The big ticket Qantas long-haul seat redemptions might get all the attention, but there’s value to be found in less glamorous seats – the 8,000-point sub-600 mile sectors, which are the entry point for redemptions. And let’s face it, more people have 8,000 points to burn than 800,000 points, and securing these entry-point seats is a lot easier than jagging a business class seat to London on QF9.

There are ten Qantas classic flight reward zones. Zone one, where an economy class seat costs 8,000 points, plus fees and taxes, covers a sector up to 600 miles. Zone ten covers flights between 9,601 and 15,000 miles, and an economy class classic flight reward costs 55,200 points plus fees and taxes. The eight other zones cover distances in between.

Maximise Value With A Mere 8,000-Points

Like all zones, the trick to extracting value from an 8,000-point redemption is to fly as close as possible to the 600-mile limit, preferably on a route where the cash fares are on the high side. 

An example is flying in and out of Canberra. On a per kilometre basis, fares in and out of the national capital are expensive because so many passengers travel on the taxpayer’s dime and don’t care what it costs. However, flights to Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sydney, and Melbourne all come in under 600 miles. The Brisbane – Canberra route comes close to 600 miles but just falls under, and cash fares are typically expensive, especially on weekdays. Classic rewards redemptions for 8,000 points plus AUD73 are available and can represent decent value.

One of the most sought-after 8,000-point redemptions is the Sydney – Lord Howe Island run. Lord Howe is around 500 miles out of Sydney, and cash fares can approach AUD1,000 one way. You’ve got to plan ahead to grab an entry-level redemption on this route because it’s serviced by a Dash 8, so seats are limited, and demand is high. 

In any case, opportunities to fly to Lord Howe on a Qantas points redemption will likely end soon. Qantas is phasing out its only aircraft type capable of landing on the island’s short runway, meaning Qantas will quit the route. The hot money is on SkyTrans taking over the run, but unless Qantas does a deal with them, all the Qantas frequent flyer points in the world won’t get you to Lord Howe Island.

Out of Sydney, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Canberra, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Maroochydore all fall within the 600-mile radius. Out of Melbourne, Tasmania, Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney, and Newcastle are sub 600-mile sectors. From Brisbane, the zone extends to Canberra in the south and Proserpine in the north.

From Adelaide, the options are more limited – Melbourne. Many of these routes have competitors operating and lots of frequencies and capacity, which puts downward pressure on fares. While squandering 8,000 points to wizz over to Adelaide for the weekend might not represent the best value, a morning trawling Central Markets and a long Saturday lunch at 2KW has ample intangible value.

QantasLink And Lesser-Known Routes Are Hidden Gems

The QantasLink Dash 8 flights are an alternative to the standard Qantas jet flights, and the turboprops fly plenty of sub-600 mile routes. Flights out to Queensland’s western country typically run into several hundred dollars one way, much to the ire of locals. However, routes such as Brisbane – Barcaldine, Brisbane – Emerald, Cairns – Weipa, and Townsville – Mt Isa make the 600-mile cut. Out of Sydney, you can push the mileage limits on the runs to Mildura and Broken Hill.

From Perth, QantasLink flies to Kalgoorlie and Geraldton and both routes are less than 600 miles. Now, none of these places might be on your bucket list, but sometimes it is good to go further west than Potts Point, get some bull dust on your shoes, and meet some real people. 

There is one international route under 600 miles. Frankly, it’s what you might call niche – Darwin to Dili. For the 99.9% of people who don’t live in Darwin, you’ve got to get there, which may or may not be problem. So, let’s call this a Darwin local’s special…

One-way economy class cash fares on this 453-mile route are high, running between the AUD350 – 850 mark. But there’s plenty of award availability at 8,000 points plus AUD135. Having never been to Dili, this writer can’t vouch for its charms or otherwise. But the people are nice and a full-service Hilton is opening any day, which makes it an interesting weekend getaway option for Darwin locals who don’t have a lot of weekend getaway options.

The 8,000-point redemptions aren’t sexy and won’t get you to Paris, but there’s plenty of value and utility in them. There’s also decent availability. All up, they can be a good way to spend your Qantas frequent flyer points.