My husband and I are traveling to Australia and New Zealand in the fall. We would like to arrive in Sydney on or about Oct 10 and return from Auckland NZ on or about Nov 15. We live in Houston and have 220,215 miles in CO OnePass and 111,635 Membership Reward points in American Express. What would be the best way to utilize these miles? We would like to travel business class. Since I have never redeemend anything, my questions are very basic. "First, should I try to book online by myself or go through CO or through a travel agent? Would it be better to buy two coach tickets and try to upgrade to business or 1st class or try to buy one business or 1st class ticket and get one with miles? Or, is there a better way?
Thanks for any help.

Hello Samantha -- in brief --

** Many, many threads on Australia redemptions in the Continental OnePass forum... go over and do a search.

** CO is partners with Qantas for Australia travel. A standard business class award is 105,000 miles. You don't have enough CO miles for two first class awards on QF, which are 135,000 miles each (and they'd be close to impossible to get anyway).

** I do not think you can buy a QF economy ticket and upgrade with CO miles, nor top up your CO account with Amex Membership Rewards points. I don't think you have enough Amex points to be useful in this case.

** Definitely easier to score one award seat than two in a premium cabin, but buying a second seat on the exact same itinerary will set you back multi thousands of dollars. If you don't mind splitting up with your husband for the trip (you fly down on award ticket, he flies on a paid ticket on another route or carrier, obtained via consolidator/bucket shop) it would be cheaper.

** It's getting pretty late to book fall travel to Oz (high season down there). You should call the CO partner desk ASAP.

** You don't book mile redemptions through travel agents, only the airlines themselves or www.awardplanner.com ($100 fee, but worth it).

Cheers and welcome to FT.

deleted: wrong thread

Welcome to Flyer Talk Samantha J.

Yup - can only upgrade on QF using QF miles.
Oct/Nov is not high season and is a good time to visit before the peak season and school/public holidays. That said, Australia/NZ are popular places for using awards, especially in business/first class, so it may be difficult if not impossible to get awards you want. Try mid week flights. Try going via SFO rather than LAX (since SFO flight is fairly new it may have more availability), etc.

When I went, I had a seven week range of dates and told them I wanted a stay of 21 to 28 days anywhere within the range. I ended up having to take either 16 or 31 days. I took 31 and only wish I had had another week or two. I flew Qantas into Auckland, then to Melbourne and home from Sydney. Internal new Zealand and Australia flights were on my own.

Recently set up res on CO.
1) Requires call in to their Qantas desk. Use [Contact Us][One Pass][Qantas] link
2) Pass on First Class - Business Class seats are newer - Use upper deck for quiet area.
3) For 2 - 210K miles will be fine
4) LAX has direct QF flights to SYD, Brisbane, AUK, and Melborne, so options will be good.
5) Pass on coach - too long a flight - great value for miles redeemed for Business class
6) CO Qantas desk - Sheri is the best - funny and very resourceful with options.
7) Booking is 330 days out - So, mid April, 2007, would be available.
8) Call when desk opens - 7:00 Central - Closed on weekends so Monday would provide 3 days of new res availability.
9) Enjoy!

if you wanna buy yourself a ticket to asia (ie japan), its only 25k miles on continental from there to cairns, australia (northern queensland, best area to see grt barrier reef) through guam. this is a great redemption deal, and could allow you to see australia and asia...