How to maxmise QF points for flight upgrades
Jun 23, 2019, 7:44 pm
#16
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Hawaii
Programs: AA EXP, HA PL, Hilton 💎, Marriott Ti, Wyndham/Caesars 💎, Hertz PC
Posts: 343
I'm not sure if this is the right places to ask, but does Qantas ever offer their miles for purchase at a discount, or is there any kind of portal for Americans to earn miles? I have an award itinerary (ORD-SFO-MEL-PER-SYD-SFO-ORD) booked for this year and almost every segment is in business/first, save for SFO-SYD, which is still premium economy, but I can bump that up to first for ~$1700AUD (<$1200USD after exchange rate) worth of Qantas miles. If they have any kind of bonus promotion for buying miles and I can upgrade that fare for <$1000USD then I'm down, but I'm just curious if there is any other way to earn Qantas miles.
Also how do I maximize my earnings on Alaska/American Award itineraries on Qantas metal? This is my first big redemption, TIA.
Also how do I maximize my earnings on Alaska/American Award itineraries on Qantas metal? This is my first big redemption, TIA.
Jun 23, 2019, 8:51 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,024
ajf87 Welcome to FT
Have never seen QF sell points/miles for cash at the discount. QF limit the selling to extra point/miles for an award. Anyway QF is a very poor ffp.
What ffp did you use for the ORD-SFO-MEL-PER-SYD-SFO-ORD award? AA, AS, QF or ?
With awards changes in class (PE-Bus, PE - first) can only be done by the freq flyer program. Little surprised you are being offered a cash option
Getting QF business/fist class awards USA-Aust is hard. More people wanting than QF award seats on offer.
With an QF marketed flight (flight number) just enter your AA or AS ff number in the reservation. Then you earn. Note award flight do not earn ff miles/status
I'm not sure if this is the right places to ask, but does Qantas ever offer their miles for purchase at a discount, or is there any kind of portal for Americans to earn miles?
I have an award itinerary (ORD-SFO-MEL-PER-SYD-SFO-ORD) booked for this year and almost every segment is in business/first, save for SFO-SYD, which is still premium economy, but I can bump that up to first for ~$1700AUD (<$1200USD after exchange rate) worth of Qantas miles.
If they have any kind of bonus promotion for buying miles and I can upgrade that fare for <$1000USD then I'm down, but I'm just curious if there is any other way to earn Qantas miles.
Also how do I maximize my earnings on Alaska/American Award itineraries on Qantas metal? This is my first big redemption, TIA.
I have an award itinerary (ORD-SFO-MEL-PER-SYD-SFO-ORD) booked for this year and almost every segment is in business/first, save for SFO-SYD, which is still premium economy, but I can bump that up to first for ~$1700AUD (<$1200USD after exchange rate) worth of Qantas miles.
If they have any kind of bonus promotion for buying miles and I can upgrade that fare for <$1000USD then I'm down, but I'm just curious if there is any other way to earn Qantas miles.
Also how do I maximize my earnings on Alaska/American Award itineraries on Qantas metal? This is my first big redemption, TIA.
What ffp did you use for the ORD-SFO-MEL-PER-SYD-SFO-ORD award? AA, AS, QF or ?
With awards changes in class (PE-Bus, PE - first) can only be done by the freq flyer program. Little surprised you are being offered a cash option
Getting QF business/fist class awards USA-Aust is hard. More people wanting than QF award seats on offer.
With an QF marketed flight (flight number) just enter your AA or AS ff number in the reservation. Then you earn. Note award flight do not earn ff miles/status
Jun 23, 2019, 8:58 pm
#18
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Hawaii
Programs: AA EXP, HA PL, Hilton 💎, Marriott Ti, Wyndham/Caesars 💎, Hertz PC
Posts: 343
ajf87 Welcome to FT
Have never seen QF sell points/miles for cash at the discount. QF limit the selling to extra point/miles for an award. Anyway QF is a very poor ffp.
What ffp did you use for the ORD-SFO-MEL-PER-SYD-SFO-ORD award? AA, AS, QF or ?
With awards changes in class (PE-Bus, PE - first) can only be done by the freq flyer program. Little surprised you are being offered a cash option
Getting QF business/fist class awards USA-Aust is hard. More people wanting than QF award seats on offer.
With an QF marketed flight (flight number) just enter your AA or AS ff number in the reservation. Then you earn. Note award flight do not earn ff miles/status
Have never seen QF sell points/miles for cash at the discount. QF limit the selling to extra point/miles for an award. Anyway QF is a very poor ffp.
What ffp did you use for the ORD-SFO-MEL-PER-SYD-SFO-ORD award? AA, AS, QF or ?
With awards changes in class (PE-Bus, PE - first) can only be done by the freq flyer program. Little surprised you are being offered a cash option
Getting QF business/fist class awards USA-Aust is hard. More people wanting than QF award seats on offer.
With an QF marketed flight (flight number) just enter your AA or AS ff number in the reservation. Then you earn. Note award flight do not earn ff miles/status
No the cash option isn't available, it's 67,500 miles, which I can buy for ~$1170USD. I basically did it in two segments, ORD-PER via Alaska (55k miles) and PER-SYD, SYD-SFO via American (20k+80k respectively, I went for the upgraded PER-SYD because it's an A330 w/ lie-flat business). All Qantas metal save for the first and last legs, which are on Alaska. The Alaska rep I talked to said I could check for upgrades when I check in, but there's no way they will still have business seats available. I might just go ahead and buy the miles given how strong the exchange rate is right now and how cheap the hotels are.
Jun 23, 2019, 9:10 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,024
No the cash option isn't available, it's 67,500 miles, which I can buy for ~$1170USD. I basically did it in two segments, ORD-PER via Alaska (55k miles) and PER-SYD, SYD-SFO via American (20k+80k respectively, I went for the upgraded PER-SYD because it's an A330 w/ lie-flat business). All Qantas metal save for the first and last legs, which are on Alaska. The Alaska rep I talked to said I could check for upgrades when I check in, but there's no way they will still have business seats available. I might just go ahead and buy the miles given how strong the exchange rate is right now and how cheap the hotels are.
, For you ORD-SFO-MEL-PER-SYD-SFO-ORD:
- ORD-SFO-MEL-PER using AS ff miles [SFO-SYD in PE]
- PER-SYD, SYD-SFO using AA ff miles [PER SYD in biz]
- SFO-ORD using ?? ff miles
Just because you have ff miles/points does not mean there is award availability.
With awards flight you do not upgrade. Effectively your award is cancelled and you get a new award in the higher class
You cannot use QF ff points to upgrade a flight paid for with ff miles from another ffp
The Alaska rep you talked who said you could check for upgrades when you check in was wrong. The chances of being offered a cash upgrade at QF check are low/nothing. Unless the full retail cash fare difference. QF will fly with unoccupied business class seats
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Jun 23, 2019 at 9:29 pm
Jun 23, 2019, 9:32 pm
#20
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Hawaii
Programs: AA EXP, HA PL, Hilton 💎, Marriott Ti, Wyndham/Caesars 💎, Hertz PC
Posts: 343
67,500 miles in which ffp? ,
For you ORD-SFO-MEL-PER-SYD-SFO-ORD:
Just because you have ff miles/points does not mean there is award availability.
With awards flight you do not upgrade. Effectively your award is cancelled and you get a new award in the higher class
The Alaska rep you talked who said you could check for upgrades when you check in was wrong. The chances of being offered a cash upgrade at QF check are low/nothing. Unless the full retail cash fare difference. QF will fly with unoccupied business class seats
,For you ORD-SFO-MEL-PER-SYD-SFO-ORD:
- ORD-SFO-MEL-PER using AS ff miles [SFO-SYD in PE]
- PER-SYD, SYD-SFO using AA ff miles [PER SYD in biz]
- SFO-ORD using ?? ff miles
Just because you have ff miles/points does not mean there is award availability.
With awards flight you do not upgrade. Effectively your award is cancelled and you get a new award in the higher class
The Alaska rep you talked who said you could check for upgrades when you check in was wrong. The chances of being offered a cash upgrade at QF check are low/nothing. Unless the full retail cash fare difference. QF will fly with unoccupied business class seats
Jun 23, 2019, 9:37 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,024
0
But if the flight was purchased with AA/AS miles you cannot do that.
You cannot use QF ff points to upgrade a flight paid for with ff miles from another ffp
Or did you pay cash for SFO-MEL?
Anyway you would be well down list of (QF) people wanting to use QF points for an upgrade.
You cannot use QF ff points to upgrade a flight paid for with ff miles from another ffp
Or did you pay cash for SFO-MEL?
Anyway you would be well down list of (QF) people wanting to use QF points for an upgrade.
Jun 24, 2019, 3:27 am
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,406
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But if the flight was purchased with AA/AS miles you cannot do that.
You cannot use QF ff points to upgrade a flight paid for with ff miles from another ffp
Or did you pay cash for SFO-MEL?
Anyway you would be well down list of (QF) people wanting to use QF points for an upgrade.
But if the flight was purchased with AA/AS miles you cannot do that.
You cannot use QF ff points to upgrade a flight paid for with ff miles from another ffp
Or did you pay cash for SFO-MEL?
Anyway you would be well down list of (QF) people wanting to use QF points for an upgrade.
And for the second bolding, it's important to note that Qantas upgrades are NOT confirmed at the time of 'purchase'. All it entitles you to is a request to upgrade, and requests are processed by status. Platinums first, going down to non-status. A platinum requesting an upgrade 14 days prior to departure would have their request processed before a non-status member who'd requested an upgrade 365 days before departure.
(Basically, without top status in the Qantas programme you should always expect to travel in the cabin you originally booked.)