Syd-NewYork 450k pts. 2 pax. Best options? Best route?

[nkr]

We have accrued 450,000 Qantas FF points and are keen to fly Syd-New York return. 2 adults.

It's a "once in a lifetime" trip for us and want to ensure we get max value.

Please can anyone offer guidance on the best use of these points?

We are open to going via anywhere interesting and would love to perhaps be able to upgrade to premium.

We are flexible with dates, days, times etc.

Thanks so much.

 

[zainman]

We have accrued 450,000 Qantas FF points and are keen to fly Syd-New York return. 2 adults.

It's a "once in a lifetime" trip for us and want to ensure we get max value.

Please can anyone offer guidance on the best use of these points?

We are open to going via anywhere interesting and would love to perhaps be able to upgrade to premium.

We are flexible with dates, days, times etc.

Thanks so much.

Some possible routes could be:

QF: SYD-LAX/DFW-JFK
CX: SYD- HKG-YVR-JFK or SYD-HKG-JFK/EWR

JL: SYD-NRT-JFK

EK? SYD-DXB-JFK

 

[nkr]

THz Zainman - will check these out. We have been saving these for around 10 years... would you be cashing them out now in light of Qantas dramas. I read you trf yours somewhere - where to? We lost 500k when Ansett went down!

 

[mannej]

If you are happy to go Premium Economy, you have enough points for 2 x return SYD-JFK direct on QF.

There are websites out there that will let you set up alerts (read: Expert Flyer) that notify you when the appropriate fare class opens up.

There is not much point in buying a seat and trying to use the points to upgrade, as it is a lottery with a very poor success rate.

FWIW regarding the QF points, there is the thought out there that as the QFF is one of the shining lights of the business, they'd be crazy to devalue/alter it enough to turn people away. Not sure if it is doom and gloom just yet.

 

[zainman]

THz Zainman - will check these out. We have been saving these for around 10 years... would you be cashing them out now in light of Qantas dramas. I read you trf yours somewhere - where to? We lost 500k when Ansett went down!

QFF can be quite frustrating when it comes to availability on their own airline. Seats are even harder to get when you don't have elite status (I am assuming you don't?).

Join BAEC by using an address outside of Australia and plug in some routes into their Avios booking engine and see what routes etc you come up with. Or you could even try calling QFF to see what options they can offer.

I have swapped all my QFF earning credit cards to ones that transfer to Velocity or Krisflyer simply because I find they are more generous with availability and Velocity does not charge fuel surcharges. QFF is already one of the most expensive programs points wise and the fuel surcharges make it even worse.

Good luck and report back your findings!

 

[Jean Prouvaire]

It's a "once in a lifetime" trip for us and want to ensure we get max value.

Please can anyone offer guidance on the best use of these points?

We are open to going via anywhere interesting and would love to perhaps be able to upgrade to premium.

We are flexible with dates, days, times etc.

I think "max value" will depend on what it is you're hoping to get out of the trip. Status credits to retain your QFF level? Most number of stopovers in interesting places? Premium traveling experience?

One thing you might want to investigate is the "Marginal Any Seat Award" which, if you phone up and book early enough, will allow you to fly in business class for points plus a cash co-payment that is not much more than it would cost to fly in economy. Check out this thread for more info. Unlike classic awards these any seat awards will also gain you status credits (which many people on this board, including myself, are obsessed with), and at a good price. These "MASA" award seats do usually have to be booked well in advance though.

If, in your search to get to New York "via anywhere interesting" you're willing to entertain other countries besides the US, you might want to consider a OneWorld Explorer fare, which will take you round the world using a chunk of points. You don't quite have enough for two round-the-world tickets in business class (they're 280,000 points each), but do have more than enough for 2 economy class tickets (140,000 points each). A RTW trip would add to the "once in a lifetime trip" feeling.

 

[Limewood]

Via Hong Kong HG is excellent, why not do a PE or Y to there, then J or PE to SFO or ORD or NYC or LAX, might do it with bit of dosh and those points.

Or buy a Y SYD/HKG then J to USA

 

[11sjw]

As others have said travel via HKG. Why not have a few days there on the way back? Great holiday location in itself.

Planning and doing the research is half the fun (IMO, not in Mrs 11sjw's opinion!!). Enjoy.

 

[Limewood]

HKG fabulous airport, fabulous city full of life, in J or with status the OneWorld lounges are brilliant too.

 

[grussellt]

To maximise your flying experience I would try SYD-DXB-JFK in J (256,000pts) on either all EK or QF/EK - enjoy the A380 and maybe try to arrange 24hr in DXB (book as multi-city). You could return JFK-LAX-SYD in PE for 192,000pts.

 

[Mwenenzi]

To maximise your flying experience I would try SYD-DXB-JFK in J (256,000pts) on either all EK or QF/EK - enjoy the A380 and maybe try to arrange 24hr in DXB (book as multi-city). You could return JFK-LAX-SYD in PE for 192,000pts.

nkr has 450,000 points for 2 people: 225,000 per person availabe for the round trip Aust USA
If availibilty is an issue, they may have to go on different days and/or different routes
As others have stated, do not consider buying an economy ticket and trying for an upgrade