Oneworld Award Actually Worth It?

[Tom Cain]

Hi all,

I’m in the process of trying to book our honeymoon for late August this year. We have a total of 300k qff points at our disposal and ideally want to use then as part of a 3 week trip. However, I’m not sure we can get any real value at his point when compared to a sale flights in and off of Europe due to taxes a a lack of business award fare availability.

I haven’t been able to find a 2 business fares on Aug 27/28 from Melbourne to London/Paris/Barcelona/Rome/Athens/anywhere else in Europe on Oneworld award, and ecconony flights will still cost a significant amount due to qantas taxes (getting up towards return sale fare prices).

I’ve toyed with 2 140k rtw tickets, but haven’t been able to make a sensible or valid 3 week trip work.

Any ideas, I think I’ve left this way too late.

 

[cjd600]

Pretty late......

On QF can see MEL-SIN in J on EK A380 28/8
then SIN-DXB-CDG also EK A380 29/8
(search multi city MEL-SIN, SIN-CDG)

Has 22hrs in SIN, and probably too many QF points to come back in the same manner, but thats one option going over that has popped up.
Might have had more luck 2-3mnths ago

Or slum it in Y to HKG, then various J options out of HKG to Europe on those dates (BA, CX, EK).

Have a play around.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi all,

I’m in the process of trying to book our honeymoon for late August this year. We have a total of 300k qff points at our disposal and ideally want to use then as part of a 3 week trip. However, I’m not sure we can get any real value at his point when compared to a sale flights in and off of Europe due to taxes a a lack of business award fare availability.

I haven’t been able to find a 2 business fares on Aug 27/28 from Melbourne to London/Paris/Barcelona/Rome/Athens/anywhere else in Europe on Oneworld award, and ecconony flights will still cost a significant amount due to qantas taxes (getting up towards return sale fare prices).

I’ve toyed with 2 140k rtw tickets, but haven’t been able to make a sensible or valid 3 week trip work.

Any ideas, I think I’ve left this way too late.

I wouldn't be forking out 140K for a RTW economy ticket. The fees and carrier charges will be high. Try cjd600's suggesting, get two business class tickets either there or back, and buy a one way economy for the other direction. One way fare to Europe are not unreasonable at the moment - $700 on Sri Lankan, $930 on Qantas+SwissAir combo, $1200 on Singapore Airlines. Or you can fly premium economy Australia to London, Rome, Frankfurt or Paris on China Airlines one way for about $1200 (and the product looks very good).

in searching for Europe you may need to break the flight into sectors - so AU-Japan, then Japan Europe (for Japan Airlines), or AU-Hong Kong and then Hong Kong Europe for CX (etc), or AU-Dubai then Dubai-Europe for Emirates. Use QF's multi-city tool and the 'through fare' points will apply rather than paying sector by sector (provided you don't have any stopovers).

 

[travelislife]

You are way too late for a OneWorld award, you needed to be looking 12 months out. Here's what I would do...

1. Buy a return ticket MEL-SIN-MEL as cheap as you can find (or MEL-HKG-MEL, or potentially MEL-DPS-MEL).
2. Use your 300k Qantas Points to get 2 x return Business Class tickets from the Asian hub to the city in Europe you are looking to go to.

Only issue will be availability in peak time...

 

[craven morehead]

I reckon best chance getting through HKG

 

[travelislife]

I reckon best chance getting through HKG

Will be cheaper too with less YQ out of HKG.

 

[Tom Cain]

Thanks all for your help. Im playing around with dates and costs based on advice. Ill let you know how i go!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Thanks all for your help. Im playing around with dates and costs based on advice. Ill let you know how i go!

CX cities ex HKG to Europe are LHR, LGW, FCO, MXP, ZRH, AMS, FRA, CDG & DUB. If you only have enough points for J one way HKG to Europe book J class on the overnight flight then Y on a day flight if possible.

 

[travelislife]

CX cities ex HKG to Europe are LHR, LGW, FCO, MXP, ZRH, AMS, FRA, CDG & DUB. If you only have enough points for J one way HKG to Europe book J class on the overnight flight then Y on a day flight if possible.

Said he has 300k points. That should be enough for 2 people return in business from HKG-Europe I think.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Said he has 300k points. That should be enough for 2 people return in business from HKG-Europe I think.

HKG/ZRH/HKG on a partner award with CX in J would be 156,000 each return plus taxes of HKD639.00 (AUD103.68) pp return. Shouldn't be too hard to rustle up the extra 12,000 points for the required 312,000 needed.

 

[Dr Bob]

Said he has 300k points. That should be enough for 2 people return in business from HKG-Europe I think.

184K each way so would need to find a few more. PE would be 300K return.
Could do the return leg London Hong Kong Brisbane Melbourne in J for 328K so get plenty of Lounge experience & ON in Hong Kong. There seems to be some availability mid Sept for this.

 

[travelislife]

184K each way so would need to find a few more. PE would be 300K return.
Could do the return leg London Hong Kong Brisbane Melbourne in J for 328K so get plenty of Lounge experience & ON in Hong Kong. There seems to be some availability mid Sept for this.

Huh? HKG-ZRH is 5777 miles which falls in the 78,000 points bracket for business class one way, or am I missing something?

 

[Dr Bob]

Huh? HKG-ZRH is 5777 miles which falls in the 78,000 points bracket for business class one way, or am I missing something?

Sorry. I was looking at London.

 

[Tom Cain]

For what it’s worth this is the best I’ve been able to do. Thanks again for the help.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

For what it’s worth this is the best I’ve been able to do. Thanks again for the help.

That's pretty good. Booking through expedia those CX flights to HKG and back could come in a little cheaper - as low as $1480 for the two of you depending on your flight times. Googleflights lists them as $790 but on selecting both out and return they come back lower, follow the link to expedia.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

That's pretty good. Booking through expedia those CX flights to HKG and back could come in a little cheaper - as low as $1480 for the two of you depending on your flight times. Googleflights lists them as $790 but on selecting both out and return they come back lower, follow the link to expedia.

When I look at Expedia for the exact flights the OP wants ie CX104 27 Aug MEL/HKG 1420/2150 (A350 flight) returning on CX163 28 Sep HKG/MEL 1040/2155 (A330 flight) the price is AUD1,929.50 total for two pax. The fares around $700.00 ish are there but not for same flights.

 

[travelislife]

If you can fly out of somewhere other than the UK you’ll save a heap of $$$.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

When I look at Expedia for the exact flights the OP wants ie CX104 27 Aug MEL/HKG 1420/2150 (A350 flight) returning on CX163 28 Sep HKG/MEL 1040/2155 (A330 flight) the price is AUD1,929.50 total for two pax. The fares around $700.00 ish are there but not for same flights.

Oh. I didn't see the flight times when I first looked. The OP may choose to take a 12 hour stopover in HKG on the return (using the arrivals lounge to freshen up before heading to the city for the day) and save $500.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

For what it’s worth this is the best I’ve been able to do. Thanks again for the help.

Tom, looking a the pic with the outbound and inbound taxes itemised I'm thinking you did two one way availability entries ie HKG/BCN (I'm assuming your "BAR" is Barcelona then LHR/HKG?

Sometimes one way awards will charge you mega bucks on taxes and you'd end up paying way more than had you combined the forward and return journey on the same ticket.

On the QF website use the multi city tool and do a search HKG/BCN then ZRH/HKG or LHR/HKG. I had a quick look at your dates and HKG/xLHR/BCN with LHR/HKG all on BA would be 184,000 points and HKD2959.00 taxes (AUD484.22) pp.

Alternatively leaving one day earlier MEL/HKG on 26 Aug taking the early CX flight at 0735 as that would give you heaps of time to explore all the J lounges in HKG or go downtown for a quick look. The CX HKG/BCN flight is at 0020 on 27 Aug

Returning eg ZRH/xDXB/HKG on 27 Sep arriving mid-afternoon in HKG on 28 Sep so you could overnight in HKG then take the day flight HKG/MEL on 29 Sep. Points required 176,000 and taxes HKD724.00 (AUD118.53) pp.

Your original taxes were AUD1,182.77 so after the CX/EK low taxes combo you would save AUD945.71 which is plenty of spare change to go towards a hotel in HKG for 28 Sep and to get yourselves LHR to ZRH.

The EK flights are on the 388 so think of the honeymoon selfie opportunities in the upstairs bar. Also the overnight stopover in HKG on the return would eliminate getting straight off a J flight onto one in whY.

 

[Tom Cain]

Thanks so so much!!

Tom, looking a the pic with the outbound and inbound taxes itemised I'm thinking you did two one way availability entries ie HKG/BCN (I'm assuming your "BAR" is Barcelona then LHR/HKG?

Sometimes one way awards will charge you mega bucks on taxes and you'd end up paying way more than had you combined the forward and return journey on the same ticket.

On the QF website use the multi city tool and do a search HKG/BCN then ZRH/HKG or LHR/HKG. I had a quick look at your dates and HKG/xLHR/BCN with LHR/HKG all on BA would be 184,000 points and HKD2959.00 taxes (AUD484.22) pp.

Alternatively leaving one day earlier MEL/HKG on 26 Aug you could fly CX HKG/BCN at 0020 on 27 Aug then ZRH/xDXB/HKG on 27 Sep arriving mid-afternoon in HKG on 28 Sep so you could overnight in HKG then take the day flight HKG/MEL on 29 Sep. Points required 176,000 and taxes HKD724.00 (AUD118.53) pp.

Your original taxes were AUD1,182.77 so after the CX/EK low taxes combo you would save AUD945.71 which is plenty of spare change to go towards a hotel in HKG for 28 Sep and to get yourselves LHR to ZRH.

hanks