Help for Flight Bookings.

[stroudie]

Can anyone assist me with advice as to how best to make a booking or enquiry without incurring points?
My wife & self want to travel to Moscow next year, I want to use points to redeem a return flight for her, I will pay. She will travel alone ahead of me & we will return together.In the past I have organised the flights through Qantas, they let me know the best fares available, with best connections etc. I understand they will now charge for this service. The difficulty I find is in trying to make all the connections.eg in the past we have flown BA via London onto Moscow, we have also flown BA to Bangkok & then Finnair to Helsinki, onto Moscow.
Is there a simple way for me to make these enquiries myself?
I am new to all this, as I said earlier, I was spoilt by having QWantas do all the legwork. Without points penalty !
Thanks for any imfo,
Stroudie.

 

[dajop]

I suggest just going to the online award booking website and trying your luck with putting in your start destination and end destination. If that doesn't work look at the oneworld timetable for your options (although SAS may be a good option that won't be on the oneworld timetable) and then try plugging in sector by sector into the online booking engine.

As you're probably going to have to spend at least 128,000 points to get from Aus to Moscow, an extra 2,500 for an assisted booking may well be worthwhile anyway. Also other considerations:
1) as awards are now booked as one way you may use one airline in one direction and another on the return to match you paid ticket,
2) Itineraries only involving BA & Qantas will need less points than those using Finnair, Cathay Pacific or others.
2) look at "round the world" options with a oneworld award for 142,500 pts if you can't find suitable flights in one direction.

 

[stroudie]

Thanks for your help & advice.
I didn't know the oneworld timetable existed ! Very handy site.
Thanks again.
Stroudie.