How do you do it? SG, WP, WP1 etc [Mainly Domestic Oz travel]

[JohnK]

A combination of domestic discount economy and 3-4 trips to Thailand per year the longway gets me to Platinum or as the case this year Platinum + Partner Gold.

 

[Edge]

For those of us flying domestic discount economy, WP seems daunting. Even getting to SG the first time for me is proving to be a challenge (requal would be so much easier than initial qual). My company has a "best fare of the day" policy so it's tough enough for me to find QF flights that I'm able to book, let alone booking flexi or business. I'm flying typically every 2nd or 3rd week, so nowhere near as much as many on here, but still quite frequent. Any I fly to pretty much everywhere in our great country.

DSC + ASA seems like the only way. It's crazy to think of how many SCs you can get this way vs the normal way. *IF* I'm lucky enough to receive a DSC promotion then even something like MEL-SYD-MEL in J earns 160, the equivalent of 8 return red-e-deals. Holding off a Karratha / Port Hedland trip until Aug/Sep.. (crossing fingers)

 

[Pinkmoose]

This thread is very interesting and I am enjoying it.
It seems that most of the people who are achieving MP or MP1 etc, are travelling primarily for business and then have a few J trips O/S or a few JASAs each year to ensure they qualify for the next year. I was wondering if there are any people out there who travel only for pleasure (like me), as I don't have to travel for work and still manage to get to WP each year?
I can only think of a well timed O/S trip in J with the DSC promotion.
Thanks.

 

[Alanslegal]

I got to WP once. Will I do it again? Probably not.

As a leisure traveller having WP for domestic flights is pretty much useless to me, given that most domestic lounges are pretty ordinary anyway and I don't fly enough to earn all those nice minimum points thingy. The best benefit is when flying international in Y, where one can utilise F check in and enjoy the better international F lounges. That said, I try to avoid flying international Y so again WP benefits seem less advantageous.

 

[Nizar]

I try and upgrade (using points and I have 3 million to play with)

Wow. That is impressive. There's only one guy who I've ever known to have higher (actually he had about the same).

 

[Tristanm]

I've just hit WP last week for the first time. This was due to a combination of :
- 3 Y+ MEL-LHR return trips (1 of which crossed the previous anniversary)
- A JASA trip MEL-SYD-DRW-BNE-MEL
- Discount Y MEL - LAX - JFK return plus some domestic AA flights (wish I'd read Serfty's AA instant upgrade thread before doing those by the way).
- A discounted Y return MEL-SYD-OOL with DSC

 

[BD1959]

May I ask how much you paid for those MEL-KUL-LHR discount J ?
And how many points and SCs did you earn ?

Cheers

OK, now the QF website appears to have stabilised, I can answer this with some accuracy.

Cost was $5600 return.

Both trips netted 560SCs (on both occasions had to have them manually credited by QFF).

First trip netted 23,643 points (this was during the MH-joining-oneworld-bonus period ... not sure this was actually the correct number), second - and normal J earn - 15,762 points.

Confirms CaviAct's numbers.

Regards,

BD

 

[Nizar]

OK, now the QF website appears to have stabilised, I can answer this with some accuracy.

Cost was $5600 return.

Both trips netted 560SCs (on both occasions had to have them manually credited by QFF).

First trip netted 23,643 points (this was during the MH-joining-oneworld-bonus period ... not sure this was actually the correct number), second - and normal J earn - 15,762 points.

Confirms CaviAct's numbers.

Regards,

BD

Thanks.
Seems like pretty low points and SC earn compared to QF SC and points.
Seems to be 2/3rd of the points and half the SCs ?

MEL-DXB-LHR return on QF in J would nett 560SCs and about 48k points as an SG (as I assume you were when taking the second trip).

But then again, MH is also about half the price :mrgreen:
What did you think of food/seat and overall service/comfort in MH J ? Would you recommend it ?

Excuse the off topic guys...

 

[CaviAck]

Thanks.
Seems like pretty low points and SC earn compared to QF SC and points.
Seems to be 2/3rd of the points and half the SCs ?

MEL-DXB-LHR return on QF in J would nett 560SCs and about 48k points as an SG (as I assume you were when taking the second trip).

But then again, MH is also about half the price :mrgreen:
What did you think of food/seat and overall service/comfort in MH J ? Would you recommend it ?

Excuse the off topic guys...

Actually it'll mostly be 480SC return on QF considering getting different flight numbers for MEL-DXB and DXB-LHR is going to be a bit hard. SC earn would definitely be higher or equal to QF not lower, it'll be the points that you'll be hit hard with as the rate would only be 0.75 times the actual miles flown and there are no status bonuses.

 

[simongr]

I hit P1 with international travel but this year I will requal WP on almost weekly day trips to MEL from SYD on semi flex flights.

It is a horrible travel experience.

 

[StatusRunner]

I have about 4 Y china trips per year giving me 320sc so PS. I then do about 4 trans conts in y for minimum of 160 if they are all red e deals. So that gives me 480. I would then to a status run to retain gold if necessary, but a 2 x SC offer has catapulted me Close to WP. Ironically my last Dom trip final leg put me to SG to the exact SC and on Sunday, I head to Taipei and upon returning. I will be exactly 1400SC and WP. Funny how these things work out. My taste of First class lounges and Dom J lounges may see me need to do the odd status run to keep WP. Not to mention the perks. The extra points actual and free exit rows on CX make it worthwhile. Sadly people don't understand about status runs and hence, whilst they are bagging you for doing it, they are the ones that are begging you to guest them into lounges when they fly with you.

 

[Nizar]

Actually it'll mostly be 480SC return on QF considering getting different flight numbers for MEL-DXB and DXB-LHR is going to be a bit hard. SC earn would definitely be higher or equal to QF not lower, it'll be the points that you'll be hit hard with as the rate would only be 0.75 times the actual miles flown and there are no status bonuses.

Ooooh so his trips netted 560SCs each lol of course that makes more sense.
Yeh you're right clearly 560>480 I've had a long day lol.
So yeh its just the points that would make a difference. For WP that would be considerable.

 

[CaviAck]

Ooooh so his trips netted 560SCs each lol of course that makes more sense.
Yeh you're right clearly 560>480 I've had a long day lol.
So yeh its just the points that would make a difference. For WP that would be considerable.

You'll earn as an:
NB 21272
PS 31758
SG 37052
WP 42344

Compared to 15762 on MH that's a difference of 5510, 15996, 21290, 26582 points in the various status levels. At 1c/point that's $55.10, $159.96, $212.90, $265.82 and at 3c/point $165.30, $479.88, $638.70 and $797.46. So while the points difference maybe considerable for a SG or WP who values his/her points highly, I'd just absorb that into the MH fare and even then MH is still pretty competitive in terms of pricing.

 

[Nizar]

So while the points difference maybe considerable for a SG or WP who values his/her points highly, I'd just absorb that into the MH fare and even then MH is still pretty competitive in terms of pricing.

True
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....irfares/mel-cdg-return-4995-flying-51252.html

 

[BD1959]

Thanks.
Seems like pretty low points and SC earn compared to QF SC and points.
Seems to be 2/3rd of the points and half the SCs ?

MEL-DXB-LHR return on QF in J would nett 560SCs and about 48k points as an SG (as I assume you were when taking the second trip).

But then again, MH is also about half the price :mrgreen:
What did you think of food/seat and overall service/comfort in MH J ? Would you recommend it ?

Excuse the off topic guys...

SCs are standard - QF seem to be .... erm ... discouraging in their allocation of points, though points really are not an issue. Both times were fairly short notice trips, needed J as I was hitting the ground running (although non-business) in each direction and ow SCs at the bottom end of the scale tipped the scales on the first trip. I actually enjoyed the trip so much, I actively sought out the second trip - fares seemed to disappear from day-to-day and I was even contemplating starting from ADL or SYD rather than MEL. Again, the first trip was *very* short notice (24hrs) and the midnight departure ex-MEL allowed for a full day to bed everything down during the intervening day.

MH are a very-good 2nd tier OW option. They (mostly) use the newer A330s between Aus and KL. KL is an excellent transit airport and they use A380s between KL and LHR. Slopey bed on the A330s isn't everyone's cup-of-tea. The A380s beds are not as slopey as the A330s, but I'm not convinced they're full flat either (I tend to find my feet higher than my head - given the angle of the floor in cruise - when they are). There's no alcohol served prior to take-off but the service is excellent - the toliets, for example, are kept spotless (in fact at one point I was asked to wait so the FA could clean the toilet as it had just been used!). Hot towels are the norm before each drink and meal service. Unknowingly, I requested champagne after boarding, received an apology and the offer of soft-drink, but as soon as the seat-belt sign was off, the FA was back with glass of bubbles.

Fairly substantial "snack" after departure (including the famous satays) and full breakfast into KL - certainly more substantial than now being served on this length of flight on QF. Spoilt on the KL-LHR leg: eight of us in the 2nd J cabin. The poor FAs were at a loss as to what to do. There is a "Book the Chef" service available - which I used on the 2nd trip and which I'd probably not both with again (I've decided I forget what I've ordered and tend to like the look of the options of what's being served in the cabin!). Meal offerings are very much Western and Malay/Asian for each meal - unlike QF which can occasionally be very asian-centric in its offering.

Lunch ex KL is 4 courses (satays, entre, main, desert). Hot snacks available on request. Again, a substantial snack prior to arrival into LHR.

Where MH really fall down is their lounge and entertainment offerings. The MEL Lounge is small - although they appear to serve great noodles on request. They have a couple of lounges/futons hidden around a corner from which snoring sounds can occasionally be heard! There is a shower and a prayer room, very limited business desks (2 IIRC) and a couple of bay-marries. The Golden Lounge at KL Satellite (the main terminal from which the LHR and most of the Australian flights leave from) is quite large and in a modern terminal the showers/toilets are a real shock - it's as though a brand new terminal has been built around the 1970s era toilets/showers. I'm sincerely of the opinion they're run by a completely different entity to MH, such is the lack of care, professionalism, cleanliness. MH use T4 at LHR and really suffer from being separated from oneworld. Check-in is handled by Sri Lankan, the J Lounge is small for the A380 load and gets quite full toward boarding time (so much so that on the second visit I went for a walk around T4) and, bizarrely for a Business Lounge, has no power points - you can see where they've been removed from the floor. Strangely, the A330s appear to have a better entertainment selection than the A380s, neither is a massive range and the vast majority of the "TV Content" is US sourced - not my favourite TV, YMMV.

Overall though, the on-board service is excellent, aircraft new, meals substantial, drinks pretty good - all for a reasonable price (if you can get those Z Business Promo fares) and earn QF SCs to boot. I'd fly them again on my own dime.

Regards,

BD