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

 

[TY24]

180 SC is pretty hard to do domestically unless you plan on doing some intricate multi city booking in J.

East coast - DPS is another alternative but I'd be surprised if you could find that cheaper than NZ.

 

[Port Power]

180 SC is pretty hard to do domestically unless you plan on doing some intricate multi city booking in J.

East coast - DPS is another alternative but I'd be surprised if you could find that cheaper than NZ.

PER-DRW via SYD is very easy, one way J, return Y. However, that combined fare is even more expensive!

 

[mviy]

The advantage of P1 is being able to gift WP and a soft landing back to WP so if you have a lot of points you could try to book classic rewards if you can for more flights. Another option with the soft landing would be to use OW or Emirates more etc. if they will be cheaper or suit your schedule better etc.

If you are that close and find the above benefits useful then it could be worth considering it.

 

[exceladdict]

I was considering going for P1 as I’m only 360 SC short. A return to NZ would bring twice that amount, but at $3,300 it’s not worth it. However, a domestic combination doesn’t quite earn enough. Any suggestion, please? I will have to fly next week, too. I can always fly from PER as a CR.

I’ll make WP again anyway with current bookings, so is attaining P1 worth the effort?

The best ex-per points per SC I've found in a brief look so far is PER xMEL xBNE CNS - 57k and returns 94 SCs. Do this return during DSC and you've got 376.

I actually just did this to also enjoy a nice little holiday with Mrs Excel, hope to write a TR sometime soon.

 

[Port Power]

The best ex-per points per SC I've found in a brief look so far is PER xMEL xBNE CNS - 57k and returns 94 SCs. Do this return during DSC and you've got 376.

I actually just did this to also enjoy a nice little holiday with Mrs Excel, hope to write a TR sometime soon.

Perfect! Thank you.

 

[wandering_fred]

Has anyone actually booked a DONE(4/5/6) (ex Japan seems most frugal) during the DSC period?
Liberal application of QF flights would prove interesting
Or am I again wandering
Fred

 

[Danger]

QF domestic sale launched today, including J fares.

E.g. BNE-MEL $489 in J (60 SCs)
BNE-CNS $529 (60 SCs)
OOL-MEL $499 (60 SCs)
OOL-ADL $549 (60 SCs)
ADL-DRW $689 (80 SCs)

While these fares aren't bad for Qantas, they're a long way from meeting the intent of this thread.

 

[Mattg]

While these fares aren't bad for Qantas, they're a long way from meeting the intent of this thread.

I do get that, but they may be of interest to someone who doesn't have the time to take a longer overseas status run and just needs a quick 120 SCs by the end of the month.

 

[tdimdad]

In earlier years, the international sales has usually followed. Hopefully it'll happen this year, as well. If I recall correctly, there may have been a more limited sale first, such as NZ, and then a wider one.

 

[elanshin]

Not sure if this qualifies as 'discussion' (for which I can't find a dedicated thread) or permissible here.

Best status run booking I have achieved is with points club award bookings at $2.05/SC based on my own formula (currently 0.375c/pt, i.e. what I can obtain them for - for example, 80,000 SCs for CC sign up bonus with $300 annual fee) + taxes/surcharges, during the recent DSC period.
It's not perfect due to lack of flight availability and lack of flexibility, and it's not a small number of flights..

ZQN-AKL, in Jetstar economy - positioning flight only, nil earned. Couldn't be avoided for me unfortunately.
All subsequent flights in U class (business)
AKL-BNE-SYD-MEL day 1
MEL-SYD-BNE-SYD-MEL-ADL day 2
All booked as a multicity reward, i.e. same PNR

By my calculations this will earn 316 SCs - 2x(32+18+18+18+18+18+18+18), costing $353.82 in surcharges/taxes and 78000 points.
The trip out was $2.78/SC, but this was more cautious to reduce chance of losing luggage.

I fully expect my check-in luggage to get delayed, but this is a return leg and I'll not pack anything important in it. HLO would obviously be a better option when possible.

Similar could be achieved by stacking most flights in the multicity tool, noting restrictions with only two trips per day, although you can often book multiple legs per trip at the choose specific flight stage. Additionally you can't have more than 7 individual trips or the tool crashes.

I actually wonder about pricing the cost using your actual cost rather than opportunity cost. In this case you mentioned that you acquired the points for that amount (0.375c) but even with a p+p payment (terrible value) the value is 0.6c per point.

If you value your redemption costs higher (say 1.5c per point) then the opportunity cost of thus Status run is much higher.

At 1.5c this would be around $4.8 per SC. If you are someone that can extract 3c per point then this would balloon to $8 or so instead.

While there is an argument that using your points and converting them is a good thing (i converted quite a bit last year as well), doing straight math isn't as simple as your true cost / SC imho.

 

[miniyazz]

I actually wonder about pricing the cost using your actual cost rather than opportunity cost. In this case you mentioned that you acquired the points for that amount (0.375c) but even with a p+p payment (terrible value) the value is 0.6c per point.

If you value your redemption costs higher (say 1.5c per point) then the opportunity cost of thus Status run is much higher.

At 1.5c this would be around $4.8 per SC. If you are someone that can extract 3c per point then this would balloon to $8 or so instead.

While there is an argument that using your points and converting them is a good thing (i converted quite a bit last year as well), doing straight math isn't as simple as your true cost / SC imho.

The other aspect here is that it is one thing to say I "could" use them in higher value activities and it is another thing to actually be able to use them for that.

High value redemptions I am interested in, such as flights to Europe, are simply not available at the dates I wish to fly. I have tried requesting seat releases, and am consistently rejected.

If there is no opportunity, there is no opportunity cost. I have enough points to fly to Europe return in J several times over, so for the foreseeable future (and also bearing in mind I can increase my points balance by 200k/year without trying very hard), I have more points than I can spend - without buying a toaster or p+p.

By the way, having now found the correct thread, I'll point out that searching for "status run" in the QFF category does not bring up this thread unless you go to the very end of the 10 pages of results returned and then click "view older results"!

 

[JessicaTam]

By the way, having now found the correct thread, I'll point out that searching for "status run" in the QFF category does not bring up this thread unless you go to the very end of the 10 pages of results returned and then click "view older results"!

This thread is a 'sticky'. So it is always in the top few threads of the QF forum.

 

[elanshin]

The other aspect here is that it is one thing to say I "could" use them in higher value activities and it is another thing to actually be able to use them for that.

High value redemptions I am interested in, such as flights to Europe, are simply not available at the dates I wish to fly. I have tried requesting seat releases, and am consistently rejected.

If there is no opportunity, there is no opportunity cost. I have enough points to fly to Europe return in J several times over, so for the foreseeable future (and also bearing in mind I can increase my points balance by 200k/year without trying very hard), I have more points than I can spend - without buying a toaster or p+p.

While I do agree with that logic hence why I converted a bunch last year for SC too - I am still realistic with the calculation of $ per SC especially when posting about it. Someone else might see that and think it's a great deal but in reality if they can convert at better rates the cost is actually very different.

At the very least I'd consider using the p+p value or a 1c per point value as that's what most people would consider the floor for calculations. at 0.375c per point that is below p+p and thus you can redeem it for p+p at any time and it's permanently available. I'm pretty sure thats lower than toaster valuations too.

By the way, having now found the correct thread, I'll point out that searching for "status run" in the QFF category does not bring up this thread unless you go to the very end of the 10 pages of results returned and then click "view older results"!

Ah i think people don't mention it on searches or other things as this is pinned in the QF sub forum so this thread is always near the top.

 

[Gold Member]

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Overnight on narrow body aircraft, but if you've just arrived and are already in a different time zone this could work.

Even after Qantas’ infamous Simpler & Fairer Enhancement for partner earn, these status runs work out to about 460 SCs (150+150+60) for about $400AUD. That‘s less than $1 per SC! I haven’t seen these type of status runs for years.

If you‘re keen, get booking now. Fare ends March 14th (US time - so mid arvo Mar 15th Aussie)

 

[Isolar]

...
Even after Qantas’ infamous Simpler & Fairer Enhancement for partner earn, these status runs work out to about 460 SCs (150+150+60) for about $400AUD. That‘s less than $1 per SC! I haven’t seen these type of status runs for years.
...

Curious how you came up with 460 SCs for a one way.

I looked at a routing on AS - SAN-ORD-SFO-SEA and came up with 220 SCs. Remembering that domestic F for these fares on AS & AA is actually ticketed into I (discounted business - 80 + 100 + 40).

Still could be a good deal for someone if they have the time and willingness to deal with the red eyes.

 

[Gold Member]

Curious how you came up with 460 SCs for a one way.

I looked at a routing on AS - SAN-ORD-SFO-SEA and came up with 220 SCs. Remembering that domestic F for these fares on AS & AA is actually ticketed into I (discounted business - 80 + 100 + 40).

Still could be a good deal for someone if they have the time and willingness to deal with the red eyes.

I plugged the routes into the QF calculator and it quoted the same values that I used. I even scrolled down to the “Simpler” tables and checked the short-haul USA Partner flights and East-Coast to West-Coast Partner flights. They return 60 and 150 respectively for First Class Partner flights.

It’s been almost a decade since I’ve taken a AA status run so I’d forgotten that Qantas now treat intra-US First Class flights as Business. So your numbers are probably accurate. But now that I look, I can’t even find the special intra-USA treatment or clause anywhere on Qantas’ partner earn tables or calculator. Truly a case of Simpler and Fairer in action.

 

[SYD]

I plugged the routes into the QF calculator and it quoted the same values that I used. I even scrolled down to the “Simpler” tables and checked the short-haul USA Partner flights and East-Coast to West-Coast Partner flights. They return 60 and 150 respectively for First Class Partner flights.

It’s been almost a decade since I’ve taken a AA status run so I’d forgotten that Qantas now treat intra-US First Class flights as Business. So your numbers are probably accurate. But now that I look, I can’t even find the special intra-USA treatment or clause anywhere on Qantas’ partner earn tables or calculator. Truly a case of Simpler and Fairer in action.

Pretty sure the AA fare buckets for 3 class cabins and transcon “First” are different to the 2 class cabin First treated as Business and the AA earn table reflects that.

Where the sweet spot is bouncing through ORD is you don’t use the transcon table, so actually more SCs! It’s similar if you hub through DFW.

 

[Gold Member]

Pretty sure the AA fare buckets for 3 class cabins and transcon “First” are different to the 2 class cabin First treated as Business and the AA earn table reflects that.

Where the sweet spot is bouncing through ORD is you don’t use the transcon table, so actually more SCs! It’s similar if you hub through DFW.

Can you link me to the different earn clause/table for 3-class v. 2-class please? I couldn’t find it anywhere on the Partner earn page.

 

[Isolar]

Can you link me to the different earn clause/table for 3-class v. 2-class please? I couldn’t find it anywhere on the Partner earn page.

I don't recall anywhere specifically on the QF website that goes into those differences of 2 class vs 3 class US domestic flights.

If you look at this page AS/AA it tells what the booking class maps to for QF FF earn categories. Transcon F on AA books into A & F as I recall. All other "F" for AS & AA (i.e. two class flights) book into CDIJ.

 

[SYD]

I don't recall anywhere specifically on the QF website that goes into those differences of 2 class vs 3 class US domestic flights.

If you look at this page AS/AA it tells what the booking class maps to for QF FF earn categories. Transcon F on AA books into A & F as I recall. All other "F" for AS & AA (i.e. two class flights) book into CDIJ.

Yes, basically what I said in the earlier post.

Once you map into the earn chart, the QF calculator will show the correct earn (points and SCs).