Opinions on points bookings please

[Wannabee]

Hi there,

We are heading off to the US next Mar returning Apr and I am looking at making bookings using points and am trying to weight up a few options.
Looking to fly Emirates F or less preferable J as we flew to Europe earlier this year in QF F (as a FASA when they could still be booked online) and would like to cop are QF and EK F.
We currently have 512,000 points, me WP, she SG (only 210SC off WP but expires 30 Nov so she won't make it but that's another story). I earn only around 8,000 points per month from work flights and around 5,000 from credit card spend


Flights we are looking at:
SYD-LAX QF PE As a classic award comes to 144,000 + $921
JFX-(DXB)-SYD EK F As a partner award comes to 384,000 + $873

Which comes to 528,000 points so 16,000 points short

The second leg is the priority as it will allow us to sample EK. I was originally book a one way paid fare over but this is almost as expensive as a return fare.

So, options I am looking at are:

1. Book EK flights now and wait until I get 16,000 more points to book QF flight.
2. Travel EK J instead which is 256,000. This would allow QF J over as well

Questions
1. Which flight is more likely to be gone by the time I get the points?
2 Is EK J that much different to F?
3. As WP will I still get to access the DXB F lounge when flying EK J
4. Are there any other creative ways to get the 16,000 points (I want to avoid applying for a credit card to get them). I know you get buy up to 20,000 points as percentage of the original award.
5. Could the SYD-LAX QF PE leg be booked by buying extra points and could it even then be booked as a MASA. Any idea of the cost?

Not really a first world problem I know but I would welcome any opinions

 

[Limewood]

Try SYD/HKG/LAX on CX.

 

[zainman]

EK J is very much different to EK F, yes.

A credit card is the easiest (perhaps also the quickest?) way to get the points you need. Don't buy them from QF.

 

[vitagen]

From my experience in Y/J/F FOR ultra long haul flights, I would rather do the whole thing in J rather than one in Y and one in F. This would change if you have never experienced F, But you have

 

[Wannabee]

Thank you for your replies.

After reading many reviews on EK F I really do want to try it so I will go with that for the return journey, even if it means only PE for the SYD-LAX leg. I have also just applied for the HSBC credit card with the bonus 35,000 points (even though I said I didn't want to apply for a card). It was approved on the spot and should be posted in 5-7 working days.
I am also trying to con the missus into getting one and that will then give us enough to fly J over and F back

 

[Wannabee]

Ok so I bit the bullet and booked JFK-(DXB)-SYD in EK F.
I also applied for received and have done an eligible spend on the HSBC credit card so 35,000 points should be coming soon

Now just the problem, to get SYD-LAX

There is a classic award SYD-(BNE)-LAX on QF J that comes to 192,000. Also just BNE-LAX comes to 192,000? I thought I read somewhere the that an ASA is based on direct distance from departure point to destination so if true would that make a JASA less points? Any idea how many?

 

[Kangol]

Questions
1. Which flight is more likely to be gone by the time I get the points?
2 Is EK J that much different to F?
3. As WP will I still get to access the DXB F lounge when flying EK J
4. Are there any other creative ways to get the 16,000 points (I want to avoid applying for a credit card to get them). I know you get buy up to 20,000 points as percentage of the original award.
5. Could the SYD-LAX QF PE leg be booked by buying extra points and could it even then be booked as a MASA. Any idea of the cost?

I can only answer a few questions - never flown EK before.

1. Generally, QF awards in J/F to and from the US don't last long (certainly the A380 routes and QF107/108 to/from SYD). The exception somewhat is the BNE-LAX leg in J (F is not offered on this route).

3. Yes

5. Yes you can buy "top up" points:
https://qantas.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/255
Frequent Flyer - Using Points - Top-up Points

This may not directly apply to you, however converting an already booked classic to ASA booking is basically impossible - I do remember one anecdote of a person here who got a knowledgable CSA to do so over the phone but that is an exception to the rule. Even if you cancel the classic award, it may not go back to inventory and never be made available again on that particular flight.
In theory you can use top up points for an ASA (because the website only refers to it as "an award", but I can't recall any discussions here talking about doing so.

My current understanding is that the ASA being calculated on the point-to-point distance will only occur if a nonstop flight does not exist.
In your case, because a SYD-LAX does exist, then SYD-BNE-LAX will be calculated on the total of the two segments - ie. more than SYD-LAX.

An ASA only has a lower points cost than a classic when the origin-destination distance of two cities, where no non-stop flight exists, is less than the overall distance (including connection) calculated.

CBR-xSYD-HBA is one example.

 

[Wannabee]

Thank you for your tips, makes sense.

Searching for my Aus-USA flight is proving very difficult.
I have found a PE seat SYD-(LAX)-JFK that is not available if I search SYD-LAX
I looked at buying a one way fare but I am honestly surprised that one way fares are so much more expensive than return.
Interestingly though if I search a one way PE fare SYD-LAX it is $2977 AUD each. Searching AKL-(MEL)- LAX $2633 NZD so $2360 AUD. $617 cheaper. We would then have positioning flights though. The AKL-MEL leg is in J too and even with positioning it is still cheaper. Am I missing something?