You will need about 250,000 or even more to get from Adelaide to Dallas.
You can do points plus pay, if you have more than 5,000 Qantas points.
Go for Australian Frequent Flyer Gold, I think you can send a message to "admin" who on here, looks after that side of the Australian Frequent Flyer Qantas Club corporate scheme.
I am not an Australian Frequent Flyer "official" and before I get my dog bum kicked, best you contact the people in the know.
Send "admin" a Private Message and she or he will get back to you for the rates, $50 first and the other details. I do believe its "admin" here on Australian Frequent Flyer, think I have communicated with that handle on here, old dog, not good memory anymore.
Adelaide to Dallas, you have to do a break in journey in Sydney to see how many points you will earn or need.
The Qantas website does not allow a lot of points collection/usage in regards to Adelaide. Seeing that Adelaide does not have any Qantas international flights anymore!
You will need a lot of points, not status credits.
Status credit allow you to climb up the Qantas or Virgin tree, but in itself, only gives you benefits, but will not get you flights. Thats a different kettle of fish.
The two are separate.
Frequent flyer points, is the one you need mainly.
Roughly how many frequent flyer points do you have? 100,000. Start with that. If you have that much, points plus pay is a good way if you have to get to the US soon. Other wise, start building or bulking up your frequent flyer points, by flying, by spending on cards etc.
To summise, you will need a lot of points to get to the United States, with just paying taxes.
If you must/need to fly to the United States with a date in mind, points plus pay, where you use a mix of frequent flyer points and pay a bit or a lot on the card (credit card).
Adelaide to Auckland, might be say, $2200 in business. I will need 36,000x2 (72,000) frequent flyer points if I don't want to pay a lot, just pay taxes.
But I could also use points plus pay to reduce $2200 to say, $1800, by using up my 32,000 Qantas frequent flyer points in my balance.
Status credits don't come into play here.
I have 575 Qantas status credits, which I can't use to pay for the flight, but by December 14, I would have 715 Qantas status credits, which gives me Qantas S*um Gold, giving me access to any of the Qantas lounges in Sydney or Auckland.
Its complicated.
But you will learn!
Sorry for the headache, ... I know I only complicate matters by my blah.
Edit:
Points required for a Qantas & Partner Classic Award
The purpose of this calculator is to show you the number of Qantas Points required for a Qantas & Partner Classic Award. Additional taxes, fees and carrier charges are payable in addition to the points required, which will be disclosed to you at the time of booking.
[TABLE="class: basic"]
[TR]
[TH="colspan: 2"]Trips:
[/TH]
[TH="class: points"]Points[/TH]
[TH="colspan: 2"]Zone (Miles)[/TH]
[TH]Class[/TH]
[TH]Award[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: nowrap"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: trip"] Adelaide - Sydney (stop)[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]12000[/TD]
[TD="class: zone2"]2[/TD]
[TD="class: miles2"](725)[/TD]
[TD="class: class2"]Economy[/TD]
[TD="class: award2"] Qantas[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alt"]
[TD="class: nowrap"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: trip"] Sydney - Dallas Fort Worth (stop)[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]56000[/TD]
[TD="class: zone2"]9[/TD]
[TD="class: miles2"](8586)[/TD]
[TD="class: class2"]Economy[/TD]
[TD="class: award2"] Qantas[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: nowrap"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: trip"] Dallas Fort Worth - Sydney (stop)[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]56000[/TD]
[TD="class: zone2"]9[/TD]
[TD="class: miles2"](8586)[/TD]
[TD="class: class2"]Economy[/TD]
[TD="class: award2"] Qantas[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alt last"]
[TD="class: nowrap"]
[/TD]
[TD="class: trip"] Sydney - Adelaide[/TD]
[TD="class: points"]12000[/TD]
[TD="class: zone2"]2[/TD]
[TD="class: miles2"](725)[/TD]
[TD="class: class2"]Economy[/TD]
[TD="class: award2"] Qantas[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Total points 136,000
Qantas & Partner Classic Award seating is limited
Some service fees may apply
Best of luck working things out anyways.
That was my cut and paste, might be bad of me to do it.
Thought it was more than 136,000 points, but thats it.
If you have more than that number of Qantas frequent flyer points in your account good, if not, points plus pay is the way to go.
Sydney to Dallas in discY one way is 4,500 Qantas frequent flyer points earnt, and 45 Qantas status credits, Adelaide to Sydney is 800 points earnt, and 10 status credits.
So, in discY, you will get 10,600 points earnt, and 110 status credits.
https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/do/dyns/initialPointsEarned
Its a bit slow in getting to where you need it go, but be patient, and the calculator will come up. Remember, its all via Sydney.
Have to go earn my keep now, the others will kick me on here, they are more knowledgeable, and probably will be better and to the point.
Ok, off now, back later.