Help with QF/OW work travel around Asia

[whereishome]

I’m QF Silver with QC and have just started travelling internationally regularly for work again. I’m trying to plan out my travel for 2025 based on the events I have to attend so I can be ready for a DSC event and (potentially) hit Gold next year. Unfortunately, no business tickets in the budget at this point - but I can justify flex economy.

My travel next year will take me to Japan, Korea, Shanghai, and Taipei with some domestic hops. This year I did Japan direct, and Taipei via HKG on QF with the legs to Taipei on CX. The reason for taking QF is that I travel with a lot of collateral/tradebooth media and the additional luggage when travelling with QF booked seats means we don’t pay extra fees.

I’m based in Brisbane and would prefer to route via Japan than HKG because there are no direct flights to HKG on QF from Brisbane, and I can somewhat ameliorate the impact of my work trips on my young family by regularly swinging by Japan and fulfilling my wife’s shopping lists.

Any ideas or recommendations? Hints?

 

[TeaKozy]

Being based in Brisbane does limit your options. QF will be flying out of Haneda early 2025 which should help with some connections (i.e. JAL into Seoul at GMP or Shanghai at PVG). Whilst you're trying to avoid HKG, for Shanghai/Taipei it's probably the best option given you'll still earn something on CX flying flexible economy. Would also have the tightest connections and minimise backtracking (although you would have to deal with the bus in SYD...).

Assuming you book on a DSC, even just one flight BNE-SYD-HKG return would net you ~320 SCs. Given you mentioned four trips, you could/should shoot for WP.

 

[whereishome]

Being based in Brisbane does limit your options. QF will be flying out of Haneda early 2025 which should help with some connections (i.e. JAL into Seoul at GMP or Shanghai at PVG). Whilst you're trying to avoid HKG, for Shanghai/Taipei it's probably the best option given you'll still earn something on CX flying flexible economy. Would also have the tightest connections and minimise backtracking (although you would have to deal with the bus in SYD...).

Assuming you book on a DSC, even just one flight BNE-SYD-HKG return would net you ~320 SCs. Given you mentioned four trips, you could/should shoot for WP.

Thank you! You’ve given me pause to reconsider some aspects - I’m also aiming for LTG so hammering those DSCs is a key part of the strategy.

 

[markis10]

When you do hit Gold extra baggage and access to preferred seating including exit row free of charge may make more CX trips doable, especially as they increase frequency ex BNE, that post midnight departure is a killer but at least you arrive into a deserted HKG!