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

 

[RSD]

You might be too late for bargain flights (precovid typically the optimum booking window was around the 3 to 6mth out from travel). But you might be lucky and even booking fairly straightforward trips to get to where you’re going can offer some reasonable value for $ v SCs.

LAX to SLC non-stop on AA or AS First (earns as J with QF) will be 40 SCs each way. I‘d check the costs of that first to see if it’s worth doing something more creative.

Even LAX-SLC via SEA will jump to 100 SCs each way (60 + 40).

That’s a relatively short window to get adventurous on seperate (possibly multiple seperate) PNRs!

Will you be HLO?

Dom to Int transfer at LAX is simple but again, seperate bookings creat issues. If you can book your return SLC-x-y-z-SYD/MEL is ideal!

If you want to do a pure SR, another lower risk option might be to get to SLC and do a circle route out if there?

I was looking for flights in/out of SLC last year as part of a visit to Yellowstone but not a lot came up.

You’ll probably find that AS will be much cheaper than AAand mainly have you bouncing around the West Coast via SAN, LAX, SFO, PDX and SEA.

AA will offer more adventurous pure SRs to SJU, PVR etc via DFW/MIA. But probably enough hours in one w/e to make it work. Also a shame to get to those places only to turn around!

Many thanks for your comprehensive reply!

I think you are right about wanting to get the SLC-LAX-SYD/MEL on the one PNR, and just use the LAX-SLC for SC accumulation. Being a weekend there might be some cheap F seats going - LAX-SEA-SLC for a 100 SC's sounds like a good earner if the price is right! I will check into all of those.

 

[RSD]

LAX to SLC non-stop on AA or AS First (earns as J with QF) will be 40 SCs each way. I‘d check the costs of that first to see if it’s worth doing something more creative.

Best SC earn per dollar seems to be 80 SC's for AU$382.40 on AA via PHX - gets me there same day too and leaves the Sunday free. Won't be HLO, so will read up on whether QF can check me in all the way through to SLC even though it will be two PNR's

 

[Notyourbag]

Best SC earn per dollar seems to be 80 SC's for AU$382.40 on AA via PHX - gets me there same day too and leaves the Sunday free. Won't be HLO, so will read up on whether QF can check me in all the way through to SLC even though it will be two PNR's

I've had experience with QF checking me through to LAX with the 2nd leg on a separate AA ticket. Unfortunately it wasn't reciprocated with AA on the way back!

 

[RSD]

I've had experience with QF checking me through to LAX with the 2nd leg on a separate AA ticket. Unfortunately it wasn't reciprocated with AA on the way back!

That sounds about right with AA!!

 

[elanshin]

I have zero experience with doing status runs within the U.S. as I'm usually time-poor on trips to there, however I've got a little bit of an opportunity this time and if anyone can make some suggestions on how to maximise SC return getting from LAX to SLC via anywhere and back again that would be appreciated!

Exact dates unknown just yet but will be in June - however it will be a Saturday morning arrival into LAX, and then I have until Sunday afternoon to get to SLC

then leaving SLC mid afternoon to connect in LAX for one of the late evening departures back to SYD or MEL.

It would be good to put some cheap SC's into the account if I can!

You might be too late for bargain flights (precovid typically the optimum booking window was around the 3 to 6mth out from travel). But you might be lucky and even booking fairly straightforward trips to get to where you’re going can offer some reasonable value for $ v SCs.

LAX to SLC non-stop on AA or AS First (earns as J with QF) will be 40 SCs each way. I‘d check the costs of that first to see if it’s worth doing something more creative.

Even LAX-SLC via SEA will jump to 100 SCs each way (60 + 40).

That’s a relatively short window to get adventurous on seperate (possibly multiple seperate) PNRs!

Will you be HLO?

Dom to Int transfer at LAX is simple but again, seperate bookings creat issues. If you can book your return SLC-x-y-z-SYD/MEL is ideal!

If you want to do a pure SR, another lower risk option might be to get to SLC and do a circle route out if there?

I was looking for flights in/out of SLC last year as part of a visit to Yellowstone but not a lot came up.

You’ll probably find that AS will be much cheaper than AAand mainly have you bouncing around the West Coast via SAN, LAX, SFO, PDX and SEA.

AA will offer more adventurous pure SRs to SJU, PVR etc via DFW/MIA. But probably not enough hours in one w/e to make it work. Also a shame to get to those places only to turn around!

Isn't flying through DFW considered a SC hack - because according to Qantas that's flying from West Coast to East Coast earnings.

 

[SYD]

I've had experience with QF checking me through to LAX with the 2nd leg on a separate AA ticket.

QF usually won’t unless outbound flight from Oz is a reward flight.

Unfortunately it wasn't reciprocated with AA on the way back!

Yes, AA never check on seperate tickets - but they used…

Isn't flying through DFW considered a SC hack - because according to Qantas that's flying from West Coast to East Coast earnings.

I thought it came under a seperate entry in the “Simpler & Fairer (tm)” earning table but you could be correct. It can make a huge difference bouncing through DFW / ORD.

Best SC earn per dollar seems to be 80 SC's for AU$382.40 on AA via PHX - gets me there same day too and leaves the Sunday free. Won't be HLO, so will read up on whether QF can check me in all the way through to SLC even though it will be two PNR's

I can see AS F LAX-SFO-SEA-SLC for around A$550 and 120 SCs but timings look coughty but it could be possible to take the first hop to SFO o/n and complete the other two legs the next day (all one booking). But don’t expect a 3 course meal on short hops. Your lucky to get a drink.

 

[RSD]

QF usually won’t unless outbound flight from Oz is a reward flight.

Yes, AA never check on seperate tickets - but they used…

I thought it came under a seperate entry in the “Simpler & Fairer (tm)” earning table but you could be correct. It can make a huge difference bouncing through DFW / ORD.

I can see AS F LAX-SFO-SEA-SLC for around A$550 and 120 SCs but timings look coughty but it could be possible to take the first hop to SFO o/n and complete the other two legs the next day (all one booking). But don’t expect a 3 course meal on short hops. Your lucky to get a drink.

OK I think that I have found a "sweat spot" - and an anomaly...

Classic Reward all the way to SLC on the Friday.

Saturday fly AA SLC-DFW return in First - but take the one-stopper via PHX. According to the Partner Airline earning table DFW-PHX should earn 150 100 SC's as PHX is one of the cities QF classes as "West Coast USA" (Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver) -

...but weirdly the Calculator shows 90 SC's for DFW-PHX -
...not quite sure what is going on there...?

SLC-PHX is 40 SC's in F (earning as J) so if it is 150 100 SC's for DFW-PHX (and presumably vice-versa) the it would be 40+100+100+40 for 280 SC's for AU$961.00 or $3.43 per SC, departing SLX at 8.36am and arriving back there at 21.36.

Edited to fix the errors pointed out below by @RichardMEL

 

[RichardMEL]

Sorry @RSD, I think you've fallen for the old trap of when First isn't First. Bar certain 3 class flights like transcons, all AA flights are J in the front cabin. They book into JCDRI and earn as Business, not First, despite what AA call the domestuc two class front cabin. Routes like DFW-PHX are operated on 2 cabin aircraft like 321s. If you somehow find a 3 cabin ac it would be marketed as Flagship First on an aircraft like a 77W, and books into FAP I believe. Since AA is getting rid of International F soon, even this will still be gone

Incidentky I see some 787sbon PHX-DFW so a much nicer J product if you can ise one of those flights. Rest arev321 and 321neo that I can see.

(I note you correctly for SLC-PHX as being J)

So PHX-DFW, for example, is only 100 in "First"

So be careful with your calculations.

 

[SYD]

So be careful with your calculations.

The QF Calc is usually correct if you select “Business” and AA and/or AS.

 

[RSD]

Sorry @RSD, I think you've fallen for the old trap of when First isn't First. Bar certain 3 class flights like transcons, all AA flights are J in the front cabin. They book into JCDRI and earn as Business, not First, despite what AA call the domestuc two class front cabin. Routes like DFW-PHX are operated on 2 cabin aircraft like 321s. If you somehow find a 3 cabin ac it would be marketed as Flagship First on an aircraft like a 77W, and books into FAP I believe. Since AA is getting rid of International F soon, even this will still be gone

Incidentky I see some 787sbon PHX-DFW so a much nicer J product if you can ise one of those flights. Rest arev321 and 321neo that I can see.

(I note you correctly for SLC-PHX as being J)

So PHX-DFW, for example, is only 100 in "First"

So be careful with your calculations.

OK cheers! and Damn!

BTW what does First Class Classic Rewards on AA metal on these routes book as - P or U ?

 

[RichardMEL]

OK cheers! and Damn!

BTW what does First Class Classic Rewards on AA metal on these routes book as - P or U ?

U

(Unless it's flagship First, and I assume P. However my AA reqards in domestic J have booked as U via QF

 

[RSD]

The QF Calc is usually correct if you select “Business” and AA and/or AS.

OK cheers - good to know!

 

[RichardMEL]

OK cheers - good to know!

For? Availability?

 

[RSD]

U

(Unless it's flagship First, and I assume P. However my AA reqards in domestic J have booked as U via QF

OK cheers again - there might be some good very cheap earners of SC's there for Points Club members too

Post automatically merged: May 7, 2024

For? Availability?

For getting a correct figure for SC's for a route in the U.S.

 

[RichardMEL]

I thought that's where you were going...

sorry... AA reward flights won't earn SC under PC (Unless an error). Only QF operated/flight number rewards are eligible.

I feel bad like dashing all your dreams/plans!

 

[RSD]

I thought that's where you were going...

sorry... AA reward flights won't earn SC under PC (Unless an error). Only QF operated/flight number rewards are eligible.

I feel bad like dashing all your dreams/plans!

LOL - I misread one of the T&C's of SC earn for Points Club - thought that tickets issued by Qantas were included - but as you have pointed out they aren't!

 

[jbmemories]

LOL - I misread one of the T&C's of SC earn for Points Club - thought that tickets issued by Qantas were included - but as you have pointed out they aren't!

US OneWorld flights are still quite a bargain if ignoring any DSC events. But aside from a select few that have 'Flagship First' configuration with AA, nearly all 'First Class' cabins by US carriers are considered 'J-class' when awarding points with QF and other OW members.

One example of where this is truly a 'First Class' flight is routes such as SFO/LAX - JFK on AA's A321T.

 

[SYD]

One example of where this is truly a 'First Class' flight is routes such as SFO/LAX - JFK on AA's A321T.

Those routes also come with a significant price premium compared with the typical domestic “First” unfortunately.

 

[jbmemories]

Those routes also come with a significant price premium compared with the typical domestic “First” unfortunately.

I agree - but I also had the pleasure of trying while I was there. Good opportunity to try the Chelsea lounge that's usually reserved for AA and BA First Class only. The cost of Flagship First is significantly cheaper than the cash trans-Atlantic fare

 

[RSD]

Is there any way to sign up for American Airlines emails advertising airfare deals within the U.S. etc? Unfortunately the AA.com website redirects me to AA's Australian website.

And is there any way to trick the AA website into showing more obscure/via more stops airfares to get from one side of the U.S. to the other for those of us chasing SC's? (LAX to MCO in my current instance).