Perth is often labelled one of the most isolated cities in the world. But when it comes to using Velocity Points, that isolation can actually work in your favour. From Western Australia, some of my favourite destinations are not only easier to reach with points, but often significantly cheaper than flying from the Eastern States.
Thanks to our proximity to Asia and Europe relative to the rest of Australia, Business Class reward seats can cost around 20,000 fewer points. With a smaller pool of travellers competing for the same inventory, it’s also a little easier to secure those elusive reward seats time after time.
Singapore Airlines Business Class to Asia from 65,875 Velocity Points
With Singapore just five and a half hours from Perth, and much of Asia only a few hours beyond, Singapore Airlines is a natural choice for Asian trips. Its region-based award chart works particularly well for Perth, favouring travellers in Western Australia over much of the rest of Australia and New Zealand.
Following the recent devaluation, a Business Class Saver award from Perth to Singapore starts at 42,500 KrisFlyer miles, plus fees and taxes (that’s 65,875 Velocity Points). Extending the journey to much of Asia, including destinations such as Taipei and Hong Kong, adds just 2,000 miles and a modest increase in cash co-payments.
I usually book these flights by transferring Velocity Points to KrisFlyer. A Saver award from Perth to Singapore and onwards into Southeast Asia costs the equivalent of 68,975 Velocity Points per person.
That converts to 44,500 KrisFlyer miles. Other advantages to booking via KrisFlyer include lower fees and taxes, as well as better award availability reserved for Singapore Airlines’ own members.
Qatar Airways Business Class to Europe from 119,500 Velocity Points
Qatar Airways’ Qsuite Business Class remains one of the most sought-after redemptions using Velocity Points. From Perth, Qatar operates two daily flights to Doha. (One is the Virgin Australia-coded flight, but there’s no significant difference between the two when booking with your Velocity Points).
When searching 10 to 11 months ahead, we’ve generally been able to find availability for two passengers without much difficulty.
A one-way Business Class flight from Perth to Doha costs 89,500 Velocity Points plus fees and taxes, delivering around 11 hours of one of the world’s best Business Class products. For an additional 30,000 points – bringing the total to 119,500 Velocity Points – you can continue onward to selected European destinations within 2,711 miles of Doha.
Those destinations include Munich, Rome, Vienna, Warsaw, Istanbul and Athens, with Munich just sneaking in at 2,645 miles from Doha. European cities outside that range cost 139,000 Velocity Points, making those six cities among the best-value redemptions for Perth-based travellers.
ANA Business Class to Tokyo from 82,000 Velocity Points
Japan is such a hot destination for Australians right now, so we’re lucky to have a non-stop connection with ANA. I will be the first to admit that their reward seat availability isn’t great in advance. Instead, seats are best found from 2-3 weeks before departure.
What I’ve done in the past that’s worked for me is book Economy first when available. If Business Class seats become available later, I’ll call Virgin Australia to pay the fare difference and change fee. Fees and taxes on ANA flights are extremely low, which further increases the value of this reward.
On my latest trip with ANA, there was one Business and one Economy reward seat available. I snapped up both (putting myself in Economy, of course!). Luckily, more Business Reward seats were released shortly before our trip, so I was able to change by calling Virgin Australia.
Virgin Australia’s ‘Tier 1’ Economy to Sydney/Melbourne from
This last option might not be as glamorous, but it’s still an excellent use of points. Cash airfares from Perth to the Eastern States are through the roof these days. If I need to travel for personal reasons, I’ll try find a reward seat.
My favourite option is Virgin Australia, particularly when Tier 1 (cheapest/off-peak) reward seats are available. Prices start at just 13,500 Velocity Points + fees and taxes per person, offering great value for these 4-5hr flights. Of course, having status helps as well. With Platinum status, I enjoy free Economy X, which sweetens the deal.
Standard Economy reward seats cost 17,800 Velocity Points plus fees and taxes, which is still reasonable. But at that price, I will also consider Qantas, which costs a similar number of points and includes onboard food & beverages.
Summing up
With the exception of Virgin Australia Economy, most of these options are best suited for up to two people. But if that suits you (or you’re happy to split your travel into smaller groups and meet on the other side), there are plenty of good opportunities to use your Velocity Points out of Perth.
It takes some searching, but we’ve generally not had much difficulty securing Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines reward seats each year for various holidays. Our main strategy, unsurprisingly, is to be super flexible. We usually book almost a year in advance, where possible.
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