Optimising FF points

[landl]

Have spent the past couple of hours scanning your site - what a find! My daughter and I are planning a trip for Dec/Jan 2011-12. Musts are Orlando, New York and London. I have about 500,000 FF points. Don't mind paying economy on way out (excited about holiday so can put up with a bit) and have Amex Premium card, which gets me 2 invites to QC, which would help make the journey a little more bearable. Thought of then using FF points to buy business class NY-London-Sydney. Am I right that even award business class tickets get you QC access?
Also, thought I would just book each leg separately rather than one main booking but was (trying) to decipher fine print on Qantas terms and conditions page and came across this:
14.5.3 A one way oneworld Award Itinerary will be charged as a return Itinerary. oneworld Award Itineraries finishing in a port other than the port of origin must include the distance to return directly to the port of origin when calculating the number of Points required to redeem the Flight Award and the maximum distance for the Itinerary.
Does this mean I have to book everything on "one itinerary" or can I just book separate flights? I've been searching for flights etc on my FF page and have just been noting the points calculation on each one. This implies to me that at some stage of the booking process the points required will suddenly double ...
Thank you for any advice you can provide

 

[el_rooto]

You should be able to do it on a OW award for 140K points per person, in [-]business[/-] economy all the way.

 

[el_rooto]

140K is for economy.

My bad. Its 280K for J then? I guess if they had 560K points they could book two tickets.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

My bad. Its 280K for J then? I guess if they had 560K points they could book two tickets.

See: Frequent Flyer - Using Points - Qantas & Partner Classic Awards - Points Tables

J = 282,500

 

[Oneworldplus2]

See: Frequent Flyer - Using Points - Qantas & Partner Classic Awards - Points Tables

J = 282,500

I think that the 282k is 'if' you need assistance (phone assistance). If you book it online without assistance, it's 280k? Happy to be corrected as l'm looking at booking one of these myself.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I think that the 282k is 'if' you need assistance (phone assistance). If you book it online without assistance, it's 280k? Happy to be corrected as l'm looking at booking one of these myself.

I think you will find getting a J Award a lot easier with assistance...

 

[Egg]

Am I right that even award business class tickets get you QC access?

Yes, you get the same privileges as if you were flying on a paid business class ticket, including lounge access.

Does this mean I have to book everything on "one itinerary" or can I just book separate flights?

If you are flying NY to London to Sydney, then you would be better off booking separate flights than a oneworld classic award. If you fly BA from NY to London, it will cost you 53,000 in business (or 50,000 on AA), and London-Sydney will be 139,000 on BA or 128,000 on Qantas. The oneworld ticket would cost you the 280,000 because it would calculated as if it included the return SYD-JFK leg.

 

[landl]

I think you will find getting a J Award a lot easier with assistance...

Sorry for my ignorance but ... why do you think it's easier with assistance?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Sorry for my ignorance but ... why do you think it's easier with assistance?

They will often be able to see extra availability that you may not.
Sure at first play with the booking engine and see if you can get an itinerary to work. But ifa leg or two is not working/missing, then give them a call.

 

[NM]

Sorry for my ignorance but ... why do you think it's easier with assistance?

The QF on-line system for booking awards does not show all available award seats. For example, at this time Cathay Pacific award inventory does not show in the QFF on-line booking tool. So there is more chance of finding the flights you want if you call the service centre.