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

 

[miles_collector]

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

Thank you, I didn't want to mess it up and FJ flies an A350 in that route

 

[Vic]

I'm contemplating a qantas award booking for a work trip. Used to be beneficial to do manage booking with one of the middle eastern airlines (Saudia, I think). Does anyone know if that's still a useful thing to check out?
If so, which airline?

In this case, the cash fare costs about $2500 more than 1 cent per point plus +++

 

[dairyfloss]

I'm contemplating a qantas award booking for a work trip. Used to be beneficial to do manage booking with one of the middle eastern airlines (Saudia, I think). Does anyone know if that's still a useful thing to check out?
If so, which airline?

In this case, the cash fare costs about $2500 more than 1 cent per point plus +++

IIRC, it was Royal Jordanian (Saudia is not a oneworld airline), and would likely just have been to check booking status, find a partner booking reference, or confirm ticketing had been done, in the event you hadn't yet received the e-ticket directly from QF. You can also do some of this through Malaysia Airlines & BA's booking pages. I'm not aware of other benefits to using another airline's booking page. Was there something in particular you had in mind?

 

[Vic]

Was there something in particular you had in mind?

First rule of flight club....
Possibly something about the real world options for treatment of a work related award flight, beyond benefits directly related to the flight.

 

[dairyfloss]

First rule of flight club....
Possibly something about the real world options for treatment of a work related award flight, beyond benefits directly related to the flight.

OK... I don't think I ever joined or heard about that particular club! Maybe someone who has will speak up... discreetly

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Not a Q but a couple of statements.

By default I find a BP in my hand courtesy of CX listing a QF J flt on 030 HKH-MEL on Aug 15. I have not been on a QF plane since Adam was a boy and with all the stories you hear and see I wasn’t expecting much.

QF030 is on 330 - got a lovely friendly welcome from all the mature aged Crew Members on boarding - indeed the service and friendliness of ALL Crew Members for entirety of flt was SPECTACULAR - just SPECTACULAR!!!

Seat 2F - certainly nothing to write home about comfort wise but please don’t think I am a whinger - it was more than acceptable as a seat. As a bed - OMG it was a shocker - I am a side sleeper but it did not matter how I tried to position myself it was just a poxy bed to sleep on.

F & B also very very ordinary - I ate in QF Lounge so was not really intending to eat much onboard - I tried the soup but it was so bad basically sent it back untouched - hey I finally got to try Neil’s ‘green leaves’ …… hmm delicious

Breakfast b4 arr into MEL was ok - fruit and yoghurt and ham and egg croissant - ok without being all that good.

Did I mention how spectacular ALL Cabin Crew were? And the Captain came and thanked me for a small gift I gave to everybody.

Turns out I have a very good common friend (also a QF Cabin Crew employee) with Crew Member Jacqui who ‘baby sat’ we all the way home. I always BYO PJs so I wore them much to Crew chagrin - I asked Jacqui if I could still take a set of QF PJs as they would end up at Sacred Heart who distribute clothes to ‘Women's Shelters’ and to those sleeping rough.

Jacqui duly obliged and returned with below for me:



All these items delivered to Sacred Heart in Cheltenham Sat Aug 16. Jacqui also gave me a QF cap which I proudly wore off the plane but left in Jimmy’s taxi on arrival at home - he is going to return it next time he is close by.

All in all an ok trip home - I won’t rush back to fly QF again for a number of reasons - but after this experience all I can say is WOW WERE THE CREW EVER SPECTACULAR

Couple of pints:
1. Gotta live QF as the only sure place you can select ‘Cricodike Dundee’ on IFE to watch
2. WTF would QF not supply slippers in J cabin? You get socks but no slippers / give me a break
3. Did I mention how SPECTACULAR ALL Cabin Crew Members were?

 

[Cloud9]

Not a Q but a couple of statements.

By default I find a BP in my hand courtesy of CX listing a QF J flt on 030 HKH-MEL on Aug 15. I have not been on a QF plane since Adam was a boy and with all the stories you hear and see I wasn’t expecting much.

QF030 is on 330 - got a lovely friendly welcome from all the mature aged Crew Members on boarding - indeed the service and friendliness of ALL Crew Members for entirety of flt was SPECTACULAR - just SPECTACULAR!!!

Seat 2F - certainly nothing to write home about comfort wise but please don’t think I am a whinger - it was more than acceptable as a seat. As a bed - OMG it was a shocker - I am a side sleeper but it did not matter how I tried to position myself it was just a poxy bed to sleep on.

F & B also very very ordinary - I ate in QF Lounge so was not really intending to eat much onboard - I tried the soup but it was so bad basically sent it back untouched - hey I finally got to try Neil’s ‘green leaves’ …… hmm delicious

Breakfast b4 arr into MEL was ok - fruit and yoghurt and ham and egg croissant - ok without being all that good.

Did I mention how spectacular ALL Cabin Crew were? And the Captain came and thanked me for a small gift I gave to everybody.

Turns out I have a very good common friend (also a QF Cabin Crew employee) with Crew Member Jacqui who ‘baby sat’ we all the way home. I always BYO PJs so I wore them much to Crew chagrin - I asked Jacqui if I could still take a set of QF PJs as they would end up at Sacred Heart who distribute clothes to ‘Women's Shelters’ and to those sleeping rough.

Jacqui duly obliged and returned with below for me:

View attachment 465253

All these items delivered to Sacred Heart in Cheltenham Sat Aug 16. Jacqui also gave me a QF cap which I proudly wore off the plane but left in Jimmy’s taxi on arrival at home - he is going to return it next time he is close by.

All in all an ok trip home - I won’t rush back to fly QF again for a number of reasons - but after this experience all I can say is WOW WERE THE CREW EVER SPECTACULAR

Couple of pints:
1. Gotta live QF as the only sure place you can select ‘Cricodike Dundee’ on IFE to watch
2. WTF would QF not supply slippers in J cabin? You get socks but no slippers / give me a break
3. Did I mention how SPECTACULAR ALL Cabin Crew Members were?

Yeah - it's the soft product that keeps me swinging round to them every once in a while when CX don't fit my schedules nowadays.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I'm contemplating a qantas award booking for a work trip. Used to be beneficial to do manage booking with one of the middle eastern airlines (Saudia, I think). Does anyone know if that's still a useful thing to check out?
If so, which airline?

In this case, the cash fare costs about $2500 more than 1 cent per point plus +++

If you mean what I think you mean… enhanced.