Discussion/Q&A on Best QF Status Run Options

[support]

This thread is for Questions and General discussion regarding the Best Status Run Options for QFF as per this thread:

Overview of Best Status Run Options [not the discussion thread]

Please keep your questions and queries to this thread and avoid posting in the other.

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You can also get some status run inspiration from this AFF article:

The Best Qantas Frequent Flyer Status Runs

Haven't earned enough status credits in your Qantas membership year? Here is a selection of the best Qantas Frequent Flyer status runs.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[CaviAck]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Is the airside TBIT-T4 connection open yet?

Wouldn't matter in this case as once you clear immigration they dump you onto the street. It's only handy if you've got a flight departing out of T4 and want to use QF's FLounge or J Lounge.

 

[geordieladinoz]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Is the QF Flounge open all day? May be a deciding factor if the 6 hour connection involves QF Flounge time!!

 

[serfty]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Is the QF Flounge open all day? May be a deciding factor if the 6 hour connection involves QF Flounge time!!

If traveling AA then as a WP, you'd have five options for lounges - The A/C's at T4 and the AeAgles nest, the T4 Flagship Lounge, the oneworld TBIT lounge and the Qantas BIT First lounge.

Best showers are at the T4 Flagship Lounge.

Catering would likely be better at the TBIT first lounge BUT you would need to leave there at least an hour (I'd be thinking 75 minutes) before your scheduled departure from another terminal.

 

[moa999]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Is the airside TBIT-T4 connection open yet?

Framework is finished, but believe its a 2016 opening

 

[wandering_fred]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

One other thing to consider when looking for SC options with AA "first class" fares is the difference in "first" fares in place of flights you would have to take in economy (if you weren't hunting SC). Maybe this is a result of my having relatives on both (USA) coasts, so I need to fly both directions anyway.

PHL, BWI and EWR are connected with Amtrak (well more or less) but rental cars in both BWI and PHL have never been that complicated. Even under the new "fairer" rules connecting in DFW "first" normally means 180SC each direction (BOS adds another 30). And some Y routes are a lot more expensive than others. As mentioned US operated flights currently seem to price "funny" on aa.com

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[Gold Member]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Courtesy of FT... (Business) AA: LAX-MIA-PTY (Panama City) $723 RT - FlyerTalk Forums

LAX-PTY return $717 USD @ $1.38/SC

Best I could find after a quick check was LAX-DFW-MIA-PTY-MIA-MCO-DFW-LAX for 520 SCs (Sept 18-21). Sure you'll be able to do better if you spend the time looking...

Fairer and Simpler.

 

[snabbu]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Yep saw this one on FT yesterday and have 2 on hold, one ex-HNL and one ex-LAX. Perfect timing to match the $500 SYD-LAX-SYD QF fares the other week.

 

[DontGetMeStarted]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Courtesy of FT... (Business) AA: LAX-MIA-PTY (Panama City) $723 RT - FlyerTalk Forums

LAX-PTY return $717 USD @ $1.38/SC

Best I could find after a quick check was LAX-DFW-MIA-PTY-MIA-MCO-DFW-LAX for 520 SCs (Sept 18-21). Sure you'll be able to do better if you spend the time looking...

Fairer and Simpler.

Thanks for this..had looked this route but for next year March 2016...would be interested if anything else came up..the routes to BGI or SJU have gone up heaps

 

[CaviAck]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Courtesy of FT... (Business) AA: LAX-MIA-PTY (Panama City) $723 RT - FlyerTalk Forums

LAX-PTY return $717 USD @ $1.38/SC

Best I could find after a quick check was LAX-DFW-MIA-PTY-MIA-MCO-DFW-LAX for 520 SCs (Sept 18-21). Sure you'll be able to do better if you spend the time looking...

Fairer and Simpler.

Might be a bit counter-intuitive but you can route LAX-JFK-MIA-PTY and vv and enjoy J on the 32B for US$799.

 

[cove]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Thanks CA I will look at that.

 

[plugster2011]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Hoping for some help from the brains trust here.

Need to go SEA-STL and have found a run for approx 2.5 usd/SC as follows -SEA-PHX-ORD-STL- which is decent given I have to fly between that city pair.

However just noticed that the SEA-PHX and PHX-ORD segments have the same flight number. Which I am guessing is going to be a problem - will SC's be calculated as SEA-ORD direct? In which case I wouldn't spend the extra hours transiting PHX.

any insight appreciated.

 

[Hvr]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Hoping for some help from the brains trust here.

Need to go SEA-STL and have found a run for approx 2.5 usd/SC as follows -SEA-PHX-ORD-STL- which is decent given I have to fly between that city pair.

However just noticed that the SEA-PHX and PHX-ORD segments have the same flight number. Which I am guessing is going to be a problem - will SC's be calculated as SEA-ORD direct? In which case I wouldn't spend the extra hours transiting PHX.

any insight appreciated.

Sadly that is a problem, looks like you'll get to avoid PHX.

 

[snabbu]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Hoping for some help from the brains trust here.

Need to go SEA-STL and have found a run for approx 2.5 usd/SC as follows -SEA-PHX-ORD-STL- which is decent given I have to fly between that city pair.

However just noticed that the SEA-PHX and PHX-ORD segments have the same flight number. Which I am guessing is going to be a problem - will SC's be calculated as SEA-ORD direct? In which case I wouldn't spend the extra hours transiting PHX.

any insight appreciated.

IIRC if SEA-PHX then PHX-ORD are the same flight number but 2 separate sectors you will still transit PHX and accrue 120 SC's (SEA-ORD).

What is the flight number?

I can see SEA-PHX-DFW-ORD-STL @ 2.35/SC.

 

[Moindardt]

re: Discussion/Q&A on Best QF Status Run Options

Try to get the 787-8 on the DFW to ORD leg. Lie flat. Herringbone (I think it's called) layout. Very nice change.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

IIRC if SEA-PHX then PHX-ORD are the same flight number but 2 separate sectors you will still transit PHX and accrue 120 SC's (SEA-ORD).

What is the flight number?

I can see SEA-PHX-DFW-ORD-STL @ 2.35/SC.

I could be wrong but I don't think it works like this.

 

[snabbu]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

I could be wrong but I don't think it works like this.

I could be wrong too, however I can't see a SEA-PHX then PHX-ORD using the same flight number so am guessing that it's actually SEA-ORD direct which in P/F would accrue 120SC's.

 

[coriander]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

With flights already booked and paid for in my next FF year (Oct-Sept), I'll be sitting on 880 SC. I have one of two days (4 or 5 Nov) available to me for a status run that starts/finishes in SFO in order to push to WP. So far I've found a 24 hour run starting at 1250h: SFO-DFWx-AUS-DFWx-DEN-DFW-ORD-SFO which by my reckoning is 90+40+40+40+40+90+120= 460SC leaving me a tantalising 60SC short of WP (and US$3.20/SC). Any suggestions for tweaking this to add a few more SCs to my tally?

 

[Moindardt]

re: Discussion/Q&A on Best QF Status Run Options

Try throwing MIA/PBI into the mix. A trick is to tick the nearby airports and widen it to 100miles. I had things with John Wayne and Aus and PBI etc that dropped the price significantly. Also concentrate on 90SC legs rather than 40 as you don't have as many connections that can go wrong.
I can't see 560 in 1 day as that is over 6x90SC flights. 360 is easy as is 400, but one little delay and you end up overnighting somewhere.
I would say 1 day of 360 and 1 of 220 (90+90+40) is far safer if you have the time.

 

[Moindardt]

re: Discussion/Q&A on Best QF Status Run Options

Whoops. 520, even less but still too much chance of failure for 1 day even if you could find it.

 

[plugster2011]

re: Discussion/Q&A on Best QF Status Run Options

Attaching screenshot here from ITA matrix app (hope this works)


There are plenty of options that avoid this conundrum (via DFW as suggested above) but I'm now just kind of interested in the answer as to how it would be treated.

Thanks for responses.