Virgin Australia passengers will be able to make single-change connections to Dusseldorf via Abu Dhabi once Middle Eastern partner airline Etihad starts flights to the German city in December.
Flights will initially be four days a week, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but timings are different depending on the day of the week.
So if you're planning a Dusseldorf flight, make sure your flight from Australia gives you the best connection in Abu Dhabi.
Airbus A330-300 planes will be used on the route, with First, Business and Economy classes on board.
On Mondays and Fridays, flight EY23 leaves Abu Dhabu at 0205, arriving in Dusseldorf at 0625. It then leaves Dusseldorf as EY24 at 1100, arriving back in Abu Dhabi at 2025.
Meanwhile, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, flight EY25 leaves Abu Dhabi at 0900, arriving in Dusseldorf at 1320. That plane turns round as flight EY26 and leaves Dusseldorf at 2130, getting into Abu Dhabi at 0655 the next morning.
From mid-April, the flights are planned to go daily, at which point the schedule is likely to change.
Virgin Australia Velocity Rewards members can earn points on all Etihad flights. Etihad's own Etihad Guest frequent flyer program is also available.
Etihad also flies to Frankfurt and Munich in Germany, plus Brussels in Belgium (which isn't far from northwest Germany, given the extensive international high-speed train network in that neck of the woods).
Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.
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