Help with planning flights to Asia in April

[LA10]

Hi all

It's my 30th birthday next April. I was planning on going to HKG with Mum. Dad has now decided to join, which means, award flight availability will be much harder to find given it is for 3 people (secretly hoping my brother doesn't decide to join as we will have no hope getting seats!). As an aside, I am not yet set on going to HKG, so may change to Tokyo or even Langkawi.


Here are my approx points balances:
LM - 100k
QF - 200k
AA - <50k


I plan to sign up for the Amex explorer, and hopefully Dad will too. My parents also have some QF points (>200k).


I want one way to be in J. I'm happy to fly the other way Y (cash), or J, but know that paying one way cash can be expensive. Has anyone seen sales for reasonable one-way fares to or from Asia on QF? I'm a NB.

My initial thoughts were to either do a QF classic award one way and LM the return journey or do amex MR (using asia miles or krisflyer) one way and LM on the return.


I'm open to suggestions on the best way to approach this. Obviously finding availability will be an issue too.
Thanks!

 

[RoMambai]

Hi Lisa10, it's good to start early

You should have little problems snaring 3 j class redemptions on CX, through QFF, if you book now. I was researching a similar holiday to Honkers this time last year for me and the 2 kids and I was astonished by the availability. I even remember seeing 4 seats on offer. Having said that, a year is an eternity in points land so everything may have changed.

Given you don't have enough QFF points, perhaps book 2 now and book papa san later on SQ for 46,250 when your membership rewards hits your account.

Good luck.

 

[JessicaTam]

There is a sale on at the moment for flights to Asia: Flight Deals & Specials | Qantas

The dates may or may not suit, depending where you end up deciding to go.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi all

It's my 30th birthday next April. I was planning on going to HKG with Mum. Dad has now decided to join, which means, award flight availability will be much harder to find given it is for 3 people (secretly hoping my brother doesn't decide to join as we will have no hope getting seats!). As an aside, I am not yet set on going to HKG, so may change to Tokyo or even Langkawi.


Here are my approx points balances:
LM - 100k
QF - 200k
AA - <50k


I plan to sign up for the Amex explorer, and hopefully Dad will too. My parents also have some QF points (>200k).


I want one way to be in J. I'm happy to fly the other way Y (cash), or J, but know that paying one way cash can be expensive. Has anyone seen sales for reasonable one-way fares to or from Asia on QF? I'm a NB.

My initial thoughts were to either do a QF classic award one way and LM the return journey or do amex MR (using asia miles or krisflyer) one way and LM on the return.


I'm open to suggestions on the best way to approach this. Obviously finding availability will be an issue too.
Thanks!

you have more than enough miles to do business class return for three passengers. LM is 40K per person each way to Asia (Japan is more). Qantas is in the 60K range per person each way. With Lifemiles you can always use points plus pay, with a minimum 16K miles required one way per person, and top up the rest at ~1.5c per mile.

AA miles will cost you 40K one way to Asia in business class, but without fuel surcharges that QF will want from you. Availability will be the issue, CX probably your best bet, but that's gonna come with a surcharge over the 60K points. If you are all happy to perhaps split flights and travel 2 and 1 you should be ok.

 

[LA10]

There is a sale on at the moment for flights to Asia: Flight Deals & Specials | Qantas

The dates may or may not suit, depending where you end up deciding to go.

Thanks for this. This is for Y only and they appear to be non upgradeable fares. The one way Y fares are in the $500 range.

 

[JessicaTam]

Thanks for this. This is for Y only and they appear to be non upgradeable fares. The one way Y fares are in the $500 range.

The sale is for Y, PE and J. Use the filters to select the cabin class.

 

[LA10]

The sale is for Y, PE and J. Use the filters to select the cabin class.

Whoops, did not see that. Thanks JessicaTam.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Any updates on your experience Lisa10?

 

[LA10]

Any updates on your experience Lisa10?

We haven't booked as yet due to needed to get dates confirmed and a friend who is now having his wedding on the date I was planning on leaving. We're still deciding on where we are going and the dates.

However, my thoughts are as follows:
Going: book MEL - Asia using QFF points in Y (cash fares are too expensive)
Return journey: Asia - Mel using LM in J.

 

[JohnK]

Does the current Qantas special to HKG for $599 return suit?

 

[LA10]

Does the current Qantas special to HKG for $599 return suit?

I saw that JohnK, but I'm hoping to fly J. These fares are not upgradeable. May change my mind about going J though.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Rumour:[Denied by RR] Qantas to ban JQ SYD-MEL pax from F lounges & send to J lou

I saw that JohnK, but I'm hoping to fly J. These fares are not upgradeable. May change my mind about going J though.

I've noticed the QF MEL-hkg seems to have pretty reasonable availability for business class. not sure if you've looked at that? alternatively, how was Cathay looking? can you get one or two seats on Cathay and the other seats in qantas? if you split the party, those arriving on Cathay can use the arrivals lounge at Hong Kong while waiting for the qantas flight to arrive.

 

[Pele]

you have more than enough miles to do business class return for three passengers. LM is 40K per person each way to Asia (Japan is more). Qantas is in the 60K range per person each way. With Lifemiles you can always use points plus pay, with a minimum 16K miles required one way per person, and top up the rest at ~1.5c per mile.

Gday

Just to correct/clarify the above- with Lifemiles Sydney to Japan is 40k miles, and the points plus pay top up at 1.5cents is USD so closer to AUD2.1 cents a point.

Pele.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Gday

Just to correct/clarify the above- with Lifemiles Sydney to Japan is 40k miles, and the points plus pay top up at 1.5cents is USD so closer to AUD2.1 cents a point.

Pele.

Yes - thanks. I must have been editing as I wrote - the 'Japan is more' was supposed to be with the Qantas line!

I quoted prices in USD. The recent promo gave points at 1.375c a mile, or AUD1.8c.

 

[serfty]

I saw that JohnK, but I'm hoping to fly J. These fares are not upgradeable. May change my mind about going J though.

You can get PE fares with this sale for $1760 - these are upgradeable.

 

[LA10]

As an update, I booked ICN -Sin - BNE using LM for the 3 of us in OZ/SQ J. I'm happy with that.

Now to get to Seoul.

 

[LA10]

How much time would you recommend for transitting from the above SQ flight (scheduled to arrive at 4:45pm) a domestic QF flight to Mel? I've never done the international to domestic transfer at BNE.

 

[LA10]

Just as a final update.

We booked SQ flights to Seoul, which cost about $580 for Y. Then using LM for the return journey in J to BNE, then QF cash ticket to mel.

Thanks all for your help and suggestions.