Burning points for status using JASAs

[JohnK]

Ok understand in theory but maybe its just the long lunch I just came back from but how do you do this in practise? ASA's are almost always much more than classic awards?

Choose the Any Seat Award then select to use the minimum QFF points required (usually the same as the classic award) and pay the rest in cash. I have found the taxes and surcharges for an Any Seat Award are only marginally more than the taxes and surcharges for a classic award.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Ok understand in theory but maybe its just the long lunch I just came back from but how do you do this in practise? ASA's are almost always much more than classic awards?

Take a classic award in business which books in U class, let's say BNE-SYD at 16,000 pts classic + taxes/charges.
You can book the same U class fare as AnySeat at the same point levels, albeit the taxes/charges are slightly higher. I personally see more value in paying for these rather than doing all inclusive points.
By booking through AnySeat, you get SCs and points at normal business levels. The big benefit of booking business class is they are also fully refundable (points+money) and changeable, providing the same fare class is available.
With economy awards, your mileage varies, but if you're doing a status run or trying to get to a higher status, whY would you bother. A classic award in whY (economy) can be purchased as AnySeat also at the same point levels, albeit heavily restricted, but will earn SCs and points too.
Where there is no classic availabilty, you get what Qantas determines the dollar value fare equating to points, which is usually pretty poor value IMHO.
Hope this helps.
I'm about to embark on 10 sectors before June 30 at double SCs, all in Business at classic award levels which will get me to WP.
I tend to check for a classic award first, then go in any book it as an AnySeat.

 

[Timtammi]

Thanks for the explanation everyone! Will definitely check this out, maybe I can get to WP status afterall!

Cheers

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

I guess the theory/practice is that if a Classic Award is available on a flight then cheaper revenue fares would also be available.

Since an Any Seat award is somewhat revenue based, they would be cheaper than normal.

I don't think this entirely true, you are basically booking in the classic award class (X-economy, U-Business, etc) fare bucket, which is valued much the same as a the classic award. By booking ASA, they are simply giving the classic award a commercial value (which a classic award has too, mind you, how do you think your credit card company buys you QFF points...?)

How the conditions of the ASA work, is a little strange, as most X class become like a Red-e-deal, most U class become fullly flexibly J conditions. I have booked and ASA U class PER-SIN which ended up a 'Business Saver' with more restrictive conditions, but I think it just depends what commercial fare is available at the time, and it varies depending on sector. My return SIN-SYD was in U class at classic levels and ended up being J-style fully flexible conditions.

I have found it very interesting since signing up to Qantas Business Travel reports, and putting the ABN in each booking, you can actually get a report each month which shows you the actual commercial value of the ASA booking to QF. Makes for some interesting reading and points per dollar calculations.

 

[futaris]

Combining this and this and assuming a single sector/flight number per redemption gives:

Business:

Zone      Miles SCs QFF pts
 1        0-600  40  16,000 400 pts/SC 0.002500 SCs/pt
 2    601-1,200  60  24,000 400 pts/SC 0.002500 SCs/pt
 3  1,201-2,400  80  36,000 450 pts/SC 0.002222 SCs/pt
 4  2,401-3,600 100  50,000 500 pts/SC 0.002000 SCs/pt
 5  3,601-4,800 120  60,000 500 pts/SC 0.002000 SCs/pt
 6  4,801-5,800 140  72,000 514 pts/SC 0.001944 SCs/pt
 7  5,801-7,000 160  84,000 525 pts/SC 0.001905 SCs/pt
 8  7,001-8,400 180  96,000 533 pts/SC 0.001875 SCs/pt
 9  8,401-9,600 200 112,000 560 pts/SC 0.001786 SCs/pt
10 9,601-15,000 240 128,000 533 pts/SC 0.001876 SCs/pt

First:

Zone      Miles SCs QFF pts
 1        0-600  60  24,000 400 pts/SC 0.002500 SCs/pt
 2    601-1,200  90  36,000 400 pts/SC 0.002500 SCs/pt
 3  1,201-2,400 120  54,000 450 pts/SC 0.002222 SCs/pt
 4  2,401-3,600 150  75,000 500 pts/SC 0.002000 SCs/pt
 5  3,601-4,800 180  90,000 500 pts/SC 0.002000 SCs/pt
 6  4,801-5,800 210 108,000 514 pts/SC 0.001944 SCs/pt
 7  5,801-7,000 240 126,000 525 pts/SC 0.001905 SCs/pt
 8  7,001-8,400 270 144,000 533 pts/SC 0.001875 SCs/pt
 9  8,401-9,600 300 168,000 560 pts/SC 0.001786 SCs/pt
10 9,601-15,000 360 192,000 533 pts/SC 0.001876 SCs/pt

 

[futaris]

NB, here is a list of First Class Sectors operated by QANTAS:

BKK-LHR
HKG-LHR
MEL-HKG
MEL-SIN
MEL-LAX
LAX-JFK
SIN-LHR
SYD-BKK
SYD-HKG
SYD-JNB
SYD-LAX

Anyone have a list of all the Business Class sectors operated by QANTAS?

 

[markis10]

NB, here is a list of First Class Sectors operated by QANTAS:

BKK-LHR
HKG-LHR
MEL-HKG
MEL-SIN
MEL-LAX
LAX-JFK
SIN-LHR
SYD-BKK
SYD-HKG
SYD-JNB
SYD-LAX

Anyone have a list of all the Business Class sectors operated by QANTAS?

When does JNB and BKK drop off with the reconfig?

 

[futaris]

The best JASA that I've come up with earns 180 SCs and costs 50,000 QFF + 412.90 AUD, i.e. (277 pts + $2.29)/SC. Alternatively 90,934 all/in giving 500 pts/SC.

I'd be surprised if you could get (250 pts + $x)/SC or less.

 

[markis10]

The best JASA that I've come up with earns 180 SCs and costs 50,000 QFF + 412.90 AUD, i.e. (277 pts + $2.29)/SC. Alternatively 90,934 all/in giving 500 pts/SC.

I'd be surprised if you could get (250 pts + $x)/SC or less.

How about 120 SCs for 24000 points + $89 or 31000 all in, thats 258pts/SC.

 

[Joshua]

How about 120 SCs for 24000 points + $89 or 31000 all in, thats 258pts/SC.

That's close to the route I've been looking at (and regularly pay for):
100SC for 24000 + $77 or 29162 all in.

Obviously an indirect DOM route, I'm guessing Zone 2 + Zone 2 where as mine is a 1+2. Do we have to guess what it is? Maybe something like MEL-BNE-TSV?

 

[medhead]

The best JASA that I've come up with earns 180 SCs and costs 50,000 QFF + 412.90 AUD, i.e. (277 pts + $2.29)/SC. Alternatively 90,934 all/in giving 500 pts/SC.

I'd be surprised if you could get (250 pts + $x)/SC or less.

I got a JASA earning 180 SC for 73346 points => 407 points per SC. I can't remember the points and pay breakdown. A dummy booking now on a similar route gives the option of 73322 points or 60000 + $197.78 earning 180SC.

 

[nlagalle]

Anyone have a list of all the Business Class sectors operated by QANTAS?

Would it be pretty much everywhere? except Qantaslink?

 

[markis10]

Would it be pretty much everywhere? except Qantaslink?

BNE-KTA is all Y with QF.

 

[futaris]

Would it be pretty much everywhere? except Qantaslink?

Wikipedia, seems to agree:

Business class

Business class is offered on all Qantas aircraft (excluding QantasLink and other subsidiary airlines).

A list and the corresponding QFF (or GCM) distances would be useful.

 

[markis10]

Wikipedia is only as good as the rubbish it gets fed with, rubbish in rubbish out

 

[markis10]

Actually all BNE/SYD/MEL direct KTA flights do not have J.

 

[iqis60]

My best, quoting from this thread- http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...program/earn-points-scs-any-seat-22911-7.html

Ninja summary- 240SC for 73.6K, swings and roundabouts included...

I just booked a SYD-PER return that hops via melbourne in J. It get's me 240 status credits for the return flight and uses around 84K in points including carbon offset. But I earn another 8K or so with cabin bonus and status bonus, so the total trip is for 76K.

That equates to about $3.16 per status credit. If you factor in that 240 status credits is almost half way to another 500 status credits bonus of 5000FF points, then you can probably take another 2.4K worth of points off the 76K mark, so its more like 73.6K for 240 status credits, which equates to $3.06 per SC. Not bad at all.

You have to do the extra hop via Melbourne, but that is no biggy for most of us chasing SC's.

I'm now regretting not putting my CBA Gold/Amex into QFF direct earn. Might switch over soon.

 

[nlagalle]

BNE-KTA is all Y with QF.

Not when i looked up.. No direct flights, all via PER and most had Y

 

[markis10]

Not when i looked up.. No direct flights, all via PER and most had Y

Qantas new Karratha schedule, operated by B737-800 aircraft, will be:
one weekly return Karratha-Melbourne service operating on Mondays;
one weekly return Karratha-Sydney service operating on Thursdays; and
one weekly return Karratha-Brisbane service operating on Tuesdays.


Effective may this year. All are Y only services. 5 hours 45 minutes on a 738 and no J - yuck!

 

[futaris]

My best, quoting from this thread- http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...program/earn-points-scs-any-seat-22911-7.html

Ninja summary- 240SC for 73.6K, swings and roundabouts included...

I just booked a SYD-PER return that hops via melbourne in J. It get's me 240 status credits for the return flight and uses around 84K in points including carbon offset.

If you're flying that you're better doing SYD-ADL-PER. 140SCs oneway, 42,113 all in, or 36k+$102.6. 300 pts/SC or (257 pts + $0.73)/SC. Still not as good as markis10's route [ 120 SCs for 24000 points + $89 = (200pts + $0.37)/SC or 31000 all in = 258pts/SC ].

SYD-MEL-PER is only 120SCs.

NB, for simplicity, I leave out earnt miles including status bonuses and loyalty bonuses.

Using markis10's route, someone could earn platinum for 280,000 pts + $518. Lifetime Gold Status would be 2,800,000 pts + $5180 or 3,612,000 all in. Even taking into account the 5,000 pts Status Bonii, that only shaves off 14,000 pts for Platinum or 140,000 pts for Lifetime Gold. Platinum would mean doing the route 10 times. Lifetime Gold would require you to fly the route 100 times.

Still less miles to earn Lifetime Platinum (2,000,000 AA miles) on AAdvantage, even though the best earn rates are slightly different. Not to mention you actually don't have to fly, or spend any money.