Penfolds Grange Or Business Class To Europe?

If you have around 150,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points in your account, two of your options include a bottle of the iconic Penfolds Grange 2015 wine or a one-way Business Class flight to Europe.

I almost always recommend using points exclusively for flights as the airline is usually filling empty seats at little marginal cost, compared to having to pay real dollars for everything else, so you get more value.

It’s interesting to compare these two options and reflect on the purpose of frequent flyer points.

Qantas Business Class To Europe

A one way Business Class flight from Australia to Europe requires 144,600 Qantas Points and makes for a very enjoyable journey with:

• Priority check in
• Business Class Lounge access with complimentary food, drinks and showers
• Fully flat bed for the long journey

We’ve previously reviewed Qantas Business Class on the 787 Dreamliner and refurbished A380 superjumbo and both are excellent experiences. Qantas lounges such as the Hong Kong Lounge are of a high standard also. 

Given a paid return Business Class fare from Sydney to London sets you back around A$7,900 the value of those 144,600 for a one way flight is around 3 cents per point

Penfolds Grange 2015

As Australia’s most iconic wine, Penfolds Grange comes at a steep premium compared to other excellent local wines. Langton’s even has a dedicated Grange Guide that fills 40 pages.

Qantas Wine offers the 2015 vintage for A$900 or 151,200 Qantas Points per bottle. In other words you are getting 0.6 cents per point. 

Henschke Hill of Grace, which is regarded as the second most iconic Australian wine, is similarly priced.

The Purpose Of Frequent Flyer Points

At first glance, the Business Class flight yielding 3 cents per point is a no brainer over the Grange for 0.6 cents per point. 

Not many people can afford to pay the A$15,000 asking price for a First Class seat from Australia to London or New York, but frequent flyer points have made these possible for me. 

Similarly, not many people would be able to hand over A$900 for a bottle of wine.

For me the purpose of frequent flyer points is to allow us to attain the aspirational. So if you’ve enjoyed more than a few flights up front but yet to experience Penfolds Grange, the value per point is irrelevant. 

Summary

There is no doubt you will always achieve the best dollar yield per frequent flyer point by booking a First or Business Class award seat.

But for those who have the points and the interest in wine, I would venture that your first bottle of Grange will be as memorable as your first time in First.