Most expensive Status Credits

[5teve]

Hi All,

Long time lurker first time poster.

I'm currently based in Port Moresby on an 11month secondment, and fly between BNE and Port Moresby on a fortnightly basis - on Air Niugini using QF flight number (for those in the know the "jailbird" on Monday and "freedom flight" on Friday )

There is so much discussion on the "cheapest" status credits, but what have you all seen as the most expensive status credits?

My example:
Each leg of BNEPOM / POMBNE is only 20 status credits in Economy - no matter whether you pay 350AUD for a sale fare or 1055 for fully flex, as all classes are considered "Discount economy" - Is is not possible to book full Y on QF website - not even Fully Flex is Y class.

At worse case, this represents $52.75 per SC. :shock:

Interestingly, J class is 80SC each way, $1600 each way, so $20 per SC.

I have raised this with Qantas before, who say "they will look in to it".

So - what have been your experiences with expensive SCs, and have you ever brought it to the attention of Qantas with success?

Steve

 

[serfty]

Welcome to AFF

...
My example:
Each leg of BNEPOM / POMBNE is only 20 status credits in Economy - no matter whether you pay 350AUD for a sale fare or 1055 for fully flex, as all classes are considered "Discount economy" - Is is not possible to book full Y on QF website - not even Fully Flex is Y class. ...

Are those economy fares return or one-way.

E/F returns the following base fares for BNE-POM round-trip:

Fare Information Search:

Departing BNE for POM
Returning 
Flying QF  
Purchasing at BNE
Viewing in currency AUD

Fare Basis  Airline  Booking  Trip Type   Fare           Cabin  Effective  Expiration  Min/Max  Advanced
                     Class                                      Date       Date        Stay     Purchase Req
NBB1PG      QF       N        Round-Trip  479.00 (AUD)   E                             -- / 12M 
SBBPG       QF       S        Round-Trip  567.00 (AUD)   E                             -- / 12M 
VBBPG       QF       V        Round-Trip  721.00 (AUD)   E                             -- / 12M 
LSSPG       QF       L        Round-Trip  927.00 (AUD)   E                             -- / 12M 
MSSPG       QF       M        Round-Trip  1216.00 (AUD)  E                             -- / 12M 
KEEPG       QF       K        Round-Trip  1515.00 (AUD)  E                             -- / 12M 
BEEPG       QF       B        Round-Trip  1947.00 (AUD)  E                             -- / 12M 
YEEPG       QF       Y        Round-Trip  2152.00 (AUD)  E                             -- / 12M 
JRT2        QF       J        Round-Trip  3150.00 (AUD)  B                             -- / 12M

 

[markis10]

Your situation is not too different to east coast to PER, only that its on a codeshare, hence a high base. Being international full Y is something of a joke regardless of which route, your stuck with one of the not so good routes I am afraid!

 

[serfty]

Interestingly, at 1299 miles (according to qantas.com) it sneaks in the 20SC, up to 1200 miles is 15.

 

[MYT105]

It is even worse from Sydney. The flight is a code share with Air Niugini on an Air Niugini plane, and the direct flight is approx $1,280 return from Air Niugini (with no status credits) or $2,000 on a QF ticket, with 20 SC's earned each way.

Some of my trips up there have meant I have had to fly via Brisbane and ended up getting 20 SC's from Syd to BNE and then 20 more from BNE to POM.

 

[5teve]

Welcome to AFF Are those economy fares return or one-way.

E/F returns the following base fares for BNE-POM round-trip:

Wow - the mythical Y does exist on these flights - unfortunately client would not want to pay those fares on a regular basis!

Fares quoted by me were one way, so do come clse to round trip fares you quoted.

Our office asssitant either books with the Travel agent up here, or I sometimes book on the QF site myself if the agent is trying to charge exorbitant rates - i.e. saying "no cheap fares are available" when I can see them on the QF site. Not so much competition from Flight centre and the like up here unfortunately...

I have booked fully flex on the QF site before and did not get Y class - I wonder if its the last bucket of seats to be filled?


Markis - Good (but also bad) to know I'm not the only one. It explains why I am still Silver after 10 months of doing this, when those other expats who sit in J every week can race to WP within 10 weeks!

 

[oz_mark]

So - what have been your experiences with expensive SCs, and have you ever brought it to the attention of Qantas with success?

I have never heard of anyone taking it up with Qantas, and I wonder how successful they would be. After all, the award of SC is based on a table that uses zones based on distance.

Similarly, the number of points you get doesn't vary with different fare levels in the economy cabin.

 

[ric_melb]

The OP should plan a strategic JASA run to get him up to Gold.

 

[5teve]

I have never heard of anyone taking it up with Qantas, and I wonder how successful they would be. After all, the award of SC is based on a table that uses zones based on distance.

Similarly, the number of points you get doesn't vary with different fare levels in the economy cabin.

Totally understand.

Just asking since for other international routes I have booked and travelled on Qantas (on QF metal) default to Y class full economy when Flexi fare is selected - must be due to codeshare

 

[MYT105]

The problem is when booking it on Qantas.com the fare is shown as economy and from Sydney is only available as a full flexible fare, so the most expensive economy option, yet you only earn SC for a discount economy trip, so get 20 for each leg rather then 40, which is very annoying especially at the price.

 

[jameslc]

I regularly fly to Dili and a Red e-Deal fare from Darwin to Dili (QF codeshare on AirNorth) costs $752 for 20 SC's or $37.60 per SC.

The same fare in fully-flexible is $1,122 or $56.10 per SC.

Not very good value either!

 

[Fantic125]

I have never heard of anyone taking it up with Qantas, and I wonder how successful they would be. After all, the award of SC is based on a table that uses zones based on distance.

Similarly, the number of points you get doesn't vary with different fare levels in the economy cabin.

-Y earns only 50% SC's of Y (which is 50% of J SC's). Mind you from Serfty's table 2.5k AUD is a lot to pay.

 

[oz_mark]

The OP is talking status credits though, not points.

Which is what my first paragraph was about

 

[Fantic125]

Which is what my first paragraph was about

Yes, my bad, which is why I went back and edited after reading my post, but you beat me to it !

 

[5teve]

The OP should plan a strategic JASA run to get him up to Gold.

Nice idea - I just checked - 388,981 points return.... :shock:

Ouch!

 

[5teve]

The problem is when booking it on Qantas.com the fare is shown as economy and from Sydney is only available as a full flexible fare, so the most expensive economy option, yet you only earn SC for a discount economy trip, so get 20 for each leg rather then 40, which is very annoying especially at the price.

Gee - OK - Sydney has it worse then. I didnt realise and assumed (I know I shoudln't) that SYDPOM gets 30 or 40 each way.

PNG is the land of the unexpected - The Pilots' windscreen cracked on my last flight, Ive never seen the hosties work so fast to "Prepare the cabin for emergency descent" (we all coughped ourselves because there was only water under us...)

 

[MYT105]

Gee - OK - Sydney has it worse then. I didnt realise and assumed (I know I shoudln't) that SYDPOM gets 30 or 40 each way.

PNG is the land of the unexpected - The Pilots' windscreen cracked on my last flight, Ive never seen the hosties work so fast to "Prepare the cabin for emergency descent" (we all coughped ourselves because there was only water under us...)

Yes it is just within the same range from Sydney or Brisbane to Port Moresby. Funny thing is when I fly via Brisbane I get 20 SC form SYD to Brisbane, and then 20 more to POM. Next time i might have to fly via Cairns as economy SYD to Cairns is 40 SC and then 10 more to POM.

 

[markis10]

Yes it is just within the same range from Sydney or Brisbane to Port Moresby. Funny thing is when I fly via Brisbane I get 20 SC form SYD to Brisbane, and then 20 more to POM. Next time i might have to fly via Cairns as economy SYD to Cairns is 40 SC and then 10 more to POM.

Your fare class is in Y for domestic but discount Y for International as far as SC earn goes.

 

[yo yo ma]

PNG is the land of the unexpected - The Pilots' windscreen cracked on my last flight, Ive never seen the hosties work so fast to "Prepare the cabin for emergency descent" (we all coughped ourselves because there was only water under us...)

One reason I now fly BNE-CNS-POM... another is that I earn 40 s/c rather than the 20 direct.