Re: best value from points
Have just finalised booking my 5th RTW AWARD points trip since 2004. In 2004 and 2009 completed FIRST class RTW trips utilising most of the 35,000 miles allowed. In 2012 and 2014 likewise but in BUSINESS class and the 2016 trip is also business class from ADL to Oslo via Hong Kong & Heathrow using Cathay and British. Land content until we fly out of Bergen to Munich via Heathrow on BA and later Munich to New York on Qatar via Doha and after Land content and internal flights to Cuba via Cancun and then New York to Adelaide by Hong Kong on Cathay. When I first started booking award RTW flights I found them relatively easy to book and in one long phone session, however, particularly this last one had to be done in several stages adding 7,000 ff points to each addition to the itinerary and spaced out over approximately a month. I needed to be much more flexible in what flights became available (checking pretty much on a daily basis as the various airlines release their award flights at staggered times even though they say for example, Qantas 353 days, AA 330 days and so on) The award flights through Qantas are released approximately 12 noon EST daily when they do release them. Interestingly for this itinerary there is not one Qantas sector for the entire trip of just under 35,000 miles. Most of my points have been through credit card spend using woolworths bonuses, David Jones Amex and obtaining Bank bonuses when securing new credit cards
Have just finalised booking my 5th RTW AWARD points trip since 2004. In 2004 and 2009 completed FIRST class RTW trips utilising most of the 35,000 miles allowed. In 2012 and 2014 likewise but in BUSINESS class and the 2016 trip is also business class from ADL to Oslo via Hong Kong & Heathrow using Cathay and British. Land content until we fly out of Bergen to Munich via Heathrow on BA and later Munich to New York on Qatar via Doha and after Land content and internal flights to Cuba via Cancun and then New York to Adelaide by Hong Kong on Cathay. When I first started booking award RTW flights I found them relatively easy to book and in one long phone session, however, particularly this last one had to be done in several stages adding 7,000 ff points to each addition to the itinerary and spaced out over approximately a month. I needed to be much more flexible in what flights became available (checking pretty much on a daily basis as the various airlines release their award flights at staggered times even though they say for example, Qantas 353 days, AA 330 days and so on) The award flights through Qantas are released approximately 12 noon EST daily when they do release them. Interestingly for this itinerary there is not one Qantas sector for the entire trip of just under 35,000 miles. Most of my points have been through credit card spend using woolworths bonuses, David Jones Amex and obtaining Bank bonuses when securing new credit cards
