Disabled on fixed income, looking to accrue Qantas points for travel.

[love_the_life]

The plan still doesn't factor in that there are no $60 fares on QF. Tiger maybe but there won't be any lounge access flying them. It's not the points it's the SC and I can't see how the OP will manage to a) reach and b) maintain the required SCs for Gold as a minimum. To purchase QP membership would be the way to go if it's QF lounges they want but still I don't see cheap flights at the price point mentioned.
It'a an interesting concept. I just don't think it is practicable.

 

[mannej]

I've seen some of those and considered getting the wine deal once per year to give away as gifts/have booze on hand for friends.

I just picked up a Bankwest Qantas Transaction account that pays out 5 to 1 QP/AUD on purchases in Australia and 5 to 1 QP/AUD on cash withdrawals overseas and I got a Qantas Cash card in the mail that pays out .25x per $ locally and 1.5x per $ overseas on dollars spent on the card, gonna have my pay + savings on the Bankwest and spend it from that locally and the Qantas Cash card whilst overseas most likely. Still looking at CCs.

The Bankwest debit card is 5 points/transaction. Be aware that you also need to deposit $2k a month to avoid any account fees.

The other thing to note is the status bonus is applied to the base points, so if you are taking a short flight, and the base is below the minimum points guarantee level, you may still only get the minimum points level as the bonus doesn’t multiply the 800 point minimum point guarantee if you get what I mean.

 

[Glider_]

I applaud your enthusiasm, and like Pushka, half of me really wants to see you give this a crack to see how it turns out.

However, the other half is a bit of a killjoy and wants to temper your expectations. I think that in your extreme focus on status you are somewhat blinkered to what will be the reality of your plan. You have obviously done a large amount of research but I think there's some key areas requiring a better understanding. Or perhaps you just need to try it to find out the reality for yourself. A few things I've noticed through this thread and my own experience;

- The earn rate for status on both flights and cards is less than you were expecting so it will take more time and money to gain status.
- On the cheapest flights there is often no earn rate for status or points at all.
- The cheapest of flights are generally about twice what you have originally budgeted (and those usually wouldn't earn you points or status towards your goal anyway)
- In Australia there is no such thing as last minute cheap flights to fill unsold seats. In fact it's the opposite; the airlines assume that if you want to fly last minute it's an emergency and you'll pay 3x the normal price. They're happy to take this gamble and fly with empty seats.
- You have linked the QF international first lounge as an example of where you want to hang out and get fed. That's awesome. But it's also one of the very best lounges in the country, and you can only access it if you are flying international Qantas (and have status or an F ticket), but you've said you'll mostly be aiming for cheap domestic, so it's going to be very rare for you to be able to use it.
- The vast majority of lounges are comfortable, but not anywhere near as spectacular as the QFi first lounge. As for food, depending on the location and time, you might find a range of yummy hot selections, or you might find just a couple of dried up pastries, something unidentifiable and a few packets of nuts. It will sustain you, but barely nourish you and will be nowhere near the quality dining of QFi F lounge.
- They'll only let you in the lounge for a relatively short amount of time, and you need an onward ticket to get in. This means that you can't just go in there and set up camp all day with no plans to await the next flight deal.
- You'll need to also factor in transport costs if you're going to leave the airport to your discounted accommodation and activities. This isn't a major cost, but can be $10-30 each way which will add up if you're budgeting close to $0.

I'm not knocking your big idea, the points game is a great hobby to immerse yourself in and premium flights and their perks are amazing. I'm just trying to gently point out that your intended life of a semi-homeless frequent flyer in the quest for QF LTG is unlikely to be as awesome as you think it will be in your current plan. I strongly suggest more research and an open mind to other ways to get great value out of the game.

And if you decide to throw caution to the wind and give it a crack anyway, please start a thread on here detailing your adventures, I'm sure it's not just me who is interested in if your who-dares-wins attitude can pay off!.

 

[RichardMEL]

MEL - PER with QF in J, is 3300 QF points, before bonus and 80 QF SC.
PER - DXB in F operated by EK but with QF flight number, 12000 QF points, and 210 QF SC.
DXB - LHR in F operated by EK but with QF flight number, 6800 QF SC and 150 QF SC.
One way, about Aud$15--- gives 22100 QF points and 440 QF SC, coming back probably double the cost.
With one flight like that in a year, you are already QF SG.
Flying any QF (except EK) partner will earn you half the QF SC, so if you JAL Au - Japan, you will only earn half the QF SC.
QTMC is useless, only 0.25 points per Aud1 spend in Au, pittance.
Change your home energy to Red if you can, they have a tie in with QF to earn I think, 10,000 QF points on joining.
Vodafone, to earn QF points, you might be post paid with them not prepaid, thus you go into debt/hock, ie owe them $ if you want to earn QF points from Vodafone plan spends.

Pooch! Seriously! What part of fixed/disability income do you not understand?

Besides there are far cheaper and creative ways to get SC than a one way or r/t full F fare to LHR (an AY J sale RTW fare for just one example).

Come on AP we've been through this before.. off the wall suggestions like this aren't very helpful.

 

[RichardMEL]

Fair enough, I thought the bonus applied to QP and SC but it seems like 1400 points is achievable in a year using promotions even with a multiplier on SC. I'm not too worried about the effects on my health, waiting in queues and sitting in small rooms while using electronics to pass the time is all I do most of the time, why not do it while going somewhere?

1400 SC would attain Platinum Status, then 1200 to retain.

I thought keeping my eye out for the cheapest fares earning the most QP and SC would be fairly easy with someone who usually has no obligations and no responsibilities beyond looking after themselves, there is absolutely no reason I can't loiter at an airport waiting for last minute deals to snap up as long as I'm back within two weeks or simply don't leave the country.

[/quote]

This is not really the way it usually works, specially in terms of lounge access as you usually need a same day flight/BP to access.

Plus, usually SC runs are planned in advance, taking advantage of sale fares and the like. Last minute deals tend to not pop up in the airline world due to the nature of close in travel usually being business related, and yield management will push the prices UP clos in (and inventory down, as seats are sold) to extract the most out of last minute travellers.. It's not exactly like the cruise ships not selling berths and offering deep discounts a week or so out, or hotels selling unsold rooms in this respect.

 

[RichardMEL]

Because I'm seriously considering taking literally any flight I can get below 60 dollars twice per week just to spend time in airport lounges eating and drinking free while I do homework, taking flights at night whenever possible and sleeping on board whenever I can get a comfortable enough seat or in the cheapest hotel room I can find with points + cash the following evening when I can't while continuously scanning for cheap flights to continue onto the next leg as I do my schoolwork online.

There is almost zero chance you will get a sub-$100 fare day of travel from MEL (or anywhere) unless it's Jetstar, and that's a whole other issue with complications that I won't get into (one of which is T4 given your lounge use desire).

And even if you did, you're looking at a 10 SC earn each time. That would be a lot of relatively high cost/SC fares/flights to take. With a budget of up to $6k/year, you'd be lucky, REALLY liucky IMHO to make 1000 SC with this sort of approach.

You overestimate the food options in the QF lounges also (bar international First which is quite decent ).

I honestly do not see how this plan can work the way you think it may.

I want the best lounge experience I can get because I will more or less live out of them and planes whenever I can once I know more about mileage running. Between sleeping in business class seats, cheap hotel rooms and sleeping bags inside of locked rooms at business centers/gyms/short stay facilities and having a free room I can come back to for short-stays freely to long-stays fairly cheaply in Melbourne, I should be pretty good for accommodation.

And what makes you think you'll be sleeping in Business Class seats a majority of the time? (not to mention the 737's a pretty uncomfy to sleep in IMHO

 

[phily]

Credit cards are one of the best methods of earning Qantas Points. But I understand your difficulty in getting one when you're on a low income.

Don't forget the Qantas Cash Card, which is being renamed to the Qantas Money Card. It's a debit card, so you simply transfer money from your bank account to it, and then use it when you make a purchase either at a store or online. The foreign exchange rates on it are poor, but don't forget that it'll cost you nothing to use it for purchases in Australia, and you'll accumulate your Qantas points for using it, and it'll cost you nothing for using it.

 

[RichardMEL]

That 60 bucks will get me to another city into a lounge if I have status or membership, it will earn miles towards a room which is hit with a multiplier if I have silver or higher. It will also let me be in position AT the airport lounge, ready to buy vacant seats on under-booked planes, surely there must be a way to get cheap flights if I'm buying the ticket 10-30 minutes before take off, right? I'm also looking into signing up with another frequent flyer mile program to use for interconnecting flights to the airport doing the cheapest Qantas business class fights whenever I can't get a good deal on oneworld to get there when so I can keep my spend down, I figure a priority pass would handle lounges in that scenario.

No. Yield Management does not work like this (as explained previously). You're almost guaranteed to NOT see any cheap last minute seats to anywhere on day of travel.. as YM will only sell full fares to Business pax, and any oddball low fares available will not generate the SC's required.

Plus the points earn is very low. Look at the cost to redeem upgrades, rewards or even things like hotel stays.. you'll NEVER earn enough to cover in the way you seem to be implying.

I intend to loiter in or near airports to do this, I don't mind alternating between varying levels of flight quality if I always have access to first class lounges and ultra cheap accommodation as I can spend the flight asleep or in VR.

Without a BP to enter (and the status, which you will not initially have, even if you asked for a "Gold Challenge") then you can't just loiter, and if you stay all day and make a habit of it the staff will pick you out and... that won't end too well imho.

Remember airline lounges are not public spaces like the terminals are....

 

[sudoer]

If you wanted to do this seriously, relocate to Bali.

Fly DPS-xKUL-LGK on MH every weekend at a cost of ~$380 and you'll hit LTG in about 1.5 years.

Make sure you tick off your 4 QF/JQ sectors before heading over so you hit Platinum after Week 7. You will need to overnight in Langkawi before your return journey, ZEN Rooms Basic Senyum Inn is next to the airport for $23/night.

Hypothetically you could do it in 140 days flying back and forth every day, but you'd go insane.

 

[futaris]

If you are going to relocate to Bali, you might as well stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Bali Ngurah Rai Airport.

If you pay using points (for 5 night stays), it will cost you around the same as the ZEN Rooms Basic Senyum Inn.

And you can chase 10 years / 1,000 nights Lifetime Diamond.

Affordable: A Year In Bali On Points - Live and Let's Fly
The Ultimate Mattress Run? | The Story of a 41 Night Hilton Mattress Run - FlyerTalk Forums
The Ultimate Mattress Run | Hacking Hotel Rewards for Free Rooms with Hilton!

 

[Glider_]

Also newb just a tip about these forums- when you have something new to add to a thread just make a new post rather than going back an editing a previous post. I see you've added an enormous amount of text to one of your early posts that most people wouldn't have seen because they just read the new unread posts and the thread is a few pages long.

In that big wall of text in the edited post you ask specifically if there is anyone who can help you learn the tricks. Yes, we are all helping you right now by giving you feedback about your specific ideas and tips for how you can (or can't) use the possibilities you've identified, as well as alternative strategies you could investigate.

There are also other free and paid avenues of help to get you started, which can be found through these forums via the 'member benefits and services' tab at the top of the page which includes articles and webinars to build familiarity and also links to a service to help you get the most of your points.

 

[sudoer]

If you are going to relocate to Bali, you might as well stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Bali Ngurah Rai Airport.

This is a good choice - incredibly cheap (if you don't have the points to pay for it) and free shuttle to/from the airport. There isn't much happening around the hotel itself though.

 

[futaris]

Oh, and it's been a while since you could get the really cheap tickets that earnt QANTAS points...

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Best of luck to the OP anyway.
My point, RichardMEL with the very expensive trip I mention, (yes, I know we have been through this one of my waffly in the past), is just to show the OP that its a long road to gain QF SC, and my point, though very very expensive, is just one of the quicker ways to do it, off this world weirdly expensive, inane, yes, but its just one possible way.
If I had the money, and wanted QF SG real fast, that is one of the ways I would do it.

 

[suze2000]

I'm more concerned that what you wrote in that very long post sounds like you intend to give up your accom in Melb and be essentially homeless. Perhaps that was not the intent of the post, but I would seriously reconsider this plan as homelessness is a very slippery slope and often brings with it ill health (and you are already sick) and mental health issues. And like the others before me, I am unsure as to the viability of your plan.

 

[RichardMEL]

This is a good choice - incredibly cheap (if you don't have the points to pay for it) and free shuttle to/from the airport. There isn't much happening around the hotel itself though.

well if you're playing VR games and playing with hardware then it doesn't matter much now does it?

 

[RichardMEL]

Best of luck to the OP anyway.
My point, RichardMEL with the very expensive trip I mention, (yes, I know we have been through this one of my waffly in the past), is just to show the OP that its a long road to gain QF SC, and my point, though very very expensive, is just one of the quicker ways to do it, off this world weirdly expensive, inane, yes, but its just one possible way.
If I had the money, and wanted QF SG real fast, that is one of the ways I would do it.

if one had the $$$ to afford paid F long haul fares one would not care for status or doing runs, let alone using lounges for free "food" and all the rest.

 

[Newb]

This is a good choice - incredibly cheap (if you don't have the points to pay for it) and free shuttle to/from the airport. There isn't much happening around the hotel itself though.

Considering this, will take more planning but it could be doable if I planned well enough.

I'm more concerned that what you wrote in that very long post sounds like you intend to give up your accom in Melb and be essentially homeless. Perhaps that was not the intent of the post, but I would seriously reconsider this plan as homelessness is a very slippery slope and often brings with it ill health (and you are already sick) and mental health issues. And like the others before me, I am unsure as to the viability of your plan.

I will still have the place I stay now as a back up with all of my cough in it and free access to stay there without even contributing to utilities or paying board if it's not for weeks at a time, groceries only and only after I've been there a week.

It's not quite homelessness, I can always retreat and spend the money I'd spend on tickets each fortnight on contributing to bills and costs while I'm crashing with my carer for more than week at a time. If they were younger, they would be coming with me to do this stuff. I entertain my carer's partner with my hardware regularly and they'll both have full access to my main VR rig + all my gaming/entertainment hardware in a room that more or less transforms into a second, far better lounge room when the Murphy bed and wall couch is installed in Jan/Feb. I want those things for entertaining my guests even if I don't end up on planes so often that I spend more time away from the house than at it.

They're very positive about helping me see more of the world while I'm still young enough to appreciate it. They've helped me use low interest loans and I've helped them keep their bills paid in advance(EVERYTHING was behind, late fees galore, I had cough removed + pay my lump sums for low interest loans off those bills) for the cost of the repayment each month so they're pretty happy to have me do whatever I want, they've gained more so far from having me around than not because I do all the tech support, help around the house and sometimes feed the household for free for weeks at a time whenever I figure out and break a fast food promotion for free eats.

That Maccas monopoly promotion saw us eat free for the entire run, all I had to do was show screenshots of the vouchers and they put through like 30AUD worth of food at a time for the cost of a small drink or fries.

I do have some concerns about flying so often but I find that VR is the ultimate mood stabilizer, if you have excess energy and can't sleep, you can expend it in VR and get some cardio exercise. If you're bored or lonely you can entertain yourself with movies and multiplayer VR games and feel like you're in the same room as all your friends. Very, very easy to distract oneself from one's worries when you have 100 percent control over everything you see and hear.

well if you're playing VR games and playing with hardware then it doesn't matter much now does it?

You get the idea, a powerful enough portable VR setup turns any room into a holodeck and any seat into giant cinema/computer room/flight or racing sim. A comfy seat with a VR HMD and an Xbox controller or motion controllers = A seat anywhere I want, doing anything I want. I can fly planes in VR while flying on a plane IRL, if the lounge sucks I can load up 3D custom Maid 2(the maid management/concert system is cool) and have any anime character or combination of my choice/design/downloaded mode sing and dance on stage while I drink free wine and stuff snacks in my mouth... in a VR lounge better than the one I'm visiting.

 

[RichardMEL]

Maybe you could use your VR gear to explore the world without all the cost and hassle of flying places, attempting to "live" in lounges (this is not realistic and you would realise this as soon as you spent any time in most of them, but that's a whole other thing) or whatever. If you love to travel, fly etc that's great, but really with technology like Augmented Reality, Google Street View and many 3D type tours of world cultural icons out there you almost don't need to leave your home, then hours sitting on planes, spending $$ and attaing status which would be questionable benefit would be moot.

imho

 

[Newb]

Maybe you could use your VR gear to explore the world without all the cost and hassle of flying places, attempting to "live" in lounges (this is not realistic and you would realise this as soon as you spent any time in most of them, but that's a whole other thing) or whatever. If you love to travel, fly etc that's great, but really with technology like Augmented Reality, Google Street View and many 3D type tours of world cultural icons out there you almost don't need to leave your home, then hours sitting on planes, spending $$ and attaing status which would be questionable benefit would be moot.

imho

Been doing that since 2016 and my skill with computers compounded to the point that my VR hobby is now self-sustaining, I use it for meditation, cardio and socialization. If I had've put the last 18 months of bills + hardware transactions through a point program, I'd have all my accommodation in Japan free and points to spare because I woulda booked my ticket based on whatever gave me the most miles vs just going for a 600 dollar return ticket and be in a better position than I am now, which isn't too bad for a disabled person. I also bought a ticket to fly a friend over last November, about 600 bucks Texas to Melbourne via Sydney return to fly them here and back, I've only just started using the airlines in the last 12 months as you can see but I think I got a good deal for a newb who hasn't been on a plane in over 20 years.

Dec to May + what I spend in Japan would've just been a cherry on top of what I could've possessed if I had've spent more time looking at rewards programs.