Best use of VFF points?

[Marsonline]

I have accumulated a few VFF points and signed up the NAB Premium card. In your opinion, what's the best use of VFF points:?:

Is there any sweet spot in VA/its partners? Thx

 

[zainman]

I like to redeem them for Etihad flights in J/F

 

[robd]

Some discussion here :- http://www.australianfrequentflyer....elocity/what-do-you-actually-spend-56862.html

 

[Marsonline]

Some discussion here :- http://www.australianfrequentflyer....elocity/what-do-you-actually-spend-56862.html

VS exited the AU market so EY's the way to go? And maybe AU to US on VA.

 

[PlutekPlutek]

How many pts for EY AUH-SYD in J ?

 

[erkpod]

Upgrades are your friend.

 

[Clivem]

How many pts for EY AUH-SYD in J ?

REWARD SEATS -

Reward J seat 94K

Any seat - Business saver 817K ish + taxes ....... ouch!

UPGRADES -

[TABLE="width: 100%, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD]

Flexi (Y, B, H, K or L)​

[/TD]
[TD]

Business (Z)​

[/TD]
[TD]

45,000​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Premium Saver (R or O)​

[/TD]
[TD]

Business (Z)​

[/TD]
[TD]

45,000​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

Premium (W)​

[/TD]
[TD]

Business (Z)​

[/TD]
[TD]

25,000​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[Marsonline]

Upgrades are your friend.

I think upgrades are not guaranteed and the flexi price is relatively high. Do you normally use upgrades for domestic or international? Thanks

 

[notzac]

I think upgrades are not guaranteed and the flexi price is relatively high. Do you normally use upgrades for domestic or international? Thanks

Upgrades with points are guaranteed - if there is award space available on the cabin you're wanting to travel in and you have an eligible fare, the upgrade is confirmed straight away. None of this waiting until a day before the flight business..

Points upgrades on domestic are offensively expensive - from a Saver fare it costs a ridiculous number of points, from a Flexi fare it costs a ridiculous number of $$$s. Long haul upgrades represent the best value, but are only available if you are Gold or Platinum with VA.

As zainman mentioned, one of the best uses is on EY premium cabins. Mostly decent availability, no fuel surcharges.

 

[erkpod]

I think upgrades are not guaranteed and the flexi price is relatively high. Do you normally use upgrades for domestic or international? Thanks

Both.

I've upgraded domestically. Once, there was an offer that allowed rewards to get SC but that was rare. So I went ADL - MEL - SYD in J & got J SC instead of zero SC. But that's rare.

Recently, I upgraded to J from MEL - PER. Too bad for me I got Awful but that's another story. I would have got a J upgrade on the way back but I wasn't going to blow the points on J on a transcon 73. Ironically, J was half full. I was quite happy with row 3.

Coming up soon, I am flying SYD - AUH - SYD as part of a VA metal only DSC offer. Upgraded to J both ways & am getting double full Y SC. If I was to redeem an award, once again I'd get a duck egg for SC. 0.

I'd rather get the SC & upgrade rather than get 0 SC & blow more points - I've never had more than 150k points in the bank at any time & I've just become a self funded WP.

 

[lobo76]

I've got 275k points and I've just requalified WP.
Planning a trip to Europe in August and maybe a US trip April/May 2015

What do you guys recommend in terms of using points efficiently. J to LAX or to AUD or maybe upgrades are better? You can't use points to go all the way to UK/Ireland/Germany, right?

 

[notzac]

You can't use points to go all the way to UK/Ireland/Germany, right?

You can indeed - it's probably the best use of points as well, IMHO. ~250k points return to Europe in J; taxes come to the $400ish mark.

 

[PlutekPlutek]

You can indeed - it's probably the best use of points as well, IMHO. ~250k points return to Europe in J; taxes come to the $400ish mark.

Good luck with that though. You'll have to go through their call centre. I'm so far on the phone for 16 minutes just trying to check one way availability between SIN and SYD for 4-5 consecutive days.
I'd hate to think how long a reasonably complex itinerary might take. This is where QF is a lot easier because it allows you to search most rewards yourself and do the various what-if scenarios, and you don't need to spend your lifetime on the phone.

 

[notzac]

Good luck with that though. You'll have to go through their call centre. I'm so far on the phone for 16 minutes just trying to check one way availability between SIN and SYD for 4-5 consecutive days.

I booked MEL-DUB online about a month ago. This is on VA coded EY flights; there will be other (perhaps better?) availability on EY coded flights over the phone, but I didn't feel like talking to anyone and the flights I wanted were available online - so it worked out well for me.

 

[dandandan]

What dates are you looking at? you could save me call

Good luck with that though. You'll have to go through their call centre. I'm so far on the phone for 16 minutes just trying to check one way availability between SIN and SYD for 4-5 consecutive days.
I'd hate to think how long a reasonably complex itinerary might take. This is where QF is a lot easier because it allows you to search most rewards yourself and do the various what-if scenarios, and you don't need to spend your lifetime on the phone.

 

[Moopere]

Both.

I've upgraded domestically. Once, there was an offer that allowed rewards to get SC but that was rare. So I went ADL - MEL - SYD in J & got J SC instead of zero SC. But that's rare.

It was a good time and I made full use of it

Recently, I upgraded to J from MEL - PER. Too bad for me I got Awful but that's another story. I would have got a J upgrade on the way back but I wasn't going to blow the points on J on a transcon 73. Ironically, J was half full. I was quite happy with row 3.

Transcon 73H isn't great, not in J or Y IMHO, however yes I agree, paying full price/points for a transcon J on the 73H is something I avoid. Luckily there are a lot of daily flights on the 330 which for me represent great value.

In case you don't realise, and I'm not sure having read your post, one _does_ receive both points and SC on a Flexi to J upgrade but you get those points at the original fares rate ... so, the same as Flexi. Its not awful, 40SC to go PER to BNE/SYD/MEL one way. Considering the price is circa $800 one way (including my calc of VFF points value at 3c each) I reckon thats decent value on a 330 in J even if you end up on XFA or B

The Saver to J upgrades are not great value for me though, transcon is saver fare + 30K points = $1100-1200 or more depending on saver fare (again, including points value at 3c each).