Flying to Australia from the United States isn’t easy and often requires connections in Japan, South Korea, or a country in Southeast Asia. While Australia is a dream destination for many, a more convenient flight on Qantas in business class might be just the thing to make this trip even better.
On Qantas, you can fly to Brisbane, Melbourne, or Sydney from several cities in the U.S., which will really shorten your travel time.
Business class award seats on Qantas are tough to find, but worth the effort. Here we’ll show you what to expect in business class and the best ways to book it.
A Look Inside Qantas Business Class
Unlike Qantas first class, there is more variation in Qantas’ business class product.
The Airbus A330 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner have very similar 1-2-1 cabin layouts. This is the most modern business class product used by Qantas, and it’s superior to the others since all seats have direct aisle access.
All business class seats on Qantas’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner have direct aisle access. Image Credit: QantasRegardless of the cabin layout, every business class seat is fully lie-flat, making sleeping much easier. This is vital when you’ll be spending 15 to 17 hours traveling between the continental U.S. and Australia!
While the Airbus A330 does not fly to the continental U.S., you can try its business class product between Sydney and Honolulu on a roughly 10-hour flight.
If you want to try the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Qantas operates this craft between:
- Brisbane (BNE) – Chicago (ORD) (date TBD)
- Brisbane (BNE) – Los Angeles (LAX)- New York (JFK)
- Brisbane (BNE) – San Francisco (SFO)
- Los Angeles (LAX) – New York (JFK)
- Melbourne (MEL) – Los Angeles (LAX)
- Melbourne (MEL) – Perth (PER) – London (LHR)
- Melbourne (MEL) – San Francisco (SFO)
- Sydney (SYD) – San Francisco (SFO)
On the Airbus A380 (likely grounded until 2023), business class is located in the upper deck and is arranged in a 2-2-2 layout with direct aisle access for both middle seat passengers.
The upper deck of the Airbus A380 is entirely business class in a 2-2-2 layout. Image Credit: QantasAs a business class passenger, you will have access to Qantas’ business class lounges and those operated by their Oneworld partner airlines.
Inflight, you can expect a very good meal and a wide variety of options. Additionally, Qantas stands out for providing pajamas to its business class passengers, which make those super long flights even more comfortable.
How to Fly Qantas Business Class Using Points
There are several ways to book business class on Qantas from Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan to any of their Oneworld partners. Let’s check out some of the best ways to redeem miles for your next business class flight.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
If you’re looking for the cheapest mileage cost, look no further than Alaska Airlines. For 55,000 Alaska miles, you can book a one-way business class award to from the continental U.S. to Australia.
Here’s the simple award booking process:
- Go to the Alaska Airlines website
- Sign in to your account
- Search for your desired route (make sure you select Use Miles)
- Choose your desired flight and click Add To Cart
- Pay the necessary taxes/fees and complete your booking
If you want to see more than one city in Australia, remember that you can book a stopover with Alaska miles.
There are tons of possible ways to redeem Alaska miles, so check out our best ways to redeem Alaska miles.
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
You can find some great redemption sweet spots in Japan Airlines’ distance-based partner award chart.Japan Airlines uses a distance-based award chart. The chart is divided into tiers based on your flight miles. This means you’ll need to account for the flight miles of each segment of an award booking.
You’ll have to call Japan Airlines to book an award with one of their partners, but just follow these steps and it will be easy.
- Go to the Japan Airlines website
- Log in to your JAL Mileage Bank account
- Choose JMB Partner Airlines Award Ticket Reservation
- Choose Qantas under Partner Airlines
- Select business class, your travel dates, and the departure and destination airports
- Choose your flights and hit Next
- Confirm the Mileage Bank miles and taxes/fees required
- If your booking involves a connection on another partner of Japan Airlines such as American Airlines, you will have to call to complete the booking
You can include stopovers when booking award flights with Japan Airlines miles but, remember, each mileage tier requires more miles to book.
Check out our best ways to earn Japan Airlines miles to see all the ways you can earn.
If you need some inspiration for other ways to use your miles, check out the best ways to redeem Japan Airlines miles.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles provides an easy way to book Qantas awards online. You can also include a stopover and an open-jaw but doing so will make the booking cost more miles.
With the new Asia Miles prices effective June 22, 2018, you’ll need to check mileage by partner airline using their calculator.
As an example, New York (JFK) to Sydney first-class round-trip is 180,000 miles.
Here’s how you can use Asia Miles to book Qantas business class.
- Go to Asia Miles
- Log in to your account
- Scroll over “Redeem Miles”
- Choose “Flight Awards” from the drop-down menu
- Enter your flight details
- Make sure you select “Qantas”
- Choose your desired flight
- Standard Awards are what you want to find (otherwise you will be overpaying)
- Review the mileage cost and the taxes/fees
- Complete your business class booking
Cathay Pacific is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards points and Citi ThankYou Points.
The transfer rate from each of these programs is 1:1, but the time it takes to transfer varies by program. Transfers from Citi ThankYou Points generally take up to 24 hours and transfers from Membership Rewards can take between 3 and 7 days.
Hot Tip: Check out our Transfer Partner Tool to easily calculate how many miles you’ll need to transfer for your award.
American Airlines AAdvantage
A great use of American miles is flying business class on Qantas.Prior to a devaluation in early 2016, American Airlines AAdvantage was a very popular program for booking Oneworld awards. Even with the devaluation, it’s still a great way to book Qantas business class thanks to its ability to include connections within the U.S. so you can reach an airport from which Qantas flies.
To redeem American miles for a flight on Qantas, follow these simple steps:
- Visit American Airlines and log in
- Select your route and travel dates
- Check the box next to “Redeem Miles”
- Select “Business/First MileSAAver” to see business class options
- Select the date you want to fly
- Select your desired flight
- If there is a connecting flight within the U.S., expand the flight details to make sure the long-haul segment on Qantas is in business class
- Click “Continue”
- Fill in the passenger details and pay the required taxes to finish booking
If Qantas isn’t your thing, check out some other great options for redeeming your American AAdvantage miles.
Hot Tip: The ability to put award seats on hold makes using American miles one of the easiest ways to book Qantas business class.
Other Options for Booking Qantas
You might be surprised that Qantas isn’t listed as an option. Sadly, Qantas does not offer even decent redemption rates through their award chart.
There are plenty of other options that can be used to book Qantas flights including British Airways, Malaysia Airlines, and Qatar Airways.
Great Qantas Business Class Redemptions
If you can find a business class award seat on Qantas, you have several options to book it. Image courtesy of Qantas.Qantas serves a limited number of airports in the United States. In fact, they only fly to and from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX), New York City (JFK), and San Francisco (SFO). They also fly between Sydney and Honolulu (HNL).
Let’s take a look at how you can book these flights, so you can decide which miles to use when booking Qantas business class.
Below you’ll see the round-trip business class redemption rates to or from Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Brisbane
| U.S. Airport | Alaska Airlines | Japan Airlines | Cathay Pacific | American Airlines |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | 110,000 miles | 100,000 miles | 145,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 110,000 miles | 100,000 miles | 120,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
| New York City (JFK) | 110,000 miles | 100,000 miles | 145,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 110,000 miles | 100,000 miles | 145,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
Melbourne
| U.S. Airport | Alaska Airlines | Japan Airlines | Cathay Pacific | American Airlines |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | 110,000 miles | 100,000 miles | 145,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 110,000 miles | 100,000 miles | 120,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
| New York City (JFK) | 110,000 miles | 100,000 miles | 145,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 110,000 miles | 100,000 miles | 145,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
Sydney
| U.S. Airport | Alaska Airlines | Japan Airlines | Cathay Pacific | American Airlines |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | 110,000 miles | 100,000 miles | 145,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | 110,000 miles | 100,000 miles | 120,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
| New York City (JFK) | 110,000 miles | 100,000 miles | 145,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 110,000 miles | 100,000 miles | 120,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
| Honolulu (HNL) | 110,000 miles | 80,000 miles | 120,000 miles | 130,000 miles |
How to Earn Enough Miles for Qantas Business Class
Even if you don’t have the miles to book a business class flight on Qantas right now, there are plenty of ways to earn the necessary miles.
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Amex Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points, and Capital One Miles can be transferred to Qantas.
Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)
| Credit Card | Key Benefits & Info |
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Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Platinum, see our thoughts on the cards incredible benefits and perks, which includes travel insurance coverage, and so much more. Check out our full review to see why it’s one of the best travel credit cards. |
American Express® Gold Card
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Must Reads: For more info on the Amex Gold Card, see our guides on its benefits and perks, as well as our full review. |
Business owner? See our list of the best Amex business credit cards.
Recommended Capital One Cards That Earn Miles (Personal)
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card - The newest card in the Capital One lineup with a welcome offer of 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. Not only does the card come with up to $300 in statement credits when booking through Capital One Travel, you'll also get get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary.
Earn unlimited 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, plus unlimited 2x miles on all other purchases. |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card - This card is packed with lots of benefits and perks. Earn 60,000 mile welcome bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. We recommend this as a no-brainer card if you even semi-regularly stay at hotels since this card earns unlimited 2x miles on every purchase. |
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card - This is an excellent card for those looking to earn 1.25x miles per $1 on every purchase. With a 20,000 mile welcome bonus (worth $200 toward travel) after spending $500 within the first 3 months and no annual fee, it's a strong choice. |
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles can be transferred from American Express Membership Rewards and Citi Thank You Rewards (both at a rate of 1:1).
Marriott Credit Cards
You can earn Marriott points and transfer those to Qantas, Japan Airlines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Cathay Pacific at a transfer rate of 3:1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, you’ll receive an extra 5,000 miles bonus.
| Credit Card | Benefits & Info |
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Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
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When Should You Search for Award Space
Business class award availability on Qantas is very difficult to find, but not quite as difficult as first class award space. You can start looking for award space 330+ day prior to departure. Still, it will be tough to find any availability.
In 2016 and 2017, Qantas seemed to release a chunk of business class award seats at once for departure dates 9 months away. Even so, the availability was still very limited.
As is the case with first class, it will be easier to book one award seat (maybe 2, if you’re lucky) if you want to fly Qantas business class.
What Makes Qantas a Great Redemption
Flying business class on Qantas from the continental U.S. or Hawaii to Australia is a great way to make this long journey. As Qantas adds routes from Brisbane on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, business class on Qantas is only going to get better.
Business Class Seat
While you won’t get direct aisle access with most business class seats on Qantas, they do provide a very comfortable lie-flat bed for your long-haul flights.
If you find yourself on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner or on an Airbus A330, business class will be even better. These routes have Qantas’ latest business class product that provides direct-aisle access to all passengers.
Qantas International Business Class Lounges
Relax in Melbourne at Qantas’ international business class lounge. Image courtesy of Qantas.You can relax in one of Qantas’ international business class lounges and enjoy any of the several wines available. If beer or spirits are more your style, you will also have several options to choose from.
Additionally, you can expect a really nice meal, especially if you are in the Melbourne lounge which has both a dining service and an extensive buffet.
If you’re at an airport without a Qantas business class lounge, you’ll have access to one of their partner lounges, which are often provided by their Oneworld partners. If you happen to be in Dubai, you’ll also have access to the Emirates business class lounge.
Final Thoughts
Let’s be clear, finding business class award availability on Qantas will be tough. If you do find it, you’ll need to book quickly before someone else grabs the award space. When you consider both the inflight experience and the business class lounge experience, this comes as little surprise to anyone.
If you have Alaska miles in your account, they’ll get you into business class with the fewest number of miles. However, if you are going to transfer points to one of Qantas’ partner airlines, that can take time. As a result, you might be better off booking with American Airlines since they allow 5-day holds on award tickets.
In the end, however you book this amazing flight, you won’t be disappointed you did!
The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, and Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, click here.
