Extremely Rare: Qantas First Class Awards To & From The US

Extremely Rare: Qantas First Class Awards To & From The US

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Qantas is one of the stingiest airlines out there when it comes to making first class award seats available, especially on their routes between the US and Australia. Often you’ll find that they don’t have a single first class award seat available between the US and Australia for the entire schedule.

That’s why some Qantas award availability at the moment is pretty noteworthy.

As noted by Spencer on God Save The Points, at the moment Qantas has fairly good first class award availability for travel between the US and Australia, especially in September through February.

Now, make sure you temper your expectations here. There’s good availability by Qantas standards.

Like I said, often you won’t see even a single award seat the entire schedule, so to see a couple of dozen dates with space at the moment is quite unusual, especially as there are two first class award seats on many of these flights.

From the US to Australia I see a good bit of space from Los Angeles to both Sydney and Melbourne, while on the return the most space is from Melbourne to Los Angeles.

There are two good ways to book these awards, and in both cases you can book online:

  • Through American AAdvantage, at the cost of 110,000 miles per person per direction
  • Through Alaska Mileage Plan, at the cost of 70,000 Mileage Plan miles per person, and you’re even allowed a free stopover (meaning you could fly from the US to Australia, have a stopover, and then continue to somewhere else, be it in Australia or New Zealand

To get a sense of what you can expect in Qantas’ A380 first class, see my Sydney to Los Angeles review.

Hurry, as this availability won’t last!

Anyone able to take advantage of this Qantas first class award space?

Conversations (23)
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  1. Andrew Guest

    Totally amazed to find two F seats for a few days before Christmas. It's normally the toughest time of the year!

    Unfortunately I can *ONLY* seem to book them direct with QF, I can't see them on AS. Perhaps I should call up?

  2. Spencer Bachus New Member

    Hey Lucky!

    I managed to snag one of these unicorns for the 29th of November through Alaska Air but my dilemma is that I don’t arrive until the 1st of December which is when my tour starts. I didn’t factor in the whole two day thing. I have tried switching my departure to a day earlier but would have to give up my unicorn seats. Any tips?
    Check each day via Alaska?

  3. UWS Tony Member

    I booked R/T LAX-MEL in first with BA Avios a few months ago for July, not the exact dates I wanted but close. I was surprised.

  4. Maria Makarski Guest

    Yes. Two seats to Sydney from Dallas r/t from DTW with only one connection in DFW for Jan 2020. I was amazed! There were also several dates with business class availability

  5. Shaun Guest

    Lucky,

    As a locally based QF flyer who has tried for years to snag first and biz class seats to America (without success), it's not news that QF is breathtakingly stingy when it comes to disbursing reward seats on those routes.

    For me, the real burning question is: why did they do it now for first class??? Increased competition? Falling demand?

    I no longer fly QF on transpacific routes (long shifted to Fiji Airways,...

    Lucky,

    As a locally based QF flyer who has tried for years to snag first and biz class seats to America (without success), it's not news that QF is breathtakingly stingy when it comes to disbursing reward seats on those routes.

    For me, the real burning question is: why did they do it now for first class??? Increased competition? Falling demand?

    I no longer fly QF on transpacific routes (long shifted to Fiji Airways, Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia and Hawaiian Airlines), so I really don't know from experience what their numbers are like.

  6. Mike Member

    SABRINA can you tell me where and how you are finding this. I am on AA site for a month straight every day and night and there is nothing . How are you all finding this. I even called in to Advantage now and there is nothing all the way until April when they cant even book anymore

    Can someone reply and help me figure this out please

  7. Sabrina Guest

    Qantas still showing first class on multiple days with excellent opportunities to book 2 or more seats in the same glight.

  8. Robert Guest

    All gone, as far as I could see. Too bad. Got the AZ mistake fare in January, missed this one :(

  9. Mike Member

    Does it make a difference if you choose Business/First as opposed to all fare classes? I just now did all fare classes, Economy comes up and i can finally see the Qantas flights and then if I click the right arrow it does show Business class on Qantas, but no First. But still thats more than i was finding.

  10. Peter gee Guest

    Qantas first class is one of the most vile hard and soft products out there.
    The young crew most of the times think that your privileged be to served by those FAs. I find the food by Neil Perry equally vile.

  11. Brodie Gold

    They are all gone. Gotta jump on these ASAP in order to benefit.

  12. Mike Member

    All I can find is AA no Q. Anyone help how are ya all finding this ?

  13. Mick Member

    Was wondering when this would pop. I took 3 seats (out of 4!!!) on dec 12 Ord to Sydney and 2/2 the next day for my family to fly to Australia. To say this is rare is an understatement!! Booked them last night.

  14. Mike Member

    I can’t find any F Qantas lax to either Syd or Mel. How are you all finding these ?

  15. CCC Guest

    I stumbled across this yesterday, as I have been looking to burn AA miles ahead of the inevitable change to dynamic award pricing. Snagged round trip F PHL to MEL for the end of September.

  16. Jason Guest

    Is Qantas also stingy about business class award seats between the US and Australia?

    Thinking about a SFO-SYD trip next year...possible?

  17. Fogey Guest

    I was able to snag four (!!!) F awards on one flight on the LAX-SYD route for my family over the past 2 days. Thank goodness for expert flyer alerts. Had them all booked and ticketed and then found this article haha

  18. Matt Member

    Already had booked SFO-SYD-AKL in J using Alaska miles. Now booked CHC-MEL-LAX-SFO in F. Looking forward to a fantastic 2 weeks in NZ!

  19. Mosfet Guest

    Snagged NY - Auckland with the long leg QF first!

    Thank you Lucky, I feel very lucky!!

  20. kenneth Guest

    I ran across this on Monday, Booked two F Seats LAX/SYD for the End of January. (Now I can Cancel my Asiana Flights via Korea)

    Qantas First is one of the Best!
    I normally won't complain, But I Took the Dallas/Sydney last month in F.
    The A380 F Seat 1A I had, is unfortunately in need of some work, Table had issues, banged up walls, and area around seat.
    Flight Attendants normally...

    I ran across this on Monday, Booked two F Seats LAX/SYD for the End of January. (Now I can Cancel my Asiana Flights via Korea)

    Qantas First is one of the Best!
    I normally won't complain, But I Took the Dallas/Sydney last month in F.
    The A380 F Seat 1A I had, is unfortunately in need of some work, Table had issues, banged up walls, and area around seat.
    Flight Attendants normally are really good on Qantas, this flight had young staff who seamed more interested in socializing among themselves in the Galley, then caring for the passengers.

    Other then that, I love the big bed on this 17+ hour flight.

    Since Qantas is updating their A380's , I guess they are not putting any effort into the issues within the Aircraft?

  21. Mike Member

    Can your please explain how you are finding this. I have been searching AA site (i would be using Advantage miles) for months now and there is nothing. All the way to april 23rd where you cant go past all there is is 80K miles Business OR i believe 250K and even 325K but thats AA business on the 787. I was really hoping to do Qantas and experience that airline and the A380. I...

    Can your please explain how you are finding this. I have been searching AA site (i would be using Advantage miles) for months now and there is nothing. All the way to april 23rd where you cant go past all there is is 80K miles Business OR i believe 250K and even 325K but thats AA business on the 787. I was really hoping to do Qantas and experience that airline and the A380. I fly AA 787 all the time so it wouldnt be anything special.

    I dont know how you both have found AA quantas flights in first to Syd or Mel. I have been looking everyday for 2 months and cant find anything.

    I was actually going to just add Hong Kong to my trip and fly AA 77W Business to HKG and then head down to Australia. I find the 77W Business better than the First seat and value is good since its technically not the highest cabin on the plain.

    Thanks

  22. Andrew Y Member

    I got an Expertflyer alert last night for some dates that I was planning. I managed to snag THREE (3)!! First Class Awards from LAX-SYD in November. Holy unicorn of unicorns!

  23. miafll Guest

    Flew it last Nov MEL-LAX. Utterly unimpressed by the mediocre products - that incl the hard products, the foods and the services. Meh.

    The only usefulness is, it is hard to find direct flights to / from for award redemption so if you have AS miles then it is still worth to use it for this redemption.

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Andrew Guest

Totally amazed to find two F seats for a few days before Christmas. It's normally the toughest time of the year! Unfortunately I can *ONLY* seem to book them direct with QF, I can't see them on AS. Perhaps I should call up?

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Spencer Bachus New Member

Hey Lucky! I managed to snag one of these unicorns for the 29th of November through Alaska Air but my dilemma is that I don’t arrive until the 1st of December which is when my tour starts. I didn’t factor in the whole two day thing. I have tried switching my departure to a day earlier but would have to give up my unicorn seats. Any tips? Check each day via Alaska?

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UWS Tony Member

I booked R/T LAX-MEL in first with BA Avios a few months ago for July, not the exact dates I wanted but close. I was surprised.

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