How best to redeem the return leg whilst minimising the tax/surcharge?

Frequent Flyer Programs
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Can any one assist with the best way to make a Qantas classic reward booking for First Class flights to Europe and back?

Booking a multi city outbound flights from Australia to Germany is considerably cheaper in fees, taxes and other carrier charges then booking a multi city inbound flights from Germany to Australia using Qantas frequent flyer points (it is cheaper by about $500)

The reason for the two separate bookings is the amount of time between outbound and inbound trips (about 5 weeks). I want to be able to snap up the outbound flights as soon as possible (353 days out) and the inbound flights to Australia won’t be released at the time I need to make the first booking.

Is it feasible to do only one reward booking for the multi city flights Australia - Germany - Australia 353 days ahead of time and pick a temporary date for the Germany to Australia return flights (eg 1 day after the outbound flights)?
This single rewards booking incurs only the AUS fees, taxes and most importantly “other carrier charges” saving around $500.
Then 5 weeks later when the reward flights are released make a change to the booking to select these new dates for the return flights.

I realise there is a 5000 point cost per person involved for making changes to the date for the return flights.

Is this a reasonable idea or is it a major risk.? There is a significant amount of QFF points involved and I would hate to somehow lose them, by screwing up the change for the return flights to Australia.

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Hi rscott9999,

Your suggestion of changing the flight when the return leg opens for redemption sounds fine.

Good luck.

 

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Hi Warren

Thanks for the response.

The value of a QQF point is approx. $0.05 with the option of making one booking Australia-Germany-Australia in first class.

To make a change to that booking will cost 10,000 QFF points (eg approx. $500 of QF first class points value).

The other option of making two bookings a) Australia-Germany and then b) Germany-Australia is about $500 more expensive in cash due to higher “other carrier charges”.

So there is no real difference in monetary value. Option 1 will cost in QQF points where the other Option 2 is in cash.

So I am unsure whether there is any advantage of making 2 bookings, 5 weeks apart or just making 1 booking and making date changes later when the inbound flights are released?

 

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