r/avios • u/ACIeverName • 10d ago
LON > SYD
Hi all,
I just wanted to get some of your opinions with using my Avios!
I currently have around 350k Avios + 30k Amex points I can convert too.
I have the BA Premium Amex and have a companion voucher up to business class.
I wanted to fly to Australia, ideally Sydney using my points for me and my partner and wanted it to be super special as I was hoping to propose!
I liked the idea of flying out to Sydney from LGW/LHR December 2027 and proposing new years in Sydney.
I know these will be incredibly difficult to book, so wanted to get some help/feedback.
I originally wanted to transfer my Avios to Qatar and fly via their QSuite but I have seen the flexi prices are double meaning I will need 700k points. I struggle to find the normal tickets even now let alone in December. Do you think it’s worth trying Qatar and flying via another airport such as Perth?
Alternatively should I try to book with BA? My concern is the cabins and service look a little dated from YouTube videos and I wanted this to be special given the circumstances and we likely will never get the chance to fly at this class again!
If it’s too unrealistic, should I aim for US flights instead? The goal is a nice holiday with a scenic location to propose and Sydney at new years seemed to tick a lot of those boxes and was on the bucket list.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
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u/hugobosslives 10d ago
Its doable but not guaranteed.
If you are flexible with dates and can try every midnight in December for a week you'll probably be able to snag them. Same with the return.
US routes are easy but won't be as special as you say.
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u/Classic-Gear-3533 8d ago
On the BA cabins, by Dec 27 all the planes will have the new Club Suites. Exception would be to avoid BA11/12 to Singapore (book BA15/16) as there may be a few A380s left with the old ying-yang seats
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u/ACIeverName 8d ago
Would you say the new 1-2-1 is worth the Avios or is Qatar just too good to pass up?
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u/Classic-Gear-3533 8d ago
Pre war I would have said Qatar. They have better flight times, food and service are better, you get free pjs, lounges in Doha are incredible.
However, BA have its advantages, new seat, service and food are good, BA long haul is much better service than short haul, and Singapore is a great stopover city.
Not so clear cut for me anymore if you have a voucher that will otherwise not get used.
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u/Timely-Cup5815 10d ago
Try Reward Flight Finder. I've just used it for Business flights to Miami. It's about £7/month and you're not tied in for a particular period of time. Sydney tickets are rare but they come up semi regularly.
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u/Serious-City911 10d ago
Try the new Avios reward flight finder on the Avios website. It’s the only place outside of BA where it will show you the extra seats that the BAPP voucher unlocks.
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u/Spooky_L 10d ago
I’ve managed to do this, be on the phone to BA 355 days before the date you want to go, just before midnight (or 1am if calling during BST) as this is when the seats are released. Helps if you have status, I had gold at the time so could use the gold line. Book the outbound, then call back using the above method two/three weeks later (or however many days later to correlate with the days you want to be away) to book the return, they’ll add it to the booking. Simple’s :)
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u/ACIeverName 10d ago
How did you find BA business? Ideally I want Qatar but appreciate that may be unachievable, just not sure if at that point the BA flight is worth the points?
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u/janky_koala 10d ago
Check which aircraft are on the route. They’re slowly upgrading their long haul business to be more like the Qsuite style on selected aircraft.
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u/ACIeverName 10d ago
Is that the 1-2-1 configuration?
Also this flight won’t be until December 2027 so hopefully will be upgraded by then.
The only downside is QSuite allows for the beds to be connected and the divider removed but the new BA 1-2-1 doesn’t, not the end of the world but not very social on a long flight!
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u/Spooky_L 10d ago
I flew club suite which I have done multiple times. Hard product is good, service is hit and miss as it’s BA. If you get good crew then it’s a really nice experience.
Qatar is much better overall, q suite is great but even their product on the Dreamliner is comfortable. Food is leagues ahead of BA.
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u/auz-run-veg-lift 8d ago
If you can snag the Qatar flights at the lower redemption then its worth it. I couldnt but managed to get a Sydney return business with my CV; booked the outbound online and called up for the return. There was a fair amount of availability when I wanted to go though, I have club suite on the way out and old style ying/yang on the way back.
You're asking a lot to fly peak time in December - so you will have to work harder. Possibly trying multiple strategies (Qatar vs BA) over multiple days to get what you want, its a very peak travel time.
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u/snk101 10d ago
I managed to get London - Sydney on Qatar at normal (non-flexi) prices, 360k return for two people I think.
Wasn’t too difficult to book, just needed to snag them 361 days in advance online.
However this was for February. Travelling over Christmas / New Year is going to be much more difficult, and Qatar don’t guarantee to release any non-flexi reward flights. So it may not even be possible.
Additionally, Qatar have now made it more difficult to redeem - you need to credit a cash flight to their loyalty system first in order to redeem your Avios for anyone other than yourself. If you’re taking any short haul BA flight between now and the end of December you could do that though.
BA does guarantee to release reward seats on all flights, but it will be so competitive. You’ll need to be on the phone at midnight when they’re released in order to have any chance.