How to fly Sydney to Osaka using points?

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So I’m trying not to confuse myself and am a points noob. I’m either going to apply for the AMEX Explorer or the AMEX Qantas card (through this website of course :wink: ) for the 100 000 bonus points… but have a couple of questions…

  1. Will I be able to use the points Feb 2018?
  2. Is it better value to fly Singapore Airlines on points Sydney, Aus to Osaka, Jap (as I understand it the 100 000 MRG points will convert to 75 000 Kris Flyer Miles?)? Or Qantas (where I have another 11 000 points already)? Or transfer the Qantas points to JAL?
  3. How many FF points on Qantas vs JAL vs Singapore Airlines does it take to fly Syd to Osaka?
  4. How do I even book it using FF points?

I’m aiming to fly at least one way business class - even better if it could be return business class but will settle for economy one way and business one way if need be.

Thanks so much!! Can’t wait to hear back from you. Looking forward to booking our trip away!

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I too am a points noob but am already planning pointhack funded trips in the future including Japan.

Have you read this article? It will answer a lot of your questions.

  1. The sooner you try to book the better. If you want to go business in Feb 2018, I would be hoping to book soon as business reward availability would be getting scarcer by now.
  2. From the article referenced above I think Asia Miles for a return JAL trip is the best value.
  3. The article referenced above gives a comparison for Sydeny to Tokyo. If you only have 11,000 Qantas points you have a long way to go points wise for a business class return trip.
  4. The article answers this again - I found it to be very informative!
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A few points.

  1. You cannot transfer qantas points to JAL
  2. JAL does not fly Sydney to osaka. You can do it Sydney to narita then osaka
  3. You have to wait to after 3 month period before bonus points are awarded for new cards.  I think Qantas will stop flying to osaka in march.  And i suspect awards seats will all be gone 3 months from now
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I have just done this flight, via business class on points as well!

  • Use QFF points to fly SYD-HKG-KIX. Qantas has a flight which leaves SYD at about 10:30 and gets to HKG at about 17:30. Alternatively, Cathay has four flights a day from SYD-HKG.
  • Stay overnight at either Marriott Sky City or Novotel Citygate at Tung Chung. Both hotels have a shuttle from HKIA.
  • Fly Cathay to Osaka.  Provided you leave before 17:30 the next day the overnight stay is considered as a transfer.  I flew at about 11:30am and arrived at KIX at about 16:30.  Cathay has five direct flights per day from HKG-KIX.
  • It is possible to organise an itinerary which gets you there without needing the overnight hotel stay.
Good luck!
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