If you have a decent balance of around 100,000 Qantas Points and need some inspiration for what to do with them, then we’re here to help!
Enjoy the world’s best Business Class (104,500 points one-way)
Qatar Airways’ QSuite is generally regarded as the top Business Class product by aviation bloggers.
The airline is increasingly committed to flying this product to Australia. You can find this product flying to Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra, with Melbourne hopefully soon. Check the latest news on routes here.
To fly to Doha, you’ll pay 104,500 points from Perth or 119,200 from the other cities. (It’ll cost you more to fly onwards to Europe or North America.)
Read more about how to book in our guide to using points on Qatar Airways flights.
Shower whilst flying Emirates to New Zealand (62,200 one-way)
This is arguably one of the best and quickest redemptions to use Qantas Points for glamorous travel. Emirates flies Sydney to Christchurch daily on their A380 superjumbo, which features an onboard shower for First Class passengers.
A one-way First Class redemption costs 62,200 points and Business Class 41,500 points.
When flying Emirates First out of Sydney, you’ll get access to the excellent Qantas International First Lounge.
To book an Emirates flight using Qantas Points, read this guide. These other routes are also good ones to aim for to fly Emirates premium cabin products.
Jet between the coasts in a modern Qantas A330 Business seat (83,000 return)
Qantas has refurbished its large fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft with their new Business Class seating and it is found on some (but not all) East-West Coast flights. All seats have direct-aisle access in a 1-2-1 configuration.
We are quite lucky with the quality of Business Class cabins in the market here in Australia—Qantas and Virgin Australia are on another level compared to many overseas carriers.
Note that you can also find this product on some flights to Auckland from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as Asia.
Jet around Asia in Cathay Pacific First Class (64,500 one-way)
This cabin is flown exclusively on the Boeing 777-300ER, with six open suites in a private 1-1-1 configuration.
It is renowned for its wide seat and excellent lounge access options, including The Wing and The Pier lounges when departing from Hong Kong.
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Learn how to make a booking in our beginner’s guide to using points on Cathay Pacific flights.
Enjoy warm hospitality and a lie-flat seat to Tokyo on Japan Airlines (90,000 one-way)
Japan Airlines has the second-best Business Class product flying from Australia. It is accessible on flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Tokyo.
Window passengers are guaranteed privacy, with a little walkway between their seat and the aisle meaning they won’t disturb the passenger beside them. Plus, you’ll get delicious, healthy Japanese food.
Read more about using your Qantas Points for Japan Airlines flights.
Fly to China in a private suite (90,000 one-way)
China Eastern is not part of oneworld, but it is still a Qantas partner, meaning you can use your Qantas Points on their flights.
The airline has introduced its modern Business Class product on 787 and A350 aircraft flying to Shanghai from Sydney and Melbourne.
This airline doesn’t have the best reputation for its soft product (meaning its customer service and dining options), but it is investing a lot in its hard product (seats).
Read more about how to use Qantas Points for China Eastern redemptions here.
Try out Qantas First Class to Singapore (102,600 one-way)
Wanna save $3,000-4,000 by using your Qantas Points instead of cash? Then this is a good one to aim for.
Qantas features its flagship First Class product to its Asian stopover focus city of Singapore on the way from Sydney and Melbourne to London.
It can be really hard to find award availability on this route, so try your luck 11-12 months in advance. During the Australian summer, this product usually flies between Sydney and Hong Kong too.
Read more about what to expect and how to book Qantas First Class here. And here are some other ways to get to Singapore on points.
Fly to Taiwan with China Airlines (75,000 one-way)
Taiwan’s flag carrier flies from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Taipei on its modern A350 aircraft, with this beautiful cabin:
The wood-centric features evoke serenity and you’ll enjoy a comfortable, lie-flat seat and excellent customer service.
Here’s how to book China Airlines flight using Qantas Points.
Save money on monopoly routes (16,000 return)
When flying in and out of smaller airports with little competition, whether in Australia or overseas, tickets bought with cash can be very expensive.
Say you want to fly to Lord Howe Island. The only direct flights (which are two hours or less) are from Sydney and Brisbane on Qantas, and cost upwards of $900 return.
Compare that to the similarly-distanced Sydney – Adelaide flight, which with more competition, can cost as little as $280 return on Qantas.
If you are going to use your Qantas Points for Economy redemptions, these are the best routes to aim for. Just note that you’ll need to quickly jump on any of the scarce award availability you find on monopolised routes.
Hop to Hong Kong in Qantas Premium Economy (102,600 return)
For the nine-or-so-hour flight from Sydney (and sometimes Brisbane) to Hong Kong, you’ll enjoy more legroom and better food choices than in Economy. Here is a sample menu:
It’s a good way to make your flight more comfortable without breaking your points bank.
Trek to North America in Qantas Economy (83,800 return)
Whilst Economy Class redemptions often do not represent the best value, at least you’ll usually be on a jetlag-reducing A380 or 787 flying Qantas to the US.
This redemption makes more sense during peak periods or if booking last-minute, when tickets paid with cash
Qantas flights from the East Coast to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver cost the same, whilst Honolulu is cheaper and Dallas-Fort Worth more expensive.
What has been your best-value redemption for 100,000 Qantas Points or less? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Supplementary images courtesy Flickr and respective airlines.
Looking for more inspiration for how to spend your hard-earned frequent flyer points?
Here is a comprehensive list of all of our Best Uses of Points guides. There may be some overlap but each guide has its own twist.
Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Best uses of Qantas Points
- ‘Ultimate’ uses of Qantas Points
- Best uses of 60,000 Qantas Points
- Best uses of 80,000 Qantas Points
- Best uses of 100,000 Qantas Points
- When it makes sense to use your Qantas Points for domestic travel in Economy (and when it doesn’t)
- Best uses of Qantas Points from the East Coast
- Best uses of Qantas Points from Perth
- Reader responses: what is the best use of Qantas Points?
- Seven of the cheapest Qantas Points redemptions for luxurious Emirates flights
- The cheapest ways to fly Cathay Pacific First Class with Qantas Points
Velocity Frequent Flyer
- Best uses of Velocity Points
- Best uses of 40,000 Velocity Points
- Best uses of 80,000 Velocity Points
- Best uses of 100,000 Velocity Points
- Five flight redemptions that maximise your Velocity points balance
American Express Membership Rewards
Asia Miles
KrisFlyer
Etihad Guest
- Best uses of Etihad Guest miles
- Etihad Guest vs Velocity for Virgin Australia flights comparison guide
Despite QF announcing increased reward availabilty earlier in the year, it really has only increased Economy availability. Virtually nothing in Biz/First. I have never seen any QR premium availability. Whilst you can fly almost daily to New York in Y, Biz/First is very rare.
Determined to maximise my points/dollars/luxury experience with time to burn, I found that booking from Hong Kong as the departure point was most cost effective. And therefore purchased a return trip to HKG return to complete my trip.
For only AUD$110 in taxes and 147,000 points: HKG to Dubai (A380 EK J class), 14hr layover with Emirates Dubai Connect picking up the tab for transfers and 4+ star hotel, Dubai to Barcelona (A380 EK J class), and Dusseldorf to HKG (A350 CX premium econ) – ridiculous value!