Why my $7,653 Qantas Business Class upgrade is such a great points deal
Get the most from your Qantas Points - here's what to do.
The most common question I get as a frequent flyer expert is "What's the best way to spend my points?"
Last week, I got to demonstrate exactly how to do that.
I'd applied for a Business upgrade for the return leg of a quick work trip from Sydney to London. I wasn't hopeful. London is one of Qantas' most popular and competitive routes.
But on Wednesday afternoon, I got the official upgrade notification. For 130,800 Qantas Points, I'd been moved from Economy into Business.
Yep, 130,800 Qantas Points is a lot. But so is the value of the upgrade.
My return leg was priced at around $1,800 in Economy. The typical cost of a Business seat from Sydney to London is a much spicier $9,453. That means the upgrade was worth $7,653.
My standard metric for assessing points value is how much value you get for every 1,000 points you spend. For this upgrade, that worked out at $58.50 per 1,000 Qantas Points. It's really hard to do better than that.
I travel to the UK regularly, but that's the first time I've scored a Business upgrade using points in over a decade. But that's what I've been saving my points for. I'm happy to be patient.
That strategy won't work for everyone. If you're keen to spend your points more quickly, Classic Reward flights in Economy are still very good value. And they're a lot easier to score.
Also, you can get to 130,800 Qantas Points faster than you might think. For instance, right now the Qantas Premier Platinum Mastercard has a bonus offer where you can score up to 80,000 Qantas Points.
Happy upgrade hunting!
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