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

 

[Moindardt]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

A quick question and apologies in advance if I've asked this in the wrong spot

By my calculations I'll have 720 SC's on my membership anniversary this year.

I do have a business class flight ADL-BNE-LAX-BNE-ADL in August with VA but obviously that ain't going to help me to achieve QFF WP

With 680 SC's required to reach WP is there a cost-effective way to do this, either while I am in the U.S. with AA or elsewhere?

Worth gunning for?..... don't be silly Tehuringa... save your money for tacos... that sort of stuff

Cheers

TH

(A quick edit) - I have a business class Cathay flight ADL-HKG-PVG-HKG-ADL in June if there is anything out of Asia that could be applicable.

It's a shame you hadn't followed this thread earlier. The LAX-PTY runs were down to US$450 last week, even cheaper than the normal $800. This run can easily qualify you in 2 days for less than $2/SC. There are a myriad of runs in the US that will get you 680 SC's in 2 days for about $2/SC and if you follow the premium forum at flyertalk Premium Fare Deals - FlyerTalk Forums there are constant runs on special especially ex LAX or ex HNL. AA domestic F is easily the cheapest way to get SC's.

I guess it is a matter of how much you value WP?

 

[retsej]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Hello again. The other half has decreed we should visit the US in August for 4 weeks for her birthday so I've scratched my plans of further earns past keeping my silver this membership year (May 31) in favour of a status run in the US. Leaving from PER, via SYD/BNE/MEL and on to the US and return should sort my 4 required QF flights, with the eventual goal of being in NYC for her birthday. I've been reading through pages and pages of suggested runs, enough to confuse me. Can I please get the other members suggestions on which point of entry to the US I should use for ease of starting a status run? My preference would be to knock it out at the start of the holiday and have hit SG before beginning our return trip to Oz. For the pure convenience of the status run, where is the best US city to start? We have no itinerary yet so anything is possible. I would however, prefer to not leave the country (ie no PTY runs). I was poking around on the QF/Matrix sites last week and noticed I missed a Y sale to the west coast which is a bit lame, any idea on how frequently these come around?

TIA

Hrmm just realised I'd need the 4 QF flights before I'd get the gold. mmm more pondering

 

[ICUDr]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

It's a shame you hadn't followed this thread earlier. The LAX-PTY runs were down to US$450 last week, even cheaper than the normal $800. This run can easily qualify you in 2 days for less than $2/SC. There are a myriad of runs in the US that will get you 680 SC's in 2 days for about $2/SC and if you follow the premium forum at flyertalk Premium Fare Deals - FlyerTalk Forums there are constant runs on special especially ex LAX or ex HNL. AA domestic F is easily the cheapest way to get SC's.

I guess it is a matter of how much you value WP?

Do you use aa.com and put USofA as country of residence?

 

[RichardMEL]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Which online agent did you use?

I used Orbitz I think, but plenty of the others were offering the fare like helloworld and bestjets and all the rest.

 

[Moindardt]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Do you use aa.com and put USofA as country of residence?

Use google flights and it will put it all through to AA for you. I do it all with ITA matrix first, then match it up on google flights and post straight to AA. I have never changed country of residence.

 

[sostopher]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Hrmm just realised I'd need the 4 QF flights before I'd get the gold. mmm more pondering

I did MEL-LST, LST-MEL on Saturday which is 2 segments (and 20 SCs) for about $280 which I needed before my status run in March.

 

[ICUDr]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Use google flights and it will put it all through to AA for you. I do it all with ITA matrix first, then match it up on google flights and post straight to AA. I have never changed country of residence.

Thanks for that!

I'm just starting my research on this topic, I'm going to Vegas in June and planning to do my first status run

 

[medhead]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

I used Orbitz I think, but plenty of the others were offering the fare like helloworld and bestjets and all the rest.

I checked webjet without luck. Gave up too soon.

 

[kevrosmith]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

I did LAX-DFW-ORD-MIA-SJU in AA F and return in Sept-2014. It wasn't the best bang-for-buck, approx. USD1800 for 660 SCs. Not sure if still available or current cost. I landed into LAX in the morning, slept that day and then left on the LAX-DFW at midnight.

 

[RichardMEL]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

I checked webjet without luck. Gave up too soon.

The best tip is to use skyscanner, as it searches through them all for you then sends you to whichever you pick.

of course that particular sale ended on Jan 25th, but there'll be another before too long no doubt - they've been pretty regular over the past year or two.

 

[medhead]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

The best tip is to use skyscanner, as it searches through them all for you then sends you to whichever you pick.

of course that particular sale ended on Jan 25th, but there'll be another before too long no doubt - they've been pretty regular over the past year or two.

I was mainly looking to check out how to book such flights, without a particular desire to actually book them. Curiosity...

 

[Mr_Orange]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

I checked webjet without luck. Gave up too soon.

The best tip is to use skyscanner, as it searches through them all for you then sends you to whichever you pick.

of course that particular sale ended on Jan 25th, but there'll be another before too long no doubt - they've been pretty regular over the past year or two.

I find kayak.com.au to be better than Skyscanner as you can filter the search results more effectively.

 

[RichardMEL]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Aside - seems like the QF bug has been fixed - can now search F flights trans-tasman from both AU and NZ sites.

 

[snabbu]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

I did LAX-DFW-ORD-MIA-SJU in AA F and return in Sept-2014. It wasn't the best bang-for-buck, approx. USD1800 for 660 SCs. Not sure if still available or current cost. I landed into LAX in the morning, slept that day and then left on the LAX-DFW at midnight.

Similar to this however from LAX to JFK then down to PTY and return can be had for a touch over $USD1k, netting 770SC.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

ADL - SYD in J and then SYD - CHC in F now brings up a total of Aud$16xx, overnight in SYD of course.
And in the fare calculation/flight description mode, it list the ADL - SYD sector as "First flex" fare type.
165 as its J flex rather than J sale, 5 extra QF SC.
Prior to this, the orange sticker always came up, and the exclaimation mark that "some classes are full". Now I only have to contend with the "some classes are full".
Now at least when I do this odyssey, I can quote/cite the $16xx to 131313 QF telephone sales.
+++ to QF, and yes, I cried wolf too fast these last few weeks.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

ADL - SYD in J and then SYD - CHC in F now brings up a total of Aud$16xx, overnight in SYD of course.
And in the fare calculation/flight description mode, it list the ADL - SYD sector as "First flex" fare type.
165 as its J flex rather than J sale, 5 extra QF SC.
Prior to this, the orange sticker always came up, and the exclaimation mark that "some classes are full". Now I only have to contend with the "some classes are full".
Now at least when I do this odyssey, I can quote/cite the $16xx to 131313 QF telephone sales.
+++ to QF, and yes, I cried wolf too fast these last few weeks.

Wait for another sale.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Thanks for the tip.

 

[RichardMEL]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Glad to see you can apologies for jumping the gun.

the whole classes are full message is simply due to the fact that QF does not sell "A" class (Discount F) on domestic sectors, and the web booking engine has trouble with that, even though the fare rules are very explicit to book into J when A not available. (that's J fare bucket which is listed as flex business, as you note).

CHC is good for these fares because of the fact that only EK operates SYD-CHC v.v. in an aircraft with F, so a "F" fare from other ports will route onto those flights and give you a very cheap J fare as the bookends. Have taken advantage of this myself.

 

[retsej]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

I did MEL-LST, LST-MEL on Saturday which is 2 segments (and 20 SCs) for about $280 which I needed before my status run in March.

I think I might need to do lunch in ADL, cheapest fare anywhere from PER I can see currently is $350 return for a whopping 30SC. I do wonder what the catering options are at GET ...
The aim would be to knock out 2 QF flights before taking 2 more to get to the states, make SG while over there and at least be able to use the lounges on the way back.

For people who are familiar with doing a run with AA in the US, how long do the SC's take to populate into your QFF account ?

 

[DC3]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

.....
For people who are familiar with doing a run with AA in the US, how long do the SC's take to populate into your QFF account ?

Not long. A few days to a week from memory.

Edit: I found some from last year:



I had about 12 flights, and had to sort out a number of ORC requests when I returned home, due to cancelled/changed flights by AA, but all ended well