The Qantas Newbie Questions Thread

[Hadun]

How come award seats on Qantas for US domestic flights only costs like USD$5.60 in taxes and fees compared to the hundreds and thousands that normally comes with flying on award to the ME and Europe from Aus?

 

[Cloud9]

How come award seats on Qantas for US domestic flights only costs like USD$5.60 in taxes and fees compared to the hundreds and thousands that normally comes with flying on award to the ME and Europe from Aus?

EK taxes and fees are notoriously high (with the exception of gems like the now lost 5th freedom route SIN-MEL).

Carriers will set their own charges, by and large, based on what they can get away with.

If US airlines are still as god awful to fly domestically as they were seven years ago, $5.60 seems steep, IMHO.

 

[Daver6]

If US airlines are still as god awful to fly domestically as they were seven years ago, $5.60 seems steep, IMHO.

Nope. They're not that bad. They're worse! Well just the general domestic flying experience in the US is so miserable.

 

[Aeryn]

$5.6 is likely a genuine tax, vs the carrier charges on ME airlines on award seats

 

[goosh]

New work project looks like coming through with Mrs Goosh and I having to go to Doha.

Thing is it will be 2 return trips to Doha.

Trip 1: MEL - DOH (Aug 30 - Oct 23)

Trip 2: BNE - DOH (Nov 4 - Dec 18)

While we are both WP, we don't have any double status banker bookings so may not be tied to flying QF for these trips.

Normally I would make a multi city trip first flying into Singapore on a QF plane and ticket, then the onward to DXB on Emirates with a QF ticket, however multi city doesn't allow for a trip to DOH.

I can input direct MEL - DOH, that flies MEL - DXB (QF ticket on Emirates) then its a DXB - DOH (Fly Dubai).

Any other suggestions to try or should we look at any other airlines?

My status resets in May 2026 and Mrs Goosh in September 2025.

 

[SYD]

New work project looks like coming through with Mrs Goosh and I having to go to Doha.

Thing is it will be 2 return trips to Doha.

Trip 1: MEL - DOH (Aug 30 - Oct 23)

Trip 2: BNE - DOH (Nov 4 - Dec 18)

While we are both WP, we don't have any double status banker bookings so may not be tied to flying QF for these trips.

Normally I would make a multi city trip first flying into Singapore on a QF plane and ticket, then the onward to DXB on Emirates with a QF ticket, however multi city doesn't allow for a trip to DOH.

I can input direct MEL - DOH, that flies MEL - DXB (QF ticket on Emirates) then its a DXB - DOH (Fly Dubai).

Any other suggestions to try or should we look at any other airlines?

My status resets in May 2026 and Mrs Goosh in September 2025.

QF codeshares on EK will earn much better than QR direct to DOH.

Who’s paying and what class of travel?

Other OW options include Sri Lankan (probably coughpy transits durations), CX and MH.

There might be QR options that go via KUL (codeshare on MH) that could improve the SC earn. Just be wary of any VA operated / QR coded flights that won’t earn at all with QF.

 

[Mwenenzi]

New work project looks like coming through with Mrs Goosh and I having to go to Doha.
Thing is it will be 2 return trips to Doha.
Trip 1: MEL - DOH (Aug 30 - Oct 23)
Trip 2: BNE - DOH (Nov 4 - Dec 18)
<snip>
My status resets in May 2026 and Mrs Goosh in September 2025.

As above who is paying and class?
OW into DOH. But most from the other direction

• AA
• AY
• BA
• JL
• MH
• UL
• QR
• Oman Air
• RAC
• RJ

Hamad International Airport - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Also look a QF non OW partners, but earnings may be problematic,
The shortest route is not always the cheapest

 

[goosh]

It's economy class only I'm afraid, on work expense.

Unfortunately premium or business is a no, unless we put in for bid upgrades..

I guess even if we go with another airline, the 2 return trips ain't going to get me a higher status for future travel so may as well stick with OW.

 

[SYD]

It's economy class only I'm afraid, on work expense.

Unfortunately premium or business is a no, unless we put in for bid upgrades..

I guess even if we go with another airline, the 2 return trips ain't going to get me a higher status for future travel so may as well stick with OW.

I think @Mwenenzi was referring to other QF partners that aren’t OW besides EK (eg MU)?

If, (big IF) you can get QF codes all the way, you could do quite well in cost v SCs.

But if work’s paying, EK codeshares booked via QF is probably a good option for both earn and comfort and perks?

 

[miles_collector]

I'm looking to fly from MEL/SYD to NAN in 1 year. As far as I could find in a dummy booking, it would be only Fiji Airways to fly this route. If I book this as a QF codeshare (QF flight numbers), would I still be credited the status points as if QF operated? It would be part of a RTW so the price itself wouldn't matter but for what I could see through the calculator, FJ flights would give 40 points vs 85 for QF flights

 

[MELso]

I'm looking to fly from MEL/SYD to NAN in 1 year. As far as I could find in a dummy booking, it would be only Fiji Airways to fly this route. If I book this as a QF codeshare (QF flight numbers), would I still be credited the status points as if QF operated? It would be part of a RTW so the price itself wouldn't matter but for what I could see through the calculator, FJ flights would give 40 points vs 85 for QF flights

Welcome to AFF! Yes, you'd get the full quota of SCs if you fly on a Qantas code. Also QF flies SYD-NAN.

Calculator here: https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/calculators.html