Redeeming Qantas Award Points...AGH!

[heinyloz]

Very frustrating to say the least.

I want to go to Europe in August and I know it is peak season and I have left it too late but it is a last minute thing for my best friend's wedding in Italy.

I think I will fly into Geneva or Rome. The wedding is 30 August, but it is going to have to be a flying visit as I have no money or leave really. I would ideally like to leave around the 22nd August and return on the 5 Sept or something similar.

There is nothing online, I tried the call centre to no avail.

Can you please give me your tips?

I searched a few old threads but didn't understand the jargon, would be great if you could help me out. I am only a bronze member.

 

[Harpoon]

You pretty much said it yourself...peak-season and only 4 months in advance, it's simply going to be an uphill battle. You may just have to get some luck come your way as each day that goes by your chances of an award flight to LHR will get slimmer and slimmer.

Alternatively book an economy seat and then apply for upgrades to use the points

 

[heinyloz]

yeah except I can't afford a flight...

will just have to keep checking I guess.

 

[Alanslegal]

yeah except I can't afford a flight...

will just have to keep checking I guess.

It is quite a number of points to fly Oz-Europe return, even in Y, so how did you accumulate enough points in the first place to consider an award redemption?

 

[heinyloz]

Strange question Alanslegal.

My husband is Scottish and we have been to visit his parents a number of times, plus I have signed up to credit card programs where I have gotten 17,500 bonus points or 15,000 bonus points. We have just gotten back from a trip in January and bought a house, hence I don't have a spare $2K + accommodation and other expenses lying around. I had originally decided not to go but have since changed my mind.

 

[ANstar]

You could also use points to get as far as Asia (say BKK) and then get a cheper far with cash for the BKK-Europe sector.

There is usually more availability to AUS-ASIA rather than ASIA-EUROPE

Another option - look at Shanghai

I found heaps of QF avail SYD-PVG in July and back in AUG

Then there is availability with finnair from PVG to Helsinki on Most Sundays and Mondays with returns on Wednesdays...

So call QF back and get them to check via PVG

 

[Alanslegal]

No offense was meant by my question.

I was just curious as the accumulation of points if you said "I can't afford a flight" and I'm thinking the points were earnt either 1) through lots of credit card spend or 2) relative amounts of flying; which either way, requires some $$$ I guess.

BUt thanks for clarifying and welcome aboard to AFF & good luck with the travel heinyloz

Strange question Alanslegal.

My husband is Scottish and we have been to visit his parents a number of times, plus I have signed up to credit card programs where I have gotten 17,500 bonus points or 15,000 bonus points. We have just gotten back from a trip in January and bought a house, hence I don't have a spare $2K + accommodation and other expenses lying around. I had originally decided not to go but have since changed my mind.

 

[poppet]

Last Friday I managed to pick up an award return flight from Adelaide to London leaving on 29/4. When I typed in Adelaide to London there was nothing, but I typed in Adelaide-Melbourne-London and Adelaide-Sydney-London and there were plenty of flights available for the same 128k points that it would cost me flying from Adelaide. So ... maybe try that with different Aust and Asia cities.

 

[heinyloz]

Thanks everyone

Shanghai actually works, but it uses up more points which is fine but the dates aren't great. I am going to call up the call centre.

poppet, do you mean choosing sector by sector, i.e. booking sydney to brisbane, then brisbane to london or something? I am not sure how to use the award booking system to select multiple stops?

 

[poppet]

Thanks everyone

Shanghai actually works, but it uses up more points which is fine but the dates aren't great. I am going to call up the call centre.

poppet, do you mean choosing sector by sector, i.e. booking sydney to brisbane, then brisbane to london or something? I am not sure how to use the award booking system to select multiple stops?

Above the place where you select departure city it says: Return, Single, Multi-city ... select multi-city and then enter the segments in

 

[straitman]

Above the place where you select departure city it says: Return, Single, Multi-city ... select multi-city and then enter the segments in

Remember that the online booking engine struggles with Cathay reward flights so the phone call my offer other options than what you see online.

 

[poppet]

I forgot to add that you will probably still end up paying >$500 in taxes - more if you have more stops along the way. My taxes were $650, but some routes it was over $700 :shock: ... so you will still need to pay something.

 

[heinyloz]

Yup I know about the taxes, I think direct is about $650 but stopping in shanghai is about $770.

will give the multi city thing a go now, thanks.

then will try call centre again at lunchtime.

 

[heinyloz]

I did it!

It took some more award points than I would have liked but I am getting there via Osaka, overnighting and have to fly Jetstar , but I am going!

Hooray!

Called the call centre with varying degrees of success. I found that flights disappeared off the system if you didn't act quickly so I actually just booked the return leg before I could even find flights to get there! I did see the Osaka leg earlier in the day but then I couldn't find a flight from Osaka to Helsinki.

So my route is

- Sydney - Osaka - Helsinki - Rome - departing Milan - London - Hong Kong - Sydney

I will be shattered at the end but really looking forward to Italy.

Only cost me about $480 in taxes too as using Helsinki as the European arrival hub.

 

[Harpoon]

I did it!

It took some more award points than I would have liked but I am getting there via Osaka, overnighting and have to fly Jetstar , but I am going!

Hooray!

Called the call centre with varying degrees of success. I found that flights disappeared off the system if you didn't act quickly so I actually just booked the return leg before I could even find flights to get there! I did see the Osaka leg earlier in the day but then I couldn't find a flight from Osaka to Helsinki.

So my route is

- Sydney - Osaka - Helsinki - Rome - departing Milan - London - Hong Kong - Sydney

I will be shattered at the end but really looking forward to Italy.

Only cost me about $480 in taxes too as using Helsinki as the European arrival hub.

Grats! Yeah that flight over will be a long 2 days, but at least you're getting there. Have fun!

How much time do you have for your London transit on the way home?

 

[Bundy Bear]

Congrats on your finding some flights.

I was about to suggest look via Osaka but then you found it.

I booked a RTW trip for November flying BNE-SYD-KIX(overnight)-HEL-LHR-AMS-LHR-DFW-LAX-BNE. fees and taxes were a big hit though $863.00

One thing to remember KIX-HEL is on a MD11 and the food portions aren't that good.

This trip report gives you an idea what to expect. Top And Flop: KIX-HEL-MUC, Finnair A320 & MD-11 — Trip Reports Forum | Airliners.net

 

[heinyloz]

Grats! Yeah that flight over will be a long 2 days, but at least you're getting there. Have fun!

How much time do you have for your London transit on the way home?

Yeah I would actually rather stop over as the 24 hour flight is really too much for me.

Three hours in LHR on the way home.

Gutted about the MD11! I didn't even think of that. When we went to the UK over Christmas I rule out airlines that I would have had to have flown on one of those because scared of safety record. I am not big on plane food anyway so don't care about food but yeah would prefer not to fly on an MD11. Oh well, am flying to Europe in peak season for not too much cash so can't complain.

I wasn't keen to go to Shanghai as just returned from there and would have not been bothered to go into town, plus I think you have to get a visa even for an overnight stay? I am keen to check out Osaka, even though it will be a brief visit.

 

[JohnK]

Gutted about the MD11! I didn't even think of that. When we went to the UK over Christmas I rule out airlines that I would have had to have flown on one of those because scared of safety record. I am not big on plane food anyway so don't care about food but yeah would prefer not to fly on an MD11. Oh well, am flying to Europe in peak season for not too much cash so can't complain.

Why? Finnair has one of the best safety records in the airlines industry. I think it is second to Qantas and has not had a major incident since 1963.

Contrary to what some people think there is nothing wrong with the MD11. Yes it might be a little old but it is a comfortable aircraft and you will find the service from Finnair flight attendants to be more than acceptable. I have done many short haul trips on the MD11 and while most were in business class I would not hesitate to fly in one again. Who cares about the brand of scotch, beer, wine or champagne they serve or if the food portions are small. Eat and drink what you want before you board and just enjoy the flight.

I know this was a last minute booking but Finnair does fly the A340 to some Asian destinations which include Hong Kong, Nagoya, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo.

 

[oz_mark]

Contrary to what some people think there is nothing wrong with the MD11. Yes it might be a little old but it is a comfortable aircraft and you will find the service from Finnair flight attendants to be more than acceptable.

MD11's do not have a particularly good safety record.

 

[NM]

MD11's do not have a particularly good safety record.

DC-10s had some issues early on with cargo door locking mechanism, and with hydralics redundancy. But I thought they were all sorted before the MD11. Do you have any stats to support your claim, especially comparing with 747, 767, A330, A340 etc?