Best use of Qantas Points for international business class

Overview

Qantas doesn't brim with jaw-dropping sweet spots in the same way that rewards programs like Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards and The British Airways Club. Even so, Qantas points have a place in the utility belt of any points and miles power user. They're easy to accrue, and they can take you just about anywhere.

Qantas is also one of the few airlines that still utilizes an award chart. The points you'll pay depends on both the airline and the distance you fly. For example, flights aboard Qantas, Fiji Airways, and American Airlines abide by the following chart.

For flights aboard partners, there are a collection of other award charts that you can examine here.

Weighing these pricing factors, we've put together some of the best uses of Qantas points for international business class. Of course, your travel goals may be different, but this list addresses several bucket-list seats and destinations while making sure you get an excellent value for your points.

Seattle to Tokyo on Japan Airlines

East Asian airlines famously offer some of the best airplane seats in existence. Even their coach seats are lap-of-luxury when compared to, say, U.S. carriers. But their specialty is the premium cabin.

Japan Airlines (JAL) is one such above-average carrier. A business class flight between Seattle (SEA) and Tokyo Narita (NRT) costs 90,000 points on JAL. It's the single cheapest way to traverse the Pacific Ocean in luxury with Qantas points. The flight distance is 4,769 miles, falling just under the next distance-based pricing band (32 miles farther, and the seat would cost 108,000 points).

However, you'll pay around $350 in taxes and fees in addition to points. But because this exact seat regularly sells for more than $2,300, it's still a good deal. You should be able to squeeze a value of more than 2 cents per point for this redemption.

Hawaii to Australia on Hawaiian Airlines

Admittedly, there are cheaper ways to get to Australia than with Qantas points, but if you've got a healthy stash, it can be one of the best uses for getting over that slog of an ocean named the Pacific.

Not only can it cost a lot of points, but it can also be tough to find availability. These are some of the most sought-after seats in the award travel game. You can book flights from cities like Dallas (DFW), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), and Vancouver (YVR) to Sydney.

But the cheapest way, and sometimes the most reliable way to find availability, is to book from Honolulu (HNL) instead of the Continental U.S. For 108,000 Qantas points and $52, you can fly between HNL and SYD on Hawaiian Airlines. That's nearly 11 hours in lie-flat business class.

The seat often sells for around $3,400. After taxes and fees, you can expect a value of more than 3 cents per point.

Note: Qantas itself operates this route for a lower award price of 98,400 points, but it also charges nearly $400 more in taxes and fees, which typically ends up being a worse value per point than flying aboard Hawaiian Airlines instead.

Getting to Hawaii with travel rewards is cheap and easy with programs like Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards and British Airways Avios points, so a quick hop to Oahu is less of an upheaval than you might think. Make a stopover of it and hit up some black sand beaches or wild hiking trails.

Miami to Bogota in Emirates first class

Emirates operates a fifth-freedom route between Miami (MIA) and Bogota (BOG) with one of its 777 aircraft. This four-ish hour flight is the shortest (and cheapest) way to experience Emirates' legendary premium cabin from the U.S.

Full disclosure, finding business class aboard this route is a nightmare. However, first class seats are routinely available, and a good use of your Qantas rewards. You can book a first class seat for 78,400 points and $268 in taxes and fees.

Emirates first class is a bucket list item among virtually all points and miles enthusiasts. If it's not on your list, YouTube it.

This flight otherwise costs around $2,400 one-way, making your points worth more than 2.7 cents each.

West Coast to Fiji on Fiji Airways

Fiji is one of those "how-far-can-I-go-before-I-start-coming-back" destinations. Stare at it on a map, and you'll have to squint to find it among the deep blue middle-of-nowhereness in the Pacific. If that sense of detachment speaks to you, Qantas points can take you there, from either Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO).

Aboard partner Fiji Airways, you can get there in business class for 98,400 points and $29.

This seat typically costs thousands of dollars. For this specific itinerary, you'll pay $3,642. That results in an eye-popping value per point of more than 6.4 cents.

East Coast to Bermuda on American Airlines

When planning a tropical getaway, you probably focus on bucket list destinations around Mexico and the West Indies. But don't forget about the UK territory of Bermuda, a sub-three-hour flight from several East Coast cities. For 29,000 Qantas points and $29 in taxes and fees, you can get there in American Airlines business class from:

• Philadelphia (PHL)
• Charlotte (CLT)
• New York (JFK)
• Miami (MIA)

Note that these seats aren't lie-flat. Expect a domestic first class experience with an oversized recliner. Still, the cash price often flirts with $1,000. For this specific trip, the fare was $969. After subtracting the $29 in fees, we can calculate a per-point value of 3.2 cents. That's an excellent deal.

ExpertFlyer can help you track Qantas points-eligible award inventory

Those with an ExpertFlyer Premium plan or above can search for airline award availability one week at a time. This is helpful, but likely not a time saver over simply searching Qantas' own website.

ExpertFlyer's true power comes in the form of inventory alerts. If a seat isn't available for your desired flight, ExpertFlyer can make sure you're among the first to know if more seats are released. Click the Awards & Upgrades tab, and you'll be prompted to enter your trip details (airports, departure date, class of travel, and more). Remember to enter the airline you plan to fly, not the airline whose award program you're using to book.

Let's search for a seat from Philadelphia (PHL) to Bermuda (BDA). American Airlines is the operating carrier, so you'll enter AA into ExpertFlyer, even though you plan to book with Qantas points. In this case, we're searching for business class awards.

You'll be brought to a page showing all available seats for whichever fare class you've specified.

If there are no available business class seats, or if there aren't enough available, you can click the bell icon to set up a notification. ExpertFlyer will then email you as soon as the number of seats you need becomes available. Simple as that.

Bottom line

Qantas points are among the best rewards currencies for flying international business class on popular partners like American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Emirates on the cheap. Its award prices are distance-based, as well, so the shorter your flight, the fewer points you'll pay.

Our top picks for the best use of Qantas points for international premium seats are West Coast cities to destinations like Tokyo and Fiji, Hawaii to Australia, East Coast cities to Bermuda, and Miami to Colombia.