points & cash-cheap way to USA early Jan(school holidays)

[ozfflyer]

just got a very long email from a snow holiday wholesaler, saying cheaper to ski in Colorado USA, than anywhere & now also cheap to get there in school holidays, they gave an example using 32300 qantas ff pts + $981. (less $$$ for kids) for flights from BNE, SYD, MEL to Colorado in January.

how to do it

fly to Hawaii 1st week of Jan,(part of paid ticket) spend night or more in Hawaii.

Then use from 20,300 to fly from Hawaii (4 major airports) to Colorado (4 major airports) - yes probably have to pay for checked luggage on this portion (this seems to be a grey area-have paid sometimes, other times recently haven't had to)

Ski for few weeks, with lift tickets US$37/adult/day with 4 kids free. This works out at AU$10.60/person/day (or more on average if less than 4 kids) & on snow accommodation at a major resort from only US$162/night (au$232/night) for a 3 star apartment that can sleep up to 6 people (4 beds) & only 200 metres flat walk to lifts.

Fly Colorado/LA (5 airports) or San Fran(3 airports) or San Diego or near Napa Valley from only 12,000 Qantas ff pts.

Stay on west coast or not, but can only fly home direct from January 20 onwards. As most schools start back Jan 28 or 29 or later, could depart as late as Jan 26 & still get home in time for kids to go to school.

Looks like a pretty good deal to me.

Phoned them, but they said they'd call me back this afternoon before 7pm hopefully, as they had been swamped with calls.

 

[sudoer]

they gave an example using 32300 qantas ff pts + $981. (less $$$ for kids) for flights from BNE, SYD, MEL to Colorado in January.

If I'm understanding correctly the calculation is based on:

SYD/MEL/BNE-HNL - pay the cash fare
HNL-x???-DEN on points
DEN-x???-HNL on points
HNL-SYD/MEL-BNE pay the cash fare

Have I got that correct?

how to do it

20,300 to fly from Hawaii (4 major airports) to Colorado (4 major airports)

Fly Colorado/LA (5 airports) or San Fran(3 airports) or San Diego or near Napa Valley from only 12,000 Qantas ff pts.

20,300 HNL-DEN can't be correct. Here are the QFF points required for one-way partner airline redemptions:



AA don't operate HNL-DEN flights directly, so you'd be looking at HNL-LAX-DEN which is 3300-3400mi, so 24500 points.

Fly Colorado/LA (5 airports) or San Fran(3 airports) or San Diego or near Napa Valley from only 12,000 Qantas ff pts.

Could you please clarify that? Fly from where to where for 12000 points?

 

[ozfflyer]

If I'm understanding correctly the calculation is based on:

SYD/MEL/BNE-HNL - pay the cash fare
HNL-x???-DEN on points
DEN-x???-HNL on points
HNL-SYD/MEL-BNE pay the cash fare

Have I got that correct?



20,300 HNL-DEN can't be correct. Here are the QFF points required for one-way partner airline redemptions:

View attachment 174581

AA don't operate HNL-DEN flights directly, so you'd be looking at HNL-LAX-DEN which is 3300-3400mi, so 24500 points.



Could you please clarify that? Fly from where to where for 12000 points?

am on phone on hold right now. Will come back to you shortly.

ok you can fly HNL/PHX/DEN for 20,300 pts. For some reason HNL/PHX is an A333 so probably plenty of ff seats. You can also fly to other Colorado airports, such as Aspen & Vail airports.

Back from Colorado(Aspen, Vail or Denver airports) to LA is 12,000 pts. To San Fran Aspen or Vail to San Fran airports is 12000 pts, but if you fly DEN/PHX/SFO it's over 12,000 pts.

On the fare mentioned, you don't fly back to HNL but out of SFO or LAX back to OZ.

 

[sudoer]

I see where they're getting the 20,300 from now - AA sits in the same table as QF/EK/JQ - had always thought it was treated like any other Oneworld partner.

If you can find the availability it sounds like a decent deal!

 

[ozfflyer]

I see where they're getting the 20,300 from now - AA sits in the same table as QF/EK/JQ - had always thought it was treated like any other Oneworld partner.

If you can find the availability it sounds like a decent deal!

yes just looked at qantas website & even if you could get ff seats in Jan(NOT) it would be 73,400 pts + $315 flying QF all the way (not JQ to HNL)

ALso asked the wholesaler why they sent such a long email & they said, some people read the whole thing, rather than phoning to ask questions, that were answered in email.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

yes just looked at qantas website & even if you could get ff seats in Jan(NOT) it would be 73,400 pts + $315 flying QF all the way (not JQ to HNL)

Didn’t Alan Joyce just revolutionise the FF programme so more seats available during peak times?

 

[ozfflyer]

Didn’t Alan Joyce just revolutionise the FF programme so more seats available during peak times?

yeah good luck trying to get economy ff seats for the family LAX/SYD direct or nonstop 15-30JAN. The only reason you will, is if airlines are having a really hard time selling seats, which makes you wonder if they'll survive the recession, without a govt bailout or injection of funds.