Best way to blow 1.5M Velocity points

[Marty_]

What would you do?

I'd like to go to Scotland next year, but SQ in J is only 348,000 Velocity points. I am Canberra based, so SQ is very handy, with a CBR > SIN route and easy redemptions.

I could add a travel companion, but I have friends there, so that's not essential (am single myself).

Or ask for creative ideas from AFF!

I love Europe and the UK most of all, but have some desire to visit Turkey and Israel (would take a friend for that)... And occasionally South America piques my interest, but the affinity is not super strong. I couldn't visit them all as I just can't get that much time away from work. 3 weeks or so is probably my max, unless I go at Christmas which is winter in my favourite places, so not so pleasant! I love history and nature. Otherwise it's really a blank slate.

There are far more experienced travellers here, so I'd be keen to hear from you

 

[Ains]

Do not fly Etihad. Singapore are excellent.

 

[jase05]

SQ F?

 

[Ains]

I don’t know. Have u tried plugging in the desired location and seeing which flights come up.
Go onto the Velocity website and see in points plus pay what you can do. or go to Skyskanner and see which airlines come up. Work out which code share ones u can book thru velocity.

 

[coolkid101]

Do not fly Etihad. Singapore are excellent.

That's a bit of a generalisation isn't it. I've flown etihad apartments a few times and have had some wonderful experiences. Etihad business suites are also excellent. Service is usually consistent in both classes.
If you're comparing F, We didn't have a great time on new suites and actually prefer old suites. Sq J is really not a great seat with the angled cubby holes on prev gen seats..and we aren't big fans of the new gen J either.
In J we would pick etihad despite being pps solitaire. In F it would really come down to whatever you can find.. I'm sure you won't have a bad time on either. Probably not going to get sq F unless booking right at the opening of the window.. My suggestion if you're going alone is to try for syd-sin-zrh. Sin-zrh will be new suites and attainable at saver rates. Zrh onwards probably cheaper to buy a connecting ticket than make it a star alliance redemption.

 

[kookaburra75]

What would you do?
I'd like to go to Scotland next year, but SQ in J is only 348,000 Velocity points. I am Canberra based, so SQ is very handy, with a CBR > SIN route and easy redemption
I love Europe and the UK most of all, but have some desire to visit Turkey and Israel (would take a friend for that)... And occasionally South America piques my interest, but the affinity is not super strong. I couldn't visit them all as I just can't get that much time away from work. 3 weeks or so is probably my max, unless I go at Christmas which is winter in my favourite places, so not so pleasant! I love history and nature. Otherwise it's really a blank slate.

It all comes down to whether you want to park yourself in one or two locations and explore them in detail, or keep moving. You could easily spend three weeks in Scotland and not get tired of the people or locations. Fly into Glasgow, spend a few nights in that area, and then drive up the west coast as far as you want to, wander across to the east coast and repeat the process down to Edinburgh. For the history and nature angle, Scotland is very good. If you want an extra perk, get yourself a title before you go. You can visit your holdings while you are there.

Buit whatever you decide to do, remember to do a Trip Report

 

[Dec1971]

Do not fly Etihad. Singapore are excellent.

A little harsh IMO. I still enjoy the Etihad A380 F service through to London two - three times a year. Last two trips however I have taken the SIA new F suite on their A380's as a comparison. Funny as I genuinely believe SIA to be the best in the world but they missed the mark with their new A380 F suites.

With the points you have available I wouldn't hesitate in booking an Etihad F return to Europe.

Just my view though, and we all have different tastes.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

SQ F?

Just flew SQ J MEL - WLG, it was the old 777-200 but J was great.
CBR airport does not have an SQ lounge, but SQ F (if you succeed) in SIN would be a grand thing, not that I have gone into that.
Been into ADL and SIN SQ J lounges in the 1990s, AN (Ansett) days, evening flight, SIN - ADL, can't complain.
Can't wait for the 350 though.
Go for the F, definitely, but if no F CBR - SIN, the is the opportunity to get a 350 from SYD/BNE/MEL, the SQ Au lounges are a bit old and blah, but the thing is their SIN F lounge would be grand, their J lounge probably good, but their SIN KF normal lounge, as mentioned on here, no showers.
The MEL KF J lounge, evening service, would have a taste for Asian foods.
I saw vege noodles, even for breakfast, but I din't partake in it, as I wanted to save some stomach space for the Koru MEL lounge, a bit colder in temp, I prefer that than the warm humidy MEL KF J lounge.
You could fly VA from CBR to feel the VA CBR the Lounge, then MEL/SYD/BNE/PER to SIN, then CDG, then across to the UK via the Chunnel.
The UK APD is a financial killer, in "higher" classes of travel, in cash terms, as I am sure you can't pay that in points.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

SQ will ply you wtih any alcohol of your fancy, that is available.
I wanted just water, and they kept wanting to top that up.
I didn't drink too much, as I would then need the plane loo.
Not sure about the UAE based carriers, if their crews are Asian, they might be the ones plying the alchy, but if their crew are UAE citizens, they probably would ply the alchy.

 

[Ains]

SQ will ply you wtih any alcohol of your fancy, that is available.
I wanted just water, and they kept wanting to top that up.
I didn't drink too much, as I would then need the plane loo.
Not sure about the UAE based carriers, if their crews are Asian, they might be the ones plying the alchy, but if their crew are UAE citizens, they probably would ply the alchy.

They are very stingy on supplying beverages of all kinds on Etihad compared with SQ.
The only good thing about Etihad are their lounges in Abu Dhabi. They're top notch.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Maybe try ANA via SYD to HND then somewhere in Southern Europe, if you don't want to lose points if have to transfer VFF points to KF to fly SQ F.
Just read Matt Graham's post.
Can a person redeem points for SQ F using VFF points straight tho?

 

[Nathant123]

I'd also like to hear the best way to get from Sydney to Israel on Velocity points. The only partner airline to fly there is Delta from NY. Are reward seats bookable on points through the call centre? My last couple flights to Israel have been with EL AL so only Qantas points with them.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Do you really want to transit the US, though, and have to get the fourth/forth degree when at the gate to board the flight.
Not that I have done it, or gone through it, but I have seen the process, when/where they pull screens all the way across at gate 50/51/52 at SYD T1, and a group of people with ipads start asking questions, or I "assume" that was it, it was an American Airlines flight, and I "assume" it was to the US.
Scary process from a bystanders point of view.
Of course, those of you who have transitted or gone to the US might feel this process as tame, as compared to the CBP officer on arrival asking questions from his/her seat in the booth.
Couldn't you go with SQ to SIN, then the nearest point to Israel, or if they fly there direct from SIN.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

You could go with TG, have to create an SQ KF account, transfer points at a less than 1:1 rate of exchange, ...
Have to transit or stop over in BKK of course, which I am sure is better than the US.
But if you have a lot of VFF points, you should be able to have some SQ KF points left to use it on TG.
This would bypass the US, and its flight security/safety needs/systems.
Thought that SQ flew to TLV, read somewhere they have started, but that was a while back's news.
Anyway, your choice, if you do want to go via the US, then its DL, or Korean Airlines, both are in Skyteam.
Several options.