Maintain Velocity Silver or Shoot for QF Silver?

[striking]

All,

I currently have the following stats;

Velocity Silver 2,244 cp, 17,756 needed to maintain Silver and 47,756 required to upgrade to gold. 31 Dec 11 expires.

QFF Bronze 65 SC required to upgrade 235 by Aug 2011.

I am currently commuting between Sydney and Bris on a weekly basis. Should I aim to maintain VB Silver? or try to get QF Silver?.

I typically fly VB because it is slightly cheaper, though I think Qantas is a better service.

thoughts?

 

[yohy?!]

All,

I currently have the following stats;

Velocity Silver 2,244 cp, 17,756 needed to maintain Silver and 47,756 required to upgrade to gold. 31 Dec 11 expires.

QFF Bronze 65 SC required to upgrade 235 by Aug 2011.

I am currently commuting between Sydney and Bris on a weekly basis. Should I aim to maintain VB Silver? or try to get QF Silver?.

I typically fly VB because it is slightly cheaper, though I think Qantas is a better service.

thoughts?

I would personally go for QF PS (and in fact that is the choice I made in 2010). The main reason was to have status when relocating to Asia this year and traveling mostly on OW.

However given recent reports on AFF that DJ are taking very good care of FFs at present (space available upgrades, complimentary water, free flight changes) if I were looking at another year of OZ domestic travel I would probably shoot for DJ Silver.

 

[striking]

On one hand, as I am already Silver with DJ, the service is good and I am enjoying the extra perks. However will be flying enough over the next few months to either Maintain DJ Silver or Upgrade to QF Silver.... If making the switch is better, now is the time to do it. Not when I am DJ Gold...

What to do...

 

[straitman]

All,

I currently have the following stats;

Velocity Silver 2,244 cp, 17,756 needed to maintain Silver and 47,756 required to upgrade to gold. 31 Dec 11 expires.

QFF Bronze 65 SC required to upgrade 235 by Aug 2011.

I am currently commuting between Sydney and Bris on a weekly basis. Should I aim to maintain VB Silver? or try to get QF Silver?.

I typically fly VB because it is slightly cheaper, though I think Qantas is a better service.

thoughts?

striking,

Welcome to AFF.

As yohy suggest this will depend upon where you want/need to use your status and points.

 

[markis10]

On one hand, as I am already Silver with DJ, the service is good and I am enjoying the extra perks. However will be flying enough over the next few months to either Maintain DJ Silver or Upgrade to QF Silver.... If making the switch is better, now is the time to do it. Not when I am DJ Gold...

What to do...

With all the changes going on DJ silver might be more valuable to you than QF PS, only you can decide that, however you will be joining the economy lines to check in with QF as there is no longer any priority check in for PS for domestic flights, that makes a big difference if you commute.

 

[striking]

With all the changes going on DJ silver might be more valuable to you than QF PS, only you can decide that, however you will be joining the economy lines to check in with QF as there is no longer any priority check in for PS for domestic flights, that makes a big difference if you commute.

Markis, good tip re QF no longer having priority check in. That is a real advantage to dj silver.

What are some of the other changes occurring to Velocity ?

 

[markis10]

Markis, good tip re QF no longer having priority check in. That is a real advantage to dj silver.

What are some of the other changes occurring to Velocity ?

Thats the big question with everything being changed at Virgin Blue, upgrades to J when it's introduced will probably be a feature, even on the regional turboprops .

 

[samh004]

I’d focus on re-qualifying for Velocity Silver, however if you think you can do two programs at the same time, you could have status in both.

Velocity Silver is currently the second highest level though, while compare that to Qantas Silver, which is the fourth highest level

 

[JohnK]

QFF Bronze 65 SC required to upgrade 235 by Aug 2011.

I am currently commuting between Sydney and Bris on a weekly basis. Should I aim to maintain VB Silver? or try to get QF Silver?.

I typically fly VB because it is slightly cheaper, though I think Qantas is a better service.

thoughts?

Welcome to AFF!

Are you flying SYD-BNE every week?

Doing some quick maths with an August 2011 reassessment date that is ~30 returns so would earn ~600 SCs on discount economy QF airfares and with your balance alreay 65 SCs would leave you only 35 SCs short of QF Gold.

For me it is a no brainer. And you would have a much healthier FF points balance....

 

[yohy?!]

Welcome to AFF!v

Are you flying SYD-BNE every week?

Doing some quick maths with an August 2011 reassessment date that is ~30 returns so would earn ~600 SCs on discount economy QF airfares and with your balance alreay 65 SCs would leave you only 35 SCs short of QF Gold.

For me it is a no brainer. And you would have a much healthier FF points balance....

On the basis of 265aud average fare for 30 returns on dj will yield 44000 status credits and points. as markis10 demonstrated qf require a larger number of points.

also only 1000 aud spend from gold...not much in it really

 

[JohnK]

On the basis of 265aud average fare for 30 sectors on dj will yield 44000 status credits and points. as markis10 demonstrated qf require a larger number of points.

To understand my logic then you need to budget for ~$90 one-way airfare (perhaps less if you use my real life example and I am talking about peak time airfares on Frinday and Sunday nights not mid-week) SYD-BNE and vv. If you are paying more than ~$90 average airfare, or your company signs a blank cheque when purchasing airfares, then my example is not for you.

I mentioned 30 SYD-BNE returns or 60 sectors. So 60 flights is ~$5400.

- As a DJ Silver this is ~32,400 Velocity points
- As a QF Bronze (= No status) this is 600 SCs and 60,000 QFF points + ~6,667 QFF points loyalty bonus = ~66,667 QFF points for the same spend. This is almost half-way to a Oneworld award!

....also only 1000 aud spend from gold...not much in it really

Entirely up to you.

Depends on how you look at it. If you look at my example above you would be a lot closer to QF Gold than DJ Gold.

By the way I am not just plucking numbers out of thin air. Commuting SYD-BNE for the last 3 years has taught me to research flights thoroughly to maximise SCs and points earning. Hopefully I won't be working in BNE more than 5 years total and I am fast approaching enough QFF points for 3 Oneworld awards earned mainly from flying with some moderate earn from Woolworths Everyday rewards. I am really looking forward to the Oneworld awards of which one will hopefully be used on a golf trip to the British Isles for my 50th. May even have more than enough QFF points by then to splurge on a Business class Oneworld award or even First Class.

To each their own or YMMV....

 

[yohy?!]

To understand my logic then you need to budget for ~$90 one-way airfare (perhaps less if you use my real life example and I am talking about peak time airfares on Frinday and Sunday nights not mid-week) SYD-BNE and vv. If you are paying more than ~$90 average airfare, or your company signs a blank cheque when purchasing airfares, then my example is not for you.

I mentioned 30 SYD-BNE returns or 60 sectors. So 60 flights is ~$5400.

- As a DJ Silver this is ~32,400 Velocity points
- As a QF Bronze (= No status) this is 600 SCs and 60,000 QFF points + ~6,667 QFF points loyalty bonus = ~66,667 QFF points for the same spend. This is almost half-way to a Oneworld award!


Depends on how you look at it. If you look at my example above you would be a lot closer to QF Gold than DJ Gold.

By the way I am not just plucking numbers out of thin air. Commuting SYD-BNE for the last 3 years has taught me to research flights thoroughly to maximise SCs and points earning. Hopefully I won't be working in BNE more than 5 years total and I am fast approaching enough QFF points for 3 Oneworld awards earned mainly from flying with some moderate earn from Woolworths Everyday rewards. I am really looking forward to the Oneworld awards of which one will hopefully be used on a golf trip to the British Isles for my 50th. May even have more than enough QFF points by then to splurge on a Business class Oneworld award or even First Class.

To each their own or YMMV....

That is an excellent system you have going, JohnK and I hope the 50th trip works out well.

Is the 90aud average used an actual figure? It seems a little low...that is one issue with qff in that peaks and troughs in price yield no additional points or status.

 

[samh004]

Is the 90aud average used an actual figure? It seems a little low...that is one issue with qff in that peaks and troughs in price yield no additional points or status.

Right now flights are on sale for $75, but the normal fare now is $104, and at other times the sale fares could be lower or higher, so I’m guessing it’s an average. You buy mainly when there are sales.

 

[yohy?!]

Right now flights are on sale for $75, but the normal fare now is $104, and at other times the sale fares could be lower or higher, so I’m guessing it’s an average. You buy mainly when there are sales.

Right, so if the OP can maintain an average of $90 a sector then QF will yield a better return.

However as the average price per sector increases the gap is closed to the point that if the average cost per sector is $150 then the spend for the 60 sectors would be more in the range of 9k and thus yield DJ Gold.

It all boils down to what is available in those peak travel times and how far ahead the OP can purchase.

 

[JohnK]

Is the 90aud average used an actual figure? It seems a little low...that is one issue with qff in that peaks and troughs in price yield no additional points or status.

The actual is much lower than $90 average. In 2010 I booked (not quite flown all sectors as I was sick for 8 weeks in September, October) 61 domestic QF flights for ~$5,274 incuding creidt card surcharge and BNE-ADL return and the average was $83.71 per flight.

However as the average price per sector increases the gap is closed to the point that if the average cost per sector is $150 then the spend for the 60 sectors would be more in the range of 9k and thus yield DJ Gold.

That is correct although at ~$150 average an airfare you are now starting to get into a totally different kettle of fish on QF opening up the next zone with SYD-ADL, MEL-BNE, BNE-ADL type flights.

It is not uncommon to have MEL-BNE airfares at ~$109 or SYD-ADL airfares at ~$105 for 15 SCs and if you are Gold or Platinum then bonus points start kick in. Also at that level of airfare one can easily route SYD-MEL-ADL, MEL-SYD-BNE etc for not much more than the special airfare and all of a sudden one is earining 20 SCs and 2,000 QFF points.

If you are serious about playing the frequent flyer game then almost anything is possible. Another recent example is booking BNE-ROK-MKY return for $185.70 earning 40 SCs and 4,000 QFF points in early March. Hire a car for a couple of days and earn another 2,000 VS miles, stay at Choice hotels and earn 500 Delta skymiles, play some golf and there is a nice weekend away from work.

It all boils down to what is available in those peak travel times and how far ahead the OP can purchase.

I would be surprised if someone commuting weekly, fortnightly, and paying for the airfares out of their pocket, like myself or medhead is not able to purchase airfares well in advance at a really good price.

I am booked through to the end of May on $65, $69, $75 and $79 specials with QF. I only need flights around Easter and one other weekend (not sure of dates) between now and then.

Out of 50-60 SYD-BNE flights a year I mainly purchase 10 or so flights at $104, hardly ever higher, with the majority at the prices listed above. And sometimes I am sneaky and sneak a few flights on DJ if they happen to be a little cheaper if I cannot find a decent QF airfare.

 

[striking]

JonnyK,

That is a nice system you have going there, I might have to look a getting another rewards card linked to QF or Velocity to top up my points.

I currently have an Altitude Platinum that has 230,000 points on it, but am saving that for a family trip one day.

I currently fly weekly BNE-SYD Sunday/Friday nights and pay for flights myself (contractor) which will continue until mid March. I then have another contract that will require flights to Melbourne, SYD, Perth and China that will finish round June.

The Virgin changes are certainly appealing, and it would be nice to be on the way to Gold when they are announced and Introduced.

Decisions Decisions.

 

[medhead]

I think Johnk has outlined the situation pretty well. Last year I averaged around about $115 on ADL-SYD including making a couple of fundamental mistakes in booking my usual thursday return when I needed to be in SYD on Friday, which costs another $50 in change fees. Stupidly I've just done it again for a June booking.

This year however I'm going for DJ gold and I have been vocal about switching half my flights to DJ. I would have probably done this anyway as QF are now overpricing the popular Monday morning flight so that it is consistently $201 for a rededeal even when I sale is on. Sure they can charge that for the popular flights but it doesn't suit my needs.