Who on earth would spend that much on a trip?

There are many ways to reduce the cost of flying internationally. You can book your trip for less desirable travel times. If you would have fun going to London in February instead of going in May, that’s a good way to get a cheaper flight! You can also fly really early in the morning to get a couple of hundred bucks shaved off your ticket price. You could fly budget airlines instead of major luxury airlines, like Emirates. 

Of all these options, I don’t think any are as smart as choosing Basic Economy instead of Business or First Class. I know some people with a lot of change in their pockets might disagree, but I don’t think being slightly more comfortable for an 8-hour flight is worth hundreds of dollars more than you’d pay to be slightly less comfortable. I would much rather spend that money on experiences (including a nicer hotel room) at my destination than I would on an airline seat with slightly better customer service. 

As much as I like to parrot advice to people who probably book all their flights with credit card miles, I have to admit I’ve never planned a trip with a family of 4 or 5. I’ve only bought my own airline tickets, so I can make whatever sacrifices I want in order to have a cheap trip. I understand that even if you cut everything down to the basics, an international trip for a family will be extremely expensive.

The family in this story was shocked when they tried to book an international trip from Atlanta to Australia and found it cost $170K round trip for all five family members. To be fair to the airline, they did choose the most expensive option during the busiest travel time of the year.