Note: This guide is now outdated and due to the changes to the Qantas Frequent Flyer in June 2019, points required for the routes mentioned are set to change on 18 September 2019. Read more about it here.
Qantas is increasing capacity to Bali, Manila, Singapore, Port Moresby and Christchurch from December to February, with some Business Class award space on the new flights generally opening up from January on.
If these routes could meet your travel plans and you have enough points to spend, then it might be worth booking in some redemptions while the space is there.
The routes with increased capacity
All flights below are on Boeing 737s, with the exception of Sydney-Manila operated on an Airbus A330 with lie-flat Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.
From Sydney
To Bali: seasonal daily summer service returns from 14 December to 25 March (drops to 5x week in February and 4x week in March)
One-way Business Class ticket: 50,000 Qantas Points
Availability: every second or third day from 5 January
To Manila: current 5x week service increases to increases to 6x week from 15 December to 23 January
One-way Business Class ticket: 60,000 Qantas Points
Availability: very spotty from 12 January
From Melbourne
To Christchurch: new daily service from 4 December
One-way Business Class ticket: 36,000 Qantas Points
Availability: in sample week after Christmas, all days have award space (except there is no flight on New Year’s Eve)
36,000 is the same price you would pay for on the Emirates A380 service to Auckland, and that route has great availability too, so this opens up the possibility to do an open-jaw journey, e.g. Melbourne-Auckland on Emirates // make your own way to // Christchurch-Melbourne on Qantas (or vice versa)
From Brisbane
To Christchurch: current 3x weekly flight increased to daily from 29 October
One-way Business Class ticket: 36,000 Qantas Points
Availability: for summer period, good availability from 30 December
To Port Moresby: current 2x daily Cairns-Port Moresby service will change to daily service from Brisbane from 30 October
One-way Business Class ticket: 36,000 Qantas Points
Availability: no Business Class award seats available on the calendar. Presumably, this would be due to most Business Class passengers on this route having their tickets paid for by their employer
These two flight changes coincide with the opening of the new Qantas Brisbane International Premium Lounge, which combines First and Business lounges into one à la Qantas’ Singapore and Hong Kong Lounges. Read more in our Qantas lounge guide.
From Perth
To Singapore: current 10x week service increases to 2x daily from 12 December to 6 February
One-way Business Class ticket: 50,000 Qantas Points
Availability: Hardly any availability in December, no availability around Christmas-New Year, opens up from mid-January
Summing up
We wouldn’t consider any of these flights to be one of the best uses of your Qantas Points, but if reasonably-priced revenue tickets were hard to come by or you really wanted to fly Qantas on any of these routes, then these services may interest you.
The only standout is the Sydney-Manila flight on the A330, with lie-flat Business seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. You’ll get access to the solid Qantas International Business Lounge in Sydney, but a substandard associate lounge in Manila on the way back.
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