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Qatar Airways begins flying between Doha and Sydney on March 1, 2016. It is releasing 4 Business Class seats in both directions on many flights that you can book for only 45,000 American Airlines miles each way!
Qatar is a member of the oneworld alliance, meaning that its award space can be booked with American Airlines miles, British Airways and Iberia Avios, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, and many more programs’ miles. The best choice by far is to use American Airlines miles because it has a cheap award chart and doesn’t collect fuel surcharges on Qatar award flights.
Here is the American Airlines award chart for one way awards from Australia.
Ordinarily, you cannot connect in a third region on an American Airlines award between two regions, but you can connect in Doha between Australia and Europe without being charged for two awards. (If you flew Sydney to Abu Dhabi to Paris instead on Etihad with American Airlines miles, that would be two awards. Makes no sense, I know!)
Award space is excellent in both directions between Doha and Sydney in economy and Business Class. Many days have 8+ economy award seats and 4 Business Class seats. To find the award space, search ba.com. Then to book, call American Airlines at 800-882-8880. Make sure the agent waives the phone fee, since the space is not bookable on aa.com.
The westbound flight that is blocked at 14:45 is an incredible value for 45,000 American Airlines miles in Business Class. 
In both directions, I found the most award space on Sundays through Thursdays.
The route is operated by a Qatar 777-300ER with economy and Business, but no First Class. The Business Class product is fully flat in a 2-2-2 configuration.
Bottom Line
Although you probably don’t live in Sydney or Doha, it is exciting that Qatar’s route that begins in March 2016 has excellent award space in Business Class on Sundays through Thursdays.
You can book the flight for 45,000 American Airlines miles one way in Business Class as part of a round-the-world trip or 60,000 American Airlines miles one way between Europe and Australia.
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I am confused with your statement below. 45 or 60k miles?
” …book the flight for 45,000 American Airlines miles one way in Business Class as part of a round-the-world trip or 60,000 American Airlines miles one way between Europe and Australia…”
Doha to Australia: 45k Business
Europe to Australia: 60k Business
I am confused with your statement below. 45 or 60k miles?
” …book the flight for 45,000 American Airlines miles one way in Business Class as part of a round-the-world trip or 60,000 American Airlines miles one way between Europe and Australia…”
Doha to Australia: 45k Business
Europe to Australia: 60k Business
The other alternative is fly QR to Adelaide, which they’ll fly from May next year. They’ll use A350 to ADL which has the reverse herringbone configured business class, that’s way better than their 777. It should be easy to tag on a domestic QF flights to any other Aistralian city with AA miles at no extra charge.
The other alternative is fly QR to Adelaide, which they’ll fly from May next year. They’ll use A350 to ADL which has the reverse herringbone configured business class, that’s way better than their 777. It should be easy to tag on a domestic QF flights to any other Aistralian city with AA miles at no extra charge.
Is there a trick to finding QR award availability on ba.com? I only get options for BA, Malaysia or Japan Airlines when looking for Paris – Doha – Sydney in late 2016.
Search segment by segment to see which part doesn’t have space –> https://milevalu.wpengine.com/free-first-class-2014-segment-by-segment-searching/
Is there a trick to finding QR award availability on ba.com? I only get options for BA, Malaysia or Japan Airlines when looking for Paris – Doha – Sydney in late 2016.
Search segment by segment to see which part doesn’t have space –> https://milevalu.wpengine.com/free-first-class-2014-segment-by-segment-searching/
how about NYC to Sydney? Would it be good value to fly NYC to Paris, then Paris to Sydney in business class using AA miles?
If you want to go to both places, yes, it would be a very good value.
how about NYC to Sydney? Would it be good value to fly NYC to Paris, then Paris to Sydney in business class using AA miles?
If you want to go to both places, yes, it would be a very good value.