How to travel to Europe without going through the Middle East

The conflict in the Middle East continues to cause cancellations and delays for millions of plane passengers.

The uncertainty of when things may be resolved is leaving holidaymakers puzzled over what to do about flights.

Euro summer is approaching, and the region is always a popular spot to go to for Aussies to visit family, too.

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But there are plenty of alternative ways to get to Europe without flying through the Middle East.

Are there alternative flight options to Europe right now?

You can easily fly to Europe without stopping in the Middle East from Australia.

CEO of the Australian Travel Industry Association, Dean Long, says there are a number of corridors still operating both for Aussies coming home and those planning future travel.

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"We know the major hubs in Asia are still operating. So you can still get through to Singapore, you can go through to Malaysia. You can get through to Thailand or even Hong Kong. The Chinese carriers are still operating high frequencies as well," he says.

There's another way too - via America.

"At the moment, the US is also still open. But those routes are extremely popular and already very full," he says.

Which airlines fly to Europe from Australia without stopping in the Middle East?

There are still plenty of ways to fly to Europe from Australia avoiding the Middle East.

Look at Singapore Airlines for flights from Australian cities to Singapore and onwards from there.

Qantas is another option, as is Thai Airways, and both fly to Bangkok in Thailand. Connect there for cities across Europe.

You can also get non-stop to Kuala Lumpur with Malaysian Airways and Air Asia as well as Turkish Airlines from Australia.

The popular Asian hub will give you plenty of options to get to European cities.

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Or look at Cathay Pacific which flies from Australian cities to Hong Kong, and onwards.

Chinese airlines such as China Southern, Air China, and China Eastern also avoid the Middle East and go all the way to Europe via China.

Shanghai and Beijing are common stopovers, and often these flights can often be cheaper than the more popular Middle Eastern airlines.

Air India via Delhi and onwards to London is another option from Australia.

As Dean said, you can also travel to Europe from Australia via the USA.

There are plenty of flights from Australian cities to the east coast hubs of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Look at Qantas, United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta. United also flies to Houston which is another option, while Qantas flies direct to Dallas in Texas.

You can then choose direct European routes from there.

Air Canada flies to Vancouver in Canada with connection options to Europe from there.

Hawaiian Airlines, United or Qantas, which fly to Honolulu, are another option. You could then get across to mainland America and on to Europe.

Can you fly direct from Australia to Europe?

There is usually a direct Qantas flight from Perth to London Heathrow. It takes almost 17 hours without stopping.

However, this is now temporarily stopping in Singapore, Qantas has said.

You can also fly direct from Perth to Paris. It takes just over 17 hours going but just over 16 on the way back.

Both are good options to get to and from Europe, but you do generally need to book far in advance.

Should I buy a flexible ticket if I am flying to Europe?

If your flight is cancelled your airline will refund you, so you don't need to worry about having a flexible ticket for that reason.

But if you opt to change your own ticket, and you didn't pay for a flexible option, you may have to pay a lot more.

So buying a flexible ticket depends on your plans, how likely they are to change, and how much you would like to spend.

Most travel insurance policies also exclude war, armed conflict, civil unrest, and destinations under official Smartraveller "do not travel" warnings, which now include places like Dubai in the UAE.

But coverage varies significantly between insurers.

The Insurance Council of Australia does advise travellers to contact their insurer if you have travel booked already.

"The conflict in the Middle East will continue to cause significant disruption to the world's travel network, but insurers' number one priority for their customers is their safety and security," ICA CEO Andrew Hall said.

"We encourage those in transit, or with upcoming travel plans, to speak to their insurer if they have suffered a loss and believe they have a claim."

Should I cancel my flight to Europe

Despite the warnings and cancellations, Aussies should not cancel plans to visit Europe, experts say.

A spate of headlines warned Aussie passengers to cancel or rethink any holidays to Europe for the next six months.

But Dean pushed back and said they were wrong.

"There are plenty of safe ways to get to Europe and the aviation sector has and will continue to adapt," Dean said in a statement.

Even if you already have a flight booked via the Middle East, don't cancel it.

Dean says it is crucial that any travellers with a current ticket don't cancel their flights or anything regarding their travel arrangements.

"The minute you go to cancel your flights, you are effectively doing a 'change of mind'," he says.

"And what that means is you fall back to the terms and conditions that you signed up for, which means you'll have additional fees, additional charges, you will have to pay significantly more money as a result of making that decision."

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