Get me to Australia!!!
 

Using AMEX membership miles for F/C travel; looking to go LAX to SYD (possibly on to MEL for a couple days to see friends). On the return flight I want to stopover in HNL for a couple days to recover from jet lag.

I know I can dump the miles into CO OnePass and redeem on Qantas (no HNL stopover permitted). Thought about terminating the trip in HNL and buying a OW tkt home ($$$).

Can also deposit the miles in ANA and redeem on UA; no service from SYD to HNL.

Can anyone think of other options for me?

Planning to depart on 30JUL

Thanks from a former airline employee that doesn't understand how to use mileage (but does a really good job at earning it!)

#1 You dates have to be flexible. It's almost May now. Booking in F/J awards required advance planning. 3 months may be insufficient unless your dates are flexible.

#2 If you want to use only AMEX MR points but nothing else (i.e. no purchase of tickets, no other award redemption), keep reading, a solution is provided below with some constraints

#3 I am assuming you are talking about AMEX USA b/c don't forget not everybody here is American and AMEX has different programs throughout the world.


Solution:

1. Transfer your AMEX MR points to TWA before July. Soon, your TWA miles will be converted into AA miles.

2. Once the converstion in completed, try to book a Oneworld Round-the-World Business Class ticket. In your case, the total mileage for LAX-SYD-MEL-ADL-SYD-HNL-LAX = 7400 + 400 + 500 + 700 + 5018 + 2450 = 16,468 miles approximatively

3. That total distance would fall in zone 6 = 130,000 AA miles for Business Class.

4. You can consider adding more flights/destinations such as Perth, Australia on the Indian Ocean side = marvelous beaches and one of the best looking sea/ocean you will see on this planet or go pay a visit to the Kiwis, NZ since Zone 6 allows you to travel up to 20,000 miles of distance.

5. Note there was a segment from Melbourne to Adelaide which is compulsory because it's a Cathay Pacific flight that you are going to take to make your trip applicable for a OW itineary.

6. All flights are on Qantas except HNL-LAX on AA, and MEL-ADL on CX.

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask but I am very busy, I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can or you can ask help to other willing FTers.

Hope this helps.

Guava

WOW, nice sharing!!!

Since you mentioned ANA/UA, what about an itin on UA/NZ? You could do SYD-AKL-HNL on NZ on the return, fly over to SYD on UA (or NZ) and connect to MEL on NZ(codeshare on AN).

The NZ service AKL-HNL may even be a UA codeshare, and as UA flies MEL-AKL, you could do something like: LAX-SYD-MEL(UA c/s on AN)-AKL-HNL-LAX.

Justa thought.

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RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.

I really appreciate the suggestions; anyone know if code share flights are permissible on a reward (ie, redeem ANA miles for UA flights including NZ codeshare flights)?

You could try and redeem NH miles to fly NZ all the way (NZ flies LAX-SYD) but there is still a codeshare to do SYD-MEL. I think awards on codeshared segments would be difficult - but don't quote me on that one.


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RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.