Around Aust for 30000 points?

[Emu]

Apologies if this has been asked a million times before ... I've just joined the board, and couldn't see the answer anywhere... :?

Qantas used to have an unpublicised offering that allowed travel around Australia for 30,000 QFF points. I understand this is no longer offered.

Does anyone know if Qantas has replaced this with any similar "unpublicised" offering allowing multi-destination domestic travel for a capped number of points?

 

[thadocta]

Short answer: "No".

Dave

 

[dajop]

It will now cost 50,000 points plus an additional 10,000 points for every additional stop over (apart from the first one), up to 5 stops maximum. It is the same as doing two "half" round Australias, which you can get away with for 30,000 points + 10,000 per stop

 

[wleong]

For 50,000 points you could go to Hong Kong but then again you may not want to do any travel in that part of the world. :roll:

 

[ShootDA3]

37500 points to NRT (Narita) at the moment... get into it!! :shock:

 

[badger]

i just checked out narita for 37500pts and you were wrong SHOOT DA3!!!!
where did you get this info?

 

[badger]

shhot da 3. where are you??
you must be out of your mind!!!!!!!!!
you dirty rat, fancy putting stuuff like that online!

 

[ShootDA3]

Badger- HOW DARE YOU!!

im a platinum member!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[straitman]

Calm down children :!:

 

[Rick93]

Red cordial can do that to you......

 

[ozstamps]

AFAIK you can use one of the pretty generous mile ceiling 30,000 awards to get a darn near round Australia trip.

If you like short visits to each city.

Any journey break of less than 24 hours is not a legal stop AFAIK.

Have no idea from personal experience how QF treats it, but most IATA airlines regard being on "next carrier connection" as not comprising a stop. This is handy in smaller places with flights only a few days a week.

There you can if you pick the right flights (and get award seats!) have a lot of nearly day long visits at no penalty.

i.e. SYD-BNE arriving 10am, do some touring for the day, go out for dinner in the evening, then next day BNE to Cairns at 9.50am etc. This is NOT a legal "stopover" AFAIK.

Then to Darwin, Alice, Ayers Rock, Adelaide, Mel, Syd etc. You can throw in Port Moresby etc if you get days right.

You'd pick DRW for instance as a destination, hence spend as long there as you wished.

 

[thadocta]

For INT journeys, QF uses the 24 hour rule. For DOM journeys, they regard a stopover as occurring if you overnight at the location.

So arriving at 2300 and departing at 0600 counts as a stopover on a DOM itinerary.

Dave

 

[ozstamps]

For INT journeys, QF uses the 24 hour rule. For DOM journeys, they regard a stopover as occurring if you overnight at the location.

So arriving at 2300 and departing at 0600 counts as a stopover on a DOM itinerary.

Dave

You may well find that arriving 10am and departing 9.50am also is 'overnighting' in BNE. "Overnighting" is not an IATA terminology AFAIK.

I spent a lot of time mapping out a quasi round Australia route much like that outlined above for an hour last week or so.

Agent was quite happy to call less than 24 hour breaks thru flights,
and they did not attract the 10,000 "stopover" penalty.

 

[thadocta]

For a QF award, an arrival into BNE at 1000 and departing at 0950 the next day on a domestic itinerary WILL count as a stopover. Heck, even arriving at 2330 and departing at 0600+1 counts as a stopover, for a QF arard on a DOM itinerary.

Dave

 

[ozstamps]

I suspect that is not correct. For ANY airline on earth.

"Next best connection".

 

[michaelblain]

I suspect that is not correct. For ANY airline on earth.

Ozstamps, what thedocta says above is CORRECT.

International - the <24hour rule applies - this includes Dom-Int and VV

Domestic - if travel is not scheduled to recommence on the same calender day a stopover is incurred.

See QFF T&C's 10.4.5(c)(v)(d)

QF Australian Domestic itineraries - a break of journey at an intermediate point when onward travel does not take place on the same calendar day.
QF International and Partner Airline itineraries - when a passenger arrives at an intermediate point and is not scheduled to depart within 24 hours of arrival.

[/b]

 

[ozstamps]

Useful links - thanks.

Yes, it is spelt out pretty clearly.

I think I see where the agent was allowing me get away with overnights and things with no point penalty. Otherwise it is a pretty onerous rule that USA airlines recognise - indeed no Star Alliance airline uses on awards that I am aware of

For part of it they were putting me on Australian Airlines - which appears to be treated as a "partner" for awards, and there was some other bush airline taking flight from Gove to DRW etc - Air North IIRC. In the case of BNE had an overnight there and they had me on a JAL 747 from BNE-SYD next day I think it was.

This was all part of a 30,000 award that also included Air Niugini to and from POM, so that is why the 24 hour rule cut in it seems.

 

[michaelblain]

This was all part of a 30,000 award that also included Air Niugini to and from POM, so that is why the 24 hour rule cut in it seems.

Did you ever post anywhere a trip report on the Mt Hagen Show/Festival?

 

[ozstamps]

Nope! Hope to get time to write one though. The photos should be just maazing. I was there about 10 years ago for one, and they are just as stunning now.

In mid August I flew up to Mount Hagen in the New Guinea highlands, via Port Moresby, for the annual "Sing Sing" show there which is just superb.

Just like going back 100 years in a time machine, it truly is. Pretty dangerous place and took a few local "bodyguards" with me at all times. Cost of them was $A10 ($US6) a DAY.

Had a few days in Goroka via the 4WD and Madang on the way home, and I got home a week or so back.

See here for what goes on - http://www.geocities.com/skyfdn/hagenshow.html

and here for where I stayed! - http://www.geocities.com/kokopvillage/

10 Kms up a deeply rutted mud track on the side of a mountain. Accessible by 4WD only. No power at all. No running water. No shower. No internet. No TV. No or booze food other than what you bought along.

"Challenging" shall we say.

 

[arun]

Ozstamps,
If you don't mind, can you give your itinerary (without specific dates of course). I once wanted to do the round trip (Syd-Ayers, Cairns, Mel, Syd)and unfortunately could not travel due to illness. I got my points back. I would like to try again.