QF Flight Award Sweet Spots

[kangarooflyer88]

With domestic and international travel resuming, I thought I'd start this thread to discuss some sweet spots in the QF award chart that represent outsized value for points. I know AFF's sister site, Frequent Flyer Solutions has an entire course detailing some of the good uses of point redemptions on QF and other airlines, but thought I'd drill into specific routings and flight awards that I think are excellent value (or at least decent value compared to the alternative of redeeming for yet another toaster)...

Some awards I've booked in the past year that I think represent excellent value (all awards quoted as return except upgrades):

• Sydney to Lord Howe Island, a UNESCO world heritage site and widely regarded as Australia's island paradise - 11,200 points (ordinarily 16,000 points) + $160 in taxes n' fees. Cash fare for this is easily above $1000 return
• Brisbane to Longreach to visit the QF Founder's Museum - 16,000 points + $146. Cash fare can easily ben above $500 return.
• Economy Upgrade to Business Class: MEL > SYD on A330 (with lie flat seats) - 10,900 points - ordinarily $600 more than economy fare

Would be curious to hear from others what other good deals they found on classic flight awards and the like (especially those who don't have hundreds of thousands of miles to burn).

Cheers,

RooFlyer88

 

[Seat0B]

I don't have much to contribute to this thread at the moment given that the only rewards flight I've taken in the past couple of years was a CBR-MEL-CBR trip done for leisure, so decided to burn points and book a business seat.

But with more than 3 million points to burn in the Seat family, and serious inability to get points seats to my preferred destination of Dubai, I am really keen to hear lessons learnt from others in how to get best value out of that points haul - other than buying 150 toasters, of course .

So thanks for the thread @kangarooflyer88.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

But with more than 3 million points to burn in the Seat family, and serious inability to get points seats to my preferred destination of Dubai, I am really keen to hear lessons learnt from others in how to get best value out of that points haul - other than buying 150 toasters, of course .

Now is the cause of your inability to book DXB due to lack of availability or is it now due to the huge taxes & fees EK now charges on award fares?

If I was you (and I'm not ), I would personally do something around the world involving a carrier other than EK to get me to DXB. Perhaps QF or AA to the 'States, spend a bit of time over there (or at least pull the handle of a slot machine at Las Vegas airport) then fly up to Europe on AA/BA/AY before finally catching a flight onwards to DXB. Alternatively, maybe go for a QR award to DXB. Generally for international awards or complex itineraries, I start off super flexible, so if I'm based in SYD I might try looking at MEL or AKL. I don't know if QF uses married segment logic for award availability, but on Air Canada I've exploited that to make award availability appear by starting and ending my journey at a nearby random regional airport.

Getting back to the topic at hand, for me, I think the best value of QF award points would be booking a trip to a destination that would otherwise be expensive, on a date, aircraft and routing that works. Occasionally, I get such a golden goose, but often need to compromise those factors. For instance, last year I booked a pedestrian SYD > BNE ticket using QF reward points because the dates I wanted to travel had a high cash fare price. The best reward redemptions for me are those where the airline prices the reward very low but the value is very high. For instance, Sydney to Lord Howe is priced very low due to its distances, but the cash fare is normally very high. Similarly, with United's points upgrade system, it's capped to 35,000 points, meaning if you find cities pairs on the network that are extremely long you can get outsized value (i.e. LHR > SYD).

-RooFlyer88

 

[volandome]

I use them almost exclusively for QR and EK redemptions in J and F. Been doing this for some in years now; I don't think I've flown Qantas metal since 2009 actually.

I'm obviously very irritated at the recent hike in EK surcharges. But I'll try not to cry into my champagne onboard QR915 in early May

I did also use QF points to redeem TLV to CAI via AMM in J a few years ago. It was an absolute bargain plus much less hassle than trying to get a ticket on the "secret" EgyptAir direct route.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Just thought I'd post an update for those wanting to wonder on QFF points for cheap:

• Brisbane to Prosperpine for 16,000 points return in Y
• Brisbane to Noumea, New Caledonia for 24,000 points return in Y
• Brisbane to Papua New Guinea for 36,000 points return in Y
• Brisbane to Mount Isa for 24,000 points return in Y
• Brisbane to Samoa for 40,600 points return in Y
• Sydney to Norfolk Island for 24,000 points return in Y
• Sydney to Tonga for 36,000 points return in Y
• Sydney to Uluru for 36,000 points return in Y
• Sydney to Mildura for 16,000 points return in Y
• Sydney to Alice Springs for 36,000 points return in Y
• Sydney to Moree for 16,000 points return in Y
• Perth to Broome for 24,000 points return in Y
• Perth to Exmouth for 24,000 points return in Y

Last but certainly not least:

• Sydney to Kangaroo Island for 24,000 points return in Y

I can't comment on how many of these are actual sweet spots. But thought I'd share for those to get some thoughts.

-RooFlyer88

 

[ellen10]

In the past I have used points for some wonderful overseas trips in J, but as I have no status, I think these are a thing of the past.
I have recently used points for return flights Sydney to Melbourne 2 months ago (8000 points each way) and I recently got flights for Auckland to Sydney in Y for 18000 points.

I think my points use will be for these shorter flights, sadly.

 

[andye]

The QF OW J Classic Award is on paper the best sweet spot in the award charts.
However it's almost unmanageable with current non-Hobart call centre competencies and the frequency of flight changes risking the whole trip. Many unhappy redeemers on the various threads

 

[love_the_life]

The QF OW J Classic Award is on paper the best sweet spot in the award charts.
However it's almost unmanageable with current non-Hobart call centre competencies and the frequency of flight changes risking the whole trip. Many unhappy redeemers on the various threads

But with reports of pax on award flights being bumped maybe it isn't so much of a sweet spot but a lottery as to whether you actually get what you booked.

 

[Limewood]

The QF OW J Classic Award is on paper the best sweet spot in the award charts.
However it's almost unmanageable with current non-Hobart call centre competencies and the frequency of flight changes risking the whole trip. Many unhappy redeemers on the various threads

But with reports of pax on award flights being bumped maybe it isn't so much of a sweet spot but a lottery as to whether you actually get what you booked.

Been using Qantas points for J trips for us two oldies for years long haul, now all but disappeared, sitting on half mil points but nowhere to go. I might try 2 x oneway.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Been using Qantas points for J trips for us two oldies for years long haul, now all but disappeared, sitting on half mil points but nowhere to go. I might try 2 x oneway.

Do you have a specific destination in mind and timeframe? I have managed to find some long haul J award availability, especially if there is flexibility on dates and routings.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Limewood]

Sin for a week June to Aug. 2 pax, just used points so now have 350K Qantas FF points, prefer J but PE ok.

 

[SYD]

Being a PC/PC+ member adds some incentive to burning a couple of points on Dom whY (earning 70% SCs) if not J award at a significantly lower SC earn to paid J.

The sweet spots kick in on multi sector routes A->B->C for the same points as A->C.

I managed to avoid a SIN->SYD red-eye in whY by doing SIN-PER-SYD for the same points and 33 SCs v 22 SCs flying direct. If there’s a DSC anytime soon, I’d probably do it again but go up via PER also (with o/n in MEL) ~40 SCs each way x2 for 25,200 pts each way.