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Return Business Class Fares to Australia from £2,168
It’s a rarity to see return Business Class fares to Australia this low! Luxury Flight Club has found some excellent China Southern fares starting from just £2,168 return! Availability is limited, so if these dates and destinations work for you, move quickly!
Most itineraries include a long layover in Guangzhou, though you can turn this into a cheap stopover for around £100. Even better, China Southern offers complimentary accommodation for connections of 6–30 hours for eligible passengers. Guangzhou is also under an hour by train from Hong Kong.
The best fares are available from London and Madrid for travel into early 2026. These fares all have dates available for similar prices from December 2025 to March 2026.
The best fares from Heathrow include:
| Departure | Destination | Return Fare |
|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | Perth | £2,372 |
| Heathrow | Brisbane | £2,392 |
There are also some excellent fares from Madrid, including the cheapest £2,168 fare:
| Madrid | Perth | €2,500 (£2,168) |
| Madrid | Melbourne | €2,514 (£2,181) |
| Madrid | Sydney | €2,520 (£2,186) |
| Madrid | Brisbane | €2,525 (£2,191) |
China Southern is not part of an alliance, but if you fly in Business, you’ll still have things like lounge access included. (China Southern uses Plaza Premium LHR T4). However, you can earn miles with China Southern’s own loyalty programme, ‘Sky Pearl Club’, or opt to credit your miles to partners such as Air France-KLM Flying Blue, although you won’t earn Status Points.
These are the best-value Business Class fares we’ve seen to Australia. To book, search dates on Google Flights, then complete your booking direct with China Southern Airlines.
Read a TLFL review of China Southern here
Major Changes to the Cathay Pacific Loyalty Programme
In 2027, the Cathay loyalty programme will get even better, with status progression, fixed membership cycles, and long-term rewards.
Is this as good as it seems? Good news, these changes are largely positive, albeit some reduced mid-tier privileges for Gold and Diamond status holders.
Changes will take effect from 1st January 2027, with a transition period starting on 1st January 2026 to allow time for adaptation.
Membership Cycles
Cathay will no longer use a rolling year and will instead follow a calendar year cycle (1st January–31st December). This is supposed to simplify planning and renewal timing among members globally. This is becoming the norm now with airline loyalty programmes. It must be much simpler to manage!
Status Progression
Cathay is making it much easier to climb the status ladder. From 2027, your Status Points will no longer reset to 0 when you reach a new tier. Instead, any extra points you’ve earned will stay in your account to help you reach the next status level faster the following year.
|
Tier |
Number of Status Points Required |
| Green | 0 (entry level tier) |
| Silver (Oneworld Ruby) | 300 |
| Gold (Oneworld Sapphire) | 600 |
| Diamond (Oneworld Emerald) | 1,200 |
For example, once you hit the 300 points needed for Silver, you’ll only need another 300 to reach Gold (50% less than you currently need). The same applies higher up: moving from Gold (600 points) to Diamond (1,200 points) will also require just half the current threshold.
Climb Even Higher
Diamond will no longer be the top status level. A new tier, Diamond Exec, has been announced. You’ll need to earn 2,400 status points in a calendar year. It comes with a range of benefits, including:
- A dedicated relationship manager
- Gift Gold status to a member of your choice
- 4x single sector upgrade passes to the class above (including First).
- Complimentary buggy service for Cathay Pacific departures from gates 40 to 80.
The website also shows a new Diamond Plus tier, which is an invitation-only status for Diamond and Diamond Exec members, based on their annual fare spending with Cathay Pacific flights. ‘
Long Term Rewards
From 2027, Gold and Diamond members will be able to roll over up to 50% of the Status Points required for their tier into the next membership year. This is a massive head-start to requalification and really rewards high-tier status holders (unlike some airlines). On top of the non-expiring tier points, these are great changes.
Long-time Diamond members who’ve held the tier for at least five cumulative years can now earn a complimentary Diamond year for every 6,000 lifetime Status Points. There’s no expiry and no limit to how many complimentary years you can bank. If you have a year with many fewer flights, this is great.
Some Negative Changes
As part of the changes, Gold and Diamond members will lose some benefits…
There will no longer be mid-status benefits for Gold and Diamond. This means no Bookable Upgrades and no mid-status Lounge Passes. There will also be no Gold companion card at Diamond status (only Diamond Exec). However, as a Silver member, you will still receive x2 lounge passes once you reach 450 status points.
Diamtwond status holders will receive two single-sector Upgrade Passes on qualification and 2 on requalification. Each upgrades you by one cabin but will no longer include First. However, Diamond Exec will now have 4x passes they can use on First.
Diamond will lose buggy rides in Hong Kong. This will now be for Diamond Exec only. ‘Guaranteed Seat Reservation’ will now be ‘Exclusive Access’. Diamond will no longer have Exclusive Access to Business (only Premium Economy and Exonomy up to 24 hours before). Gold will have Exclusive Access to Economy 72 hours before.
This is drastically different to many programme overhauls, where it’s often lower-tier members who lose privileges. The main changes are the loss of some of the benefits between tiers and some of the Diamond benefits moving over to Diamond Exec.
Cathay Director Customer Lifestyle, Vivian Lo said:
“We are evolving the Cathay membership programme with our current and future members in mind, offering them a smoother, simpler and better membership experience. By simplifying the path to higher status and providing greater flexibility for members in new ways, members can look forward to progressing with greater ease and enjoying a more rewarding journey that truly elevates their lives.”
So, is Cathay Pacific a major Oneworld loyalty programme contender? Read our complete guide to the Cathay Pacific loyalty programme pre-update to find out. The major conclusions we came to still stand. Although some of the mid-tier benefits have no gone, it’s now even easier to reach the next status level due to status rollover and lifetime rewards.
Your status level will also earn equivalent Oneworld status, which you can use across the alliance on airlines like BA and AA. However, some of the negative changes to Gold and Diamond tiers will be a put-off for many, especially losing the ability to gift Gold status and upgrade to First using an Upgrade Award. If you regularly fly to Asia, Cathay remains an excellent choice, not to mention the premium cabins and superb lounges!
Virgin Atlantic to Launch Sparkling Wine Blend with Hambledon
Virgin Atlantic has partnered with Hambledon Wines for years, but now, they’re joining forces to launch a signature Virgin Atlantic blend in 2029. The final product is a long way off yet, but the grapes are currently being harvested.
Hambledon Wine Estate in Hampshire is England’s oldest commercial vineyard and is planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Virgin will work closely with Hambledon to create a wine that nods to Hambledon’s distinct location and heritage, pairing well with Virgin’s Upper Class experience. It will be quintessentially English and designed with a taste that’s still delicious in the air.
Its wines have gone down well with Virgin flyers previously. In 2019, Hambledon Classic Cuvée was served in Upper Class, and it was so well-loved that it became a permanent addition to the menu alongside Champagne.
James Osborn, Managing Director of Hambledon Wine Estate, commented:
“We’re delighted to be taking our treasured partnership with Virgin Atlantic to even greater heights in creating a bespoke blend. We both share a pioneering spirit – our founder, Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones, planted England’s first commercial vineyard, just as Richard Branson changed airline travel in the 80s. That ambition, resilience and drive for excellence is at the heart of our partnership. We are thrilled to be creating this signature blend alongside the In-Flight team and showcasing English Sparkling Wine to a truly international audience.”
The bespoke blend is all part of Virgin’s efforts to improve the food and drink offering on board alongside customer service. This also includes a multi-million-pound refurbishment of its flagship Heathrow and JFK Clubhouses, the launch of The Signature Ten creations, like The Clubhouse Burger and The Red Head cocktail, a new collaboration with Starlink, and a refit of its 787 aircraft.
I also noticed that Hambledon is launching a ‘Virgin Atlantic Hambledon Experience’, where you can spend the day enjoying an ‘English Sparkling Wine Experience’ exclusively for Virgin Atlantic guests. The 1.5-hour experience includes a tour of the vineyard, wine cellar, and winery, as well as a guided tasting of the Classic Cuvée and Classic Cuvée Rosé. Although it hasn’t been launched yet, this could potentially be bookable with Virgin Points in the future. Read more here. We will keep you updated!
