Feldman40

[Feldman40]

Hi. I am a first time user of the site. I plan to travel with my family (4 adults) to Europe next year. I have accumulated 800,000 Qantas points and I am looking for advice as to the best way of using these points. I was hoping to get everyone there and back in business class. I have platinum status with lifetime gold and my wife has gold status. Any feedback would be appreciated. Any further advice on the best way to get around Europe once we are there would be great.

 

[NM]

Welcome Feldman40.

The biggest difficulty will be finding 4 business class award seats on the same flights. Are you willing to take different routings and split into two parties of 2?

The only advise I can give is the usual about being flexible with dates and creative with routings. Note that CX award flights do not show on-line, so they must be booked via the phone and that will cost an extra 2500 points for each ticket.

 

[dajop]

Feldman40, my welcome to AFF to NM's.

With 800,000 pts you will only be able to take the four of you there one way in business, and have to do the other direction in economy (or on each flight put two people in economy and two in business). This will take 4x128K + 4x64K = 768K pts.

Note also on CX in addition to the extra 2.5K the redemptions cost more than on QF - it would be 139K one way in J or 75 one way in Y (so if you could manage it one way J on CX and the other Y on QF, for the four it would cost 822K.).

 

[wallacej]

This is not an area of my experience, however would Feldman be better off buying tickets, and upgrading to bus, or even first class. We all know that most often the best value of points is to use them for international upgrades..

I stand to be corrected on this one though????

 

[NM]

Note also on CX in addition to the extra 2.5K the redemptions cost more than on QF - it would be 139K one way in J or 75 one way in Y (so if you could manage it one way J on CX and the other Y on QF, for the four it would cost 822K.).

That is where the OneWorld Award becomes viable.

 

[thadocta]

This is not an area of my experience, however would Feldman be better off buying tickets, and upgrading to bus, or even first class. We all know that most often the best value of points is to use them for international upgrades..

Actually, I beg to differ on that point. Given the small difference between the points cost of an award (and the guaranteed J class seat) and the cost of the upgrade (with no guarantee that the upgrade will come through, after shelling out the $$$$ for the ticket) I think that upgrading is hardly the best value.

Looking at SYD-LHR for example, a J class award will set you back 128K points each way. A discount Y to J upgrade will cost you 96K points, not guaranteed, and this after you would have paid over $2K for the actual fare.

I myself would be looking for the award flight right through in order to ensure the J class seat and service.

Dave

 

[dajop]

That is where the OneWorld Award becomes viable.

But not for four pax with 800K pts, as 4 x 282.5K = 1.13m points are needed. If this wasn't a factor the OneWorld Award is much better value than two one-way J awards.

 

[NM]

But not for four pax with 800K pts, as 4 x 282.5K = 1.13m points are needed. If this wasn't a factor the OneWorld Award is much better value than two one-way J awards.

Again I am reminded why I no longer use QF FF. With AAdvantage its 160,000 points return on F between Australia and Europe. Or a business class OneWorld ATW itinerary from 150,000 points per person.

With QF, 800,000 points is not going to be enough to get 4 people to Europe in business class. SYD-LHR is 10,500 miles and therefore is Zone 10 which is 128K points each way in business class, or 256K points return per person, or 1,024,000 point for 4 x business class returns.

So the OP either has to wait until they have a few more points available, settle for business class one way and economy or BA WT+ the other way, purchase economy and hope/pray for 4 upgrades, or send 2 in business class and 2 in economy.

 

[dajop]

Again I am reminded why I no longer use QF FF.

I've carefully structured my upcoming DCIRC26 to get me across the LTG line on QFF, so will now have to brush up on the candy thief threads to make the switch to AA. It sounds like everyone who has switched hasn't looked back.

 

[futaris]

You may want to consider leaving from Northern Australia to Europe, or trying to get on one of the shorter direct european flights.

ASP-DRW-SIN-FRA is Zone 9
CNS-DRW-SIN-FRA is Zone 9
PER-SIN-FRA/LHR is Zone 9
ADL-SIN-ROM is Zone 9

Zone 9 is 9600mi / 112000 points for Business.

 

[NM]

You may want to consider leaving from Northern Australia to Europe, or trying to get on one of the shorter direct european flights.

ASP-DRW-SIN-FRA is Zone 9
CNS-DRW-SIN-FRA is Zone 9
PER-SIN-FRA/LHR is Zone 9
ADL-SIN-ROM is Zone 9

Zone 9 is 9600mi / 112000 points for Business.

I would avoid the first two options if planning on business class. The DRW-SIN is operated by Jetstar Asia using A320 single class aircraft.

Assuming you mean Rome, Italy (airport code FCO) as the destination for the fourth option, then its not available with QF, nor any OneWorld partners, so that won't work either as a Zone 9 award. Also note that QF81 ADL-SIN only operates twice weekly as an A330, so finding 4 business class award seats on that flight is going to be very unlikely.

PER is viable, but getting to/from PER from the east coast for 4 people may add considerable cost to the exercise.

 

[futaris]

There are a few flights SIN-FCO in July 08. See this thread. Don't like your chances in Business though.

I think CNS-DRW is going to be Jetstar Australia, and not Jetstar Asia, according to this thread.

 

[QF WP]

Harking back to thadocta's comment on the previous page, I see the negative of 4 x award tickets (whether Y or J) is the inflexibility that award tickets have (changing flights [airlines], dates, missing flights etc). Of course, if I am wrong, I'm sure somebody with more knowledge will correct me.

Whereas with a paid discount Y ticket, I understand there is more flexibility for changes (than award tickets) although the downside is that the J seat may not be available on the changed flights.