I'm *just* going to miss out on WP due to an ineligible flight :(

[suey]

I am so bummed today as I went to check my points balance after doing my status run over the weekend and discovered that some flights I did in June on Cathay have been deemed ineligible flights due to booking class, so I will end up 55 SC's short of getting WP as my year is up at the end of the month

It is especially a bummer as I have a big 10 sector international trip booked in September starting on 7 September and that flight alone would be enough to get me there but it will be 7 days late...

I have only one last opportunity to travel anywhere before the end of the month, I have to go to Brisbane for a meeting on Friday morning, so I am going up on Thursday arvo/evening, but as I fly out of Newcastle, there is little chance I will get enough SC's on Jetstar anyway, and I would be hard pressed to spend extra money to get SC's given I just did the townsville-darwin run for $230 + 48,000 and I had to use 48,000 points for positioning flights and hotel costs up there etc... I can't believe I did all that and then didn't even make it So annoyed that I have wasted all those points...

I was sooooo looking forward to the dayspa in the first lounge in Sydney in two weeks, it was going to make my massive trip, done all in economy due to my business still being in start up phase, bearable...

 

[N860CR]

I'd be looking for a way to get there! If you buy SCs on JQ that'll leave 35 to get. Can you fit in a side trip out of BNE? A return flex to anywhere will net 40 SC. Gladstone or the like will allow you to turn around on the same plane so it should be quick enough.

I couldn't get that close and miss out!

 

[harvyk]

Do a J SYD - somewhere cheap run - or alternatively to a SYD-MEL vv in Y (fully flex to eccon SC's)...
It will be worth it for the F-Lounge - trust me...

 

[suey]

The problem is my schedule, I just don't have any time to do anything...

I have from around 3pm on Thursday, but have my meeting from 9-11am in Brisbane on Friday and have to be back at Newcastle airport no later than 1.30pm on Friday... Just not sure what I can fit in... Even if I paid fully flex jetstar fares, its still only going to give me 40 SC's from newy to brisbane isn't it? Plus cost a bit of extra cash too...

I know the lounge would be worth it, that was why I gave up 2 work days last week doing the townsville SC run damn it!!!!

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Do a J SYD - somewhere cheap run - or alternatively to a SYD-MEL vv in Y (fully flex to eccon SC's)...
It will be worth it for the F-Lounge - trust me...

Agree 100%
If you pick up a cheap fare, you can drink the cost of the flights in SYD and the next F Lounge.

*flexi saver* now earns SC's at full Y, so a SYD-BNE flex saver return will net 40SC's.

Flexi-Saver
[TABLE="class: fare4, width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="class: description, bgcolor: #F2F2F2, align: left"]Qantas Frequent Flyer[/TD]
[TD="align: left"]

• Points and Status Credits may be earned on this fare. Classed as Economy when Points or Status Credits are earned.
• Flight Upgrade Awards are eligible on this fare.
• Minimum 1,000 Frequent Flyer points, when points are earned on this fare.

[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[simongr]

Hmm - maybe something like

Thu - BNE-SYD-CBR-SYD - easy to do from 3PM
Fri - SYD-BNE at 6AM

You have to hotel in SYD rather than BNE butthat should be manageable.

In terms of cost it wont be cheap (dont have time to check all the fares for you) but think about the additional status bonus on your upcoming trip and the rest of the year...

Booking flexi savers (not fully flex) will get you 20SCs per segment so the above flights would be easy to get 80SCs

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I was thinking along the lines of (on Red eDeals - and this is pretty extreme);
Wednesday early afternoon - Newcastle-SYD
Wednesday early afternoon/evening - SYD-PER
Wednesday evening - PER-SYD (Red eye)
First flight Thursday morning - SYD- Newcastle - ready for work :shock:

 

[TonyHancock]

55 SC? I would be going all out for this.

 

[markis10]

I was thinking along the lines of (on Red eDeals - and this is pretty extreme);
Wednesday early afternoon - Newcastle-SYD
Wednesday early afternoon/evening - SYD-PER
Wednesday evening - PER-SYD (Red eye)
First flight Thursday morning - SYD- Newcastle - ready for work :shock:

Yuck, try this, I mean seriously the extra points as WP alone will repay the 24K


13:55 PM Newcastle

15:30 PM Melbourne

DJ 1590

$149.00

Then

[TABLE="class: full"]
[TR]
[/TR]
[TR="class: tr_first"]
[TD="class: nowrap"] Thu 25 Aug 11[/TD]
[TD] 20:05[/TD]
[TD]Melbourne[/TD]
[TD] 22:15[/TD]
[TD] Brisbane[/TD]
[TD]Qantas flight

QF636[/TD]
[TD="class: aligncenter"] 2h 10m[/TD]
[TD="class: aligncenter"] 1[/TD]
[TD] Business[/TD]
[TD="class: baggage"] Checked:
1 piece[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Total - Qantas and Jetstar Any Seat

Enter either the amount you want to pay by credit card or the points you want to redeem and click calculate, or use the tool to change the mix of points and pay.

[TD="class: slidercell, colspan: 2"] [/TD]

[TD="colspan: 2"][/TD]
[TD="class: alignright, colspan: 2"][/TD]

[TD="colspan: 2"][/TD]
[TD="class: alignright, colspan: 2"][/TD]

Minimum Points:
All Inclusive Points:
Total Payment*
Points:
Credit Card:	(AUD)

[TD="class: alignright"] 24,000 [/TD]
[TD="class: alignright"][/TD]

[TD="class: alignright"]31,174[/TD]
[TD="class: alignright"][/TD]

[TD="class: alignright"] 24,000 [/TD]
[TD="class: alignright"][/TD]

[TD="class: alignright"] $82.96 [/TD]

 

[suey]

I will look into my options, if I had known last week those Cathay flights wouldn't be eligible, I could have done something over the weekend to get me over the line... I prob wouldn't have book the Cathay flights in the first place if I'd known either... I only didn't do qantas to China as the Cathay schedule was more convenient at the time, I just thought you got SC's on all other One World flights - a seemingly expensive lesson...

Its such as shame I just won't have the time to get away anywhere, even this Thursday gig to Brisbane is really pushing my schedule as I can't really afford the time out of the office at all and my preference would be to get in to Brisbane by 7am at the latest (ideally night before), so I have enough time to get sorted and ready for the meeting (at the gabba)... I haven't even looked at the schedule for flying home, I might even have to pull the meeting forward to an 8am start depending on flight times...

Arrgggggg stupid Cathay, I will boycott you now for this dastardly inconvenience!!

 

[medhead]

What about Newcastle-[-]SYD[/-]MEL-BNE-Newcastle on JQ paying the extra for points. [-]That should net 60SC. First 2 segments on Thursday and return on Friday, of course[/-] scratch most of that, stupid suggestion and I should have checked facts first.

*flexi saver* now earns SC's at full Y, so a SYD-BNE flex saver return will net 40SC's.

[-]20SC I believe. 10SC for discount, double for full.[/-] Also needs to start on Thursday.

Hmm - maybe something like

Thu - BNE-SYD-CBR-SYD - easy to do from 3PM
Fri - SYD-BNE at 6AM

You have to hotel in SYD rather than BNE butthat should be manageable.

In terms of cost it wont be cheap (dont have time to check all the fares for you) but think about the additional status bonus on your upcoming trip and the rest of the year...

Booking flexi savers (not fully flex) will get you 20SCs per segment so the above flights would be easy to get 80SCs

they are starting in Newcastle as I read it.

 

[harvyk]

I was thinking along the lines of (on Red eDeals - and this is pretty extreme);
Wednesday early afternoon - Newcastle-SYD
Wednesday early afternoon/evening - SYD-PER
Wednesday evening - PER-SYD (Red eye)
First flight Thursday morning - SYD- Newcastle - ready for work :shock:

That's a pretty extreme status run :shock: when the required number is only 55SC's. Having done the red eye back from PER many times the words - "ready for work" - do not come into it the next day. I've done the red eye followed by a meeting in MEL (and even then I got a few hours of shuteye around my sisters place to recover) and yet I was still wreaked for the meeting.

 

[harvyk]

they are starting in Newcastle as I read it.

Yeah back BNE-SYD-CBR-SYD (drive to newcastle and staying home that night and drive back to SYD the next morning) then SYD-BNE price could be offset by the lack of hotel required in BNE...

 

[Oneworldplus2]

20SC I believe. 10SC for discount, double for full. Also needs to start on Thursday.

'return' 20+20=40

Can start on Thursday, but with my 'extreme run', you can start, I don't know about keeping the engine going throughout the day though....lol

 

[medhead]

'return' 20+20=40

Can start on Thursday, but with my 'extreme run', you can start, I don't know about keeping the engine going throughout the day though....lol

Bad night for me! Might go to bed, of course this monet show is interesting.

 

[Bundy Bear]

One option.

NTL-BNE on JQ gets in a 3:05pm
BNE-HVB on QF depart 4:40pm arrive 5:40pm
HVB-BNE on Qf depart 6:00pm arrive 7:00pm

Hervey Bay is a small airport.
About $830.00, probably worth it in my book.


Also check if you booked a CX J fare then I would be surprised if it was ineligible for SCs, hopefully others know more.

 

[suey]

I'm a bit of a hardcore traveller, I always plan to work all day after the 6am arrivals in London for example, so I would consider the red-eye option if I couldn't find another way however, the NTL-MEL-BNE sounds like a much more doable option for me right now as being fresh for this meeting is necessary, so thank you Markis!!!!

Shame about the long transit in MEL, I was hoping to leave work after 3pm, but with a 13.55 flight, I'll have to leave the office by 12.30 which will be challenging, what is the min connection time as there is a jetstar that gets in to MEL at 19.30, would that be enough time to connect on to the 20.00 MEL-BNE flight with handcarry only?

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Bad night for me! Might go to bed, of course this monet show is interesting.

I'm running between the 2 with a glass of Red. I think old mate has a real one on his hands myself.

 

[Princess Fiona]

suey I sympathise with you having to slum it out of NTL, that's also my home airport.
I made the effort a couple of years ago to get to WP and the FLounge and Platinum phone line have been totally worth it, I would get those 55 SC's using the suggestions by Markis10 et al you will likely not regret it

 

[suey]

I've booked NTL-MEL-BNE-NTL using Markis10's suggestions, so it looks like I will get there! Lucky I checked my FF account today to realise...

Good to know for the future to check all OW flights for SC earn before booking, as I didn't realise that you could get ineligible flights, I thought all OW flights would get SC's (it was CX SYD-HKG-HGH-HKG-SYD and should have given me 90 points from Y travel).

But anyway, thanks for all your help, hopefully my next post will be from the FLounge in a couple of weeks!