Trying to use points

lesmac

Newbie
Joined
Aug 12, 2009
Posts
3
Hi
I am not sure how to make the most of my Qantas rewards. I want to travel from Sydney to Madrid around 30th March 2027 and return around 1st June 2027. When I look for flights I seem to get no flights available. Can you advise if there are ways to do this? I may be using incorrect searching. Any advice appreciated
Thanks
 
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How many travellers and what class of travel?

Are you flexible to travel to other nearby European cities and make the hop to Madrid by fast rail or short haul low cost carrier?

A departure date so close to easter might be limiting your availability. Have you played around with dates. Do you have much date flexibility?

I can see classic reward seats Sydney <> Helsinki

Dep 23 March (no availability after that date, plenty before that date)
Return 1 Jun (plenty of availability several days either side)

Outbound 79,900 points
Return 69,900

Helsinki is an excellent airport for onward connections to anywhere in Europe. Maybe the best.
 
Last edited:
Hi
I am not sure how to make the most of my Qantas rewards. I want to travel from Sydney to Madrid around 30th March 2027 and return around 1st June 2027. When I look for flights I seem to get no flights available. Can you advise if there are ways to do this? I may be using incorrect searching. Any advice appreciated
Thanks
You need to research the times Qantas and partner airlines release their reward seats, and try to get in quick when they do.
There are threads and articles on here which can help.
There are also software tools (apps and websites) which can assist. There are threads on them, as well.

I think Qantas releases them 12 months out so you may have missed the boat. But then QF don't fly to MAD anyway.
Partner airlines such as Emirates and Cathay Pacific often release seats closer to the dates, I think 3 months before from memory.
Cathay Pacific often seem to release some fairly close to the flight dates.
From memory Emirates and Qatar are the main options if you want to fly to MAD on points.
Oman Air is a new Oneworld member and may be another option.
Malaysian can be available and avoids the Middle East.

Another option would be to do it as a multi-city flight from AU to another European airport and then fly a short hop to Madrid.
If you can't book that multi-city you could do it as separate bookings.
Reward flights within Europe are almost always available, and are good value.
The separate bookings shouldn't be a huge inconvenience because you'll be entering the Schengen zone at the first European port anyway.
The intra-EU flight will be like a domestic flight.
Some countries (such as Spain) don't even ask departing PAX for ID, but some (such as France) do.
 
Thanks for replying
I have quite a bit of date flexibility and can jump from other European cities. I will travel economy and am solo traveller.
Thanks again
You need to research the times Qantas and partner airlines release their reward seats, and try to get in quick when they do.
There are threads and articles on here which can help.
There are also software tools (apps and websites) which can assist. There are threads on them, as well.

I think Qantas releases them 12 months out so you may have missed the boat. But then QF don't fly to MAD anyway.
Partner airlines such as Emirates and Cathay Pacific often release seats closer to the dates, I think 3 months before from memory.
Cathay Pacific often seem to release some fairly close to the flight dates.
From memory Emirates and Qatar are the main options if you want to fly to MAD on points.
Oman Air is a new Oneworld member and may be another option.
Malaysian can be available and avoids the Middle East.

Another option would be to do it as a multi-city flight from AU to another European airport and then fly a short hop to Madrid.
If you can't book that multi-city you could do it as separate bookings.
Reward flights within Europe are almost always available, and are good value.
The separate bookings shouldn't be a huge inconvenience because you'll be entering the Schengen zone at the first European port anyway.
The intra-EU flight will be like a domestic flight.
Some countries (such as Spain) don't even ask departing PAX for ID, but some (eg. France) do.
Thanks so much for your help. I’ll do some searching
 
How many travellers and what class of travel?

Are you flexible to travel to other nearby European cities and make the hop to Madrid by fast rail or short haul low cost carrier?

A departure date so close to easter might be limiting your availability. Have you played around with dates. Do you have much date flexibility?

I can see classic reward seats Sydney <> Helsinki

Dep 23 March (no availability after that date, plenty before that date)
Return 1 Jun (plenty of availability several days either side)

Outbound 79,900 points
Return 69,900

Helsinki is an excellent airport for onward connections to anywhere in Europe. Maybe the best.
Thanks for replying
I have quite a bit of date flexibility and can jump from other European cities. I will travel economy and am solo traveller.
Thanks again
 

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