Lord Howe Island is a world heritage listed destination and the best news is it’s part of NSW. While it was closed during the peak coronavirus pandemic it is now open for business. The challenge is not just finding a flight it’s also finding accommodation
Qantaslink QF2250
Sydney (SYD) to Lord Howe Island (LDH)
Seat: 2D
Aircraft: De Havilland Dash 8
Duration: 2 hours
In this post:
Lord Howe Island Is the Best Value Qantas Economy Redemption
One of the best value for money Qantas Frequent Flyer redemptions is from Sydney to Lord Howe Island. It is also one of the hardest to get. Even as a platinum flyer redemptions are limited.
As with all great redemptions the trick is to be flexible and book once you see some flights. The cost to cancel an awards flight is incredibly low, so it is worth taking the risk.
Using Qantas distance based award program it is only 8,000 points and $81 in taxes to fly from Sydney to Lord Howe Island. By comparison a peak one way ticket is usually over $800 and red e deals are still over $500. That equates to a redemption value of around 10c per frequent flyer point.
We ended up with 3 points redemption flights and still had to pay over $800 for a one segment. We reckon it was a bargain.
American Express Ultimate Card Travel Credit
We used our American Express Ultimate Card travel credit to purchase one of the segments. With all flights severely curtailed this is a great way to “burn” the $450 travel credit.
The only downside with this approach is you need to contact Amex to make any changes to the flight. Qantas were unable to link or redemptions to the paid flight.
What Happens If My Flight To Lord Howe Island Is Cancelled?
We discovered first hand the limitations of flying to Lord Howe Island. Having arrived at the airport two hours before our 9:40 flight we then spent over 4 hours in the Qantas lounge until all flights to the Island were cancelled due to bad weather..
Qantas put us on flights at 7am the next day. As this was our “home” airport no compensation was offered. Interestingly when I looked at the Qantas website I should have received a taxi voucher. I called Qantas and was advised they are changing the policy and will no longer be providing compensation.
Our four night trip was reduced to three.
Hand Luggage Highly Recommended To Lord Howe Island
The Dash 8 only takes 39 passengers when full. As a result there is a trade off between passengers. cargo (think fresh milk) and luggage.
Due to previous cancelled flights luggage was being offloaded to take on more passengers. Even on our flight there were a number of empty seats yet they still ended up leaving some bags on the tarmac.
if you cant do hand luggage only then make sure you have the basics with you on the plane to last a few days.
De Havilland Dash 8 Comfort
On the flight over I had seat 2D on the right hand side of the plane. The seat is right next to the propeller and extremely noisy. I would recommend bringing some sort of ear plug to reduce the amount of noise
The only entertainment is a window seat and no USB or power is provided.
The seats are comfortable with side trays. The front row don’t have a side table so you get locked into position with a slide in table.
Service was efficient and food was the usual water, tea, coffee and coconut slice.
Landing and Disembarkment at Lord Howe Island
The highlight of the flight is the approach to Lord Howe Island. Landing is wind dependent and we had the lagoon approach.
There were clear views of Ball’s Pyramid which is even more spectacular from the air. Mt Gower and Mt Lidgbird are huge and the landing over the lagoon and the beach is exciting. The tarmac is just one kilometre long and crosses the length of the island from beach to beach.
On disembarkment you walk across the tarmac to the tiny terminal where your temperature is taken, Covid declaration completed and bags collected. The sniffer dog also checked bags to make sure no contraband was imported.
Don’t expect to find an uber or taxi service at the terminal. The island is so small that guests have to pre arrange transport to and from the airport.
Mobile Coverage On Lord Howe Island
When you disembark you will discover Lord Howe Island does not have any mobile coverage. The NBN has arrived but will normally only be accessible from your accommodation.
As data is satellite based it is only good for browsing, email and messenger apps. We were able to use facebook messenger to talk to our family,
Unlike the rest of Australia there are lots of phone booths with appropriate social distancing measures.
Summary
Lord Howe Island is a great place to visit. It has one of the most exciting landings of any commercial airport in Australia, if not the world.
As it is an island and a two hour flight to the next closest airport be prepared for cancellations and delays. Make sure you use hand luggage for essentials and consider some form of travel insurance.
