QANTAS ADL-SYD-HKG Award Upgrade advice

[timi2fly]

Opinions please:

• I am flying ADL-SYD-HKG return with QANTAS in a 747.
• Trip there is a day trip, return is overnight.
• I am travelling with my wife and 3yo daughter (very tolerant)

We are looking at requesting an Award upgrade on our flight but only have enough points (160,000) for either:

1. Premium Economy BOTH ways (cost 150,000 points), or
2. Business ONE WAY, staying in Economy for the other leg (cost 120,000 points), or
3. Economy class both ways and keep the points (cost 0 points).

We have never flown anything except for economy before but are starting to travel more.

I would LOVE your opinions on what would be the best way to use my points.

PS. These upgrades only apply to the international legs.

 

[serfty]

I wouldn't bother upgrading the day flight.

The overnight flight is a different matter and I'd be looking for business (&PE as a fallback) for that one.
Posted on a wing & a prayer

 

[Leumas]

I'll be tempted to not upgrade at all. As serfty said, the only leg that may be worthwhile is the overnight flight, but even then you'll have a window row entirely to yourself. If you're brave, book yourselves to the middle block of 4, and you may even get a row of 4 to yourselves.

Having said that, QF have already said they'll be devaluing our points soon, so you may want to spend them now than wait...

 

[oz_mark]

Having said that, QF have already said they'll be devaluing our points soon, so you may want to spend them now than wait...

When did they say that?


Sent from my HTC Legend using AustFreqFly

 

[DTM1]

I would fly Y all the way up to HKG and then just J from HKG to SYD, with Y flight from SYD - ADL

 

[Leumas]

When did they say that?

Qantas Frequent Flyer rewardstake a hit from the carbon tax | News.com.au

Granted they didn't specifically say upgrades will cost more, but I'd suspect it's not too far off the radar...

 

[yohy?!]

Having just done the day flight SYD-HKG on a 747 I wouldn't be so quick to repeat in Y! Not an enjoyable experience to say the least, if PE or J are possible even in daytime I would go for it.

 

[DTM1]

agreed, but the OP does not have enough points for both ways, and the night flight in J (with a daytime Y) is much better than Y in both or PE in both.

 

[scaredeycat]

I imagine you've already booked your flights, so this advice might be for future reference.
i would fly economy during the day, then try to score business for the overnight leg. Upgrades are a lottery, especially if you don't have high status. You could pay for business one way with cash (which is totally impractacle the majority of the time); alternatively you could look for a one way award seat in J. I don't know your dates,but a quick scan of Qantas' site found 3 JASA seats available next month for 60,000 pts + a few hundred dollars. Alternatively availability for classic awards is likely to be better (minus status credits and FF points).
You may also find that you can fly "business class" with Jetstar for a similar (or cheaper) price to Qantas economy and enjoy a little more space (with business points and status credits if you pay for business max).

 

[QFPlatinumAddict]

The number of points required to pay for taxes and fuel surcharges will understandably rise as they will on paid tickets. However, if you have already paid for you economy or premium economy seat then you have already paid the fuels surcharges, and a fair proportion of the taxes. The points are essentially covering the extra technology/food/drink/staff that comes when you are seated in J/F.

On a slightly related note.......I am flying ADL-SYD-NRT in a few weeks and am faced with a similar dilemma. I have booked a W ticket, and according to the seat map on they way to NRT I am sitting in a J first gen skybed (it seems QF run a 4 class 747 to NRT every month or so!). On the way back I am in a standard W cabin. I only have enough points for an upgrade one way, I'm thinking on the way back... I already have a skybed on the way there =) If only QF would sell the first gen skybeds as W seats, that would be a winner!