American Express Membership Rewards - Best Use Of Points NYC-SYD Business Class

It appears that Qantas has drastically worsened their redemption rules to the point where they reserve the right to charge whatever variable rate they want for premium award seats. And, I've always understood that booking through CO for the very very limited number of premium cabin seats was hard anyhow.

So what's my lowest-cost (miles plus co-pay) of using MR to get from NYC to Sydney in J (or F)? My limited research suggests that it could be done by doing Singapore Air, using the EWR-Singapore nonstop as a connector, but that (because KrisFlyer only allows "premium" redemption levels for these flights) it would cost me about 380,000 points (but hopefully, at that rate, there would not be any capacity constraints?). Am I right, or is there a cheaper way to do this?

It appears that Qantas has drastically worsened their redemption rules to the point where they reserve the right to charge whatever variable rate they want for premium award seats. And, I've always understood that booking through CO for the very very limited number of premium cabin seats was hard anyhow.

So what's my lowest-cost (miles plus co-pay) of using MR to get from NYC to Sydney in J (or F)? My limited research suggests that it could be done by doing Singapore Air, using the EWR-Singapore nonstop as a connector, but that (because KrisFlyer only allows "premium" redemption levels for these flights) it would cost me about 380,000 points (but hopefully, at that rate, there would not be any capacity constraints?). Am I right, or is there a cheaper way to do this?

You could take the Singapore flight from JFK. Its a 747 and stops in Frankfurt. I dont believe they consider that a premium redemption.

You could also fly Air Canada. They have a decent business product with flat beds...

You could take the Singapore flight from JFK. Its a 747 and stops in Frankfurt. I dont believe they consider that a premium redemption.

That is correct , the saver rewards are still available on the 744 routes , so he would have to make sure it is JFK-FRA-SIN-SYD on 744
SQ also operate SIN-SYD with the A380 and 77W.

NZ and AC have same flatbed

It appears that Qantas has drastically worsened their redemption rules to the point where they reserve the right to charge whatever variable rate they want for premium award seats.

QANTAS have the same redemption options you had before (which weren't particularly cheap, nor was it easy to get seats).

You now also have the option of paying a variable number of points to get any vacant seat on the plane. The points appear to be based on a 1 QFF point = $0.01 of value. Look at the prices of available seats for the flights you want for an approximate cost in points

QANTAS have the same redemption options you had before (which weren't particularly cheap, nor was it easy to get seats).

You now also have the option of paying a variable number of points to get any vacant seat on the plane. The points appear to be based on a 1 QFF point = $0.01 of value. Look at the prices of available seats for the flights you want for an approximate cost in points

But QF isn't a partner with MR in the traditional "transfer points to the other program" style. With MR your only choices on QF directly are the 82500 Y ticket or the 20000 Y $429 Y companion ticket.

To redeem MR for a QF flight otherwise you have to go via a QF partner. The only partners I am aware of are IB and CO (and maybe MX). CO raised their QF redemption rates to exorbitant levels so they are generally a bad idea. For IB a r/t NYC-SYD flight would cost 22,500 points in F according to the table I found (http://www.iberia.com/OneToOne/v3/webPartnersPopUp.do). At the conversion rate of 1400 MR = 100 IB points you'd need 315K MR points to get the reward. That is actually a worse rate than CO's 285K points.

There are not many good options there.

...So what's my lowest-cost (miles plus co-pay) of using MR to get from NYC to Sydney in J (or F)? My limited research suggests that it could be done by doing Singapore Air, using the EWR-Singapore nonstop as a connector, but that (because KrisFlyer only allows "premium" redemption levels for these flights) it would cost me about 380,000 points (but hopefully, at that rate, there would not be any capacity constraints?). Am I right, or is there a cheaper way to do this?

380K points is a pretty ridiculous number of miles to pay. Some better options:

Membership Rewards to Air Canada:
Business Class on Air Canada NY - SYD: 115,000
Business Class on United or Air New Zealand NY - SYD: 100,000
First Class on United NY - SYD: 140,000
(the latter two may also be applicable to Singapore and Thai, but I'm not sure of the redemption rules and wouldn't bother with the extra flying given the other options)

MR to ANA:
Business Class on United: 115,000
First Class on United: 180,000
Business Class on Air Canada or Air New Zealand: 125,000

MR to Singapore Airlines:
Business Class on United, Air New Zealand, or Air Canada: 125,000
First Class on United: 180,000

MR to Mexicana: (Mexicana has many partners, but generally poor redemption rates)
Business Class on Qantas: 160,000
First Class on Qantas: 210,000
Business Class on Air New Zealand: 250,000

If you can trade MR points for AA miles:
Business Class on Qantas: 125,000
First Class on Qantas: 145,000

Seat on NZ using AC miles is probably your best bet, if you can find them.

-m

.......My limited research suggests that it could be done by doing Singapore Air, using the EWR-Singapore nonstop as a connector, but that (because KrisFlyer only allows "premium" redemption levels for these flights) it would cost me about 380,000 points (but hopefully, at that rate, there would not be any capacity constraints?)....

The EWR-SYD award on SQ books into D at 360,000 miles. It is still capacity controlled. :eek::mad: It is not difficult to book except on the A380 between SIN and SYD. If you want no capacity control, SQ has a Full Award available at, please sit down, 1,188,000 miles between EWR and SYD.:td::mad::rolleyes:

I would redeem it on other airlines as suggested by merrickdb.

How about VS via LHR ?

NYC-LHR always seems to have VS UC award availability if you are flexible on dates; don't know about LHR-SYD.

Edited to add...

Look slike it would be 280k, as you'd have to book NYC-LHR and LHR-SYD as separate awards at 100+180k. Bummer.

Keep in mind that you can also fly on NZ via VS miles...

Keep in mind that you can also fly on NZ via VS miles...

Assuming you're looking at the LAX-AKL non-stop keep in mind that it is apparently the one of the hardest tickets to get up front for a redemption. Doesn't mean that it is impossible, but they don't make it easy.

Assuming you're looking at the LAX-AKL non-stop keep in mind that it is apparently the one of the hardest tickets to get up front for a redemption. Doesn't mean that it is impossible, but they don't make it easy.

I'd go out on a limb and say impossible--I looked everyday for 6 months using the ANA tool, and there wasn't a single flight available. They had lots of availability to AKL from LAX on the one-stop through RAR, but I think those planes have old-style business class seats.

NZ and AC have same flatbedNo they don't.