Qantas - Emirates Award flight Discussion

[Noah Count]

Worse case I'll transfer some Amex points to EK and book directly with EK

I thought about doing the same same thing however I do not have status with EK so F redemptions are off the cards. EK was always my preferred but as a back up have HEL-NRT-TPE-SYD in J and another HND-SYD-ADL also in J that were all made at the time of release as I knew EK would be a couple of months away. I will just cancel what I do not need at some point.

 

[lovestotravel]

I thought about doing the same same thing however I do not have status with EK so F redemptions are off the cards. EK was always my preferred but as a back up have HEL-NRT-TPE-SYD in J and another HND-SYD-ADL also in J that were all made at the time of release as I knew EK would be a couple of months away. I will just cancel what I do not need at some point.

Same here, but if this non-availability continues I'll get EK Silver, by paying for 1 J return for July 2026, so F will be redeemable for the next set of flights in late 2026.

 

[robolb]

Not wishing to hijack this thread, but I think I'll give up on QF rewards. I have a Qantas Amex Card for all my business expenses. What would be a good Amex (or other) card to switch to, so I can start racking up EK rewards? There are so many cards it's confusing. Not so worried about annual card fee, just the ability to rack up EK points.

 

[Noah Count]

@lovestotravel what status do you need in Skywards to redeem F. Now I have stopped flying like the mad old days and dropped from P1 back to LTG (will never make LTP) I tend to book with whoever I want.

 

[MELso]

what status do you need in Skywards to redeem F.

Silver.

 

[lovestotravel]

Not wishing to hijack this thread, but I think I'll give up on QF rewards. I have a Qantas Amex Card for all my business expenses. What would be a good Amex (or other) card to switch to, so I can start racking up EK rewards? There are so many cards it's confusing. Not so worried about annual card fee, just the ability to rack up EK points.

Not a hijack at all, I am in the same situation with 2.6 Million QF points and hardly any chance to use them.

Amex Platinum is the best all rounder and you can of course transfer to EK directly at 3:2 ratio

 

[robolb]

Not a hijack at all, I am in the same situation with 2.6 Million QF points and hardly any chance to use them.

Amex Platinum is the best all rounder and you can of course transfer to EK directly at 3:2 ratio

Looks like the way to go I think...thanks. My current Amex is tied to QF. I'll just get a new card.
No point in having millions of points if they cannot be used on the routes you prefer.

 

[lovestotravel]

Looks like the way to go I think...thanks. My current Amex is tied to QF. I'll just get a new card.
No point in having millions of points if they cannot be used on the routes you prefer.

I gave up on redeeming on QF well before COVID, as my status dropped from Platinum to nothing.

Yes a a plat it's great being able to see more seats earlier and/or ring for a release, so my focus turned to building to redeem on EK.

I'm really hoping the EK seats come back to QF, and it's just a glitch....

 

[SYD]

I gave up on redeeming on QF well before COVID, as my status dropped from Platinum to nothing.

Yes a a plat it's great being able to see more seats earlier and/or ring for a release, so my focus turned to building to redeem on EK.

I'm really hoping the EK seats come back to QF, and it's just a glitch....

Out of interest, do the JAL, CX, MH and others(?) still show up for non-status QFFs beyond the standard 350 odd day QF release?

I often wonder if those who say they can NEVER use their points really aren’t trying hard enough?

(yes, availability on QF metal is a shadow of its former self…).

 

[Noah Count]

Not wishing to hijack this thread, but I think I'll give up on QF rewards. I have a Qantas Amex Card for all my business expenses. What would be a good Amex (or other) card to switch to, so I can start racking up EK rewards? There are so many cards it's confusing. Not so worried about annual card fee, just the ability to rack up EK points.

A standard AMEX gives you the ability to transfer to EK but the conversion is not the best 3:1, business cards may be different. Not sure which in any AU CC let you earn direct to EK miles and IMO Skywards is not the best program out there. When I was running my own show I just warehoused in the AMEX rewards program and transferred to other programs as required.

 

[Noah Count]

Out of interest, do the JAL, CX, MH and others(?) still show up for non-status QFFs beyond the standard 350 odd day QF release?

I often wonder if those who say they can NEVER use their points really aren’t trying hard enough?

(yes, availability on QF metal is a shadow of its former self…).

Yes they do, you just need to use multi city. Edit. There are also those who do not want to book with partners as it requires more points. Often the partners are better than QF so I have no issue with using the extra points.

 

[SYD]

Yes they do, you just need to use multi city.

Yeah, a lot of peeps probably don’t know that hack! Oh, shoot…now they do!

 

[Noah Count]

Yeah, a lot of peeps probably don’t know that hack! Oh, shoot…now they do!

It is no hack/secret, here and on other sites there are guides on how to use multi-city, most carriers have a multi city search tool, some more complicated than others and I would suggest most just give up. To your point I suspect there is a large population that thinks signing up for CC, getting the bonus points 'the bookings will just rain down' more fool them. Even as a WP and P1 it not always easy my thought process has always been 'book the first flight available that works or works within reason, if anything better comes along it is a bonus.

 

[robolb]

Yes they do, you just need to use multi city. Edit. There are also those who do not want to book with partners as it requires more points. Often the partners are better than QF so I have no issue with using the extra points.

I always try multi-city. Certainly don't expect QF metal.
But have no desire to transit via US (lots of seats that way).
So trying to get from SYD-MAD via DXB or SIN.
DXB being the preference.
If I can't book via DXB using QF, it just makes more sense for me, to start using EK directly.
They have loads of seats, so we'll likely end up just paying via EK directly.
Not really concerned if it's QF metal or not, or if it costs more points or not.
Just looking for seats via DXB. And can't get any via QF.
Also looking at going via DOH and AUH. Nothing using QF site.

 

[Noah Count]

I have found that at times, it seems to be daily and then just stops for a week or two and then comes back to "normal"

This is for DXB-EU and EU-DXB routes that I watch far too often

In your experience have you ever noticed if EK goes back and fills in the blanks for when the flights just stop. I can see DXB-HKG F to around 11 Jun 26 and then seems to kick back off around 16 Jun 26 with a gap between these dates. F to other Asian airports still remains skint.

 

[lovestotravel]

In your experience have you ever noticed if EK goes back and fills in the blanks for when the flights just stop. I can see DXB-HKG F to around 11 Jun 26 and then seems to kick back off around 16 Jun 26 with a gap between these dates. F to other Asian airports still remains skint.

No, blanks don't get filled, if the later dates are now visible that's it

 

[k1s3k1]

maybe because June is high season (school holidays) in most Asian countries?

 

[Noah Count]

@lovestotravel thanks, well it will now just be the waiting game to see if anything opens up over the next 11 months.

 

[lovestotravel]

I'm just hoping that tomorrow morning the lack of AU to/from DXB rewards seats is fixed.... Not sure it will be though.

May raise a complaint if they don't as the last one with QF seemed to get past the AI and had a human response for another issue...

 

[Seat0B]

Well I'm almost glad others are now seeing my problem for MEL/SYD to DXB flights..

MEL nothing after 7 March
SYD nothing after 18 March (except 12 May which popped up today)

We should be seeing up to about 8 June at the moment but still nothing for March/April and May

Again, I just hope it suddenly starts working after 5 August when the new QF rates kick in....

I’ve been seeing it for years. We want to use points to visit Seat Son but always end up paying as we can never find J rewards flights from SYD or MEL To DXB.