Honeymoon with points and paid business class

[haloboy]

I need some advice. In January, for my honeymoon, I am wanting to use my 300,000 points to get my wife-to-be a Round the World business class airfare (5 stops I Think) and I hope to buy me a business class round the world (I am gold, and want Plat)

I have been told that it is cheaper to get the RTW ticket from Sri Lanka, which works well as we want to go there for part of the honeymoon.

Our plan is to buy 2 return econ fares from BNE to Sri Lanka. From there, organise her the points fare, and me buy my fare. We will then fly from there to BNE (we have to come back for business mid trip), BNE to LAX, LAX to JFK, JFK to Paris, Paris to London, then London back to Sri Lanka to finish the round the world part of the trip.

We would then take the return leg from Sri Lanka back to BNE.

I guess my questions are:

- Is this all possible?
- Will I get Plat?
- Which are the best business classes to try and get eg QAN, CATH etc
- Is it good to buy from Sri Lanka


Any suggestions etc? I know its a long post, but this is stessing me a little, as all these wedding plans are a pain!!!! *grin*

 

[serfty]

I need some advice. In January, for my honeymoon, I am wanting to use my 300,000 points to get my wife-to-be a Round the World business class airfare (5 stops I Think) and I hope to buy me a business class round the world (I am gold, and want Plat)

I have been told that it is cheaper to get the RTW ticket from Sri Lanka, which works well as we want to go there for part of the honeymoon.

Our plan is to buy 2 return econ fares from BNE to Sri Lanka. From there, organise her the points fare, and me buy my fare. We will then fly from there to BNE (we have to come back for business mid trip), BNE to LAX, LAX to JFK, JFK to Paris, Paris to London, then London back to Sri Lanka to finish the round the world part of the trip.

We would then take the return leg from Sri Lanka back to BNE.

I guess my questions are:

- Is this all possible?
- Will I get Plat?
- Which are the best business classes to try and get eg QAN, CATH etc
- Is it good to buy from Sri Lanka


Any suggestions etc? I know its a long post, but this is stessing me a little, as all these wedding plans are a pain!!!! *grin*

Yes, it is all possible. If you arrange your paid flights correctly, you should be able to get Plat quite easily.

For ansers to the other questions; check out the FlyerTalk oneWORLD forum.

 

[Ekka]

I haven't worked out the cost in AUD to buy a DONEX or AONEX in Sri Lanka, but CMB seems rather difficult (and expensive even in economy) to reach, so the savings may not be great.

 

[serfty]

I haven't worked out the cost in AUD to buy a DONEX or AONEX in Sri Lanka, but CMB seems rather difficult (and expensive even in economy) to reach, so the savings may not be great.

Haloboy's intinery is ASIA-SWP-NA-EUR-ASIA; thus four continents are visited. Being in Business class it's fare code would be DONE4.

Currently, to purchase a DONE4 to start in Australia costs AUD9,639 + taxes/charges/levies. To buy this in Sri Lanka costs LKR498,200 + taxes/charges/levies. The taxes/charges/levies would be the same for each.

LKR498,200 is just under AUD6,429 so the fares are ~AUD3,210 less to purchase in CMB.

At the moment BNE to CMB return can be purchased for AUD1,430 (pp inc.) on Cathay Pacific.

 

[NM]

At the moment BNE to CMB return can be purchased for AUD1,430 (pp inc.) on Cathay Pacific.

Or redeemed using less QF FF points than can be earned on a well constructed DONE4.

 

[QF WP]

haloboy, what you are doing is "nesting tickets" (having the flights of ticket B all inside the date range of ticket A's flights), an excellent strategy and yes, would work on the information that you've given.

Would you get Platinum? Well, depends on 3 things:

1. When is your program renewal date
2. How many SC's will you have in Jan 06
3. How many you get from your DONE4 - (really, it's how well your DONE4 is constructed).

Of course, you have the added complexity of having to get the same flights, but if you look for the U (award business class) seats first, then you should be able to get a D class fare on the same flight - no guarantees, but eminently possible.

Best Business Class - well, you can't go past QF, CX and BA. Each to their own tastes...

serfty answered the last question excellently.