Our 9 favourite uses of 100,000 Qantas Points

If you have a decent balance of 100,000 Qantas Points or more and need some inspiration for what to do with them, then we’re here to help! It’s an achievable goal, especially with the help of bonus points from various offers.

100K Qantas Points is enough to unlock Business Class to a range of destinations, but there are also other ways to use the points that you might not have considered yet.

Looking to turbocharge your Qantas Points balance? Here’s a tempting card sign-up offer that fits the bill.

1. A taste of Emirates First Class luxe to New Zealand

This is arguably one of the easiest redemptions to use Qantas Points for glamorous travel. Emirates flies an Airbus A380 with First Class between Sydney and Christchurch.

A one-way First Class redemption costs 62,200 points and Business Class 41,500 points. When flying Emirates First out of Sydney, you’d normally get access to the excellent Qantas International First Lounge.

Read our guide on how to book an Emirates flight using Qantas Points. Emirates also operates a few ‘fifth freedom’ flights with similarly attractive rates, such as:

• Bangkok to Hong Kong in First for 43,800 Qantas Points + fees and taxes
• Singapore to Melbourne in First for 107,700 Qantas Points + fees and taxes

Here’s how we flew Emirates First Class to Christchurch for under $200 using Qantas Points.

2. Fly to Taiwan with China Airlines in the modern Airbus A350

Taiwan’s flag carrier usually flies from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Taipei on its modern A350 aircraft, with this beautiful cabin. Reward seats in Business start from 75,000 Qantas Points, and the fees aren’t outrageous either.

The wood-centric features evoke serenity and you’ll enjoy a comfortable, lie-flat seat and excellent customer service. Fly onwards to destinations such as Japan for only 15,000 more points (90,000 Qantas Points total).

Here’s how to book China Airlines flight using Qantas Points.

3. Ride with Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong and beyond

In a similar vein to China Airlines above, Qantas partner Cathay Pacific also offers Business Class tickets to Hong Kong from 75,000 Qantas Points + fees and taxes. Premium Economy clocks in at 59,000 points one-way, so you’d almost have enough for a return journey with your 100K points.

4. Enjoy warm hospitality and a lie-flat seat to Tokyo on Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines has a decent Business Class product flying to Australia. It is accessible on flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Tokyo, and 100,000 Qantas Points will certainly unlock the ticket!

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 can tuck into delicious, healthy Japanese food onboard.

Read more about using your Qantas Points for Japan Airlines flights.

5. Soar to Asia or Johannesburg in Qantas Business Class

When Qantas occasionally releases larger batches of reward seats across multiple routes, you should act fast. Business Class to Asia starts from 68,400 Qantas Points – including flights from Sydney to Bangkok, Manila, Singapore and more.

For 82,000 points, you can journey farther from Melbourne or Sydney to Tokyo. And for 94,900 Qantas Points, venture all the way from Sydney to Johannesburg with more than 14 hours of Business Class bliss.

Qantas Business Class is a strong product with lie-flat seats, decent entertainment and amenities such as PJs on long-haul flights. Whilst it might not be the most competitive product in the skies, it’s still worthy of booking with your frequent flyer points.

Also read: Qantas Airbus A380 Business (Sydney – Singapore)

6. Try out a First Class seat to Singapore

Want to redeem your Qantas Points for a First Class ticket easily worth A$3,000-4,000? By using your Qantas Points instead of cash, Qantas First Class to Asia (Singapore, specifically) is an interesting way to experience a better-than-Business-Class cabin.

Sure, the cost (102,600 Qantas Points + fees and taxes) is a nudge above this article’s threshold of 100,000 Qantas Points, but we’re sure you’ll be able to bridge that gap in no time.

For the record, you can also fly British Airways First Class between Sydney and Singapore, and Emirates First Class between Melbourne and Singapore, for 107,700 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.

Our tip: book Emirates originating out of Singapore to pay less than S$100 in fees and charges.

Read more about what to expect and how to book Qantas First Class. And here are some other ways to get to Singapore on points.

7. Roam to Rome or Los Angeles in Qantas Premium Economy

Perth to Rome and Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane to Los Angeles are all routes that cost 81,300 Qantas Points + fees and taxes to fly in Premium Economy. (To be fair, Business Class is not much more at 108,400 Qantas Points, but that is harder to book). You’ll enjoy upmarket dining and more space on these 14 to 16-hour flights.

It’s a good way to make your flight more comfortable without breaking your points bank.

Read our review of Qantas Boeing 787 Premium Economy (Rome – Perth).

8. Trek to North America in Qantas Economy, return

Whilst Economy Class redemptions often do not represent the best value, at least you’ll be able to redeem a return Economy ticket to the States with points to spare. From the east coast of Australia, it’s only 41,900 Qantas Points + fees and taxes, one-way.

This redemption makes more sense during peak periods or if booking last-minute, when tickets paid with cash are more expensive, but the amount of required points remains the same.

Qantas flights from the East Coast to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver cost the same, whilst Honolulu is cheaper and Dallas-Fort Worth is more expensive.

9. Jet from the eastern states to Perth or Auckland in Qantas A330 Business

Qantas has refurbished its large fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft with Business Class seating featuring direct aisle access and lie-flat suites in a 1-2-1 configuration. It’s found on some East-West Coast flights (i.e. Perth to Sydney and Melbourne), plus selected trans-Tasman flights to Auckland.

With a Business Class ticket going for 41,500 Qantas Points each way, you’d need 83,000 points for a return seat – that’s easily done with change when you have 100,000 Qantas Points in your pocket.

Honourable mentions: domestic upgrades and more

1. Get up to 18 Business Class upgrades on short domestic flights

Your 100,000 Qantas Points could get you anywhere from two to 18 Business Class upgrades on Qantas domestic routes, depending on the fare and distance travelled. It takes just 5,400 Qantas Points to upgrade from Economy to Business on flights under 600 miles (965km) from a flexible (Economy Flex) ticket.

This could be a great way to reward yourself if you are frequently shuttling between two cities, such as Sydney or Melbourne, and you can do this 18 times from a starting balance of 100K Qantas Points.

From the cheaper Red e-Deal tickets, upgrades cost 10,900 points so you would have nine potential upgrades to Business in the bank.

These rates all apply for all ‘Zone 1’ flights on the Qantas upgrade charts.

2. Get up to nine Business upgrades on longer domestic and New Zealand flights

If your company travels usually involve longer 4-5 hour journeys such as Perth to Brisbane or Melbourne to Auckland, then upgrades make more sense as you’ll have more comfort to rest and work, often in the Qantas Business Suite with flatbeds.

On Economy Flex tickets, upgrades for domestic flights start from 10,900 points, while it’s 11,900 points for international Qantas flights (up to eight or nine upgrades, respectively).

From cheaper domestic Red e-Deal or international Economy Saver fares, you’ll need a steeper 27,200 points for domestic (only three upgrades) or 21,800 points for international (up to four upgrades).

These rates all apply for all ‘Zone 3’ flights on the Qantas upgrade charts.

3. Fly regionally and domestically in Economy, up to 12 times one-way

There’s never been a better time to explore our own backyard. Fly Qantas to regional destinations from 8,000 points in Economy, plus taxes.

For example, Broome is a very popular destination for West Australians and interstate travellers alike. While cash fares in the peak season are in the range of $280-$400 one-way, a reward seat is 12,000 points and $72, which is decent value.

Example reward flight options from Perth to Broome around Christmas.

In this case, just 48,000 Qantas Points and $288 in cash would cover return Broome flights for two from Perth, still leaving plenty of points in your balance for later. Alternatively, you could book up to 12 one-way 8,000-point fares, such as for Sydney-Melbourne travel.

Travel to Lord Howe Island is highly sought too, as the two hour flight often costs more than $600 one-way. But with Qantas Points, you’ll still only need 8,000 points for the same ticket.

What has been your best-value redemption for 100,000 Qantas Points or less? We’d love to hear about it in the comments.

This article was previously written by Matt Moffit.