How Business Owners Are Booking $20,000 First Class Flights For $635
Here's what 390,000 flexible points could unlock
If you've come across a card bonus offer worth 390,000 flexible rewards points, one question naturally follows: what could those points actually get you?
The answer is quite a lot. Depending on how you redeem those bonus points, that balance could be enough for premium cabin flights such as Qantas first class to Los Angeles, Qatar Airways Qsuite business class to Europe, or even return business class flights to Fiji for two. In cash terms, some of those flights would normally cost well over $20,000. But thanks to flexible points, they can become surprisingly achievable.
So what could a huge bonus point card offer actually unlock? Here are some of the best ways to spend a large flexible rewards points balance.
Why Flexible Points Are So Important
The problem with earning points directly with a single airline is that you’re immediately limiting your future redemption options. Flexible points give travellers the ability to transfer points where availability and pricing make the most sense.
Rather than committing to a single airline program upfront, flexible bank rewards points can be transferred to several airline and hotel loyalty partners when it’s actually time to book. Earning flexible points means you don’t need to decide upfront whether your points will become Qantas Points, Velocity Points, KrisFlyer Miles, Qatar Airways Avios, or more. Instead, points can be transferred later, once you’ve actually found the best flight or redemption opportunity.
That flexibility means that rather than being stuck searching for reward seats on just one airline, you can compare multiple programs, access better business class products and take advantage of sweet spots across different loyalty schemes.
For example, one trip might make more sense to book using Qantas Points, while another could offer significantly better value through Qatar Airways Avios. In a world where reward seat availability constantly changes, flexible points often become far more valuable than earning directly with a single airline program.
Best Ways To Use 390,000 Flexible Rewards Points
A 390,000 flexible rewards points sign up bonus large enough to unlock a wide range of premium travel experiences that would normally cost thousands of dollars in cash. From booking a $20,000 Qantas First Class ticket to flying Qatar Airways Qsuite, a large points balance can unlock some exceptional premium travel experiences. It could also cover return business class flights to Fiji for two passengers, opening the door to trips that would otherwise be out of reach for many Australians.
To help put the value into perspective, here are four examples of what a large sign up bonus could unlock.
Qantas First Class To Los Angeles
In terms of pure redemption value, it’s hard to beat Qantas First Class from Sydney to Los Angeles. Cash fares on the almost 14-hour flight can regularly exceed $19,000 one-way, yet the same redemption can be booked for 195,400 Qantas Points plus $635 in taxes and fees.
Having been fortunate enough to fly Qantas First Class myself, it remains one of my favourite premium cabin experiences. While the seat is no longer the newest or most flashy, the wonderful Australian onboard service, plus quality dining and drinks, continue to stand out. The bed is a real highlight, being one of the best in the sky, with Qantas first passengers enjoying premium Sheridan bedding with a thick mattress topper and full duvet.
Departing Sydney also means access to the exceptional Qantas First Lounge, widely regarded as one of the best lounges in the world. Highlights include Neil Perry-designed à la carte dining, runway views and complimentary spa treatments before departure.
The best part? A 390,000 point sign up bonus is practically enough to make this redemption possible outright. Since some cards transfer to Qantas Frequent Flyer at a 2:1 rate, the bonus converts to 195,000 Qantas Points, just 400 points shy of the required amount. In reality, that small gap is easily covered after meeting the minimum spend to unlock the sign up bonus itself.
Qatar Airways Qsuite Business To Europe
Qatar Airways Qsuite is widely regarded as one of the best business class products in the world, and a large point bonus makes that experience surprisingly achievable.
One high-value way to redeem Avios is on Qatar Airways flights between Australia and Europe. An off-peak one-way business class redemption from Melbourne to London via Doha costs 90,000 Qatar Airways Avios plus taxes and fees. In fact, many Australia to Europe routes will cost the same.
By transferring flexible rewards points to Qatar Airways Privilege Club, travellers can access this redemption for the equivalent of 270,000 flexible rewards points. With cash fares on this route usually starting at around $5,800, that’s some serious value.
Qsuite itself is known for its fully enclosed suites, direct aisle access, dine-on-demand service and lie-flat seating, helping Qatar Airways consistently rank among the world’s leading premium airlines.
Two Return Business Class Flights To Fiji
Flexible points are not only useful for long-haul premium cabins. One of the more practical and enjoyable uses of a large sign up bonus offer would be Fiji Airways business class between Australia and Fiji.
Return business class reward flights from Sydney to Nadi will cost 87,200 Qantas Points plus around $300 in taxes, per person. That means you’d need to send 348,800 flexible rewards points to Qantas in order to fly two people return in business class.
For couples or friends, this can often deliver significantly more tangible value than a single long-haul redemption. Plus, flying in business class is so much more fun when you’re doing it with someone else.
Travellers flying on Fiji Airways’ Airbus A350 can expect lie-flat seating, airport lounge access, priority boarding, and premium meals and drinks onboard. Cash fares for two passengers in business class can regularly approach $5,000 AUD return during busy periods.
Vietnam Airlines Business Class Using Flying Blue
Flexible points can also unlock some creative sweet spots that many Australian travellers overlook. One example is flying Vietnam Airlines business class between Australia and Vietnam using Flying Blue miles, the loyalty program of Air France and KLM.
While Flying Blue isn’t a direct transfer partner for most bank loyalty programs in Australia, some do offer points transfers to Marriott Bonvoy. From there, you can transfer onwards to Flying Blue. We’ve written a full guide to this transfer hack here.
There is no published award chart for Flying Blue partner redemptions, as these bookings use a dynamic pricing model. But you’ll usually need around 72,000 Flying Blue miles to book a return Vietnam Airlines business class flight from Perth to Ho Chi Minh City. Using the Marriott transfer pathway, this works out to 279,000 flexible rewards points.
That means a large sign up bonus is large enough to cover this return trip, while still leaving more than 110,000 flexible rewards available for future travel.
This type of flexibility is one of the major advantages of transferable rewards currencies. Rather than relying on a single airline program, travellers can strategically move points where redemption rates and award availability make the most sense.
