How to fly Melbourne to Las Vegas with points

[Hozo]

Hi,
Having spent the best part of the last week trying to work out how to do it and becoming overwhelmed I thought I would ask the minds on here.
2 of us going Melbourne to Las Vegas in early November next year and trying to utilise points that are available so that it is less out of our pockets.

Current points - 400,000 Westpac Altitude, 50,000 QFF and 5,000 Virgin.
I'm wondering if we try to use points to get to LA and then book a separate domestic flight from there to Vegas? Or do we use the Altitude points to get Flight Centre vouchers and let them do the booking?

Ask any questions needed to fill the gaps.
Thanks for your help

 

[Limewood]

What seat class? I guess 2 x J, best of luck finding them, we go via HKG to USA, next trip, always plenty of seats.

 

[Hozo]

What seat class? I guess 2 x J, best of luck finding them, we go via HKG to USA, next trip, always plenty of seats.

Don't mind what seat class, I thought we only have enough points to look at Economy? If I can get there in J class with minimal $$$ out of my pocket would certainly do this.

 

[Limewood]

Dont know much about Velocity or Altitude points but we are using $412K QF points HKG/BOS and JFK/HKG in J for two and $300 in fees on CX.
Id suggest you go into velocity dial in HKG/LAS or SIN/LAX see what is there, getting to HKG we buy a lowest cost sometimes upgradable fare. Also look at returning from LAX direct to OZ too, who knows you might end up with a circle pacific.

 

[Mattg]

Don't do the Flight Centre voucher! This is truly terrible value.

I take it you're looking to travel in a few weeks? If so, you've left it pretty late I'm afraid. But you might be able to find award seats if you don't mind flying Economy.

I would start by looking for reward seats with Virgin Australia to Los Angeles. If there are seats, transfer the required additional points over from Altitude.

If there are seats on Qantas/American Airlines, you have enough points to book for one passenger using Qantas points. For the second passenger, you could transfer some Altitude points to Cathay Pacific (Asia Miles) to book for the second passenger (one-way, anyway).

 

[Steady]

I take it you're looking to travel in a few weeks? If so, you've left it pretty late I'm afraid. But you might be able to find award seats if you don't mind flying Economy.

OP says November next year - so they are looking at the right time

 

[Mattg]

OP says November next year - so they are looking at the right time

Apologies, you're quite right! I should have looked more closely.

In that case, it's currently too early to be able to find reward seats. But I would suggest the OP checks for seats on Qantas around 11.5 months out, or Virgin around 11 months before the preferred travel dates.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Flight centre vouchers very poor value.

CX to LAX or SFO via HKG. Then get a domestic flight using either cash or points. If you have the time, the drive is extremely easy from LAX.

QF flights very hard to find. You'll need to be very flexible about dates and prepared to pay extortionate fees on QF.

I've done the USA route on CX via HKG 4 times already this year and have another 2 trips already booked on this route.

 

[Hozo]

Flight centre vouchers very poor value.

CX to LAX or SFO via HKG. Then get a domestic flight using either cash or points. If you have the time, the drive is extremely easy from LAX.

QF flights very hard to find. You'll need to be very flexible about dates and prepared to pay extortionate fees on QF.

I've done the USA route on CX via HKG 4 times already this year and have another 2 trips already booked on this route.

Thank-you. So to confirm my understanding you suggest that
-Convert Altitude points to Asia Miles
-Then use AsiaMiles to book CX to LAX or San Francisco.

And thanks again for helping a newbie

 

[Dr Ralph]

Thank-you. So to confirm my understanding you suggest that
-Convert Altitude points to Asia Miles
-Then use AsiaMiles to book CX to LAX or San Francisco.

And thanks again for helping a newbie

You've got it.

Only thing I would add is that CX also fly Hong Kong to Chicago, New York and Boston. So you can always fly there instead if you can't get a flight to LAX or SFO. But in my experience booking a year out and with around a weeks flexibility LAX and SFO should be available in all classes.

 

[jetpack]

With only 400,000 Altitude points, it doesn't look like you have enough points to get 2 x J return seats under any program. You could maybe do J in one direction but one way fares usually cost the same as a return anyway. Virgin economy award seats to LAX are quite reasonable at 111,000 Velocity points return with no cash payment, or maybe just get a sale fare for around $1,000.