Best option for PER - DXB reward flight

[dantab]

Hi

What is the best way to redeem my American Express Membership Rewards points (I currently have a Platinum Edge card) for a PER to DXB return reward flight (preferably business but I would consider economy)?

Thanks
Dan

 

[mitwg]

AFAIK, only Emirates flies directly to DXB from PER and it would be rather difficult for you to redeem on Emirates with a Plat edge since the edge doesn't transfer to QFF.

Several 1 stop alternatives would be flying Malaysian (stopover at KUL), Singapore (stopover at SIN), Thai (stopover at BKK) or even Cathay Pacific (stopover at HKG).

From the above list, my first choice would be SIA which would cost just over 106k miles with ~$850 AUD in taxes (I know, horrible). I have a feeling Malaysia airlines would be a bit cheaper in terms of miles required but for me, I value direct aisle access from a window seat in business class so my second choice would go to Cathay Pacific, not to mention their lounges in HKG are fantastic. On Cathay, it seems like it will set you back 120k miles. Going via HKG is a bit of a detour though compared to SIN/KUL/BKK.

The best approach here would be to actually sign up to the 4 programs mentioned above and actually research availability on their website. Most frequent flyer programs will let you research award availability even without any miles. So the idea is to create the accounts, research costs/availability and then transfer the miles to book once you are happy with the deal. The transfer time varies depending on the program but it shouldn't take too long.

 

[dantab]

Thanks mitwg.

I checked out Malaysian, Thai and Cathay Pacific but none of them have a good connection onto Dubai from Perth and as this is only a short trip I don't want to waste time hanging around an airport. Singapore's taxes turns me away from that option.


I've worked out that you can transfer Amex MR points to Starwood (SPG) points (at 2:1) and then on to Emirates Skywards (at up to 1:1.25). The final conversion rate works out at 1 MR points to 0.625 miles, not great but may be worth it for the convenience. Has anyone done this before and know what the transfer time frame is like? Also, is it possible to check availability for Skywards award flights online before transferring any points across? I'm not having any luck...


As an alternative, is there someway to convert my current Amex MR points to QFF? Say for example by signing up for a direct earn Qantas Amex credit card now?

 

[mitwg]

If you don't mind me asking, how far ahead are you planning for this trip? It's just that if you have fixed travel dates already, your options may be limited but if you are just going for a holiday on a flexible schedule, your options would be much more numerous.

 

[dantab]

Preferred dates are 10 - 22 Dec. I don't really have much flexibility for outward flight, but I move the return flight a day or so either side.

 

[dantab]

Just looking at the SIN award flight option... it is saying "waitlist" for a saver business class award ticket for the return journey around 22 Dec. What exactly does waitlist mean?

 

[mitwg]

Given that the travel date is fairly close (for award travel), I would try and get the flights booked within the next few weeks. You should be able to manage a transfer from AMEX to SPG then to a third program well within that timeframe but you'll want to research availability before you commit to the transfer. There are several ways to research availability, one which is to sign up to the frequent flyer programs as I previously suggested or alternatives like Awardnexus.

Dont forget about airline partnerships - a prime example I can think of is Qatar airways which I understand flies from Perth to Doha, which is very close to Dubai. While they are not part of oneworld yet, once they join, you'll be able to transfer your miles to either cathay or Malaysia from amex and book a flight on Qatar airways. This isn't something I can recommend for your particular trip however, since Qatar isn't oneworld yet and your travel dates are fairly close.

There's obviously nothing stopping you from transferring your points to SPG then into Qatar or any of their current partner airlines (such as ANA) which will let you book their flights as of today. Obviously, similar arrangements are available for Emirates with their partner airlines so this is something you can research in detail if you feel its worth it.

With your krisflyer question, the wait list means the seat won't be confirmed when you make the request. As it says, you go on a 'wait list' and if a seat becomes available, you can choose to go ahead and ticket. SQ generally are fairly decent at clearing wait lists but it can be a complete lottery especially without status and it may not even clear at all so you want to have a backup.

As for transferring your MR to QFF, the only way you will be able to transfer your existing MR points to QFF is if you sign up to the amex platinum charge card. This is because when you sign up to the platinum charge card, your MR account will be 'converted' to a ascent premium MR account which allows for the transfer. Simply signing up to a qantas card means while you'll be able to earn on your new spending a which will go to QFF, your existing benefits will sit with your current MR account which won't be transferable to QFF.

 

[knasty]

If you want a Oneworld award you can also consider transferring via SPG to AA. 30k, 45k & 60k each way for economy, business and first respectively. Etihad is an AA partner so perhaps an award to Abu Dhabi may be possible too, for the same points cost.