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

 

[sostopher]

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

Waiting for my Original Routing Credits to post...

 

[benjy]

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

Just booked myself my first ever status run for a bit of fun and the cheapish flights were tempting.
I booked (MEL > (SYD) > xMEL > LST > xMEL > (SYD) > MEL) all on the same day, $408 for 60 SC.

So I did this trip yesterday and it was 66% successful, I missed the Launceston flights as the 1st returning flight from Sydney arrived into Melbourne late and I missed the checkin time*

Qantas was accommodating in pushing forward my 2nd MEL to SYD flight so I could spend some extra time in Sydney (in the city).

Am I reasonable in asking for the ORC for the MEL > LST > MEL flights that I missed? Is it easy to do?

*In hindsight, if I checked in at Melbourne Airport at the start of the day (I couldn't check in online or on the app, nor checkin for LST at SYD kiosk) I would've made the LST flight from MEL, I know for next tim

 

[funnymummy]

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

I am overcome. Never been above gold. And usually scraped in ! One month into year and already platinum! (and waiting for DSC to post too)Thank you all. Now that holiday over and back in Oz will write up a little TR. thank you all for the tips

 

[Princess Fiona]

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

I am overcome. Never been above gold. And usually scraped in ! One month into year and already platinum! (and waiting for DSC to post too)Thank you all. Now that holiday over and back in Oz will write up a little TR. thank you all for the tips

Congratulations would love to read about your adventures

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

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

I am overcome. Never been above gold. And usually scraped in ! One month into year and already platinum! (and waiting for DSC to post too)Thank you all. Now that holiday over and back in Oz will write up a little TR. thank you all for the tips

Congratulations on reaching a great milestone!
I have just qualified QF Platinum last week for my 4th year, I certainly have no plans of going back to Gold, no doubt you'll notice the increased experienced, particularly flying internationally.

Cant wait to read about how you got there!

 

[NZ_Flyer]

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

So if you qualify for Platinum in the first month or two of your year (as funnymumm, has) do you get Platinum for the rest of your membership year and then another full year of Platinum?

 

[Princess Fiona]

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

So if you qualify for Platinum in the first month or two of your year (as funnymumm, has) do you get Platinum for the rest of your membership year and then another full year of Platinum?

Yes you do.

 

[JessicaTam]

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

So I did this trip yesterday and it was 66% successful, I missed the Launceston flights as the 1st returning flight from Sydney arrived into Melbourne late and I missed the checkin time*

Qantas was accommodating in pushing forward my 2nd MEL to SYD flight so I could spend some extra time in Sydney (in the city).

Am I reasonable in asking for the ORC for the MEL > LST > MEL flights that I missed? Is it easy to do?

*In hindsight, if I checked in at Melbourne Airport at the start of the day (I couldn't check in online or on the app, nor checkin for LST at SYD kiosk) I would've made the LST flight from MEL, I know for next tim

QF weren't able to get you to your next connection (MEL-LST) in time, so you should have ORCs without any argument.

 

[Flashback]

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

QF weren't able to get you to your next connection (MEL-LST) in time, so you should have ORCs without any argument.

If they were nested ticket bookings though, then that may not may the case. It's difficult to tell from what benjy​ posted.

 

[benjy]

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

If they were nested ticket bookings though, then that may not may the case. It's difficult to tell from what benjy​ posted.

The SYD > xMEL > LST & LST > xMEL > SYD were connecting flights through Melbourne booked on the same ticket. The Sydney to Melbourne flight was late and I wasn't able to make the intended Melbourne to Launceston flight, which meant missing the returning flight. Qantas couldn't put me on a later Launceston flight because then I would miss my final flight of the day.

Overall, I booked
MEL > SYD (Booking A)
SYD > xMEL > LST (Booking B)
LST > xMEL > SYD (Booking B)
SYD > MEL (Booking A)

I've reached out to Qantas on Twitter to credit SYD > MEL from Ticket A and MEL > LST and LST > MEL from Ticket B.

 

[JessicaTam]

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

The SYD > xMEL > LST & LST > xMEL > SYD were connecting flights through Melbourne booked on the same ticket. The Sydney to Melbourne flight was late and I wasn't able to make the intended Melbourne to Launceston flight, which meant missing the returning flight. Qantas couldn't put me on a later Launceston flight because then I would miss my final flight of the day.

Overall, I booked
MEL > SYD (Booking A)
SYD > xMEL > LST (Booking B)
LST > xMEL > SYD (Booking B)
SYD > MEL (Booking A)

I've reached out to Qantas on Twitter to credit SYD > MEL from Ticket A and MEL > LST and LST > MEL from Ticket B.

Got it. Give them a ring and they should be able to sort it out over the phone.

 

[jaymcc]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Newbie (and probably dumb) questions (I did search but couldn't find answers), hope they're quick:

- I see people referring to things like this: TSV-xBNE-xDRW-xBNE-TSV What does the "x" in front of BNE refer to?
- Is the general approach for status runs to use your points, or points + pay, to buy cheap tickets and still get status credits?
- What tool are you using to quickly compare the flights costs with the credits you'd earn?

Thanks and apologies if answered already.

Jay

 

[RichardMEL]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Newbie (and probably dumb) questions (I did search but couldn't find answers), hope they're quick:

- I see people referring to things like this: TSV-xBNE-xDRW-xBNE-TSV What does the "x" in front of BNE refer to?
- Is the general approach for status runs to use your points, or points + pay, to buy cheap tickets and still get status credits?
- What tool are you using to quickly compare the flights costs with the credits you'd earn?

Thanks and apologies if answered already.

Jay

Welcome. no silly questions.. just silly answers!

the "x" as in "MEL-xSYD-BNE" just means a transit/transfer, not a stopover.. a lot of these connecting itins posted basically involve short transits between flights, but not stops.

You would not want to use points for bookings of status runs, as just about all award tickets(points only) do not earn status credits with QF, unless via a specific promotion (they have the odd one, but they are usually not good value). Using points+pay can potentially work in some cases, though the value is often not there.. Certainly with many of the USA based "runs" discussed here it wouldn't be a smart option as the $/SC value would go down (and besides, you can't use points+pay on QF to pay for pure AA flight itins ).

Hope this opinion helps

 

[jaymcc]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Thanks so much for your quick response.

the "x" as in "MEL-xSYD-BNE" just means a transit/transfer, not a stopover.

Does this mean more SCs?

Also - any suggestions on tools/sites people are using to find the best combinations of price and SC?

 

[njba]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Oh thank goodness someone asked this. I was forever wondering.

 

[JessicaTam]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Thanks so much for your quick response.



Does this mean more SCs?

Also - any suggestions on tools/sites people are using to find the best combinations of price and SC?

Yes.

For example, MEL-OOL is 15 SC in discount Y as a direct flight. If you go via SYD it would be MEL-xSYD-OOL and therefore 10 + 10 SCs.

Note that an 'x' only refers to connections that are part of a option given by the airline, not specifically chosen as part of a multi city booking. That would be MEL-SYD/SYD-OOL and would cost more.

And so comes the phrase "Why fly direct when you can connect".

 

[RichardMEL]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Thanks so much for your quick response.



Does this mean more SCs?

It does in terms of how one books the fares, and flies them.. It gives an indication of the plan and the segments included. For example, SYD-xBNE-DRW would be a Sydmey to Darwin fare, but going via Brisbane. However, if you just sayd SYD-DRW, and booked as such, that would be less SC.

In the case of some of the really long runs described here, where the point is to maximise the sectors for the price, all of these "x"'s are meaningful since if one priced them out as single end to end points it would be crazy.

Also - any suggestions on tools/sites people are using to find the best combinations of price and SC?

[/quote]

I'll let others answer this but a popular one is Google Matrix (used to be known as ITA Matrix before Google gobbled up that company)

eg: https://matrix.itasoftware.com/

this is popular for doing searches for options, specially in the USA.

I'm sure others can provide much more detailed and helpful responses

 

[lathiat]

Re: Best Status Run Options - A quick overview!

Thanks so much for your quick response.



Does this mean more SCs?

Also - any suggestions on tools/sites people are using to find the best combinations of price and SC?

It can do, in some cases. Because SCs are usually calculated per flight segment and rounded it can work out better.

For example I recently flew PER-xSIN-xDXB-LHR because it netted me 75SC instead of 60SC. Price was the same and it was 25h vs 21h so not too much extra -- and of course this was to help push me over the edge for gold in the last month of the membership year.

This routing is pretty direct and doesn't really go out of the way but sometimes you can do the same going a bit indirect, like you could fly PER-SYD-DXB-LHR or something like that. A hop in the same country at either end can often be free or little extra added cost. Can also be useful as for example you can't do points upgrades on EK metal QF coreshare flights which from PER is all you have. some PER-SYD-DXB-LHR might let you get QF metal the whole way and be up-gradable even if a little longer. This is probably all a great example of Frequent Flyer brain *laughs*

Also cuts the PER-DXB flight time of 11h into 5h20m+7h20m which can be helpful for long hauls in Y, and SIN is my favourite airport to spend time in.

 

[Daver6]

Suggestions for SC maximisation on US sectors

Thought I might pick the collective brains trusts thoughts.

I need to travel from Washington DC to New Orleans on 20th October and New Orleans to Boston on 24th October.

If my aim is to maximise status credits on paid AA flights, what would you suggest? Money is a factor. Time, less so. I don't mind taking up the entire day getting from A to B, but want to rule out an overnight somewhere (unless there is a very compelling reason).

So far for about US$380 I can got DCA - DFW - MSY which by my calculations nets me 130 SCs. There is also a direct DCA - MSY for ~US$290 which yields 90 SCs.

For those in the know, are there any other options/tricks I should be looking at?

For the MSY to BOS leg, there seem to be options via DFW and MIA. Again, are there any tricks to adding more sectors without huge price increases to get those all important SCs?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Daver6]

Re: Suggestions for SC maximisation on US sectors

Another side question. Google flights seems to limit you to 5 sectors in a multi-city booking. What tricks are people using to easily price these complicated flights?