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How to get to the US with points
Use your reward points to fly to the States and leave yourself with more to spend when you get there.
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From sightseeing and shopping to wining and dining, the US has it all in super-sized form. When you combine this with regular travel sales and reasonable exchange rates, it’s obvious why so many Australians head to the US each year.
While you can sometimes get return flights to the US for less than $1,000, depending on sales and when you book, it’s also possible to cover the cost of your airfares with frequent flyer or credit card reward points. Here, we compare how many points you’d need for a reward flight to the US with six of the most popular rewards programs in Australia. Your destination in the US affects the cost of the fare, so we’ve focused on flights that depart from capital cities in Australia and fly to Los Angeles airport (LAX), where the majority of flights from Australia to the US land.
How many points do I need with
How to fly to the US with Qantas Points
Classic Flight Rewards lets you use Qantas Points to pay for eligible flights with Qantas, Jetstar and partner airlines. If you’re travelling with an eligible family member such as your partner or child, you can also use points to pay for their fare. However, availability is limited, so make sure you plan ahead if you want to use Qantas Points for a trip to the US.
Classic Flight Rewards to the US
Here you can see how many Qantas Points you’d need for an economy or business class flight to LA. We’ve included details of the points needed for both one-way and return flights from each capital city in Australia.
| Departure city | One-way economy flight | Return economy flight | One-way business class flight | Return business class flight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney | 45,000 points | 90,000 points | 96,000 points | 192,000 points |
| Darwin | 55,000 points | 110,000 points | 112,000 points | 224,000 points |
| Perth | 60,000 points | 120,000 points | 128,000 points | 256,000 points |
Point values are based on search results from 18 April 2018.
How do I book a Classic Flight Rewards ticket?
Follow these steps to redeem your Qantas Points for a Classic Flight Reward ticket to the US:
- Log in to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account online. On the left-hand side of your home page, you’ll see a box labelled “Search Airfares”.
- Enter your travel details and check the box marked “Search Classic Flight Rewards”. This will ensure you see the results in points rather than dollars.
- Click on “Search Flights” to be taken to your search results. This will show you the options available for your chosen travel dates.
- Narrow down your search by choosing the travel class you want for your flight. You can see available options under the “Search Travel Class” heading. If a specific class is not available, it will be shown in grey.
- Select the seat/s you want by clicking on the seated person icon. Note that there won’t be a seat icon if there are none available through Classic Flight Rewards.
- Click “Continue” and follow the prompts to complete the booking. Any additional fees and charges payable to Qantas will be shown on the “Check” page before you confirm your booking.
You can also book your flights through the Qantas Contact Centre by calling 13 13 13 from Australia. A booking fee of $70 per person applies if you use this option.
What else do I need to know?
These are the key details to keep in mind when you want to use Qantas Points for a trip to the US:
- Fees and taxes. You may be charged fees and taxes in addition to the points required for your Classic Flight Reward. Any applicable costs will be shown during the booking process, after you have selected your flight.
- Booking fee. If you book through the Qantas Contact Centre, a fee of 6,000 points or $70 applies per person.
- Limited availability. There are only a limited number of Classic Flight Rewards seats available on eligible flights. In some cases, there may not be any seats available for the dates you want to travel, particularly around peak periods such as school or public holidays. Planning ahead can help you figure out your options.
- Points plus pay. Most Classic Flight Rewards don’t give you the option of paying with a combination of points and cash. But you can redeem your points through the “Points Plus Pay – Flights” reward option as long as you have at least 5,000 points.
- Buying additional points. If you don’t quite have enough Qantas Points for your reward flight, you can buy up to 20% of the total required by calling the Qantas Frequent Flyer team on 13 11 31. This can sometimes be more cost effective than Points Plus Pay. Read our guide on buying points to learn more about this option.
Flight upgrades
You can use your Qantas Points to upgrade an existing Qantas flight to the US. To give you an idea of the cost, an upgrade to business class on a one-way economy flight from Sydney to LAX is worth 90,000 points. That’s the same as the points needed for a return economy rewards flight, but could be worth it depending on the original cost of your fare and reward seat availability.
Compare Qantas Frequent Flyer credit cards
Velocity Frequent Flyer
If you’re a Velocity Frequent Flyer member, using your points for a Reward Seat flight to the US usually offers the most value. Another option is to use your points for an Any Seat reward, which gives you more flexibility with dates and flights but may use up more of your hard-earned points.
Below, we look at the key details for both Reward Seat and Any Seat options, including estimates of the points you’d need to fly to the US from a capital city in Australia.
Velocity Reward Seat point estimates
Reward Seat bookings typically offer the biggest bang for your points but are subject to availability. The table below shows how many points you’d need for one-way and return flights to LAX in either economy or business class, based on details from Velocity’s points tables and the estimated miles for direct flights. Note that fees and taxes are excluded from the points prices quoted on Velocity’s reward tables and calculators, as they vary between fares and flights.
| Departure city | One-way economy flight | Return economy flight | One-way business class flight | Return business class flight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney | 44,800 points | 89,600 points | 95,500 points | 191,000 points |
| Perth | 54,800 points | 109,600 points | 111,500 points | 223,000 points |
Point values based on data from Velocity website sourced on 18 April 2018
Connecting flights
Keep in mind that Velocity’s airline partners may not offer direct flights to LA from all Australian capital cities. When that’s the case, you might need to add a connecting domestic flight to the booking. For example, if you want to fly to LAX from Perth with Virgin Australia, you will need to book a connecting flight from Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney or Singapore. This would increase the amount of points needed to get to the US.
Velocity Any Seat point estimates
With the Any Seat reward option, you can use your Velocity Points to pay for any flight bookings with Virgin Australia. This gives you a way to avoid the availability restrictions of Reward Seat bookings – which may not be available at peak travel times. While Any Seat rewards have more flexibility with flights, fare classes and dates, they do require more points than you typically need for a Reward Seat. The amount of points you need for an Any Seat reward flight to the US varies based on factors including the retail cost of the flight, the fare class and when you’re flying.
To give you a general idea of how many points you might need, the following table shows examples of point costs for a one-way flight from Sydney to Los Angeles on 31 October 2018. We’ve also included details of the fare class, costs in dollars and how much value you’d get from your points with these options.
One-way flight from Sydney to LAX with Virgin Australia on 31 October 2018
| Booking payment option | Economy Getaway | Economy Elevate | Economy Freedom | Business Saver | Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Seat points | 132,700 points | 190,800 points | 239,700 points | 1,472,800 points | 1,647,800 points |
| Cash payment cost | $795.28 | $1,144.28 | $1,437.28 | $8,836.28 | $9,886.28 |
| Approximate point value per $1 of fare | 1 point = 0.59 cents | 1 point = 0.59 cents | 1 point = 0.59 cents | 1 point = 0.59 cents | 1 point = 0.59 cents |
Fare costs based on flight search on 18 April 2018.
In this case, all of the fares that were available for points or cash payments offered the same point value of 0.59 cents (or $0.0059), when calculated to four decimal places. (If you wanted to drill down further, there was slight variation in values around seven decimal places).
On the flipside, paying for one of these fares would usually offer you a higher point-to-dollar value. For example, on the Business Saver fare, you’d earn 2 Velocity Points per mile flown, or around 14,990 points. When weighed against the fare cost of $8,734.88, this means you’re getting the equivalent to 1.72 points per $1 spent (rounded to the nearest two decimal places).
This shows how your options and point values can vary. So, for example, if you wanted the most value from your flights, you would actually benefit more from buying a cash fare and earning points on your flight. But if you want to use points and need flexibility, then the Any Seat option is worth considering.
What else do I need to know?
Keep these details in mind to help you make the most of your Velocity Points when you fly to the US:
- Fees and taxes. The amount of points you need for a Reward Seat does not include fees, taxes or any surcharges that may apply. These costs vary depending on the flight. As an example, a one-way economy Reward Seat flight from Sydney to Los Angeles would have fees and taxes starting from $137.67.
- Booking fees. A surcharge will apply if you pay for airfare fees and taxes with a card. This fee is 1.3% per booking for credit card payments and 0.6% per booking for debit cards. Also note that if you make your booking through the Guest Contact Centre, a fee of $70 per person, per booking will apply.
- Limited availability. There is only a select number of Reward Seats available. At peak times, such as holiday periods, you may not be able to use your points to book these flights. Always aim to plan ahead, or consider using your points for an Any Seat reward flight.
- Points+Pay. You also have the option of using a combination of points and dollars for your flight. You can select this option during the booking process by using the payment slider to select how many points and dollars you want to spend.
- Buying points. If you’re just shy of the points needed for your reward flight, you can also buy Velocity Points to make up the difference. This option, known as Velocity Points Booster, lets you buy up to 50% of the total Velocity Points you already have, with purchase values between 500 and 50,000 points. For full details, check out our guide on buying Velocity Points.
- Flight upgrades. If you’re a Velocity Gold or Platinum member, you can also use your points to upgrade existing Virgin Australia flights to the US through the UpgradeMe Points service. To give you an idea of the cost, if you buy a Freedom economy fare for your flight to LA, you could upgrade to Premium Economy for 18,000 points or to Business for 45,000 points.
Compare Velocity Frequent Flyer credit cards
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American Express Membership Rewards
If you have an American Express Membership Rewards credit card, you can use your points to book flights to the US directly through your account. You can also transfer your Membership Rewards points to an eligible frequent flyer program and redeem flights from there.
Booking flights through Membership Rewards
The Membership Rewards program lets you use points to pay for travel bookings via American Express Travel, Webjet or selected Helloworld locations. The amount of points you need depends on the retail cost of the fare, and can also vary depending on the Membership Rewards stream you’re enrolled in.
As a guide, the American Express website states that 10,000 Membership Rewards points equals $100 of your travel booking. So, in the table below, you can see how many points you might need for one-way and return fares to the US based on this point-to-dollar ratio:
| Fare cost | Membership Rewards points needed |
|---|---|
| $1,000 | 100,000 points |
| $1,500 | 150,000 points |
| $2,000 | 200,000 points |
Costs are accurate as of 18 April 2018.
Transferring Membership Rewards points to a frequent flyer program
The Membership Rewards program also gives you the option of transferring your points to a range of frequent flyer programs, including Velocity, Air New Zealand Airpoints, Asia Miles and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. With this option, the point transfer rates vary depending on your Membership Rewards account and the frequent flyer program.
As a general guide, the American Express website lists a transfer rate of 1:1, based on Membership Rewards Ascent. The transfer rate/s available to you are shown when you log in to your Membership Rewards account.
How to transfer credit card points to a frequent flyer program
Is it worth transferring Membership Rewards points?
Let’s take a look at the potential value of this option. If you had 100,000 Membership Rewards points on a card enrolled in the Ascent program, such as the American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card, you could redeem them for 100,000 Velocity Points. That’s enough for a return economy flight (starting from 89,600 points) or a one-way business class flight (starting from 95,500 points) when flying direct from most Australian capital cities.
What else do I need to know?
If you’re planning to use Membership Rewards points for flights to the US, keep these details in mind.
- Additional fees. Flights through travel services such as Webjet or Helloworld may attract booking fees or other charges that increase the amount of points you need to pay for your flights. Check these details before you redeem your Membership Rewards points so you can budget for any additional amounts.
- Point transfer times. It usually takes between 1–5 business days to transfer points between your Membership Rewards and frequent flyer accounts. In some cases, the transfer may take longer, so make sure you leave enough time for the transfer process before trying to use your frequent flyer points to make a booking.
- Points plus pay. If you don’t have enough Membership Rewards points, you may be able to use a combination of points and cash to pay for flights to the US. Another option is to buy additional Membership Rewards points.
- Complimentary insurance. If you have an American Express card that offers complimentary travel insurance, using Membership Rewards points to pay for some or all of your return flights to the US should activate the cover. Refer to the insurance terms and conditions document for your card (available on the Amex website) to check the specific requirements for your complimentary insurance cover.
Compare American Express Membership Rewards cards
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CommBank Awards
With CommBank Awards, you can use points to get to the US by redeeming them for flights booked with Flight Centre. You can also transfer your points to an eligible frequent flyer program and then redeem them for flights.
Using points for a US flight booking with Flight Centre
Using this option, you can use your CommBank Awards points to pay for flight bookings made online via the CommBank Awards website, or at selected travel agencies around Australia including Flight Centre, Escape Travel, Student Flights and Travel Associates.
Aside from the minimum 2,500 points, CommBank Awards does not openly provide details of the amount of points you need for this type of flight reward. Instead, you may be able to find out how many points you need by logging in to your CommBank Awards account, visiting Flight Centre or calling the CommBank Awards Centre on 13 16 61 between 8am and 8pm on weekdays (AEST).
Transferring CommBank Awards points to frequent flyer programs
If you’re a member of the Qantas Frequent Flyer or Velocity Frequent Flyer program, you also have the option of converting your CommBank Awards points into frequent flyer points. The amount of points you get varies depending on the CommBank Awards credit card you have and the frequent flyer program, as detailed below.
Qantas Frequent Flyer
To earn Qantas Points through a CommBank Awards credit card, you need to opt in to the CommBank Awards Qantas Frequent Flyer Direct program. This attracts an annual fee of $30. Once enrolled, your points are automatically transferred to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account at the end of each statement period at the following rate:
2.5 CommBank Awards points = 1 Qantas Frequent Flyer point
If you chose this option, you’d need 112,500 CommBank Awards points for a one-way economy Classic Flight Reward from Sydney to LAX (45,000 Qantas Points), or 225,000 CommBank Awards points for a return economy Classic Flight Reward (90,000 Qantas Points).
Velocity Frequent Flyer
If you’re a member of the Velocity program, you can transfer a minimum of 3,600 CommBank Awards points at any time. The amount of Velocity Points you’ll receive varies depending on your CommBank Awards account level, with the following transfer rates:
Awards and Gold: 2.5 CommBank Awards points = 1 Velocity Point
Platinum and Diamond: 2 CommBank Awards points = 1 Velocity Point
If you had an Awards or Awards Gold credit card, you’d need to transfer at least 112,000 points to get the Velocity Points needed for a one-way economy Reward Seat (44,800 points plus fees and taxes). If you had a Platinum or Diamond CommBank Awards card, you’d need at least 89,600 points for the same Velocity reward.
What else do I need to know?
Following are the key factors to weigh up when you’re planning to use your CommBank Awards points for flights to the US.
- Additional fees. If you book your flights through Flight Centre, make sure you factor in any extra costs that may apply, such as booking fees or credit card surcharges. For example, online international flight bookings attract a fee of $21.95 per person.
- Point transfers. If you transfer your points to Qantas or Velocity Frequent Flyer, the transaction cannot be reversed and the points become part of that program. Also keep in mind that you can only transfer CommBank Awards points to a frequent flyer account that matches the name on your CommBank credit card.
- Availability. Flight Centre travel products and offers are subject to availability. The same is true for flights booked through a frequent flyer rewards program after transferring your points.
- Points plus pay. If you’re booking flights to the US through Flight Centre and don’t have enough CommBank Awards points, you can pay the difference in dollars.
- Complimentary insurance. If your CommBank Awards card includes travel insurance, you can enjoy this cover by logging into your NetBank account and activating it before your trip to the US. No minimum spend is required to benefit from this insurance.
NAB Rewards
You can use NAB Rewards points to book flights to the US directly through Webjet, or transfer them to frequent flyer points with Velocity, Asia Miles or Air New Zealand Airpoints.
Using NAB Rewards for flights with Webjet
This option gives you the flexibility of comparing flights from a variety of airlines through the Webjet online travel website before using your points to book. The amount of NAB Rewards points you need is shown during the booking process; there is no fixed value listed.
To give you an idea of the potential cost, a $500 Webjet Gift Card costs 96,150 NAB Reward Points. Based on this point value, here are some examples of the points you’d need for a flight to the US:
| Fare cost | NAB Rewards points needed |
|---|---|
| $1,000 | 192,300 points |
| $1,500 | 288,450 points |
| $2,000 | 384,600 points |
Costs are accurate as of 18 April 2018.
Transferring NAB Rewards to a frequent flyer program
If you’re a frequent flyer member of the Velocity, Asia Miles or Air New Zealand Airpoints program, you can transfer your NAB Rewards points to your account. You need a minimum of 3,000 NAB Rewards points for this option, and will receive the following transfer rates:
Velocity: 3,000 NAB Rewards points = 1,500 Velocity Points Asia Miles: 3,000 NAB Rewards points = 1,000 Asia Miles
Air New Zealand Airpoints: 3,000 NAB Rewards points = 45 Airpoints Dollars
With these rates in mind, you’d need around 89,600 NAB Rewards points for a one-way economy Reward Seat flight from Melbourne to LAX with Velocity, which start from 44,800 Velocity Points. For a return economy flight through Velocity, you’d need to transfer 179,200 NAB Rewards points.
What else do I need to know?
Keep the following details in mind so you can make the most of your NAB Rewards points when you want to travel to the US:
- Additional fees. Webjet bookings may attract additional fees that add to the total cost of your booking, such as service fees and surcharges for card payments. Remember to factor these in so that you know how many points you’ll need for your flights.
- Points plus pay. If you don’t have enough points to pay for flights through Webjet, you can use cash to make up the difference.
- Point transfer times. If you transfer NAB Rewards points to Velocity, Asia Miles or Air New Zealand Airpoints, remember that it could take several business days before the points show up in your frequent flyer account.
- Complimentary insurance. If you have a NAB Rewards credit card that offers complimentary travel insurance, you’ll have to use it for at least $500 worth of eligible prepaid travel costs to get cover for your trip.
Compare NAB Rewards cards
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Flybuys
If you’re a Flybuys member, you can use your points to pay for flights to the US when you book directly through Flybuys travel. You can also transfer your points to your Velocity frequent flyer account.
Using Flybuys points for Flybuys travel bookings
The Flybuys travel online booking service offers flights to the US with a range of airlines including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, Delta Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. This means you have the flexibility to compare options and choose flights that suit your travel plans.
If you redeem Flybuys points through Flybuys travel, each point is worth 0.5 cents towards the dollar value of your flight booking. As the retail cost of flights to Los Angeles varies depending on when you book, among other things, here are some examples of the points you’d need for different one-way fares.
| Fare cost | Flybuys points needed |
|---|---|
| $1,000 | 200,000 points |
| $1,500 | 300,000 points |
| $2,000 | 400,000 points |
Transferring Flybuys points to Velocity
Another option is to transfer your Flybuys points to Velocity, with a minimum transfer of 2,000 Flybuys points equalling 870 Velocity Points. Based on this transfer rate, you’d need around 102,989 Flybuys points for a one-way economy Velocity Reward Seat from Sydney to LAX. For a return flight, you’d need to transfer 205,978 Flybuys points to your Velocity account.
How can I transfer Flybuys points to Velocity?
As long as you meet the minimum points requirement, you can transfer your Flybuys points to your Velocity frequent flyer account at any time using the following steps:
- Log in to your Flybuys account and click on the “Rewards” link.
- Search for Velocity and click on the result.
- Choose the amount of points you want to transfer and follow the prompts to confirm the reward.
If you haven’t redeemed Flybuys points for frequent flyer rewards, you will also be prompted to link your accounts by entering your frequent flyer membership details.
What else do I need to know?
If you’re planning to use Flybuys points to get to the US, here are the key factors to keep in mind:
- Points plus pay. If you’re redeeming your Flybuys points through Flybuys travel, you can use a combination of points and cash to book your trip.
- Additional fees. Remember there may be additional fees and charges when you’re using Flybuys points to make bookings through Flybuys travel, or when you redeem them after transferring them to a frequent flyer rewards program.
- Point transfers. If you’ve decided to transfer your Flybuys points to Velocity, remember that a minimum transfer amount of 2,000 points applies.
Credit card rewards points
As well as earning points for your everyday spending, many reward and frequent flyer credit cards offer thousands of bonus points to new customers. If you’re saving up for a big reward, such as a trip to the US, this type of introductory deal could really speed up the process.
As an example, if you got a credit card offering a bonus 100,000 Qantas or Velocity Points, you’d have enough points for a return economy flight from Sydney or Melbourne to LAX.
These bonus point offers are only available for a limited time and usually have a minimum-spending requirement before you get the points. It’s also important to weigh up other features such as the annual fee and interest rates, so you can find a card that offers benefits beyond the introductory period.
Reward and frequent flyer programs give you the chance to fly to the US without paying in cash for your tickets. But remember to weigh up your options for using points, and factor in additional fees and charges so that you can make your points work for your trip. You can also check out this guide to Los Angeles for inspiration on what to see and do when you land.
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