Award flight to the UK - can I squeeze this award down any further in cost?

[simongr]

Hi all

I am currently planning a UK trip next year (Oct 2013) and working out how minimise my points costs.

I forecast that by the time I need book I should have 500K QFF points and 280K in my Amex account. I also have 38K AAdvantage points

A straight SYD-LHR-SYD in J for three people (one of them 4 1/2 during the flight) costs 252K pp so 756K all. I will have that of course but it will demolish my points balance completely.

Thinking things through I think I could transfer my points to AA via the SPG and two separate awards:

SYD-HKG-SYD on QFF points - 360K
HKG-LHR-HKG on AAmiles - [-]210K[/-] 309K

I think this would save me 140K points (say 100K if you net off the AA miles but they are just sat there doing nothing ).

Have I missed any other tricks to squeeze down the cost?

I think I could maybe try an ASA at the time of booking which would have a net reduction of points used but I can't really factor that into my decision making.

I think the hardest thing is going to be getting he required seats - we will have some flexibility though we need the bulk of the trip to be in school holidays.

I am not concerned about connecting in HKG as I think we will try to stay in HKG for a few/couple of days anyway.

I haven't yet considered a velocity option for the HKG-LHR-HKG as an alternative to a OW award but would explore that as well.

Any further thoughts?

Any thoughts on how lucky I might be getting seats released as a WP (not P1 )

 

[turtlemichael]

Different track. Syd-Hkg-Syd in J on VS is 80K per person. Factoring in the current 30% bonus for transfers from Amex MR it becomes 185K for 3 passengers, or around half the QF cost. I've never had any problem with VS availability to HKG. It's different from QF but not by a factor of half. To London the cost is 460k MR points for 3 on the same basis.

 

[simongr]

Is that transferring points to velocity?

 

[turtlemichael]

Transferring points to VS Flying Club. http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ards/great-offers-march-lots-bonus-37110.html

 

[simongr]

Damn - just realised a mistake in my OP as the AAward rate is too low - I was using the SYD-HKG-SYD AA rate rather than HKG-LHR-HKG - OP updated

So having edited the OP I think the amount of Amex points required would be 440K which is not an option

So if I did the VS thing I would need to move 185K to VS and then 504K in my QF account - net saving of maybe 100K points...

Conversely funding the SYD-HKG-SYD on AAmiles I would be back to my original 240K move from Amex to AA via SPG...