Maximising Status Credits

[JohnK]

I am planning to go SYD-BKK Dec 26 and return Jan 6 and the cheapest return economy fare I have been quoted is $1620. This trip will give me 60 status credits and 11,710 FF points as I am PS.

I have just being being retrenched and will find it difficult to maintain PS without the work trips to SE Asia so I need to maximise status credits earned on each personal trip. I know PS is not that important to a lot of people but it does give me qantas club or business check-in for international flights (which in some cases has saved around 2 hours waiting in queues) and on some occassions it has provided me with upgrades to business class.

I have managed to come up with another routing SYD-BKK at not a great deal of extra cost. It involves SYD-BNE-SIN-BKK-SIN-BNE-SYD. SYD-BNE is a domestic flight for $200 and returns 20 status credits and 2,000 FF points, BNE-SIN is priced at $1420 and returns 60 status credits and 9,506 FF points and SIN-BKK is priced at around $260 with Finnair and returns 30 status credits and 1,974 FF points. Total price SYD-BKK is $1880 and returns 110 status credits and 13,480 FF points.

For an extra $260 I have managed to get 50 extra status credits. The main drawback is that the trip will take an extra 6-8 hours due to the waiting and changing planes in BNE and SIN. Not sure if the BNE-SIN sector has the personal in flight entertainment which seems to make the trip shorter as you occupy yourself watching a movie or playing games.

Can anyone think of a similar routing that maximises status credits and keeps the price reasonable?

 

[serfty]

Not a bad routing for SC's for what is basically an Oz-Asia return. 8)

Perhaps you could look at doing a oneWORLD around the world in Economy.

For an cleverly routed Economy airfare of about $3000 + $600 T/C/L you can:

• See plenty of the world

• Get more than 50,000 ff points

• Earn over 500 SC's

• Achieve Silver two years running, or get a long way towards Gold!.

There is plenty of information over on the FlyerTalk oneWORLD Forum.

 

[JohnK]

Thanks serfty,

That sounds like a good idea. Gold would certainly be better than silver. Obviously the cost is a little more than what I would like to spend but I think that it would be worth it. I have been trying to plan an around the world trip for June 2006 as my QFF membership renews May 31 every year but the best that I could come up with is around 270 status credits and 27,000 points. This includes a few weird routings in the US and Canada some side trips in Europe using London as a base and then some stopovers in Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong before returning to Sydney. I was trying to save money to do it but losing my job has created s0ome minor setbacks

I would appreciate it, and if you have the time or information at hand, if you can suggest which routings would provide 500 status credits. I am assuming that you have done something similar in the past. I can probably do it but it would take me a fair bit of research.

I have been on the flyer talk website before but I like this website better. I tried your link but my browser would not allow me to display that thread. I will try to see if I can find any examples of around the world trips that earn the types of status credits you mention.

Anyway again thanks for your suggestion it is certainly worth thinking about.

 

[QF WP]

JohnK, the joys of creating a SC run

Excellent information on your request will be provided by guru NM when he finally sees this thread :wink:

 

[NM]

A few tips on maximising SC's on a RTW itinerary.

• Starting in SWP, head first to Asia, then NA, Europe and transit Asia back to SWP. For example, my last RTW included BNE-MEL-HKG-KUL-HKG-USA-Europe-LHR-MEL-SYD-BNE.
• try to enter each continent on the far side from where you came, and leave from the far side to which you are going. For example, going from Asia to NA, aim to enter NA at JFK instead of LAX. And when departing NA for Europe, look for LAX-LHR, SFO-LHR or even DFW-FRA as good earners rather than JFK-LHR. Similarly NRT-MEL is a good one for Asia-SWP.
• Look for QF codeshares wherever possible. However, if you don't arrive or depart the USA on a QF flight, you cannot use QF codeshares inside USA.
• Look for partner airlines that don't pay reduced FF points on RTW L fares. So that means avoid BA and AA and look for AY, CX etc. Its hard to avoid AA in the USA nad you have 6 segments available there. HEL makes a good base for Europe and tends to be longer flights to many places.

That said, I really didn't max out my earning on my last RTW business class route. It was more constructed for where I needed to be. BNE-MEL-HKG-KUL-HKG-LAX-DFW-IAD-DFW-LAX-JFK-LHR-FRA-LHR-MEL-SYD-BNE. I also had some other reasons for some of teh specific flights, like upgrading to F on LAX-JFK and the timing of arrival into LHR from JFK made for a better connection to FRA than the LAX-LHR flight would have been.

 

[JohnK]

Thanks NM,

That sounds like a good idea.

I will re-work my RTW trip so that I enter and exit continents from the farthest points. Did not even consider Japan for Asian stopovers I was just concentrating on SIN,BKK,HKG. I have where possible avoided BA and AA, will only use AA in US and Canada and Europe/US or US/Europe, BA use will be very limited as i am not really interested in their 0.25 miles in economy.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

 

[danielh]

[*]try to enter each continent on the far side from where you came, and leave from the far side to which you are going. For example, going from Asia to NA, aim to enter NA at JFK instead of LAX. And when departing NA for Europe, look for LAX-LHR, SFO-LHR or even DFW-FRA as good earners rather than JFK-LHR. Similarly NRT-MEL is a good one for Asia-SWP...

Just a quick question. When I did my RTW just over a decade ago the requirement was I could not go 'backwards' and I had a milage cap (on top of the usual continent and city caps).

I'm pretty sure I would not be able to fly, for example MEL-JFK and then do LAX-LHR. Hubs were expections to the flying backwards rule but in my case it was with AA and their Hub was in Chicago and not JFK or LAX.

Are we talking about a more open/expensive RTW ticket to do a milage run? Also, are we assuming a person travels on his own itinery from JFK-LAX?

Regards
Daniel

 

[serfty]

Just a quick question. When I did my RTW just over a decade ago the requirement was I could not go 'backwards' and I had a milage cap (on top of the usual continent and city caps).

I'm pretty sure I would not be able to fly, for example MEL-JFK and then do LAX-LHR. Hubs were expections to the flying backwards rule but in my case it was with AA and their Hub was in Chicago and not JFK or LAX.

Are we talking about a more open/expensive RTW ticket to do a milage run? Also, are we assuming a person travels on his own itinery from JFK-LAX?

Regards
Daniel

With the current oneWORLD explorer fare there are no milage caps.

You are however, limited to a total of 20 flight segments for the whole journey and can have no more than 4 flight segments (6 for NA) within each 'continent'.

Backtracking within a continent is permitted, apart for some specific exceptions.

Except for a couple of special allowances involving transits, travel between continents must be in the one general direction, you may not backtrack between continents and you may not revisit a continent.

For more information, here is a link to the QANTAS oneWORLD Explorer Fare Rules.

 

[NM]

Just a quick question. When I did my RTW just over a decade ago the requirement was I could not go 'backwards' and I had a milage cap (on top of the usual continent and city caps).

I'm pretty sure I would not be able to fly, for example MEL-JFK and then do LAX-LHR. Hubs were expections to the flying backwards rule but in my case it was with AA and their Hub was in Chicago and not JFK or LAX.

Are we talking about a more open/expensive RTW ticket to do a milage run? Also, are we assuming a person travels on his own itinery from JFK-LAX?

Regards
Daniel

You will have been on a Global Explorer fare back then. The rules for backtracking on OneWord Explorer fare (and now also for Global Explorer) are only related to backtracking between continents, not within continents. Global Explorer is still available and is mileage limited (max distance depends on the class/fare purchased). It's major advantage over OneWorld Explorer is that you can include several non-OneWorld operated codeshare flights, especially in the SW Pacific region which cannot be included on a OneWorld Explorer fare. Otherwise the OneWorld Explorer fare is generally more flexible.

 

[NM]

Did not even consider Japan for Asian stopovers I was just concentrating on SIN,BKK,HKG.

Another option is to use Africa instead of Asia for the routing between Europe and SWP. The downside for an economy class fare is that the LHR-JNB/CPT is going to be on BA and hence only earn 25% mileage. But for business or first class trips it is another option.

 

[JohnK]

Ah yes business and first class around the world what a great way to fly if I had a spare $10,000-$15000.

For the moment I can only dream of being upgraded to business on some flights and as for around the world it will have to be economy (unless something drastic changes in my life) and avoid BA at all costs.

I am just grateful that I am able to fly even if it is in economy. In the last 2 years with work and personal travel I have been to some places that I would never have dreamt of going to in the first place.

Oh that travel bug opens up endless possibilities.

 

[JohnK]

Sorry to continue with this old topic but I have hit a snag.

I had a booking in the system SYD-BNE-SIN-BNE-SYD discount economy booking class V booked for 26 Dec returning 4 Jan (simply for status credits) which I have now paid for and I didn't want to lose my booking. I will also book a finnair flight SIN-BKK-SIN for the same dates. Fits perfectly (time wise) and the cost SYD-BNE-SIN-BKK-SIN-BNE-SYD is the same as the booking for SYD-BKK-SYD which I have but will shortly cancel. The main difference is the status credits, when using my weird routing I get 110 status credits where as the direct route gives me 60 status credits. I have seat 23B allocated already, mainly luck, (first economy class seat) for both BNE-SIN and SIN-BNE and do not want to lose this really.

I have paid for this booking but I am now told that I cannot change the return date, not even for a price. I would like to return the 6th Jan or 9th Jan but both flights are closed and I cannot even waitlist.

Does anyone have any suggestions or am I stuck with original booking?

 

[mick]

Look for partner airlines that don't pay reduced FF points on RTW L fares. So that means avoid BA and AA and look for AY, CX etc.

Did anyone else notice on the Qantas website at http://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/program/terms#jump23 that as from 1 December 2005, Cathay (CX) Discount Economy (BHKLMV) will only earn a base rate of 0.5 instead of 1?

 

[serfty]

Did anyone else notice on the Qantas website at http://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/program/terms#jump23 that as from 1 December 2005, Cathay (CX) Discount Economy (BHKLMV) will only earn a base rate of 0.5 instead of 1?

Yes, it was in the August Qantas e-mailed Newsletter.

 

[NM]

Did anyone else notice on the Qantas website at http://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/program/terms#jump23 that as from 1 December 2005, Cathay (CX) Discount Economy (BHKLMV) will only earn a base rate of 0.5 instead of 1?

Obviously I didn't :shock: .

But I don't fly L fares. If I am doing a RTW trip, it in D. If I am travelling international in economy, I go the shortest route point-to-point and that is normally in K, H, or B fare class. But only paying 0.5 for B, H and K is a bit steep. I love CX business and first class, but for economy I personally don't have any preference for CX over QF or BA. I just dislike flying long-haul in any economy cabin.