Best Value Inter Australia??
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 728
Best Value Inter Australia??
We will be flying three legs around the country on our trip to Australia (family of 5)
Melbourne to Alice Springs
Alice Springs to Cairns
Cairns to Sydney
Am I correct that BA Avios is the best value for these flights? 10k Avios points per seat is going to cost me 150k Avios points total and only return around $0.015 US per point which is low compared to the value I usually get.
Alternative suggestions are appreciated.
Have Delta, United, BA, Virgin Atlantic, and Amex points to pick from
Thanks
Melbourne to Alice Springs
Alice Springs to Cairns
Cairns to Sydney
Am I correct that BA Avios is the best value for these flights? 10k Avios points per seat is going to cost me 150k Avios points total and only return around $0.015 US per point which is low compared to the value I usually get.
Alternative suggestions are appreciated.
Have Delta, United, BA, Virgin Atlantic, and Amex points to pick from
Thanks
Last edited by g8trgr8t; Mar 18, 2015 at 3:31 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,923
Have you looked at the cost of flights?
Getting 5 awards on the same flight will be hard
You have limited choice. Airlines that fly in Australia domestically
- Virgin Australia (Delta partner)
- Jetstar (a low cost low quality carrier with low-medium-high priced fares owned by QF)
- Qantas [OneWorld]
- Tiger Airways (a low cost low quality carrier with low fares part owned by Virgin Australia)
- Regional Express Airways (REX) Regional airline
Getting 5 awards on the same flight will be hard
You have limited choice. Airlines that fly in Australia domestically
- Virgin Australia (Delta partner)
- Jetstar (a low cost low quality carrier with low-medium-high priced fares owned by QF)
- Qantas [OneWorld]
- Tiger Airways (a low cost low quality carrier with low fares part owned by Virgin Australia)
- Regional Express Airways (REX) Regional airline
#4
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,589
QF offers a "walkabout pass" which is only sold outside of Australia as an add-on to an international arrival into Australia on QF -- quite a good deal. There may be similar offers available from UA/DL/VA etc. ... check with whatever airline you are flying into Oz. Getting 5 award tickets on the same flight can be hard esp. for ASP which often sells out on some dates and has limited service. MEL-SYD you'd have no trouble, but MEL-ASP-CNS can be very hard for some dates even for paid tickets (all depends on your travel dates and flexibility -- presumably zero if you have a planned itin).
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 728
thanks for the education.
we will be arriving on Qantas using AA miles. I will have to check ont he walk-about pass.
dates of travel will be specific but I can book 330 days out assuming that is the rule there too. sounds like the limited service to ASP is the biggest challenge.
Prices aren't that bad but trying to save plane ticket $$ to spend on excursions.
we will be arriving on Qantas using AA miles. I will have to check ont he walk-about pass.
dates of travel will be specific but I can book 330 days out assuming that is the rule there too. sounds like the limited service to ASP is the biggest challenge.
Prices aren't that bad but trying to save plane ticket $$ to spend on excursions.
#8
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 196
SYD-AYQ - 2 flights per day (1 with Jetstar, 1 with Virgin).
MEL-AYQ - 1 flight per day 4 days of the week on Jetstar.
AYQ-CNS - 1 flight per day with Qantas.
Alice Springs/Ayers Rock flights are expensive.
Last edited by kcupp95; Mar 20, 2015 at 2:09 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 728
wanted to go to Alice Springs and spend a couple of days driving to Ayers Rock and back to be able to get a better feel for the area and experience more than just a drop in and take a photo and leave.
#10
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 196
Why not fly into Alice Springs and out of Ayers Rock Airport (ps even though the airport is called Ayers Rock, it's Uluru for everything else). No point driving 5 hours back to Alice Springs along the same road you just drove in on.
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 728
never have understood the propensity or ego required to rename something that predates you. Like calling Mt. Denali Mt. McKinley.
#12
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Katoomba (Blue Mountains)
Programs: Mucci
Posts: 8,083
#13
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Katoomba (Blue Mountains)
Programs: Mucci
Posts: 8,083
Thought about catching The Ghan for part of your journey, from ADL to ASP?
It is operated by Great Southern Railways, and having done this trip a couple of times I can well recommend it.
Dave
It is operated by Great Southern Railways, and having done this trip a couple of times I can well recommend it.
Dave
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 728
Thought about catching The Ghan for part of your journey, from ADL to ASP?
It is operated by Great Southern Railways, and having done this trip a couple of times I can well recommend it.
Dave
It is operated by Great Southern Railways, and having done this trip a couple of times I can well recommend it.
Dave