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

 

[funnymummy]

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

Does anyone recall the side routing jfk lax or cv that pushed the flight to a lay flatbed configure?

 

[bj4000]

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

Has anyone had any luck finding a worthwhile stAAtus run from New York (or even another nearby port like PHL, BOS, DCA)? I can find some beauties out of the west coast in September this year when I need but I'm arriving into JFK and will be based around there. I've run dozens of combos from east coast ports but to no avail!

The following are combinations that I found on ITA Matrix over the last few weeks - the $values will have changed but I am reasonably confident that the SC values are OK. All selections using First where available - international flights to PTY Panama and Canada are almost always listed as Business Class. I have not checked any of them recently on the AA booking site. The overall costs can be high but some I have shown with cost per SC. www(dot)flyertalk(dot)com/forum/premium-fare-deals-740/ has deals for AA as well as many other airlines. You can see some of the constructed cheap flights to PTY that are less than $US2 per SC (generally they calculate in AA FF units but you get a very good idea of what can be done).

My methodology is to select a couple of end points and check what stops show up in the Matrix results, then look at timing - I try to ensure at least 1hr stopovers even though Matrix will allow down to 30 odd minutes. The below groupings are from different weeks when I was wasting time doing what-ifs.

1 day LGA-DFW-LGA 240SC ~$A800
1 day LGA-DFW-PHX-EWR 360SC $A1,322
1 day LGA-DFW-ORD-DFW-LGA 420SC $A1,498
2 day BOS-MIA-DFW-LAX-SEA-o/n DFW-ORD-BOS 660SC A$2,394.70
One day from NYC 5 AM – 12:53 AM 480 SC $A1,712.30
EWR-DFW-SEA-DFW-EWR 3.567

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​

One day from NYC 7 AM – 11:30 PM 120+90+90+120 = 420 SC
$US1,232 EWR-DFW-MIA-DFW-JFK ~$A1,673
One day from NYC 6:58 AM – 11:30 PM 120+90+90+120 = 420 SC
$US1,232 LGA-DFW-MIA-DFW-JFK

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​

Two day BOS-MIA-DFW-LAX-SEA-o/n DFW-ORD-BOS 660SC A$2,394.70 $3.628/SC
Two day BOS-ORD-DFW-LAX-SEA-o/n DFW-ORD-BOS 660SC A$2,005.60 $3.039/SC
Two day 540 SC BOS-DFW-MIA-PTY-MIA-DFW-BOS A$1,201.40 $2.225/SC
Two day 210+300=510 SC, LAX-MIA-PTY-MIA-BOS-LAX A$1,026.00 $2.012/SC

 

[medhead]

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

Hi
First time posting so please be gentle....
My anniversary is coming up 30 Sep.
I've gone from Platinum last year to Gold this year, and will be short a few SC's to maintain Gold after a few trips I've got coming up before Sep.

Flying to KL in August - can anyone suggest a route that will max my SC's - I've got 300k points to play with.

The better priced MH business fares used to start in BKK.

Thanks for the quick reply serfty

Can I just check: does everyone have the same issues with the qantas site chucking you out and saying this route not available?

And if booking single segments is not the best way to go, can you give me a hint what is? I've been trying for ages tonight to book a status run on qantas website and it just won't let me book more than 2 segments in a day and throws me out when I try to do a one way eg. SYD - BNE - TSV
'I'm sure i'll get the hang of this but right now, it's pretty frustrating....
and I just want to keep my goooooolllldddd status.....

The trick to getting around the 2 segments in a day is by inserting city pairs that will force a connection, so in your example to fly from SYD to TSV you only need to insert SYD and TSV as your city pairs and QF will automatically return SYD-BNE-TSV options as there are no direct SYD-TSV options on QF. The other option was to put the following segments as the day after, use the flexible day search option and then move the day back to the right one when given the date selection page. Although I'm not sure if this still works or not.

For purely domestic bookings you can also book each direction separately. e.g. 2 bookings one SYD-TSV and the other TSV-SYD. Similar for SYD-PER return. Look for the multi-segment options.

 

[wandering_fred]

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

The following are combinations that I found on ITA Matrix over the last few weeks - the $values will have changed but I am reasonably confident that the SC values are OK. All selections using First where available - international flights to PTY Panama and Canada are almost always listed as Business Class. I have not checked any of them recently on the AA booking site.
...
1 day LGA-DFW-LGA 240SC ~$A800
1 day LGA-DFW-PHX-EWR 360SC $A1,322
1 day LGA-DFW-ORD-DFW-LGA 420SC $A1,498
2 day BOS-MIA-DFW-LAX-SEA-o/n DFW-ORD-BOS 660SC A$2,394.70
One day from NYC 5 AM – 12:53 AM 480 SC $A1,712.30
...

Alas I think you are using the OLD SC earn tables. The new tables for first on AA 750-1500 miles earns 90 SC, 1501-2500 = 120 SC.

so LGA-DFW is 90 SC each way
and LGA-DFW-PHX-EWR would earn 90+90+120 for 300 SC

The best way to earn in the USA is just buy first instead of economy for the legs that you need to fly anyway and always connect in DFW or ORD is you are going from one coast to the other. Though I will admit QF from LAX to JFK would be more comfortable in J than most of the AA flights (special configuration 321 perhaps being the exception).

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[QFflyermelbourne]

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

Thanks for sharing these. Some not too bad. Just frustrating when I've got one that will net 390sc ex LAX for A$635.

The following are combinations that I found on ITA Matrix over the last few weeks - the $values will have changed but I am reasonably confident that the SC values are OK. All selections using First where available - international flights to PTY Panama and Canada are almost always listed as Business Class. I have not checked any of them recently on the AA booking site. The overall costs can be high but some I have shown with cost per SC. www(dot)flyertalk(dot)com/forum/premium-fare-deals-740/ has deals for AA as well as many other airlines. You can see some of the constructed cheap flights to PTY that are less than $US2 per SC (generally they calculate in AA FF units but you get a very good idea of what can be done).

My methodology is to select a couple of end points and check what stops show up in the Matrix results, then look at timing - I try to ensure at least 1hr stopovers even though Matrix will allow down to 30 odd minutes. The below groupings are from different weeks when I was wasting time doing what-ifs.

1 day LGA-DFW-LGA 240SC ~$A800
1 day LGA-DFW-PHX-EWR 360SC $A1,322
1 day LGA-DFW-ORD-DFW-LGA 420SC $A1,498
2 day BOS-MIA-DFW-LAX-SEA-o/n DFW-ORD-BOS 660SC A$2,394.70
One day from NYC 5 AM – 12:53 AM 480 SC $A1,712.30
EWR-DFW-SEA-DFW-EWR 3.567

---

​

One day from NYC 7 AM – 11:30 PM 120+90+90+120 = 420 SC
$US1,232 EWR-DFW-MIA-DFW-JFK ~$A1,673
One day from NYC 6:58 AM – 11:30 PM 120+90+90+120 = 420 SC
$US1,232 LGA-DFW-MIA-DFW-JFK

---

​

Two day BOS-MIA-DFW-LAX-SEA-o/n DFW-ORD-BOS 660SC A$2,394.70 $3.628/SC
Two day BOS-ORD-DFW-LAX-SEA-o/n DFW-ORD-BOS 660SC A$2,005.60 $3.039/SC
Two day 540 SC BOS-DFW-MIA-PTY-MIA-DFW-BOS A$1,201.40 $2.225/SC
Two day 210+300=510 SC, LAX-MIA-PTY-MIA-BOS-LAX A$1,026.00 $2.012/SC

 

[david1]

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

Thanks for sharing these. Some not too bad. Just frustrating when I've got one that will net 390sc ex LAX for A$635.

Care to share any details? Those are pretty good numbers!

 

[Flashback]

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

Care to share any details? Those are pretty good numbers!

Guessing it may be one of the PTY runs?

 

[Tonkatough]

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

I have been sitting on this for a while and have decided to act to try to achieve QFWP for the first time, after many years of comfortably achieving SG solely on Y. I'm hoping to tap into the wisdom of the experts on this site to use the best $/SC routes with any current known dollar specials available.


So, the question: What is the most 'time efficient' way to attain 580 status credits?
Two departure options, needing to return to the point of departure at the end of the run: MNL or New York (JFK or LGA or EWR)
Month of departure: June 2016


Hope you can assist - thanks in advance.

People on this forum may / may not remember answering some newbie questions back on pages 343-347 (thanks for the help again). Well, the planning was done and now the Status Run completed. 5 segments ex NY, 16 hours 51 minutes in planes over 24 hours (now recovering!!). 600 SC’s at $2.81 / SC. I think this compares favourably to expectations.

But, although this is not a trip report, I was completely underwhelmed by the AA ‘First Class’ domestic experience. I’m relatively new to J travel so my comparisons are limited, but the overall AA service, lounges (sometimes lack thereof), meals and general ‘first class’ airplane experience was lacking. Perhaps we have it good in Aus and other OneWorld carriers??

One small experience: overnight SEA-JFK. About 1 hour into the 5.5 hour flight after I hadn’t heard ‘boo’ from the CSM, a quiet enquiry as to what was being served food-wise. The answer: Cheese and crackers.

Perhaps for future info here, I would recommend piling as many segments into a day if time is important so as to minimize the number of in / out’s through check-ins and screenings that are simply time wasters and don’t appear to be very efficient in the US.

Nevertheless, an enjoyable experience and the SC’s are on the board and its welcome to WP – nice feeling.

Thanks to all again.

 

[moa999]

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

Nice report.

Yes very much the American airline experience... and I agree a run is best done without exits

For the red-eyes that's how they do it - lights out very quickly as most people want sleep

 

[snabbu]

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

Alas I think you are using the OLD SC earn tables. The new tables for first on AA 750-1500 miles earns 90 SC, 1501-2500 = 120 SC.

so LGA-DFW is 90 SC each way
and LGA-DFW-PHX-EWR would earn 90+90+120 for 300 SC

The best way to earn in the USA is just buy first instead of economy for the legs that you need to fly anyway and always connect in DFW or ORD is you are going from one coast to the other. Though I will admit QF from LAX to JFK would be more comfortable in J than most of the AA flights (special configuration 321 perhaps being the exception).

Happy wandering

Fred

Actually bj4000 is correct, DFW-NYC earns 120 SC in F.

 

[Princess Fiona]

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

Actually bj4000 is correct, DFW-NYC earns 120 SC in F.

View attachment 73628

View attachment 73629

I can confirm this is indeed the earn rate for that sector.

 

[njba]

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

Quick question: points needed to upgrade from (flex)Y to J MEL > OOL? The calculator refuses to show it as an option.

 

[david1]

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

Guessing it may be one of the PTY runs?

Looks better than those even, especially out of LAX not YVR. I've been looking at runs out of LAX, haven't found something that good yet, but I'm sure something will pop up. The LAX-DFW-ORD return is an option, doable in one day and the SC earn is quite good.

 

[kevrosmith]

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

Quick question: points needed to upgrade from (flex)Y to J MEL > OOL? The calculator refuses to show it as an option.

Try MEL-BNE... it is very similar distance. BNE-CNS (similar to BNE-MEL) pretty sure is 7,500 points.

 

[wandering_fred]

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

I can confirm this is indeed the earn rate for that sector.

Thank you both for the correction...
Ah the wonders of "fairer and simpler" Another exception to the published tables...

Nothing to see, Continue wandering

Fred

https://www.qantas.com/fflyer/dyn/flying/partner-status-credits

 

[AV8]

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

..... The LAX-DFW-ORD return is an option, doable in one day and the SC earn is quite good.

You can evn go as far as BOS from ORD and return in 1 day (1am start, 2330 finish)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

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

But, although this is not a trip report, I was completely underwhelmed by the AA ‘First Class’ domestic experience. I’m relatively new to J travel so my comparisons are limited, but the overall AA service, lounges (sometimes lack thereof), meals and general ‘first class’ airplane experience was lacking. Perhaps we have it good in Aus and other OneWorld carriers??

One small experience: overnight SEA-JFK. About 1 hour into the 5.5 hour flight after I hadn’t heard ‘boo’ from the CSM, a quiet enquiry as to what was being served food-wise. The answer: Cheese and crackers.

Perhaps for future info here, I would recommend piling as many segments into a day if time is important so as to minimize the number of in / out’s through check-ins and screenings that are simply time wasters and don’t appear to be very efficient in the US.

Re the bold text - I would usually recommend a break in between flights, if possible, of one departure (ie you take the second flight not the most immediate connection). It depends on the timings, but leaving a reasonable gap rather than the sometimes 35-50 minutes or so gives a bit of leeway in the event of IRROPS.

USA First class is a bit of an acquired taste. You have to set your expectations accordingly - including eating prior to flights if you know they are outside meal times. AA is not too bad overall though. The alcohol and service usually make for a good flight.

 

[Princess Fiona]

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

Thank you both for the correction...
Ah the wonders of "fairer and simpler" Another exception to the published tables...

Nothing to see, Continue wandering

Fred

https://www.qantas.com/fflyer/dyn/flying/partner-status-credits

It's not an exception it's actually published in the tables
https://www.qantas.com/fflyer/dyn/flying/airline-earning#partner-airline-earning-table

 

[wandering_fred]

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

It's not an exception it's actually published in the tables
https://www.qantas.com/fflyer/dyn/flying/airline-earning#partner-airline-earning-table

Thank you again.
Ah yes the only two destinations from DFW... I'll stick to "fairer and simpler" and credit internal USA flights to AA (for now)

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[QFflyermelbourne]

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

It's a hideous run and requires at least one overnight but nonetheless:

LAX-LAS-PHX-JFK-DCA-MIA-PTY $448 (US)

You then have to work out a way back...