What are the best ways to redeem flights from Melbourne to Orlando USA?

Flights & Airfares
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We are a family of 4 who want to fly business class to disney world in orlando during nov/dec 2018. I would really like to get “free” flights or pay lower or equivalent to economy.

We are earning points on the westpac platinum altitude card and was wondering what airline to fly to get the best out of redeeming my points and how many points will i need roughly for 4 of us.

I am still new to earning and redeeming points and i am saving and earning points towards this trip.

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to help answer your query, are you earning Qantas points or platinum points and what is your current total?

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we are earning altitude points and currently have 140,000 points

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Mike unfortunately you’re a long way off for a family of 4. Even to do business syd to Los Angeles return (neither Virgin nor delta to Melbourne to Los Angeles) is 191,000 velocity points or 382,000 altitude points per person. Or 1,528,000 attitude points for a family of 4. And that’s not even getting you to Orlando. \r\n\r\nLax to orlando return business is 119,000 altitude points for one person.

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Mark - I assume OP has altitude points - which convert to a few programs at 2:1.

I don’t know which carriers you might find to get to Orlando, sorry. It might be a hard place to get to with one carrier, and may require a change at LAX?

To get to New York , for example, on Singapore you would need 182,750 Krisflyer + $1250 per person return in business. So for four of you need 731,000 Krisflyer (which would require 1,462,000 Altitude points) plus $5,000 in taxes.

For economy, same flights its 93,500 points and $1,186 each - so 374,000 Krisflyer (748,000 Altitudes) and $4,744.

You can see why business class redemptions offer better value!

I don’t think you will have much luck getting four seats together, can you split your party into two groups of two travelling one or two days apart? You would also need to book at the end of this year (11-12 months before flights) to get spots, but I think your biggest issue would be to work out how to get to Orlando…my guess is most carriers servicing Melbourne would only service key cities in the US (LA and NY) but I am only really familiar with Singapore, you might have more luck on Cathay, Malaysian or the middle eastern carriers.

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Tristan ,

Virgin America and delta both velocity partners fly direct from Los Angeles to Orlando so therefore a way to redeem points. I’m pretty sure you could get a ticket from Melbourne syd (virgin) then syd to Orlando via LAX on delta

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I was looking at doing this aswell but over the Dec/Jan…prime season when airfares are high.

Based on our family of 4, best advice I can give…

  • Business class was out of question despite amount of points and platinum....on both Qantas and Velocity. We have the points for business class for both but given time of year, no availability even when breaking into 2 groups. I even looked at dispatching the 2 boys to the back while wife and I up front...no luck.
  • search and book in one way only segments. I often found if trying to book them as return, availability is limited. But when doing 1-way the and 1-way back (same points as return), availability opened up....it also opens options on whether can fly Qantas one way or Virgin the other....
  • start with searching only MEL-LAX - That way you know what's possible in terms of international....
  • cheapest (points wise) if u can get MEL-LAX-MCO all the way but very limited....I could get MEL-LAX but not LAX-MCO...
  • if u can get MEL-LAX, then look at cost of internals....or search for a city closest to MCO or even further afield....eg. TPA, MIA or FLL or even MEL-LAX-DFW/WashingtonDC (which had easier availability than to MCO) and if u are prepared to, catch a low cost carrier from there to MCO. (We paid AU$88 for DFW-MCO on AA and AU$77 Tampa to DFW on Spirit - and yeah....Spirit were fine?).
  • More availability on Qantas NYC-MEL and SFO-SYD-MEL compared to DFW-SYD-MEL.
Inthe end, best option for us was and this is over peak XMAS/NY
  • velocity economy MEL-LAX and stay over a couple days....do Universal, etc...
  • velocity ecOnomy LAX-MCO on Delta....
  • Velocity economy MCO-SFO on Delta
  • Qantas economy SFO-MEL
Goodluck and enjoy. (BTW, if you are a Disney fan, book your family on a 7night cruise on Dsney Fantasy in the Carribean out of Port Canveral - highly recommend....like Club Med....you won't see the kids).
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