How to Use Up Qantas Points? Obviously not on flights

[SYD]

Based in SYD.

Well, you’re well placed for some of the examples I mentioned but timing is everything.

Usual routes are SYD-BKK
and
SYD-DXB-MAD

QR J fares to MAD ex Asia can be as low as $3k (I paid about $3.5k on my last trip and no probs getting QF J reward to/from CGK.

Any class available.

If whY seats are in play, then they’re certainly around. Although, weirdly you can see QF flights with J rewards but no whY!

We've used points for SYD-BKK for years. We live there off and on.

None recently though.

Yeah, I don’t know what it is with BKK. Obviously a popular leisure route but surprised there’s never any J award seats…

 

[Human]

I accumulate Qantas points for three things: Domestic routes within Australia, routes to NZ, and partner flights internationally whose origin and destination airports are not in Australia. Actually Qantas points are really quite useful for all of the above.

As for using Qantas points to fly into and out of Australia ... I never expect it to happen. Which means that when I don't find availability I'm not disappointed, and when I do find it I'm (very) pleasantly surprised.

 

[drron]

@drron just pointed out the key point and that is they are hard to find in a premium cabins.
I just plucked a random week in Nov obviously economy tickets. I really think it boils down a couple of things
1. How do you personally value the points (personally for me it is sunk cost and they don't earn me anything so I don't really value them that highly)
2. How quickly can you earn the points and how many do you have
3. What do you value more - flying in a premium cabin or getting to your destination.
4. The game has changed and most likely will change again for the worse (I'm jealous of hearing stories about finding regular flights in J and F at convenient times)

View attachment 464358

For your first example I would pick the Finnair flight for 5000 points more and less time in the air plus a better plane, cabin and service.

If it was for me a direct JQ day time flight I would pick that over the CX option as several hours less and for me from BNE the flight gets in at 1350 so would still get evening drinks in the IC Club. I would miss that if on a similiar CX option.
And being a daytime flight I am not concerned with reclining seats instead of lie flat seats. I often go to sleep on an MCY-SYD in VA economy.

And I know people post that you just have to look and you will find QFF classic premium awards. Absolutely meaningless to me if they are on routes I am not going to fly eg USA and Japan.
Going to Europe I use now AA points on QR. Sometimes even F awards available. I still have a stash of advantage points.

We also love Bangkok and go there 4-6 times a year. recently we have scored a couple of Life Miles awards on TG in J SYD-BKK but never available on the reverse flights.

 

[robolb]

If you're looking at business classic reward seats in/out of Australia, unfortunately you're out of luck most of the time as they're either taken immediately once released, or don't have much availability.

Alternatively as you know, JQ have options, but who really wants to spend points to redeem JQ seats?

The SYD to BKK route via QF - I don't think I've ever seen any reward seats on this route, not even in economy. Unfortunately it's just the nature of it.

For destinations outside of Australia, generally there's better availability with partner airlines.

This year seems to be different though.

I was checking everyday to catch them on the release date. Working on EK at +330 and QF at +353
Any class seat, SYD-DXB-MAD, hoping to grab a couple as they were released. Nothing.

From the end of March 2026, they just dried up.........

Then I thought maybe the devaluation was delaying the release. But no change.
It's like trying to understand the Google Search Algorithm.

Anyway, no more hanging on and making endless searches, like watching for grass to grow..
Qantas linked credit cards have been ditched in favour of ones that will accumulate points for use on EK. Should have plenty of points soon! We're just buying EK seats till the points build up.

We can burn the QF points on Domestic flights.

As has been said, there's no point in accumulating QF points if the sectors you want to fly are never available.

 

[clifford]

As has been said, there's no point in accumulating QF points if the sectors you want to fly are never available.

Well not quite the case in my opinion. As has been mentioned above, Qantas points are very valuable in securing business class seats to/from SE Asia (eg Manila, Jakarta) where one can avail oneself of a cheap but classy J flight to Europe (eg EY, EK, TK, etc). In this way you can indeed get a nice business class trip to Europe for relatively little cost, with an overnight at a nice hotel in Asia thrown in for good measure (at your own minor expense of course).

I speak from personal experience.

 

[robolb]

Well not quite the case in my opinion. As has been mentioned above, Qantas points are very valuable in securing business class seats to/from SE Asia (eg Manila, Jakarta) where one can avail oneself of a cheap but classy J flight to Europe (eg EY, EK, TK, etc). In this way you can indeed get a nice business class trip to Europe for relatively little cost, with an overnight at a nice hotel in Asia thrown in for good measure (at your own minor expense of course).

I speak from personal experience.

OK, fair point. I suppose it depends a bit on travel preferences, purpose of trip and the like.
In our case we just want to get to Europe asap to maximise our limited time there.
So minimal stop overs, no additional overnight expenses or delay along the way.

I understand the attraction of stops along the way. We have a home in BKK and often stop off there.

Some of us just want to get to where we are going I guess, particularly if time is limited.

For us, whilst securing business class seats is a nice bonus, and a preference, we're just trying to secure "seats" right now.

I appreciate the idea of stops in SE Asia along the way, but from our perspective it's just a delay and added expense. Manila, Jakarta, great places, been there.