EVA air to EU- what cards, award flights availability...?

[JanP]

Hello,

Can I please ask for an advise what credit cards should I focus on and if there is a good award flight availability with this airline.

I only started to learn about traveling with points and credit card offers. My main travel destination is EU , particularly VIE. When looking at routes with 1x stopover only I shortlisted 2 airlines - Qatar and EVA. Ideally from SYD. Maybe because I am still new but I really can not find any award flights from SYD to DOH and then to VIE. So my second pick is EVA from BKK direct to VIE. From SYD to BKK I would just buy cash ticket using $400 credit from Amex.

1/
I managed to received bonus points from my first card - Amex Explorer. Now I am looking at my second card taking into account my EVA air plan. Can I please ask what cards would you suggest to be able to accumulate max points for EVA? Would current HSBC Star Alliance card be good for my plan?

2/
Is it possible to directly transfer points form Aeroplan to EVA?

3/
If I accumulate enough points how easy or difficult it is to book award flight with EVA? When searching online there are some guides and some suggest it is a bit tricky.

Thank you for any advise.

 

[WilsonM]

For EVA, your best bet would probably be the HSBC Star Alliance card earning Aeroplan points (for the sign up bonus). You can book tickets, using your Aeroplan points, on other Star Alliance member airlines like EVA. You'll need 80,000 Aeroplan points per person, one-way for BKK-VIE on EVA. You don't need to transfer points into EVA to book EVA awards.

The 50k bonus from the AMEX Explorer can't really help you with this - you'd need a lot more points to book the ticket you wanted, and if you get a second card you won't be earning enough points on your AMEX card.

Is there a particular reason you aren't using China Airlines? They fly SYD-TPE and then TPE-VIE and also TPE-PRG, and are bookable with Qantas points - a much easier currency to earn in Australia. Otherwise, Velocity points are a good option to earn for both Qatar awards but also Singapore Airlines into Munich/Frankfurt, and you can earn them a lot easier than Aeroplan points for an EVA award. Availability on Qatar is perhaps a little bit scarce, but it does exist.

In general, it's best to be flexible with your dates and destinations to get the most out of your reward seats. What's a 1.5 hour Economy flight within Europe when you just flew 22 hours of Business Class instead of paying for a cash Economy ticket direct to your destination...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Or for 110k you could fly from BNE all the way to VIE on EVA.

Agree with the above post, Aeroplan is a solid program for star alliance. Coupled with discounted miles-buying, as well as no -star partners, it makes award availability quite good.

 

[masco131]

Hey JanP, welcome to the points club. As mentioned above, Aeroplan is a solid program to focus on to get you to Vienna. I just wanted to add that you don't necessarily have to fly out of SYD. Look into other major airport like MEL, BNE and PER. Qatar mostly have good availability with velocity out of MEL, ADL and BNE and it is in the famous Qsuites. Additionally, there are lots of creative ways to get to EUR. You can use the MEL-SIN-FRA on Singapore airlines. You can do the SYD-DPS cheap flight and DPS-DXB-VIE using qantas points or Aeroplan on Emirates. All i am saying is do not limit yourself with particular airports.

 

[JanP]

For EVA, your best bet would probably be the HSBC Star Alliance card earning Aeroplan points (for the sign up bonus). You can book tickets, using your Aeroplan points, on other Star Alliance member airlines like EVA. You'll need 80,000 Aeroplan points per person, one-way for BKK-VIE on EVA. You don't need to transfer points into EVA to book EVA awards.

The 50k bonus from the AMEX Explorer can't really help you with this - you'd need a lot more points to book the ticket you wanted, and if you get a second card you won't be earning enough points on your AMEX card.

Is there a particular reason you aren't using China Airlines? They fly SYD-TPE and then TPE-VIE and also TPE-PRG, and are bookable with Qantas points - a much easier currency to earn in Australia. Otherwise, Velocity points are a good option to earn for both Qatar awards but also Singapore Airlines into Munich/Frankfurt, and you can earn them a lot easier than Aeroplan points for an EVA award. Availability on Qatar is perhaps a little bit scarce, but it does exist.

In general, it's best to be flexible with your dates and destinations to get the most out of your reward seats. What's a 1.5 hour Economy flight within Europe when you just flew 22 hours of Business Class instead of paying for a cash Economy ticket direct to your destination...

Thanks a lot for your post and tips. I appreciate it, specially information that I dont have to transfer points directly to EVA but can purchase on other Start Alliance website.
Yes, I was considering China Airlines but because I have limited time for holiday this year and also my dates to travel are not very flexible I prefer EVA as it take less time to reach my destination.
Yes, 50k Aeroplan point is not enough I was just thinking to use it as first step and then maybe buy points later when on sale.

 

[JanP]

Or for 110k you could fly from BNE all the way to VIE on EVA.

Agree with the above post, Aeroplan is a solid program for star alliance. Coupled with discounted miles-buying, as well as no -star partners, it makes award availability quite good.

Thanks for your post.
Unfortunately on days I need to travel (in September) it takes longer to go via BNE (TPE, BKK) comparing to fly from BKK direct to VIE. And I need to just be in EU with minimum layover possible.

 

[JanP]

Hey JanP, welcome to the points club. As mentioned above, Aeroplan is a solid program to focus on to get you to Vienna. I just wanted to add that you don't necessarily have to fly out of SYD. Look into other major airport like MEL, BNE and PER. Qatar mostly have good availability with velocity out of MEL, ADL and BNE and it is in the famous Qsuites. Additionally, there are lots of creative ways to get to EUR. You can use the MEL-SIN-FRA on Singapore airlines. You can do the SYD-DPS cheap flight and DPS-DXB-VIE using qantas points or Aeroplan on Emirates. All i am saying is do not limit yourself with particular airports.

Thank you Masco,
Yes, agree, Qatar is a very good option and even from other major AU airports. I burn myself while doing my first beginner mistake and ended up with 90k Avios . (long story short - I searched Qatar web, ticked to show me business class flights only, when it was showing 45k one way I was assuming it is 90k return for business flight. Bought 90k Avios but then painfully found out it is economy) I know stupid mistake, just need to consider as my "tuition fee" to enter points world. No it is sitting in my Priviledge Club account.
You are right, I dont have to be limited to one airport or airline. And there are different option and good offers. But this year I am limited by time to spend in EU and also by dates available to go there.
Thats why I was thinking to do SYD-BKK in economy and then BKK-VIE in business. Either with points , if I manage to accumulate enough by September. Or just pay cash and next , hopefully, have enough points and more flexibility.
Another option I am thinking is to use points I have to go from ADL to VIE with Qatar. And then on the way back to buy 2 separate legs. With points if I have enough or buy while they have promotion. VIE-DOH and then DOH - SYD.

 

[masco131]

Thank you Masco,
Yes, agree, Qatar is a very good option and even from other major AU airports. I burn myself while doing my first beginner mistake and ended up with 90k Avios . (long story short - I searched Qatar web, ticked to show me business class flights only, when it was showing 45k one way I was assuming it is 90k return for business flight. Bought 90k Avios but then painfully found out it is economy) I know stupid mistake, just need to consider as my "tuition fee" to enter points world. No it is sitting in my Priviledge Club account.
You are right, I dont have to be limited to one airport or airline. And there are different option and good offers. But this year I am limited by time to spend in EU and also by dates available to go there.
Thats why I was thinking to do SYD-BKK in economy and then BKK-VIE in business. Either with points , if I manage to accumulate enough by September. Or just pay cash and next , hopefully, have enough points and more flexibility.
Another option I am thinking is to use points I have to go from ADL to VIE with Qatar. And then on the way back to buy 2 separate legs. With points if I have enough or buy while they have promotion. VIE-DOH and then DOH - SYD.

Ohh if you are going in sept i would say you are late to the club. Limited availability but availability opens up a few days to the flight most times. Do you know of seat.aero? If you don't, I think it is a great tool to look for flights and see availability rather than looking at airline website and getting confused. I just had a look and can see plenty availability from DOH-VIE but limited from AUS, they are mostly PER-DOH too. Plenty of availability from BKK-DOH and even first class.
BTW, don't feel bad about that, we have all done that at one point before. Did you cancel the flight?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks for your post.
Unfortunately on days I need to travel (in September) it takes longer to go via BNE (TPE, BKK) comparing to fly from BKK direct to VIE. And I need to just be in EU with minimum layover possible.

Well yes, but you can also take Thai airways from Australia to meet the EVA flight in BKK, etc, still 110k, or, if you are actually originating in BKK, for 5000 points you can fly Australia to Bkk, stopover for however long you need, then continue to VIE on EVA (total cost 115k, or roughly $500 to add the business class ticket from AU to BKK)

 

[JanP]

Ohh if you are going in sept i would say you are late to the club. Limited availability but availability opens up a few days to the flight most times. Do you know of seat.aero? If you don't, I think it is a great tool to look for flights and see availability rather than looking at airline website and getting confused. I just had a look and can see plenty availability from DOH-VIE but limited from AUS, they are mostly PER-DOH too. Plenty of availability from BKK-DOH and even first class.
BTW, don't feel bad about that, we have all done that at one point before. Did you cancel the flight?

Luckily it didnt let me go to next step after purchasing points and buy ticket. It was showing error message that I dont have enough points when I wanted to buy "business". I called their customer service and was told there are no business class seats, only economy. Should I call them first I would save myself a lot of headache. I asked for refund but they refused. Now I have Avios in my account and will use them at some point.
Yes I know seat.aero for a few weeks now, amazing tool and very useful.

 

[JanP]

Well yes, but you can also take Thai airways from Australia to meet the EVA flight in BKK, etc, still 110k, or, if you are actually originating in BKK, for 5000 points you can fly Australia to Bkk, stopover for however long you need, then continue to VIE on EVA (total cost 115k, or roughly $500 to add the business class ticket from AU to BKK)

This sounds interesting but I dont understand what you mean by this.
You mean that I can take business SYD-BKK for 110k Aeroplan points?
Because when I search SYD-BKK I can see it for 45k. I am confused, sorry.

 

[JanP]

...or you ment this one?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

...or you ment this one?

Yes…rather than 80k BKK-VIE, even better value is taking the flight from SYD (or any other aussie port) where it will be 110k.

I wasn’t sure however whether you were already based in BKK, which is why I mentioned the stopover. You can add a stopover to your itinerary for 5k. So Australia - stop in bangkok if you needed to be there - europe is just 115k.

 

[JanP]

Thank you for clarification. And also for the good tip.