Trying to avoid 800K point spend on single return flight for 4ppl in X

[DLD]

I've been churning for points for some time (mainly Qantas, but have small amount of Velocity), and have always wanted to use them on a Business or First Class trip somewhere... but, reality has hit and we (2 Adults 2 Children) need to travel to Europe for a wedding later this year Sept/Oct. So throwing J out the window and reluctantly looking for X, as I don't want to spoil the 5YO and 7YO and annoy everyone else.

Using Qantas search my wife has found SYD - SIN - LHR return on QF1/QF2 for the four of us for 813,000 points and $2,485 tax. We'd then be buying a few local flights/Eurostar (London, Paris, Italy, Greece, etc).

Knowing that we have quite a bit of flexibility in terms of timing (will spend 4-5 weeks, but could be before/after wedding etc) and location (planning to explore Europe a little, I'm trying to see if I can do better than 800K. We don't want to be too flexible on stopovers/flight times. eg. I found a potential option which used less points, cost a bit more in taxes, but gave us a week in Spain flying back MAD - DXB - SYD, but the transit in Dubai was from Midnight until 10pm, which with youngish kids is not ideal. Or a trip over via DFW is less points but adds 5 or so hours of flight time making ~24 hours up to ~30.

I'm looking for any tips or advice.

In particular am keen to know.
1. The 800K flights we've found for the 4 of us, this was using Qantas website search, just because they show up in search, does this mean they are available? I've got a small fear of just biting the bullet and getting these, to realise that we've been gaslit and there is only actually 1 reward seat. Am I dreaming to be able to get 4x rewards on the one flight?

2. When trying a multi city flight (truing to see if I can put together a round the world trip which gives us more holiday bang for buck (eg a nice few days in Singapore or somewhere on the way home), I often can't see the same flights. Flights that show as having 4x rewards seats purchasable when searching one way, or return with a simple stopover, are not shown when I search multi city. I've read that can be due to the currency being different and multi city not being able to show the option, but it still being ticketable if calling Qantas. If I can see availability via the normal search does that mean I will be able to include it in a multi city?

3. What are some good potential paths home from Europe eg (LON/CDG) where a stopover for a few days with kids, then would then have a direct back to SYD?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If you can see the flights on Qantas they will be bookable.

But maybe think outside the box. Paid fares from Singapore to Europe on Swiss Air in September are just $1100 per person, return. Emirates is $1191 return.

You could look to use FF points to get to singapore, and then use a paid fare from there. That will give you a much higher degree of flexibility, and the advantage of being able to fly into london, but out of any other european port for example.

You’ll save a swag of points, which will far exceed the cash outlay.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Getting 4 business classic awards (lowish ff point cost) on 1 flight is very hard. You are probably being offered"classic plus" (far more QF ff points)
If picking only QF routes (LHR CDG FCO) your options will be limited for classic awards (~hopeless?).
Look at EK routes, but very high carrier surcharges.
Far better to book as one ways. No need for the same arrival & departure airport. Can be different
Paid flight to Asia and then awards works for some.

The "$2,485 tax" will not be real taxes. But real tax and carrier surcharges (=airline profit). Ex UK (most airports) had a high air passenger duty (tax) for business class. So do not depart from UK

 

[DLD]

If you can see the flights on Qantas they will be bookable.

Cheers, that is good piece of mind at least!

You’ll save a swag of points, which will far exceed the cash outlay.

$1100 from SIN pp each way, adds to $8800 alone.
SYD - LHR return (via Dubai on the way QF8415/EK5 , and via SIN on the way home QF2) is also $8800. So my wife sees the 800K points as saving ~$6K

Getting 4 business classic awards (lowish ff point cost) on 1 flight is very hard. You are probably being offered"classic plus" (far more QF ff points)

Cheers, I'm not looking for any Business just hoping to get the family on the same flights in X

If picking only QF routes (LHR CDG FCO) your options will be limited (~hopeless?)

LHR seems okay. And CDG to places other than SYD does not seem to bad. FCO I didn't have much luck, but admittedly was only really looking at direct...

 

[Scarlett]

G’day @DLD,
Can you please clarify exactly what you mean by X?
I’m assuming you mean Premium Economy based on the number of points you’re talking about, and that can be more correctly expressed as W or Y+.
X is the Qantas specific fare bucket for economy seats (generically noted as Y) and may be what you directly meant.

There are so many ways to achieve what you’re after, but I tend to think that if you’ve found four Y+ seats on QF, and this is what you want to use those points that you’ve saved up for, then go for it.

As a generic statement, I’d want to know I’m getting more than 1.5c per point of value, so I’d take what you found, convert that to a notional all cash figure and play with that as what I’m happy to spend overall. eg: 813K pts plus the tax and charges ~ $14,680.
Then I’d see whether I can ‘beat’ that figure by using the various options that contributors to this thread will inevitably give you.

Options I’d consider:
- if you’ve found four seats and DID mean X as Economy, then I think you can do better than that equiv cash figure for Y return travel.
- use the points to get to south east Asia and then book cash fares from there per @MEL_Traveller suggestion.
- NOT flying out of the UK, so as to avoid the punitive air passenger duty.
- try to focus on what you and your partner want to see and maybe deprioritise the kids. They’re young enough that they probably won’t remember specifics anyway. I reckon Mstr Scarlett only really started taking in his travels from about 10 yrs old. Sure he remembers going to Legoland, but doesn’t remember it was the Windsor, UK one, or much of what he saw…

 

[Kerrodt]

If you can see the flights on Qantas they will be bookable.

But maybe think outside the box. Paid fares from Singapore to Europe on Swiss Air in September are just $1100 per person, return. Emirates is $1191 return.

You could look to use FF points to get to singapore, and then use a paid fare from there. That will give you a much higher degree of flexibility, and the advantage of being able to fly into london, but out of any other european port for example.

You’ll save a swag of points, which will far exceed the cash outlay.

I think for 4 people, this is a great option. 4 people on a multi segment journey all on points will be a struggle to lock in due to availability.

If you really want to do the Business Class experience, then either (a) book return flights to Singapore in Business on your points accrual, the rest in Premium Economy or Economy in cash, or (b) book the Australia - Singapore leg in Premium Economy or Economy end then the final leg of Singapore to Australia in Business or First as a treat for the family at the end of the holiday and the balance of the flights pain in cash.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

$1100 from SIN pp each way, adds to $8800 alone.
.

Those prices are return. So total of $4400.

You’re already spending $2500 in fees and taxes, so for $1900 extra you’ll be saving in the vicinity of 500k points. Which as you know is 2 x return tickets, business class to europe on Qantas… which has a value of at least $10000.

The advantage of a paid fare from singapore is that you can fly when you want. It’s easier to get award seats just to singapore. And you can save money with internal flights by flying in to london and out of another euro port without additional cost.

 

[Cynicor]

F,J,W and Y are the best way to refer to the classes here, just FYI.
W being premium economy.

No idea if you have enough points but your initial statement of not upsetting others with kids in J- no one cares. If you can, do it. I wouldn’t significantly sacrifice my own comfort just to show my kids what economy looks like for 12 hours, nor would I care that some old bag thinks kids shouldn’t be in business for whatever nonsense reason they have.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

F,J,W and Y are the best way to refer to the classes here, just FYI.
W being premium economy.

No idea if you have enough points but your initial statement of not upsetting others with kids in J- no one cares. If you can, do it. I wouldn’t significantly sacrifice my own comfort just to show my kids what economy looks like for 12 hours, nor would I care that some old bag thinks kids shouldn’t be in business for whatever nonsense reason they have.

Agree. Nor is it ‘spoiling’ the children.

Do parents buy a cheap car or live in a poor neighbourhood just so they don’t ‘spoil’ the children? Why is a plane any different?

 

[Flyerwin]

Those prices are return. So total of $4400.

You’re already spending $2500 in fees and taxes, so for $1900 extra you’ll be saving in the vicinity of 500k points. Which as you know is 2 x return tickets, business class to europe on Qantas… which has a value of at least $10000.

This is a pro tip.