120 SC's - most cost effective method

[fiBer]

Hi All,

Long time reader, first time poster.

Need some assistance on the most cost effective way of getting 120 SCs. Currently Bronze and SCs expire in 1.5 months however starting a new job with fair amount of travel (economy only unfortunately) in August 2011 so would like to hit silver before that.

Best bet just to fly J return to CBR (~$700) and then perhaps a few trips SYD-MEL or SYD-BNE?

Any recommendations welcome. ex Sydney.

Many Thanks!!

 

[Craigie]

Have you got many FF points or you need to do this with cash?

 

[fiBer]

Preferably looking to do with cash

 

[Craigie]

Preferably looking to do with cash

I'd suggest you look at getting a return business class ticket on LAN airlines to Auckland for about $630 sometime in April for 160SC's

 

[drewbles]

Welcome to AFF.

Keep in mind, that Silver gives you nothing more than NGCI and 25% bonus points really these days. No premium checkin for domestic (can use J checkin for International) and grants you some additional luggage. Will also give you the NGCI luggage tags.

120 is 34% short, that's a long way. How much domestic travel in which fare bucket are you going to start your work travel for? If you're booked in high fare buckets for Y, you're likely to get PS very quickly being only 300SC's for PS now.

I'd save your cash and get a Qantas Club membership. It doesn't give you the bonus points or NGCI (for free at least) but it'll give you more than PS IMHO.

 

[medhead]

Silver also gets seat selection. I'll hold off on commenting on the value of silver until we know how much flying the new job involves. However in the next 1.5 months, school holiday period, it is going to be hard to find a cheap way to get the SC. How much are you prepared to spend? Roughly. something like CBR-xSYD-ADL in J will get you 100 SC, or even SYD-xCBR-ADL, add in a couple of cheapies and your there. But likely to be rather pricey.

being only 250SC's for PS now.

Or 300 SC to qualify as the OP will have to do.

 

[drewbles]

Or 300 SC to qualify as the OP will have to do.

Ah yes you're right. 350 fell to 300 and 300 to 250. My bad!

Still, at 34% for some slightly better seating options (and it is only slight from what i've observed of my friends PS selection on DOM flights), i'd suggest QP.

Perhaps i'll reserve my aforementioned suggestion until the OP does outline travel plans.

 

[technoir]

I'd suggest you look at getting a return business class ticket on LAN airlines to Auckland for about $630 sometime in April for 160SC's

SYD-AKL-SYD on Lan is a bit more than that; I class (cheapest business class fare) return is $747 at the moment.

 

[Rebekkap]

Ah yes you're right. 350 fell to 300 and 300 to 250. My bad!

Still, at 34% for some slightly better seating options (and it is only slight from what i've observed of my friends PS selection on DOM flights), i'd suggest QP.

Perhaps i'll reserve my aforementioned suggestion until the OP does outline travel plans.

I'm only silver at the mo, although I'll be gold in another few weeks, and I get much better seating than I did as bronze - if the new job involves very frequent flying, I'd say totally worth it in time saved getting out of the airport at he end of a flight (assuming you don't travel with checked luggage). I can usually get first three rows of economy as long as I am careful to do seat allocation at exactly T-80. Tomorrow's flight I am in the first row of economy. Leaving it to the computer when bronze usually ended up with me in around row 20.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Ah yes you're right. 350 fell to 300 and 300 to 250. My bad!

Still, at 34% for some slightly better seating options (and it is only slight from what i've observed of my friends PS selection on DOM flights), i'd suggest QP.

Perhaps i'll reserve my aforementioned suggestion until the OP does outline travel plans.

Is not PS and QC on a par when it comes to seat selections available?

 

[Rebekkap]

Is not PS and QC on a par when it comes to seat selections available?

I don't think so - I was bronze QC and you can't do seat allocation!

 

[medhead]

Ah yes you're right. 350 fell to 300 and 300 to 250. My bad!

Still, at 34% for some slightly better seating options (and it is only slight from what i've observed of my friends PS selection on DOM flights), i'd suggest QP.

'twas only a minor pedantic point on the qualification. I do agree that I'm having trouble with the value of going for silver over QP. But only because o the short time frame to get the points. When I first made silver I did it by pumping out an extra 100 odd SC but planned over 10 months and using great specials during the GFC. Probably only cost about $400 iirc.

 

[fiBer]

Thanks all for the replies.

The job will involve approximately 40% of international travel which was the main reason for push for PS. I hope to progress to gold eventually which would improve things further. I like the sound of the LAN run SYD-AKL-SYD - seems much more cost effective and SC-gaining than say the SYD-CBR-SYD in J.

Thanks all!

 

[serfty]

PS ≡ ow Ruby ≡ Free domestic luggage and Preferred seat selection when travelling on AA.

 

[cove]

Serfty, Mrscove is one JASA short of WP by end of April.
Is there an AA benefit for LAX to major US cities?

 

[straitman]

Serfty, Mrscove is one JASA short of WP by end of April.
Is there an AA benefit for LAX to major US cities?

In T4 at LAX, within the AC, there is a Flagship lounge which is considerably nicer than the regular AC. As a WP you would have access to that lounge.

 

[cove]

Is that the one you go to when you have an AA first class ticket for travel to NYC ?
Have used 75k QF points and that lounge was lovely and it was not busy.

 

[straitman]

Is that the one you go to when you have an AA first class ticket for travel to NYC ?
Have used 75k QF points and that lounge was lovely and it was not busy.

Sure is.

See here.