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.

---

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

 

[RooFlyer]

Also, see here:

QF DSC - Domestic only | Book by 30 Mar | Travel 31 Mar 2021 to 28 Feb 2022

Well that's status sorted for next year :). On a completely different note, Perth here I come (might even suggest dinner and drinks with PER peeps, although we're talking September). Feels a little funny knowing I've got a flight booked again.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[sudoer]

@Daver6 yep so in that itinerary, I used the multi-city tool for SYD-CBR and CBR-ASP. I then selected SYD-MEL-CBR and CBR-MEL-ASP from the routing options. You need to be flying a day that MEL-ASP has a later 2:05pm departure (Tue, Wed, Thu) and has J availability. Fri-Mon are an 11:30am departure which you won't get to MEL in time for if hairpinning through CBR.

All flights need to be on the same calendar day for it to fall into Zone 3 and cost 41500 points.



I successfully booked it and it has ticketed. I've also had ASP-SYD-CBR-SYD (searched for ASP-CBR and CBR-SYD) and SYD-CBR-MEL-ADL (searching for SYD-CBR and CBR-ADL) successfully ticket using the multi-city tool. Whether I'll actually fly them will depend on whether Qantas launch any other SC promos or further status extension/support.

 

[mviy]

Whether I'll actually fly them will depend on whether Qantas launch any other SC promos or further status extension/support.

That'll depend a lot on when international travel resumes and what future bookings are looking like for QF. I suspect once international travel resumes there'll be some promos to try to encourage people to book.

If international travel is off the agenda well into 2022 then further status extension/support would become increasingly likely.

The current status extension should see me retain status well beyond this time next year, so I'm thinking I can probably rely on waiting for further SC promos or status extension. As a SG, part of me would think let myself drop to PS and then make another run for WP if international borders are reopen.

 

[Daver6]

ADL-MEL-CBR-MEL for 27,600 points one way in J and $135 taxes earning 54 SC with Points Club and 108 SC with the double SCs offer.

 

[oirets]

Has any one spotted a good earner out of Brisbane. I have searched and can't seem to do better than $10 per SC.
Out and back in the same day or overnight would be OK.

BNE-MEL return in J - $1298 for (60 x 2) x 2 = 240 SCs, around $5.41 per SC. It's not the best value vs. other actual status runs, but it's fairly straightforward and is somewhat of a useful flight for most. (With DSC promotion).

 

[Daver6]

Booked PER-MEL-CBR-SYD-BNE-CNS-BNE-MEL-PER for 140k points ~$325 tax and should earn 428 SCs with Points Club and double SC. Stopping overnight in Sydney and then a holiday in Cairns.

There was scope to eke out a few more SCs but travel time became a factor.

 

[sudoer]

View attachment 243527

41,500 points + $174 per passenger = 164 SC (during DSC)

Was going to book SYD-ASP anyway, which is in the same 1201-2400mi bracket as the above itinerary - so no additional points incurred, just some extra taxes and a few more hours in the air. If the same crew are operating QF1516 and QF1517 we'll probably get a few weird looks!

Through some extreme luck, my MEL-ASP flight has already been bumped forward to an 11:30am departure, so I can't do the hairpin anymore. What a shame! /s

Will drop those flights, probably get a decent tax refund, and claim ORC with DSC when I get back. Good outcome.

 

[Mqrko]

Is it actually worth it to use point for status credits instead of cash?
I always assume a point is worth $0.03 so the cost SC/$ is quite high if I compare with cash unless I have missed something.

 

[mviy]

Is it actually worth it to use point for status credits instead of cash?
I always assume a point is worth $0.03 so the cost SC/$ is quite high if I compare with cash unless I have missed something.

Some have accumulated huge points balances, especially with the international travel ban.

Also redeeming points for flights is the best value use of points.

 

[sudoer]

Some have accumulated huge points balances

Exactly, I'm +1m QFF over the last 18 months with another ~240k in the pipeline. I anticipate continuing to earn at that rate and while I'd love to extract max value per point on some RTW J tickets, that's obviously not happening soon.

Is it actually worth it to use point for status credits instead of cash?

I'm going to places I want to visit and just so happen to be flying to longest way possible to help maintain WP. They aren't quite status runs in that respect as I would have travelled anyway.

There's also a lot more flexibility on classic award routings when booking as a multi-city flight, yet the points cost is calculated on total miles flown which you can use to your advantage. The icing on the cake is the removal of cancellation and change penalties.

I always assume a point is worth $0.03 so the cost SC/$ is quite high if I compare with cash unless I have missed something.

Two separate issues at play here, but yes the $ per SC rate is quite high*, as it always has been on most Qantas domestic J routes.

On value per point, the SYD-ASP ticket exceeds your 3c per point target.

It cost 41,500 points + $174 taxes for a classic business award which will return 164 SC including DSC. If I had booked a comparable cash ticket I'm looking at $1703 for J which earns 200 SC including DSC. Removing the taxes, that leaves me with the option of paying $1529 or 41500 points = 3.68c per point.

And that redemption is earning ~80% of the SC that would otherwise be earned on the cash fare, which arguably increases the redemption value quite significantly (as that's not usually part of the equation when calculating redemption value of awards)

*if you value your points at 3c each, rather than what they actually cost you. If you were averaging 0.75-1% surcharge to earn 1 point per dollar, the actual cost per point is already significantly less than what you're valuing them at, and hence the $ per SC is much cheaper. On the other hand, if you earn your points through a credit card sign-up (e.g. ANZ 120k for $225) then the $/SC rate on the SYD-ASP itinerary is somewhere around $1.5/SC.

 

[Daver6]

I pretty much agree with everything @sudoer said. MrsDaver6 and I are currently points rich. While we'd normally use the points for RTW J (even though its not actually around the world) redemptions, that is just not possible.

We're burning points on places we want to travel to anyway for a holiday. Get to do it in J, take a circuitous route and earn lots of SC. It's not purely a SC run.

In terms of the current flexibility with award bookings, we're using that to our advantage too. We weren't 100% sure on dates and destinations so just booked a couple of options knowing we can cancel for a full refund.

 

[MojoRisin2016]

Cheapest SCs I can find so far is ADL-MEL-OOL at $3.30/SC. $165 for 50SCs.

Edit: Now seeing this same route later in the year for $149 or $2.98/SC.

What dates later in the year? I successfully applied for a Qantas Status Fast Track, and need to score 100 SCs by 31st July. Some posts here seem to indicate award flight can also earn SCs, but does not appear to be the case for me. Admittedly, I'm a relative novice, even though I've been a member here for quite a few years

ADL-MEL-CBR-MEL for 27,600 points one way in J and $135 taxes earning 54 SC with Points Club and 108 SC with the double SCs offer.

Is there a special way to search/book to earn SC using points? I have Points Club and have successfully applied for Qantas Status Fast Track last week. I tried the above and some other routes, but get flight options with zero SC earn Unless of course, they're not keen on handing out SG when paid in Qantas points........

 

[mviy]

If you have Points Club (requires earning 150,000 points, mostly on the ground - 20,000 of the points can be from flying) you can earn SC on classic flight rewards.

 

[Daver6]

What dates later in the year? I successfully applied for a Qantas Status Fast Track, and need to score 100 SCs by 31st July. Some posts here seem to indicate award flight can also earn SCs, but does not appear to be the case for me. Admittedly, I'm a relative novice, even though I've been a member here for quite a few years

Is there a special way to search/book to earn SC using points? I have Points Club and have successfully applied for Qantas Status Fast Track last week. I tried the above and some other routes, but get flight options with zero SC earn Unless of course, they're not keen on handing out SG when paid in Qantas points........

I think not showing the earn rate in the booking engine is just a website limitation.

 

[Ace3162]

Hello all,
questions for the brains-trust, please forgive me if it’s really simple!!
I have QF Points Club.
If I book a Classic Reward Business Class which is MEL-SYD-OOL (two flight numbers, but one booking) and the cost to me is 27,000 and $65… how many Status Credits will I earn (as a points club member) ?
is it: 24 SC as a MEDIUM domestic Business Classic reward flight
or: 32 SC (16 + 16) as it’s two SHORT domestic Business Classic reward flights

many thanks

(edit: Why would I want to do that??
Ive got a supply of QF points (600k) but as I’ve not been flying for 18 months I have very few SC. I’ve got the 100pt status match to achieve by the end of the month)

 

[BriarFlyer]

2 x 16 = 32 SC as they're 2 separate flights.

 

[Infrequent traveller]

A weird thought - for those (including myself) having to get 100SC to fast tracke to Gold, would it work if I apply for a Qantas Club membership under the special offer, using the bonus SC to attain Gold, freeze the Qantas Club membership whilst the QFF Gold is maintained, thus avoiding the need for a status run? I have a status run flight to AKL scheduled on 15/6 so this is purely an "academic" discussion.

 

[Daver6]

A weird thought - for those (including myself) having to get 100SC to fast tracke to Gold, would it work if I apply for a Qantas Club membership under the special offer, using the bonus SC to attain Gold, freeze the Qantas Club membership whilst the QFF Gold is maintained, thus avoiding the need for a status run? I have a status run flight to AKL scheduled on 15/6 so this is purely an "academic" discussion.

If points earnt on the ground count, then I would imagine so. Also, if you have QP membership and attain gold, the membership automatically pauses until you drop down to silver.

 

[MojoRisin2016]

A weird thought - for those (including myself) having to get 100SC to fast tracke to Gold, would it work if I apply for a Qantas Club membership under the special offer, using the bonus SC to attain Gold, freeze the Qantas Club membership whilst the QFF Gold is maintained, thus avoiding the need for a status run? I have a status run flight to AKL scheduled on 15/6 so this is purely an "academic" discussion.

I'm in a similar boat. Have a status run booked to score 100 SCs for fast track Gold, and have also successfully applied for the Qantas Amex that comes with 160 SCs if their spend requirement is met. I'm planning to play safe and do the status run, but I'm based in Melbourne, therefore afraid the status run may or may not materialise if we go into lockdown again. I'm assuming the 160 SCs from Amex may not count.

 

[Mattg]

2 x 16 = 32 SC as they're 2 separate flights.

In practice it's actually 18 + 18, so 36 status credits

(Yes, the Qantas website does say 16...)