Which is the better program-qantas ff or Kris flyer for overseas flights

[victeeth]

I have the ability to amass every year close to a million points to use on flights overseas.
I am interested to find out which program is
1. The more flexible
2. Requires the lesser points to fly
3. Has a greater chance of supplying your request.
4. Has the better service

 

[dajop]

Some questions for you:

What class of travel?
Do you have any preferred areas you want to travel to?
One destination at a time or multiple (eg round the world)?
Do you wish to take stopovers enroute?
What is your home city/airport?

 

[victeeth]

Some questions for you:

What class of travel?
Do you have any preferred areas you want to travel to?
One destination at a time or multiple (eg round the world)?
Do you wish to take stopovers enroute?
What is your home city/airport?

Home port is Melbourne, australia
Business class for 2 people.
Probably travel to USA yearly with good intra-USA connections
but travel plans for future would also be European countries. THis being the case my return leg would have a stopover in Singapore for 1-2 days rather than another asian city to break up the jet lag.

 

[dajop]

Assuming you are earning at same rate for both QFF and Krisflyer, for Europe travel in business class, Krisflyer wins hand downs. On a limited number of flights/destinations you can get there and back for exactly half of what Qantas charge - with a stopover in one direction. However, for the same number of pts as QF charge there will be lots of availability (as you are on a higher award type) and more destinations, get the newer lie flat SQ product and can do stopovers in both directions. Or somewhere in the middle there are other carriers such as Thai..

For US, Qantas probably has better availability than UA or NZ (who you need to use Krisflyer miles on) but needs between 40-80% more points depending on where in US you are headed for.

My advice ... stick to Qantas (because the less people in Krisflyer the less people to compete with awards for )

But seriously if you can get equal earn rates on a credit card that keeps the points in the credit card program, and allows you to decide from a number of options when you want to travel (including Krisflyer) that is probably the best option.

 

[victeeth]

Assuming you are earning at same rate for both QFF and Krisflyer, for Europe travel in business class, Krisflyer wins hand downs. On a limited number of flights/destinations you can get there and back for exactly half of what Qantas charge - with a stopover in one direction. However, for the same number of pts as QF charge there will be lots of availability (as you are on a higher award type) and more destinations, get the newer lie flat SQ product and can do stopovers in both directions. Or somewhere in the middle there are other carriers such as Thai..

For US, Qantas probably has better availability than UA or NZ (who you need to use Krisflyer miles on) but needs between 40-80% more points depending on where in US you are headed for.

My advice ... stick to Qantas (because the less people in Krisflyer the less people to compete with awards for )

But seriously if you can get equal earn rates on a credit card that keeps the points in the credit card program, and allows you to decide from a number of options when you want to travel (including Krisflyer) that is probably the best option.

Re: USA
When you refer to availability with UA and NZ do you mean they offer less seats for their points program in business class or they have less flights.

Obviously availability is also linked to when you fly i.e within 6 mths; 6-12mths or >12mths.
How do you rank availability in these 3 time frames with UA and NZ versus qantas to USA.

I am not concerned about Furope because you have already said Kris flyer is the better.

 

[dajop]

Re: USA
When you refer to availability with UA and NZ do you mean they offer less seats for their points program in business class or they have less flights.

Obviously availability is also linked to when you fly i.e within 6 mths; 6-12mths or >12mths.
How do you rank availability in these 3 time frames with UA and NZ versus qantas to USA.

I am not concerned about Furope because you have already said Kris flyer is the better.

I have just heard that on NZ in particular it can be difficult to access award seats for star alliance partners. Not so sure about UA. But there is also Air Canada - if you don't mind getting yourself to Sydney - so that gives three options. And a potential fourth, depending of the nature of the arrangement with Virgin Australia and SQ becoming partners that may (or may not) open up possibility of redeeming on VA - indeed that could mean access to their non-stop MEL-LAX service, which is better than transitting SYD or AKL. And lastly there could even be an option 5, if it ever gets off the ground, is Continentals' mooted AKL-Houston service.

 

[cove]

We are in QF and SQ Kris and SQ is easier to get great flights but Mrscove still loves QF and looks there first. Recently QF availability has been too difficult as we may travel at a weeks notice....well that is what my sons tend to do it.