Heading over to the UK and Ireland for a combination of working remotely, a road trip and a friend's wedding, I was keen to give one of the big three Middle Eastern carriers a try, so I booked myself onto Etihad flights into Manchester and out of Dublin.
Between Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways, I found these fares to be the most reasonable and had the most favourable flight times, departing late in the afternoon on a Friday and arriving early enough into Sydney on the day of my return that I didn't need to take an extra day of annual leave.
That said, how did I actually find the flights?
Route: Sydney to Manchester (via Abu Dhabi) / Dublin to Sydney (via Abu Dhabi)
Duration: 21h outgoing / 21h 15m incoming
Flight Number(s): EY451 and EY15 / EY48 and EY450
Aircraft Type: Airbus A380-800, Boeing 777 300, Airbus A330-200
Dates Travelled: 28 September 2018 to 21 October 2018
Class: Economy
Frequent Flyer Program: Velocity
Points earned: 5,556 points, 140 status credits
If Etihad was much cheaper than either Emirates or Qatar, then yes. However, if they were similarly priced, I'd likely go with another carrier.
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