Travelling to Europe with an infant - use QFF points or buy 'normal' tickets?

[PlutekPlutek]

Hi
I am planning to go to Europe in June/July with my wife and our baby daughter (she will be about 5-6 months around the time of travel).
We have two options - redeem QFF points, or get normal paid flights. I have plenty of QFF points, and have spent some time researching what is available. We are going from Sydney to Warsaw return. Wanted to stop somewhere in Asia in both directions so as to break up the trip.
After a few hours of searching using the QFF engine, I have found a combination that suits us, which is essentially SYD - HKK - HEL - WAW - HEL - SIN - SYD. The total points is 280,000 plus additional ~$2000 in taxes for the three of us.
I have looked briefly on search engines for flightcentre, expedia and bestflights to see what we'd need to pay (haven't mentioned the stopovers - I don't know how they impact the price?) - and I got a quote of around $2100 per adult + $200 for the infant child, therefore $4400 all inclusive. This is with Qantas and Air France towards the end of june, coming back mid/late august.
So I'm tossing up between the two options, either pay 280,000 points + $2000 taxes, or $4,400 and no points. I don't feel that the cash difference $2400 is really worth the 280,000 which could be spent on more valueable redemptions at a later date. If the taxes were lower, then I think it would be worthwhile?
What does everyone else think? Are 280,000 QFF points more valueable than the $2400 cash saving to be made by going this way?
If anyone has any other routing suggestions I could try on Qantas I would appreciate it. I want to avoid London, as that adds quite a massive amount to the taxes, as does Hong Kong. I also want to minimize the number of transfers/stopovers as we'll be travelling with a 5/6 month old baby.
Also is anyone able to comment how much one can check in for the baby? I've seen differing accounts on Qantas, 10kg checked luggage + 1 item per baby (eg pram) + hand luggage (food), but I have also seen somewhere that the allowance is 10kg + 3 items per baby per adult (pram, baby seat, bassinet). Is anyone able to confirm this?

Thanks and Regarsds
Lukasz

 

[NM]

$2000 in taxes (i.e. $1000 per person) sounds WAY too high. Even with the increased fuel surcharges, that number still sounds way too much, especially considering there is no UK stopover to add the massive APD to the taxes. I suggest you double-check that amount. Most taxes do not apply to the infant.

Note I have deleted the duplicate thread in the Your Questions forum. You only need to ask a question in a single forum.

 

[PlutekPlutek]

Its $2000 in total taxes for two adults and the infant. I've spent hours on the QFF website and the lowest taxes I've been able to find for the three of us was $1500 but that includes a 6 hour stop in Brisbane on the way out and a similar stop in Melbourne on the way back. I have also read somewhere this week that Qantas jacked up their surcharges on international flights by 50%. not sure if it's just the fuel surcharge or the whole lot.

Lukasz

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Hi

What does everyone else think? Are 280,000 QFF points more valuable than the $2400 cash saving to be made by going this way?

Well in my case I would never expend points that way as it is only achieving 0.85 cents per FF point.


It may not suit you, but I would tend to buy in this case and to structure a future trip to obtain better value.

This can be such things as :

* Onewold Awards. Do some searching on this site and you will find many examples.
* Flights that are not discounted much, or are very expensive $ wise.
* J redemptions and particularly in a Oneworld Award.

Then again if you are never going to be able to utilise the above then maybe using the points now is optimal for you.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

PS: On Oneworld Awards where you should be able get 2.0 or more cents per FF point.

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....program/oneworld-rtw-140-000-point-27758.html

http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/your-questions/best-way-work-ow-rtw-27639.html


4.5 Qantas & Partner Classic Awards - oneworld Award booking conditions
14.5.1 A oneworld Award is a Classic Award Itinerary that includes travel on at least two oneworld Alliance Airlines other than Qantas and does not include any travel on any airline that is not a oneworld Alliance Airline.
14.5.2 Classic Awards using the oneworld Classic Award table must be no more than a distance of 56,315 kilometres (35,000 miles). Longer journeys must be broken into separate Itineraries.
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.
14.5.4 The following Stopover conditions apply:
(a) up to five free Stopovers are permitted;
(b) additional Stopovers are not permitted;
(c) only one Stopover is permitted in any one city in the Itinerary; and
(d) only two Transfers may be taken at any one city in the Itinerary.
14.5.5 Surface Segments are permitted as part of oneworld Award Itineraries, but the distance between the disembarkation point and the next embarkation point will be included in the Award Point zone calculation for that Itinerary.
14.5.6 Where mixed-class travel is booked, the whole Itinerary will be calculated using the Points level for the highest class booked.