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

 

[sudoer]

Do you earn Points Club points when you transfer points from Amex Platinum to QF?

Yes. Max 125k QFF per transaction.

 

[chingy17]

Ive managed through a series of international flights + status rollover end up within 60 status credits of gold. Need to achieve these in the next 3 months. Any particularly cost effective status runs people have utilised for 60-70 SC in a single day?

 

[jaymcc]

Any advice is appreciated on the following. With the Loyalty bonus at 500 plus Green tier, by my calculation, I need another 196 SC.

Program Year End Date: 30th September 2023
Desired Status: Gold
Current Status Credit Balance: 317
Remaining Status Credits Booked: 87
Status Credits Needed: 296
Status Credits Taken with JetStar/Qantas Group: All
Points required for 50 status credit Loyalty Bonus: 96
Monetary Budget: up to $1.4k
Time Budget: Short/Long Weekend
Qantas Green Tier Status Attained (Yes/No): No, but can do as necessary.
Geographic Flexibility: Australia / New Zealand/Asia/pacific region - departing HVB

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Program Year End Date: 30th November 2023
Desired Status: Platinum
Current Status Credit Balance: 1000
Remaining Status Credits Booked: 255
Status Credits Needed: 105 (will receive 50 status credit loyalty bonus next month) or 65 (if Qantas recognizes my green tier renewal and provides 50 status credit bonus)
Status Credits Taken with JetStar/Qantas Group: All
Monetary Budget: < $1K
Time Budget: Same day turn (ideally) or a weekend turn.
Qantas Green Tier Status Attained (Yes/No): Yes but Qantas isn't recognizing it despite phone calls/emails, "still investigating" since April 2023
Geographic Flexibility: United States (October 2023) or Australia (any other time)

I am on the cusp of earning Qantas Platinum as you can tell. I see within the US there are some good opportunities to earn status credits such as doing a same day turn on American from PIT to PHL (connecting in DCA) for 120 status credits for ~$600 AUD. I also see that I can earn 80 status credits flying Alaska between SFO and LAX on a $450 AUD business fare. Unsure if there are other sharper opportunities for status credit accrual in the US on a same day turn but would be interested to hear the communities' feedback here. However, I also could do something like a weekend in Perth on JQ MAX and possibly another weekend in Melbourne on JQ MAX to earn 120 status credits that way (but that would likely be more expensive in terms of flights and now hotels). In terms of where I'll be in the US:

• Pittsburgh, PA (Oct 10-13)
• Minneapolis, MN (Oct 13 - 19)
• Phoenix, AZ (Oct 19-21)
• San Francisco, CA (Oct 21-25)
• Los Angeles, CA (Oct 25-27)

-RooFlyer88

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Program Year End Date: 30th November 2023
Desired Status: Platinum
Current Status Credit Balance: 1000
Remaining Status Credits Booked: 255
Status Credits Needed: 105 (will receive 50 status credit loyalty bonus next month) or 65 (if Qantas recognizes my green tier renewal and provides 50 status credit bonus)
Status Credits Taken with JetStar/Qantas Group: All
Monetary Budget: < $1K
Time Budget: Same day turn (ideally) or a weekend turn.
Qantas Green Tier Status Attained (Yes/No): Yes but Qantas isn't recognizing it despite phone calls/emails, "still investigating" since April 2023
Geographic Flexibility: United States (October 2023) or Australia (any other time)

I am on the cusp of earning Qantas Platinum as you can tell. I see within the US there are some good opportunities to earn status credits such as doing a same day turn on American from PIT to PHL (connecting in DCA) for 120 status credits for ~$600 AUD. I also see that I can earn 80 status credits flying Alaska between SFO and LAX on a $450 AUD business fare. Unsure if there are other sharper opportunities for status credit accrual in the US on a same day turn but would be interested to hear the communities' feedback here. However, I also could do something like a weekend in Perth on JQ MAX and possibly another weekend in Melbourne on JQ MAX to earn 120 status credits that way (but that would likely be more expensive in terms of flights and now hotels). In terms of where I'll be in the US:

• Pittsburgh, PA (Oct 10-13)
• Minneapolis, MN (Oct 13 - 19)
• Phoenix, AZ (Oct 19-21)
• San Francisco, CA (Oct 21-25)
• Los Angeles, CA (Oct 25-27)

-RooFlyer88

Well the uncertainty here for me was too much and I saw a real nice fare on Alaska to easily close the gap:
Los Angeles to Portland:


Per the Qantas calculator, this I fare business class should attract 160 status credits (60 status credits each for LA to Portland and for Seattle to LA, then 40 status credits for Portland to Seattle). At $544 AUD this works out to $3.40 which IMHO isn't a bad rate of a status credit run particularly for a same day turn. I would, however, love to hear feedback from others in that regard

Crisis averted!

-RooFlyer88

 

[exceladdict]

Well the uncertainty here for me was too much and I saw a real nice fare on Alaska to easily close the gap:
Los Angeles to Portland:
View attachment 338400

Per the Qantas calculator, this I fare business class should attract 160 status credits (60 status credits each for LA to Portland and for Seattle to LA, then 40 status credits for Portland to Seattle). At $544 AUD this works out to $3.40 which IMHO isn't a bad rate of a status credit run particularly for a same day turn. I would, however, love to hear feedback from others in that regard

Crisis averted!

-RooFlyer88

Also recommend waiting until the last minute to claim your loyalty bonus, if your GT comes through you may as well save them til next year

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Also recommend waiting until the last minute to claim your loyalty bonus, if your GT comes through you may as well save them til next year

Completely agree in that regard although per my spreadsheet it's going to be down to the wire on when the loyalty bonus arrives (I'm taking the QF flight that will earn my 500 SCs with QF Group on Nov 26). Key thing now is just ensuring I meet (and ideally exceed slightly) the requirements for Platinum. I put so much effort in this year and last to earn the tier, it would be a pity if it gets thrown away by some miscalculation on my part.

-RooFlyer88

 

[SYD]

Completely agree in that regard although per my spreadsheet it's going to be down to the wire on when the loyalty bonus arrives (I'm taking the QF flight that will earn my 500 SCs with QF Group on Nov 26). Key thing now is just ensuring I meet (and ideally exceed slightly) the requirements for Platinum. I put so much effort in this year and last to earn the tier, it would be a pity if it gets thrown away by some miscalculation on my part.

-RooFlyer88

It doesn’t look like you are but don’t rely on any non-QF flights close to the end of your member year. Mine year rolled over 01 Aug and 200 SCs from two CX J flights in mid July are still MIA. Fortunately I was already over the 20% reduced retain bar for WP / P1 so not too concerned about the delay in getting those to counts towards my LTP tally…. Although the missing points is more than a SYD-MEL flight.

 

[Ade]

Thought I'd update on this - finally, I booked a Flex Y CBR-SYD-MEL-SIN-CMB-SIN-MEL-SYD-CBR. This trip will net me approx 480 SC (after DSC) for $2460 (approx, after the QBR Level 1 discount). CMB-MAA-CMB called QF to see if I can get a CR Y seat released - unfortunately, the dates I was after UL125/UL126 were either cancelled or were cutting it too fine to join the CMB-onwards leg on the return, so I'm doing in AI. Paid over $200 for the CMB-MAA-CMB leg.

I originally wanted the trip all the way to MAA on QF, but the prices in/out of IND were so exorbitant, I cut my QF ticket short at CMB. This actually saved me over $1000

Doing this trip again CBR-SYD-MEL-SIN-CMB-MAA-CMB-SIN-MEL-SYD-CBR, for $2700 (approx) gaining 500SC. Not a good earn rate, but I need to do this trip anyways.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Doing this trip again CBR-SYD-MEL-SIN-CMB-MAA-CMB-SIN-MEL-SYD-CBR, for $2700 (approx) gaining 500SC. Not a good earn rate, but I need to do this trip anyways.

I don't mean to pop any bubble here but I am assuming the sectors SIN <> CMB, and CMB <> MAA are operated by Sri Lankan? The reason I ask is that it is my understanding that SriLankan has a slightly different mapping between fare codes and earn categories than other airlines. You may want to check out this table provided by Qantas just to be sure you are earning the correct amount of status credits as predicted.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Ade]

I don't mean to pop any bubble here but I am assuming the sectors SIN <> CMB, and CMB <> MAA are operated by Sri Lankan? The reason I ask is that it is my understanding that SriLankan has a slightly different mapping between fare codes and earn categories than other airlines. You may want to check out this table provided by Qantas just to be sure you are earning the correct amount of status credits as predicted.

-RooFlyer88

You are right. My calculation took that into consideration - so the UL segments, operated on a QF number (with the exception of CMB-MAA-CMB) will credit as Full Economy fare, so gets the whole 40SC for the SIN-CMB-SIN and 10 SC for the CMB-MAA-CMB legs.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Update 2: So apparently I need to fly to Germany next month to attend a workshop. After looking at the various fares available, the best option was AY via SIN, HEL since the other two cheaper options were unviable (one was via China which due to my Canadian citizenship makes that impossible, the other via Saigon had a 13 hour layover and questions over whether a transit visa was necessary). So now between this trip, the trip to the US and Portland, combined with the remaining domestic trips I have I will be well and truly over the 1400 status credits required to earn Platinum status.

Also recommend waiting until the last minute to claim your loyalty bonus, if your GT comes through you may as well save them til next year

I was checking my status credit spreadsheet yesterday and noticed I would actually be 10 status credits short of the loyalty bonus this year. As it happened, today QF did a schedule change on one of my flights and I simply called up to turn the nonstop ADL > SYD into a connecting flight via CBR which solved that problem. I absolutely love it when airlines cancel and change schedules. Let's me play god on the airline's dime!

It doesn’t look like you are but don’t rely on any non-QF flights close to the end of your member year. Mine year rolled over 01 Aug and 200 SCs from two CX J flights in mid July are still MIA. Fortunately I was already over the 20% reduced retain bar for WP / P1 so not too concerned about the delay in getting those to counts towards my LTP tally…. Although the missing points is more than a SYD-MEL flight.

Fair point, although I reckon if they post late, I'll still earn Platinum status (albeit slightly later) since status credits are earned when the flights are taken, not when they post. With that being said, I'm slated to earn 180 status credits on next month's trip to Germany, I've got another 80 status credits minimum earned on QF Group flights between now and then which means by the end of September I will be at 1310 status credits. Then a further 145 on QF/AA flights and another 160 SCs on the AS PDX run for a total of 305 SCs for October (putting me at 1605 SCs by end of October). And if that wasn't enough, I've got another 40 SCs earned in November (putting me at 1645 by end of program year). Even if some of these flights don't post right away, I would be shocked if I didn't hit 1400 by end of program year.

Doing this trip again CBR-SYD-MEL-SIN-CMB-MAA-CMB-SIN-MEL-SYD-CBR, for $2700 (approx) gaining 500SC. Not a good earn rate, but I need to do this trip anyways.

It's not a bad earn rate. For contrast I spend $3000 CAD flying AY from SYD to FRA return and that only nets me 180 status credits. Part of this is due to the fact that the outbound was booked into discount economy although the inbound sectors were booked into flexible economy. Certainly not how I would like to spend $3000 CAD but given I'm getting reimbursed for it by the workshop organizers, I don't mind.

-RooFlyer88

 

[utcps]

I wasn't going to bother trying to get to Platinum but the 75 status credits from Qantas threw a spanner in the works. I can do status runs either over the course of a 3x day weekend or single day return run. I'd like to avoid having to pay for accomodation if possible. Hopefully someone here has some creative ideas!

Program Year End Date: 31st October 2023
Desired Status: Platinum
Current Status Credit Balance: 940
Remaining Status Credits Booked: 0
Status Credits Needed: 460
Status Credits Taken with JetStar/Qantas Group: All (including bonus 75 Status Credits I just received)
Points required for 50 status credit Loyalty Bonus: 435
Monetary Budget: up to $2K
Time Budget: Short/Long Weekend
Qantas Green Tier Status Attained (Yes/No): Yes
Geographic Flexibility: Any region is fine

 

[marks]

I wasn't going to bother trying to get to Platinum but the 75 status credits from Qantas threw a spanner in the works. I can do status runs either over the course of a 3x day weekend or single day return run. I'd like to avoid having to pay for accomodation if possible. Hopefully someone here has some creative ideas!

Geographic Flexibility: Any region is fine

Which city are you based in?

There are alot of peeps looking at status runs now with the 75 credits.

 

[elanshin]

I wasn't going to bother trying to get to Platinum but the 75 status credits from Qantas threw a spanner in the works. I can do status runs either over the course of a 3x day weekend or single day return run. I'd like to avoid having to pay for accomodation if possible. Hopefully someone here has some creative ideas!

I'd say that for less than $2k for ~430 or so points would be quite difficult without a DSC. Thats less than $5 per SC, which while achievable would need to find some very good sale options and you don't have a lot of time left. If you bump your budget up closer to 2500, it would open up more options.

Taking a standard J sale NZ run of OOL <> MEL <> AKL that would generally be ~$1680 for 280 SC @ $5.8 per SC.

Another possible route to consider is CGK <> HKG <> TPE on CX. That route can be found for $1400 or so in J with decent earning (240 if my maths and Qantas calculator is correct). Of course you have to factor in making your way to CGK as well.

 

[utcps]

Which city are you based in?

There are alot of peeps looking at status runs now with the 75 credits.

I'd say that for less than $2k for ~430 or so points would be quite difficult without a DSC. Thats less than $5 per SC, which while achievable would need to find some very good sale options and you don't have a lot of time left. If you bump your budget up closer to 2500, it would open up more options.

Taking a standard J sale NZ run of OOL <> MEL <> AKL that would generally be ~$1680 for 280 SC @ $5.8 per SC.

Another possible route to consider is CGK <> HKG <> TPE on CX. That route can be found for $1400 or so in J with decent earning (240 if my maths and Qantas calculator is correct). Of course you have to factor in making your way to CGK as well.

Thanks for the suggestions. Based in Melbourne and can stretch to 2.5 if need be. It's not a hard limit. When you say OOL <> MEL <> AKL is this booked on the same multi-city ticket or is this booked seperately?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Thanks for the suggestions. Based in Melbourne and can stretch to 2.5 if need be. It's not a hard limit. When you say OOL <> MEL <> AKL is this booked on the same multi-city ticket or is this booked seperately?

You make it a connecting flight so instead of booking OOL > AKL nonstop (do they even do nonstop to NZ out of OOL?) you choose a connecting itinerary instead. The reason being is that Qantas awards status credits on a per flight basis meaning the more connections you have the more status credits you earn. Heck you could even connect at two points each way (i.e. OOL > MEL > SYD > AKL) and that would earn you 360 status credits there paying maybe $200-$300 more on the itinerary. Again it'll take some playing around with the itineraries, and some flexibility on the budget but it is doable.

-RooFlyer88

 

[aikman]

Thanks for the suggestions. Based in Melbourne and can stretch to 2.5 if need be. It's not a hard limit. When you say OOL <> MEL <> AKL is this booked on the same multi-city ticket or is this booked seperately?

OOL-MEL-AKL is a good one but you still need to get yourself to and from OOL. The positioning flights will push up your total costs to $6.90+/SC.

You may as well just fly MEL-BNE-AKL at $6.90/SC.

I've been searching for a good run myself and the cheapest I can find out of MEL on QF metal is to Noumea at $5.70/SC but you'll need stay the night and it is not a cheap island to visit.

Either way you will have to spend more than $2.5k to earn 435 SC.

Just a thought but $2.5k buys 3.5 years of unlimited Priority Pass.

 

[CaptJCool]

Thanks for the suggestions. Based in Melbourne and can stretch to 2.5 if need be. It's not a hard limit. When you say OOL <> MEL <> AKL is this booked on the same multi-city ticket or is this booked seperately?

Okay
This hack works only with DSC and a cheap J sale and if you’re paying in Argentinian Pesos (witch a nod to Rear Window)

SO THE ODDS are remote
Mel-adl $499 40 SC or cheap $140 fares 10 SC (ofc you’re lucky $125)

ADL via Mel to OOL around $1,100 but you could book pay later pay your $25 and when you pay later they take the $25 off the fare and refund you the $25 anyway ….
100 SC DSC 200
One return trip 400
Plus repositioning 20 SCs

A second quick cheap trip to Syd, ADL OR HBA and that’d be 440

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Just a thought but $2.5k buys 3.5 years of unlimited Priority Pass.

They already have lounge access by way of being a Qantas Gold (OneWorld Sapphire). Heck for the money they are spending on flights they could easily status match to a couple other airlines (i.e. Virgin) to earn quality lounge access and priority flying them. I should also point out that there are more economical ways of getting lounge access namely AmEx Platinum which provides amongst other things Priority Pass lounge access, Centurion lounge access, Virgin Australia, Delta and Lufthansa lounge access when flying on those airlines. In addition they get travel credits, dining credits, Amazon Prime credits, Accor+ membership (with free night) and much more for only $1,450/year. A real bargain considering the fact that you can add up to 4 authorized users (who will also have said lounge benefits) free of charge and unlike US Platinum cardholders don't need to spend $75,000/year on the card to gain the privilege of bringing 2 guests into the Centurion lounge.

Why one would want Qantas Platinum over Gold would be the access to First class lounges, the ability to force classic award seats to open up, better seat selection and potentially better customer support. Whether it is worth spending all that extra money on flights is up for debate. I will also remind them that if they are a Points Club+ member they can roll over up to 100 status credits towards credit meaning not all of the excess status credits will go to waste.