December Status run - roughly 4000 eqps required

[simongr]

Re: December Status run - roighly 4000 eqps required

Thanks for that. I am waiting on some other info to assess whether I will commit to this. I will know I think by Thursday if I am going to do this - might do a quick run to CBR booked last minute if fares are there ad then do the final run in a couple of weeks.

 

[Flashback]

Re: December Status run - roighly 4000 eqps required

What did you end up deciding on?

 

[simongr]

Re: December Status run - roighly 4000 eqps required

Nothing at the moment - some other factors needed to be assessed - hope to be able to resolve by Tuesday and then make bookings - going to be tight...

 

[simongr]

Re: December Status run - roighly 4000 eqps required

OK - actually thinking about booking these flights now. Probably going to do 4 CBR runs unless I try and do something funky like:

syd-cbr-mel-cbr-syd-cbr-syd

Curently to do three in a day on teh day I want to fly my flight options are

SYD-CBR 06:45-07:35
CBR-SYD 10:35-11:25
SYD-CBR 11:55-12:45
CBR-SYD 13:10-14:00
SYD-CBR 14:35-15:25
CBR-SYD 17:00-17:55

I actually think those connections are too tight (havent tried to book as yet) and there is some dead time so trying to see if MEL can fit in better.

The next day I will do a single trip SYD-CBR-SYD - funded by Amex.

There are a few $95 fares but I think that they are E class - so am avoiding them.

Any thoughts on teh connection times? Note no luggage - just a laptop bag.

 

[serfty]

The $95 SYD/CBR flights are definitely E Class ...

Also, don't book N class (that's $124 SYD/CBR)

 

[simongr]

Re: December Status run - roighly 4000 eqps required

Yep - I have been checking the source code and it seems that the $105 is the 'O' class.

 

[QF WP]

Re: December Status run - roighly 4000 eqps required

Best of luck with this simongr. Pity you aren't making it to BNE...had you been coming up and if I was available on the day you are flying, I'd almost make a point of trying to come out to the airport to meet you and put you back on your next flight. Plus it would be nice for my 21 month old daughter to see the planes that she sees fly overhead on the weekends and points to them saying "plane".

 

[simongr]

Re: Citibank's handling of credit card fraud

Subject to timing and pricing I might actually be tempted to do:

syd-cbr-mel-syd
syd-cbr-bne-syd

If I can get connection times to be more friendly. However it will need to be three separate tix...

 

[simongr]

Re: December Status run - roighly 4000 eqps required

Subject to timing and pricing I might actually be tempted to do:

syd-cbr-mel-syd
syd-cbr-bne-syd

If I can get connection times to be more friendly. However it will need to be three separate tix...

 

[docjames]

Re: December Status run - roighly 4000 eqps required

Well, the connections are fine if it's the same aircraft operating SYD-CBR-SYD but possibly there's no way of finding out. Also, wouldnt less total flights (with longer legs) be better than multiple short flights?

 

[simongr]

Re: December Status run - roighly 4000 eqps required

I need 3600 qpoints. The thing about the short flights is that I get min 500 qpoints per segment. If flying in discount economy I only earn 1/2 qpoints subject to a minimum of 500 points.

For example flying SYD-AKL-SYD in L class for 2,686 BIS miles I would get 2,686 qpoints for $950

For $630 I could get 3,000 points flying SYD-CBR-SYD 3 times.

 

[docjames]

Re: December Status run - roighly 4000 eqps required

That makes it worth finding out which aircraft is operating your segments (if possible) as you can then minimise connection times (ie same a/c doesnt matter if it's late) and leave the longer connections when there's an a/c change.

Are you carbon offsetting? Any idea cost to carbon offset?

 

[simongr]

Re: December Status run - roighly 4000 eqps required

I am planting some trees in my garden

 

[QF WP]

Re: December Status run - roighly 4000 eqps required

Wouldn't that be 6 tickets, simongr - as I'm sure that you'd be tempted to pay for each segment separately given the Amex promo - you can alway ring up and get them to link the reloc's.

Then with carbon offsetting payments, that'd be 12 transactions in total - another 10K points for you

 

[serfty]

... Then with carbon offsetting payments, that'd be 12 transactions in total - another 10K points for you

It's $7.70 per amex booking, so there's that cost/benefit to consider, if not out the window ...

 

[QF WP]

serfty, no it's not out the window, it just has to be factored into the calculation of the tickets. simongr has indicated he is looking at buying using 3 tickets (so will have already factored in the $7.70 x 3), I am proposing he buy 6 tickets, therefore only an increase of $23.10 (and his time) to process 6 more transactions (3 tickets & 3 carbon offsets). There are no fees for the carbon offsetting and Amex accepted for less than $5.

Now, is that cost worth an additional 5K bonus points - well, it all depends on what value simongr puts on those points. My understanding from his previous posting, is that he is looking at trying to "acquire" sufficient points for 2 x J tickets to LHR, so I would have thought well worth $23.10

Of course, everybody had their own opinion as to the value of points - however on award J tickets, IMHO it's well worth the extra expense.

 

[serfty]

of course, each additional $7.70 also earns either 8 (or 12) additional MR points ...

 

[QF WP]

as well as 1,000 points towards a possible 5,000 bonus (or even more in simongr's case, if he can argue the "multiple promo piggybacking" and win the case).

 

[simongr]

Well - it is decision time. If I am going to do it then I think I need to book today. Sadly I think it is going to take two days as the schedules just dont work for me - so it will be two days of syd-cbr-syd x2.

I tried spicing it up with MEL or BNE in the mix but those flights were over double the price of CBR. So I will have a fair amount of time in the SYD lounge

I am just weighing up whether it is worth it...

Cons

Cost of $800
Two days spent doing it

Pros

It will extend my lounge access to at least Feb 2011 (EXP 2009, PLAT 2010)
100% Bonus through 2011 (note though the reduction in min earning on AA)
J lounge acess in through Feb 2010 - and I will have mostly domestic flights in the future
F lounge acess int'l - but only one int'l flight planned in 2009

Decisions, decisions...

 

[simongr]

All booked - although I did put in the wrong name on my CC - simon r rather than simon gr - oops