Coming soon! My review of the Park Hyatt in Siem Reap Cambodia.

This high-end hotel is 5 km from Siem Reap War Museum and 8 km from the iconic Angkor Wat temple.

Featuring Khmer art, the stylish rooms and suites have free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and minibars. All also offer Nespresso machines and safes, along with marble bathrooms with rainfall showerheads; suites add living areas. Upgraded rooms and suites add whirlpool tubs, patios, private plunge pools or gardens. Room service is available.

Amenities include a polished Cambodian restaurant, a chic bar, a glass-enclosed deli/patisserie and a spa. There’s an outdoor lap pool, an indoor/outdoor infinity pool, a fitness center and event space.

The rooms where delightful, review coming soon!

DSO_Brochure_3APR2017

Please click the link above for the current Dubai Emirates stopover brochure in full with all hotels, prices, conditions, inclusions and information you will need.

I’d imagine that the majority of Qantas frequent flyers usually use their points to redeem award travel for simple one-way or return tickets to Europe, the US, Asia or domestically.

However, there is a great value points redemption that allows for up to 15 flights with Qantas and oneworld partner airlines—the oneworld Classic Flight Reward—which can be used for up to 35,000 miles of travel, in Economy, Premium Economy, Business or First Class.

In this guide, we outline how Qantas oneworld Classic Rewards work as a great way to maximise the value of your Qantas Points for round-the-world (RTW) trips.

Do note that these awards do not technically have to go around the world, but this is the most common use for them. See FAQs later on for more information.

Comparing the different long-haul Qantas Point redemption options

If you analyse the table below, you can see that tacking on a significant amount of extra flying comes with only minimal additional points cost, especially from Adelaide.

Say you want to fly return to Europe on Qantas or Emirates (which is a preferred partner). From Perth/Adelaide, you’ll be up for 224,000/256,000 points in Business Class and 336,000/392,000 points in First Class, plus taxes and fees of $500-1000.

Or you could fly one of their non-preferred oneworld partners like Qatar Airways or Cathay Pacific, from Adelaide for 242,000/278,000 points in Business or 354,000/406,000 points in First.

By comparison, departing from Adelaide, you could fly almost double the distance (up to 35,000 miles) and have stopovers in five cities for just 2,000 points more in Business Class or 14,000 more in First Class.

Departing from Perth, the value of the RTW award compared to a simple return is more diminished. This is because Perth is closer to Europe than Adelaide and therefore falls into a lower distance bracket. However, if you still wanted to fly RTW, it will only cost you an extra 56,000 points compared to flying Qantas/Emirates return to Europe, which is still good value.

Why you should aim to fly Business instead of First Class

From Perth and Adelaide, the only airline operating a First Class cabin is Emirates and as we’ve mentioned in the main guide, you can’t include Emirates in this award as it’s not part of oneworld.

If you did want to pursue a First Class award though, then the best way to get value out of that is to fly in and out of Australia from Sydney or Melbourne on Qatar Airways (both cities) or British Airways (Sydney only) and tack on a domestic Qantas Business Class flight to get there.

Why does Qantas have four different award tables?

1. Qantas Classic Flight Rewards: the cheapest price table for Qantas and its preferred partners of Airnorth, Air Vanuatu, American Airlines, Emirates and Fiji Airways
2. Jetstar Classic Flight Rewards: for Jetstar flights only; this is 20% less than the Qantas Classic price
3. Partner Classic Flight Rewards : for travel on one and only one of Qantas oneworld partner airlines
4. oneworld Classic Flight Rewards: for itineraries including two or more oneworld airlines; the focus of this guide

The key uses for the oneworld Classic Flight Reward are to fly:

• further (i.e. RTW)
• on more carriers
• on more flights

compared to redeeming an award using one of the other three tables.

With an extensive network and modern product on its A350, A380 and 787 aircraft, you might aim to include a Qatar Airways Business Class flight as part of your trip

Why does a Qantas oneworld RTW redemption represent good value?

A RTW itinerary booked as a oneworld Classic Flight Reward is one of the best ways to maximise the value of your Qantas Points.

The RTW ticket allows you to explore the world and stopover in up to five cities over a 12-month period, provided there is award availability and the total distance is kept under 35,000 miles.

If you bought a RTW ticket with cash, retail fares usually start from $3,000 in Economy, $11,000 in Business and upwards of $20,000 in First. We know that RTW Business Class itineraries are very popular with couples and with this guide, some of our readers have saved between $20,000-$35,000 in out-of-pocket costs.

With this award, you can choose from over 1,000 destinations in more than 150 countries covered by the oneworld alliance:

• Aer Lingus (rejoining sometime in 2017)
• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• LATAM
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Jordanian
• S7 Airlines
• Sri Lankan Airlines

Emirates is not part of the oneworld alliance and, therefore, cannot be included in this itinerary.

Although its a great airline to fly, you cannot include Emirates flights in this award

Comparing the different long-haul Qantas Point redemption options

If you analyse the table below, you can see that tacking on a significant amount of extra flying comes with only minimal additional points cost.

Say you want to fly return to Europe on Qantas or Emirates (which is a preferred partner). You’ll be up for 256,000 points in Business Class or 392,000 in First, plus taxes and fees of $500-1000.

Or you could fly one of their non-preferred oneworld partners like Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific or British Airways for 278,000 in Business or 406,000 in First.

By comparison, you could fly almost double the distance (up to 35,000 miles) and have stopovers in five cities for just 2,000 points more in Business Class or 14,000 more in First Class.

If you’d rather use your points for a trip in Economy or Premium Economy, you’ll actually save 10-15,000 points by doing a RTW itinerary compared to flying with one of Qantas’ non-preferred partners. Crazy, right?

Just note that not all oneworld carriers operate a Premium Economy cabin, so you’d want to target British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas flights—other flights would be in Economy.

Example 1: 32,000 miles in Business Class for 280,000 Qantas Points

The following basic Business Class itinerary totals 26,000 miles flown, well within the 35,000-mile maximum:

1. Sydney to Johannesburg with Qantas
2. Johannesburg to London with British Airways
3. London to New York with American Airlines or British Airways
4. New York to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific
5. Hong Kong to Sydney with Qantas or Cathay Pacific

If you want to check the mileage of a range of flights, I recommend inputting the airport codes into Great Circle Mapper to get the total distance, ensuring you are keeping it under the 35,000-mile maximum.

Because the Qantas RTW reward allows you to have up to 15 connections, you do not necessarily have to fly the most direct route, as above. This is handy when there are no seats available on the most direct route and you have to fly to your destination via a different city.

Another benefit is that you can also stop in cities for under 24 hours. As long as it 23 hours and 59 minutes, it is considered a ‘transit’ rather than a stopover.

The sample itinerary above only has five connections, so let’s tweak it slightly and add more connections

1. Sydney to Johannesburg with Qantas
2. Johannesburg to London via Doha with Qatar Airways
3. London to New York with British Airways or American Airlines
4. New York to Hong Kong via Los Angeles and Tokyo with American Airlines, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific
5. Hong Kong to Sydney with Qantas or Cathay Pacific

This sample itinerary now comes in at a little under 32,000 miles.

You don’t have to tack on long flights, of course. Adding on a number of smaller flights to reach non-hub cities, if that is where you want to go, is also a very useful way to get value from this award.

Example 2: 34,000 miles in Economy Class for 140,000 Qantas Points

Point Hacks reader Mark shared his round-the-world journey to South America, Europe and South Africa in the comments below, costing him 140,000 points in Economy. The same journey in Business Class would have cost 280,000, or 420,000 in First.

When drawing his map on Great Circle Mapper, I can see that the total distance flown was 34,343 miles, within the 35,000-mile limit:

How to research and book a Qantas oneworld Classic Flight Reward

Like other award redemptions, seats are subject to availability and there is a decent chance you would not be able to fly on the date you desire, so you need to be flexible on dates and routes (as always when using points to travel).

To kick things off, you can use the qantas.com search engine to find most award availability, with the British Airways search engine providing results for Japan Airlines, which does not show up on the Qantas website. You can read more about searching for award space on Qantas partners here.

Once you are ready to book, the simplest way to find reward seats for a RTW itinerary is to search one flight at a time. It can be time-consuming, so have a notepad handy to write down the:

1. Date of travel (e.g. 4 July 2017)
2. Departure and arrival cities (Adelaide to Doha)
3. Flight number (QR 915)
4. Departure and arrival times (10:25pm – 5:30am)

Keep repeating this for each city, bearing in mind that sometimes you might need to connect via an intermediary city.

Then book online through the Qantas website or, if you need help and/or want to book a seat on a partner that doesn’t show up on the Qantas website, then call Qantas Frequent Flyer.

Frequently Asked Questions

This guide is one of our most-read and has a long comments thread below, so we’ve picked out the most common questions to save you some time.

Please read carefully to see if your question has already been answered in the FAQ or comments section.

Routing

Do I have to go around the world?

No, not necessarily. The award is calculated on total mileage and doesn’t have to go in one direction.

Is backtracking permitted?

Technically, yes, however, some phone agents may apply geographical sense to your itinerary and prevent you from doing so. If so, hang up and call back.

Are transit cities calculated in the total mileage?

Yes, so if you are flying from Sydney to Johannesburg via Hong Kong, you will need to include the two segments, not the direct distance between Sydney and Johannesburg.

Are surface sectors counted?

Yes. A surface sector is when you fly into one airport, make your way on the ground (or a cheap airfare) to another airport to fly out of. For example, if you fly into Berlin, catch a train or bus to Paris, and fly out of Paris, then the mileage between Berlin and Paris will be calculated as part of this award.

Do I need to return to the same airport?

Yes. If you are flying out of Melbourne on a RTW trip, you need to return to Melbourne at the end of it.

Can I travel more than 35,000 miles?

No. Once you go even one mile more, it will recalculate as separate awards and be much more expensive.

Pricing

How do I add segments?

You can add segments for most airline partners (except Japan Airlines) online, but note that you’ll be charged a 5,000-point change fee each time you alter your itinerary, so try to lock down as many flights and dates as you can at the start.

If you need to phone the call centre to make a change and are flying in Economy or Premium Economy, you’ll be charged an extra 8,000-point service fee; premium cabins do not attract this fee.

Can I mix cabins, e.g. fly Business Class for most segments and First Class for one or two?

The award is calculated on the rate for the highest cabin, which means that even if you have one First Class flight and the rest are in Business, you will be charged 420,000 points instead of 280,000. This means you’re best to stick to the same cabin the whole way.

How are infant and child fares calculated?

If you have a child under two years of age, then you just pay the taxes, no points. If a child is two years of age of older, then they are charged the full adult rate for points redemptions.

Why should I avoid flying British Airways?

Because they charge high fuel surcharges. Read more in our guide to airlines and frequent flyer programs that charge the lowest fuel surcharges.

Why should I avoid flying out of the UK?

Because departing flights from the UK are charged the Air Passenger Duty. However, if your transit through the UK is less than 24 hours, then your departing flight won’t be charged the APD. Read more in our guide to cities and countries to aim for to minimise taxes and fees.

Booking

Can I book this award online?

Yes, you can, and we recommend it. Remember to use the multi-city search tool on the Qantas website, not the round-the-world tool on the oneworld website.

The only exception is that if you include Japan Airlines in your itinerary, you’ll need to phone Qantas. And be prepared for potential long wait times.

Can I include Emirates in my itinerary?

No, Emirates is not part of the oneworld alliance, therefore it is not eligible for this award.

What should I do if the phone agent doesn’t seem to know what they’re doing?

Hang up and call back.

Summing up

Qantas oneworld Classic Flight Rewards require a lot of points comparatively to redeem simple one-way redemptions but you can get a hell of a lot of travel squeezed into one itinerary.

You’ll be able to see at least five cities and, if you’re clever, add overnight stops of up to 24 hours in connecting cities too.

Just remember to keep your total distance flown to under 35,000 miles and try to book as many of the flights as you can at the start so you’re not slugged with change and service fees.

Have you successfully redeemed your Qantas Points for a RTW award and, if so, where did you go?

Who wouldn’t rather fly to the other side of the world in style and comfort, with space to stretch out and sleep, as opposed to tying yourself in knots in cattle class?

For those of us without the budget to regularly turn left when boarding, there is hope. It has transpired that if you are clever in collecting air miles, you could fly from the US to Australia for close to the same price as a seat in economy.

How, you might ask. The very simple trick to making huge savings has been revealed by a blogger in the US.

Gilbert Ott, the man behind God Save The Points, claims he is able to pay less than $US1500 ($1976) for a single first-class flight, not much more than economy class flights for New York to Sydney on Qantas that cost from $US1080.

This, according to Ott, is thanks to the air miles that can be bought from Alaska Airlines, the airline partner to Qantas. And it doesn’t even matter that you’ve never flown with them in your life.

Ott suggests that flying to Australia from the US in both directions with Qantas will cost you just 70,000 air miles bought from Alaska. Purchasing these miles through Alaska costs just $US1478 – allowing you to fly to Australia in first class for that relatively small sum.

In the same way, a round trip would cost approximately $US3000, around $US13,000 less than the price you would pay if you bought the flights directly from Qantas.

The trick works, Ott explained, because of the discounts Alaska regularly offers its air miles customers.

Absolutely love staying at the crown metropol..!  I always leave this property feeling like i’ve had a genuine holiday.  I’ve stayed at that many hotels in the past 20 years, this has to be one of the best, and it’s only a 15 minute drive from my place in Scarborough.  Thank you Crown Entertainment and James Packer.

Walking into the Crown Metropol Perth is quite an amazing sight to be seen!  The former Burswood and Intercontinental Resort has been lovingly renovated and polished and is the foyer to their first class restaurants, Rockpool, Nobu and Silks. (how handy)

If you haven’t seen the lobby, It’s a massive atrium style building with a huge reception area also featuring their award-winning buffet “The Atrium”.  Heaps of lounges and sofas with coffee tables and the ‘Lobby Bar’ which also serves breakfast lunch and high tea.  It’s a great starting spot and inviting area with heaps of beverages to choose from.  However its also a relaxing and refined spot to people watch and organise the days ‘to do’ list.

or… if you prefer, a champagne lounge is also conveniently located beside the front desk, La Vie has you covered for a bit of upmarket fiz. Grande Annie anyone

Getting back to the Crown Metropol:

Check in took forever!  While I appreciate a thorough check in experience, when it takes half an hour, that’s just getting ridiculous!  Anyhow, I wasn’t going to let that get in the way.

We were allocated 2 rooms beside each other (deluxe twin rooms) on the first floor.  Both rooms where overlooking the pool area which was an added bonus.

The rooms are fabulous and feature the following in-room technology

• Complimentary WiFi is available for internet surfing, Premium internet for streaming video or conferencing is available at an additional charge
• LCD television with over 53 channels
• Video on demand
• Radio stations
• Television Sleep and Wake-Up
• My ETV! accessing ETV gives you the ability for quick navigation to your favourite channels, movies, music etc.
• Digital Compendium – On screen services which include pillow menu, housekeeping, concierge, whats on around crown, hotel services
• Digital master switch – which I personally love, has lighting, reading light, do not disturb, make up room & air conditioning buttons

Rooms are spacious and stylish with pure white linens and duvet.  Room was a little stuffy upon arrival, and I found that the air conditioning system was actually out of order. (I did have my key card inserted into the wall)  A quick call to reception and a follow up from the engineering duty manager, the problem was solved within about 20 minutes. Kudos!

Awesome bathroom with separate shower and tub and crown labelled amenities which where of a high standard, just unsure as to which company supplies them.  Personally I prefer L’occitane or Le Labo, however crown loves to brand and they have done a great job with the lotions, shampoo/conditioner and gels.

The style and the layout of the bathroom is perfect! I have a crazy love for bathrooms in hotels and this met all my expectations – and more.

Black is back.. The bathroom features black flooring and white walls (all tiles) with a separated toilet for privacy with telephone.  Towels were plentiful and smelt fresh and clean (Always smell the towels everyone – I always do – and if they don’t smell clean, I inform housekeeping) – people do all sorts of things (hygienic and unhygienic) with towels, so be careful! – The crown metropol has sacrificed a double vanity for a full sized private toilet and separated tub.

Mini bar was quite standard with a limited selection waters, juices, soft drinks and beers supplied by coke and Carlton united beverages.  Prices weren’t too over the top.  Loved that they had Copia Pinot Grigio and Fiji water.. my favourite.

The room service menu has been designed and created for Crown Metropol guests by Bistro Guillaume which is inspired by the best neighbourhood bistro’s of Paris. (How awesome is that) The menu is perfect with a full a la carte menu abundant with French classics as well as an international sumptuous breakfast, all day and late night dining menu’s – all available delivered to your guest room.

Or if you prefer, Bistro Guillaume is located downstairs in the lobby (just off front desk) which exudes a relaxed holiday feel, encouraging diners to stay for a while and savour every moment while enjoying acclaimed chef Guillaume Brahimi’s delicious bistro cuisine – and the sensational view of the outdoor pool area – see below for a better picture.  One of mine and my friends favourite places to ‘hang and nosh’

The whole crown experience is opulent and entertaining,,, Your choices are really varied and endless when it comes to food, beverage and live show options.  Also in the lobby area is the entrance to Nobu and Rockpool.  I loved the fact they had a pianist lady “Bex Lou” in the lobby area, playing solo classics and modern music with a twist, to break up the atmosphere in the lobby perfectly – whilst sipping on a cocktail and enjoying tapas from the lobby bar.

To be honest with you, I was a bit dissapointed with the burgers at Rockpool.  See below – this is how they served them – very strange, cos lettuce and roma toms served on the side??  The chicken fillet seemed processed??  I was a bit ‘weirded out’ as I was expecting a delicious buttermilk fried portion of breast – but was left disappointed.  The Wagu burger looked a bit better, but by no means anything to write home about.  Was expecting bettter.  Also learnt that the rockpool group had been sold and is no longer owned by Neil Perry.  So there you go people.

The very basic Caesar Salad – the butter lettuce was very crunchy / fresh.  Wandering where the anchovies and Parmesan or Reggiano where though..!

If your here on business, then crown has you covered with their business centre downstairs near the pool area (it is unassuming – but there is a lovely receptionist on duty at all times to help with anything you require.  Internet access, printing, binding and copying is all free of charge.  Really quiet and easy to surf the net without interruptions.  Its well hid, but be advised – it a free service for in house guests – glorious.

The big draw card to the metropol is the magnificent pool area/wet area.  With indoor and outdoor pools, spa’s and half tube water slides for the kids (2).  Heaps of sun loungers and day beds with umbrellas here for everyone.  Poolside also features an ‘upgrade’ experience, where you can hire the day bed, fig lounge, orbit lounge or the in-pool lounge!

The fitness centre is state of the art with all the latest equipment – I wont go into that.  There is also a series of picturesque running and cycling tracks and are easily accessible.  Bicycles are available for hire from Poolside reception

Kids hub is located in the lower level of the hotel and is suitable for 16 years and under.  The area is complete with gaming consoles,. drawing tables and plenty of stuff to keep young guests entertained.

The pavilion is poolside and is made up of 6 private cabana’s.  Each are available to hire for both in house guests and the public from 11.00 am to 7.00 pm daily.  Each cabana features access to your own private pool, two sun buds, indoor couch, plasma television, dedicated area host, towels, mini bar, iPod connectivity with sound system.  (mini bar is charged upon consumption)

Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Anh offers a selection of advanced skin and medical treatments to in-house guests and the public.  Cosmetic treatments include

• injectables
• laser and medical grade skin treatments
• thermage and skin tightening
• plastic and cosmetic surgery consultations

And lastly, the casino.

The excitement and energy at Western Australia’s only casino has to be seen to be believed.  Whether your into the table games or the buzz of electronic gaming/slots – the casino boasts an incredible range of games in a stylish and sophisticated setting.  More restaurants, bars and a cafe are at your disposal inside the casino.

Just downstairs from the casino, you have the option of McDonald’s, Subway and Wok in a box restaurants with indoor seating.  An excellent option for breakfast (hotcakes and mcmuffins!!) or if you have kids – everyone will be happy..

The hotel also has a small gift shop which sells essential items, papers, magazines, cigarettes, drinks, confectionery and souvenirs.  The gift shop is located in between the crown metropol and promenade hotels, just in front of the theatre.

Our stay at crown was relaxing, indulgent and awesome! We love the crown metropol and have to say, it was very hard to fault anything!  Staff where all professional, courteous and happy at all times and they provided some genuine first class hospitality.

If your planning a trip to Perth people, then trust me, and stay at Crown Metropol – you will have the ultimate holiday and your choices are endless at crown – something different to do everyday – and Perth city is only minutes away. (and man has it become awesome).  You will leave refreshed and happy you made the decision to stay here!

Overall, I rate the Crown Metropol Perth a total of 5 out of a possible 6 stars.

my next stay at crown will be soon – loft rooms, crown towers villas and the cabana’s will be next on my review list..

Qantas has unveiled its first Boeing Dreamliner, the much anticipated aircraft that will “open up new routes and new levels of comfort for travellers.” The latest addition to the Qantas fleet, the 787-9 Dreamliner features next generation seating in Economy, a new Premium Economy and Business Class, with added space and a lower passenger count than […]

via Qantas Shows Off New Boeing 787-9 Aircraft — TheDesignAir