I have gleaned from this site and others that the only way I can earn JAL Mileage in Oz is to obtain an AMEX then convert those points to Starwood then convert those to JAL.
Is this correct and if so which Amex should I get considering I don’t need the free yearly flight from Virgin as I have a Citibank Signature free for life, and the $99 David Jones card seems slightly better as you can earn 3 points for fuel as opposed to the Edge which is 2, from what I can gather everything else is much the same?
I also have 100,000 QFF points, is there any way I can use these to fly Syd Tokyo using JAL?
Hi, don’t be mistaken between the Amex (real amex) and David Jones one. The points are NOT equal. Don’t take my word for it but last time i checked DJ Amex points are worth half of the Amex MR points. Don’t need a free flight with your Amex Platinum Edge… no worries! Sell it to a friend, give it to family etc. I sold my flight this year since we didn’t need it for $300 so technically my Amex Platinum Edge MADE me money.
Points require to fly with QF is 144k + fees so few more points and you’re there. You will most likely have to call the QF call center as you can’t book JAL online. This is a few years ago but i’m sure it’s of interest to you: Tips here on flying on a 787 using your Qantas bonus points
So I can use QFF to book a JAL flight? Just need to do it through the call centre? Also am I able to just buy a standard JAL Economy ticket and use QFF points to upgrade to business? Sorry, the Qantas and JAL websites don’t help much.
Which begs the question am I better off staying with QFF or changing to AMEX for JAL mileage points…?
Yep, you can use Qantas Frequent to book awards on JAL. I have found that I need to research availability online, most reliable being through the British Airways website (you’ll need to join BA Executive Club, but you’ll need a European address - more on this here. ). I assume you can also look at availability through the JAL site too.
Reason for the recommendation is that in booking 3 JAL awards via Qantas, I have often had to call back twice to get someone who can see the availability JAL is offering (and is showing through the BA website).
You won’t be able to redeem your Qantas points for upgrades on JAL, Qantas Points can be used for upgrades on Qantas flights only
To your question on David Jones American Express vs Platinum Edge, Ataraxis is right in that the DJ’s Amex is usually 2x worse off in transfer rates - but Starwood is the anomaly which has the same transfer rate across both cards.
So you’ll earn 0.5 SPG / $ minimum on all spend, or 1.5 SPG / $ on Fuel/Supermarkets with the regular DJ’s card - so yep, better than the Edge and cheaper annual fee. But only worth looking at if you know you’ll redeem for Qantas Points or SPG.
Finally - continue to use JAL or swap to Qantas? I don’t know! Depends on how many JAL Mileage Bank miles you have, how much JAL flying you will do, and how much flying on Qantas you will do. If you’re going to be flying with JAL, I can only imagine it will be more rewarding to stick with Mileage Bank.
I have decided to go with the David Jones Black AMEX for the Starwood -> JAL benefit. QFF are poor value in comparison. I will be using the referral link you provide to show my appreciation for your advice and work on this site.