeeming 45,000 points plus taxes covered the business class journey from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne.
- Points cost (proportional): ~1,101 AUD
- Taxes and fees: 173 AUD
- Total cost: ~1,274 AUD
Considering that a cash fare for the same route can exceed $3,000 AUD, buying points during a promotion and redeeming them was a smart way to enjoy premium travel for less than half the usual price. It’s one of the best value business class deals I’ve found.
Total Cost Breakdown
| Item | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Cathay Pacific (RUH–HKG–KUL) | 1,300 |
| Singapore Airlines via Aeroplan (KUL–SIN–MEL) | 1,274 |
| Total | 2,574 |
Why This Itinerary Worked So Well
It wasn’t the fastest route—but for $2,574 AUD, I got business class across the board, with solid comfort and reputable airlines all the way home.
Here’s what made the itinerary work well for me:
- Solid comfort and service – Lie-flat seats on the long legs, good onboard service, and access to decent lounges made the journey comfortable.
- Bonus stopovers – Spending time in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur added some variety to the trip, making it more than just a transit experience.
All up, the fare was more than $1,000 less than the cheapest direct options—and still came with a premium cabin experience. It suited my plans, and I was happy with the trade-offs.
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