Australia is more than a country, it's a continent. In order to appreciate it, it takes time and a lot of transportation. For that reason, the country has a an extensive flight network across all airlines. Four airlines dominate the marketplace: Qantas, Jetstar, Tigerair and Virgin Australia. But in the end, it's a battle between Qantas and Virgin Australia.
How can a Canadian traveller get Australian domestic reward flights?
As a Canadian traveller, the easiest route to redeeming any kind of airline miles is to stick a oneworld carrier. Qantas is a oneworld member. It has an extensive domestic network. That means that Canadians with the following credit cards can redeem Qantas flights:
- RBC British Airways Visa card;
- American Express Gold;
- American Express Platinum card: you can transfer your American Express points to British Airways Avios.
- RBC Rewards Visa cards : you can transfer your RBC Reward points to British Airways Avios.
Crazy Aussie tour with oneworld!
For me only way to see Australia is to fly it! I've taken the liberty of building a flight plan with 7 cities spanning all of the states and territories. The tour of Australia would connect the following cities:
Sydney - Melbourne
Melbourne - Hobart
Hobart - Adelaide
Adelaide - Perth
Perth - Darwin
Darwin - Brisbane
Now here is the table that features all of the details of proposed flights. There are many other flight options. I did my reward search for the entire month of February 2018.
| From | To | Flight Number | Type | Depart | Arrive | Avios | Fees & charges | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Melbourne | QF0417 | A330 | 0830 | 1005 | 4,500 | $17.31 | Y |
| Melbourne | Hobart | QF1009 | B737 | 1405 | 1520 | 4,500 | $20.38 | Y |
| Hobart (via MEL) | Adelaide | QF1010 + QF0693 | B737 | 1220 | 1720 | 9,000 | $35.19 | Y |
| Adelaide | Perth | QF0587 | B737 | 1000 | 1050 | 10,000 | $25.07 | Y |
| Perth | Darwin | QF0792 | B737 | 0830 | 1335 | 20,000 | $32.02 | J |
| Darwin | Brisbane | QF0825 | B737 | 1255 | 1725 | 20,000 | $30.76 | J |
| Grand Total | 68,000 | $160.73 |
Conclusion
Australia is a continent. It's a far away continent as well. So if you intend on taking the time to visit , then this oneworld reward flight idea is a great option. You would be saving thousands of dollars. Just compare prices on Google Flights if you had to pay those airfares in cash.
Would you do it? Do you see value in this 7-flight tour of Australia? Please share with me your impressions on Amin On Miles Facebook Page.