Our 8 favourite uses of 60,000 Qantas Points

For many, earning 60,000 Qantas Points is an achievable goal – especially when you take advantage of a credit card sign up offer!

With 60K Qantas Points up your sleeve, you could fly Business Class from Australia to Asia – or explore some of your other options below.

Top up your Qantas Points balance with a sign up bonus!

1. Traverse the Tasman in Emirates A380 Business Class

We’re really lucky in Australia to be one of the relatively few countries in the world with fifth-freedom Emirates flights. Not only do they fly nonstop between some of our major cities and Dubai, but also the short hop between Sydney and Christchurch.

A one-way Business Class redemption costs 43,800 Qantas Points + fees and taxes. When departing from Sydney on Emirates Business Class, you’ll usually have access to the Emirates Lounge and Qantas International Business Lounge. Lounge hop, anyone?

While this is already an excellent product, you could instead lap up the luxury of Emirates First Class on the same route for a little above 60K – 64,500 Qantas Points, to be exact.

Discover what you can expect onboard Emirates A380 Business Class, or find out how to book an Emirates flight using Qantas Points.

2. East Coast to West Coast in Qantas Business Class

For a four-hour flight between Melbourne/Sydney to Perth, you probably don’t need a flatbed. But when the option’s there, why not?

Qantas flies its A330 on select flights between Melbourne and Sydney to Perth. For 41,500 Qantas Points + fees and taxes, you can kick back in one of the world’s best domestic Business Class products.

Here’s our review of Qantas Airbus A330 Business Class (Sydney – Perth) and how to book a Classic Flight Reward seat with Qantas Points.

3. Soar to North America in Economy with Qantas or American Airlines

A trip between Australia and North America doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. For under 60,000 Qantas Points, you could fly one-way with either Qantas or American Airlines in Economy.

Unlike some other Qantas partners, American Airlines uses the same award chart as Qantas-operated flights meaning fewer points are required.

There are a number of direct routes between Australia’s East Coast and North America to choose from, including:

• Sydney to Los Angeles with Qantas or American Airlines for 41,900 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.
• Melbourne/Brisbane to Los Angeles with Qantas for 41,900 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.
• Sydney to Vancouver with Qantas for 41,900 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.
• Sydney to San Francisco with Qantas for 41,900 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.
• Brisbane to Dallas Fort Worth with American Airlines (commences October 2024) for 41,900 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.
• Sydney/Melbourne to Dallas Fort Worth with Qantas for 51,200 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.

And if the bright lights of New York City beckon, this route also falls under the 60K threshold:

• Sydney to New York (JFK) via Auckland with Qantas for 55,200 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.

4. Fly within the US in American Airlines Business Class

For its large size, the US does not benefit from the relatively lower airfares that we enjoy here in Australia and elsewhere in Asia and Europe. This makes Qantas Points redemptions an attractive proposition when travelling within the US.

What American Airlines calls First Class on its domestic flights is what we would call Business Class here in Australia, so don’t be fooled. But some aircraft have lie-flat Business Class seats, so when flying coast-to-coast across a huge country this can be quite good value for your Qantas Points.

If you’re taking a short flight of less than 600 miles, like Los Angeles to Las Vegas, you will be charged 18,400 Qantas Points + fees and taxes in American Airlines Business Class.

For a medium-distance flight like Dallas Fort Worth to Chicago, you’ll be up for 27,600 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.

And on the longer side of things, pushing five or six hours in the air, like Los Angeles to New York or Miami to Seattle, it’s 57,000 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.

5. Take off to Singapore in Premium Economy with Qantas or Finnair

Sydneysiders bound for Singapore have two options when it comes to flying Premium Economy: Qantas’ Airbus A380, or Finnair’s A330.

That’s because Finnair operates half of the flights between Sydney-Singapore on behalf of Qantas, with the points outlay remaining the same.

On Qantas’ A380, the 60 Premium Economy seats are located at the rear of the upper deck, which shares the space with the Business cabin. Finnair’s A330 places the 21-seater Premium Economy cabin snug between Business and Economy. Either option is great for the eight-hour journey over to the Lion City.

Read about our experience flying Qantas Airbus A380 Premium Economy (Sydney – Los Angeles).

6. Travel to Taipei in China Airlines A350 Premium Economy

Taiwan-based China Airlines flies its A350 between Taipei and Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, giving you plenty of opportunities to experience this excellent Premium Economy product.

Clocking in at 59,000 Qantas Points + fees and taxes, China Airlines’ comfortable Premium Economy offers a generous reclining seat and delicious Taiwanese cuisine between Taipei and Australia’s East Coast. Plus, China Airlines offers timely connections out of Taipei to several destinations in its network, including South Korea and Japan.

Read our review of China Airlines Airbus A350 Premium Economy (Melbourne – Taipei)

7. Fly return from Australia to Asia in Qantas Economy

With Asia right on our doorstep, there are plenty of opportunities to nab return flights for less using Qantas Points.

Qantas operates several direct flights from Australia to various cities across Asia, and you’ll often be able to book Economy reward seats for less than 60K Qantas Points return. This is especially useful during peak periods when cash fares may be higher. Here are some examples of one-way routes:

• Perth to Singapore for 18,000 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.
• Sydney/Melbourne to Denpasar (Bali) for 20,300 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.
• Brisbane to Tokyo (Narita) for 25,200 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.
• Sydney to Manila for 25,200 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.
• Sydney/Melbourne to Hong Kong for 25,200 Qantas Points + fees and taxes.

8. Journey on Jetstar Business Class to Honolulu

Sure, it’s a touch above 60K. But you can easily rustle up some extra Qantas Points and say ‘aloha’ with direct flights from Melbourne or Sydney to Honolulu in Jetstar Business Class.

This one’s for those who don’t quite have enough points for a Qantas Business Classic Reward between Sydney or Melbourne and Honolulu (clocking in at 82,000 Qantas Points).

Jetstar’s Business Class is more of a ‘premium economy’ product, with recliner seats on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner arranged in a 2-3-2 fashion. Even so, if your Qantas Points balance is sitting at around 60K and you fancy a Hawaiian getaway, it’s one of the most comfortable ways to complete the nine-hour journey from Australia’s East Coast.

Or for the same amount of Qantas Points, you could also fly Jetstar 787 Business Class one-way between Sydney and Seoul.

Find out how to redeem Qantas Points for Jetstar flights.

Summing up

A balance of 60,000 Qantas Points unlocks a number of great flight redemptions from Australia, including Economy return to South East Asia, one-way Business Class to New Zealand, or one-way Premium Economy to Singapore or Taipei.

The list above isn’t exhaustive, and there are plenty of other ways to spend 60K Qantas Points, including domestic flight redemptions, upgrades and more.

Of course, if you’ve got a higher points balance, check out our 9 favourite uses of 100,000 Qantas Points.

Featured image by Brandon Loo.

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