Newbie question: Do indirect legs count?

[thebaggage]

Hi folks,

For the past 3 years I've taken about 10 international (economy) flights/year - and, well, never bothered to do the frequent flyer thing until today. Scowl away.

Anyhow, I figure I should start, and I'm trying to figure out exactly how worthwhile points are. There's one elementary question I can't seem to find an answer to:

If I book a flight sold as (for example) BNE-BJS on Qantas, but the actual flight goes indirect via SIN, are my miles/status credited as BNE-BJS, or BNE-SIN + SIN-BJS?

To deflect the inevitable scorn: I googled, I searched the Qantas site, I skimmed the stickies...but no enlightenment. Any help appreciated. Cheers

 

[Taezar]

If the flight number stays the same and you don't stopover then no, you don't get the extra points from indirect routes. If the numbers change, or you stopover, then you do.

 

[Fantic125]

Hi thebaggage, and welcome to AFF.

With Qantas, there are two parts of the Frequent Flyer program to consider; frequent flyer points and status credits.

Frequent flyer points are based on the flight miles, and your status level with Qantas. As you would be Bronze status (just starting) you would typically earn 1 point for every mile flown in economy. As your status level increases from Bronze, Silver, Gold to Platinum you earn more points per miles flown. If you fly business or first class you also earn more points per miles flown.

Status credits (which determine your status level) are based on the fare class (economy, premium economy, business, first) and the flight miles. The higher the fare class and the longer the flight will give you more status credits.

So, you will earn points and status credits depending on the flight number. If it's one flight number from start to finish, you will earn based on the total flight miles. If the flight number changes midway, you will earn based on the flight miles of each flight.

 

[Shelf]

Someone more learned than I may know the exact answer, but you may be able to claim some of your previous QF flights. It might be worth a poke around their website.

 

[oz_mark]

Hi folks,

For the past 3 years I've taken about 10 international (economy) flights/year - and, well, never bothered to do the frequent flyer thing until today. Scowl away.

Anyhow, I figure I should start, and I'm trying to figure out exactly how worthwhile points are. There's one elementary question I can't seem to find an answer to:

If I book a flight sold as (for example) BNE-BJS on Qantas, but the actual flight goes indirect via SIN, are my miles/status credited as BNE-BJS, or BNE-SIN + SIN-BJS?

To deflect the inevitable scorn: I googled, I searched the Qantas site, I skimmed the stickies...but no enlightenment. Any help appreciated. Cheers

A significant issue if going to be just how they are getting you from SIN-BJS. Whether you get points at all for that is going to be quite dependant on which airline you are on.

 

[amaroo]

Most people earn the majority of their points via credit card spend linked to their FF account. Have a look around AFF & you will get some great tips on the best deals to get that new account of yours bursting with points

 

[thebaggage]

Wow - many thanks guys.

I'd read up on the basics of status points/miles. My early priority is to try yoink up my status, ideally to gold at least.

The reason I ask is that I'm flying BNE-BJS next week, and I'm trying to decide whether to fly a cheap Qantas/Cathay $1100 return economy, or hop down to melbourne and fly MEL-BJS on Jetstar Business Max (with QFF Business status points, from what I gather) for $935 each way. I'm trying hard not to become a FF junkie, but for someone keen on status the Jetstar Biz flight is a pretty tempting offer.

Cheers.

 

[DeKa]

Be aware that cheap Cathay fares may not earn Qantas status credits. Check the fare booking code from Cathay against the Qantas airline earning table before booking.

 

[Shelf]

... I'm trying hard not to become a FF junkie...

Best of luck !


oh and Mrs Shelf has failed to have her CX flights credited to QFF due to the ticket.

 

[nonpop]

Have a look at your QF earning year.
If you really think you can bump up status within YOUR year, then start the leg work.
If not, then consider price to be king, unless you can (via whatever method) fly a premium cabin e.g J (Business class).
J on any OneWorld (OW) airline will earn you QF SCs at the business class rate. BUT flying Y (economy) can be a trap where many entry level fares on OW (ex-QF) will not earn SCs.
All QF commercial flights earn SCs (but many times the value is so small it isn't worth it).

And if you really do intend to fly then there is the Lifetime Silver / Gold consideration where all your (valid) flying SCs count to this.

So you have a few things to consider.

And re J* (Jetstar), it needs to be the MAX product in their J (ex-starclass) cabin. Personally, I do like like J* J product as it really is a a downgraded Premium Economy product IMHO. But it does rack up SCs.

The other consideration to think about is if you get to the USA. You can do plenty of Instand Upgrade fares into F (earns F SCs but the cabin is like Dom J in Australia) on American Airlines (AA). Have a look at threads on that topic. If you really are dedicated you can go Gold / Platinum very quickly for not a lot of cost vs paying the full amount to get Platinum with QF.

Be careful. Once you get the SC earning bug, it is hard not to stop. Family holidays become an expectation that they all get to use the Flounge etc. Rrrrrrr the pressure

 

[deejo77]

I know you can claim missing points for up to 12mths but I don't know if it is the same as just joining and then trying to claim them

 

[amaroo]

IIRC, you can claim flights 30 days prior to joining QFF.

 

[yo yo ma]

Beware cheap Cathay fares may not earn Qantas status credits. Check the fare booking code from Cathay against the Qantas airline earning table before booking.

This is very important - and also keep your boarding passes in case the flights don't post.

 

[juddles]

.... If it's one flight number from start to finish, you will earn based on the total flight miles. If the flight number changes midway, you will earn based on the flight miles of each flight....

Fantic, I think I should expand on your correct answer to prevent a possible misinterpretation. Scenario: You fly from A to B to C. If your AB sector and your BC sector have the same flight number, you will only get the points and SC that a direct AC flight would bring. If in this example it was 500miles from A to B, and also 500miles from B to C, but direct A to C was 750miles, then with that AB then BC same flight number scenario, you would only get points and SC based on a single 750mile flight, even though you have physically flown 1000miles! If the flight numbers were different you would get the points and SC for two 500mile flights.

Just to make life more fun, two 500 mile flights is NOT the same SC as a 1000mile flight. If in the example above the three airports were in a straight line, so 500miles A to B, 500miles B to C, and 1000miles A direct to C, then doing the two sectors on different flight numbers will give you the same points, but MORE SC than a single AC flight, even though both now involve 1000miles flying. This is because the points are given directly on miles flown, but SC are awarded depending on which range of distance they fall into. In this scenario flying business QF you would get 60 SC for the direct flight, but 2 x 40 = 80 SC for the two 500mile flights. IF THEY ARE DIFFERENT FLIGHT NUMBERS!

 

[thebaggage]

Woah. The AA YUP approach look very impressive - lotsa thanks. I'll be in NY mid-may, I think a few extra days knocking up a quick platinum might be worthwhile. Am I missing anything there? Is there some sort of fine-print/pitfalls I have to dodge to ensure they count? Just seems, you know - too good to be true. ...I'm starting to like this forum.

 

[thebaggage]

PS: Thanks for the Cathay heads-up. Will check and/or fly Qantas if I end up going that way.

 

[thebaggage]

juddies: Thanks for the clarification. ...So I'm guessing if one can tolerate the airport hopping, the more dedicated FFers try to find indirects with different flight #s as often as possible?

 

[amaroo]

If you break a journey with a stop over you maximise the SC earn....same flight numbers but counted as separate trips.

For example:-

SYD-LHR-SYD in J will earn 480SC + count as 2 eligible flights

SYD-SIN-LHR-SIN-SYD in J will earn 560SC + count as 4 eligible flights

Eligible flights - you must have at least 4 per membership year. If you don't it doesn't matter how many SC you earn on other OW carriers they count for nought with QFF if you don't get the 4 squiggles.

 

[medhead]

juddies: Thanks for the clarification. ...So I'm guessing if one can tolerate the airport hopping, the more dedicated FFers try to find indirects with different flight #s as often as possible?

It all depends on the cost. If it is possible to get connecting flights for roughly the same cost as direct then yes. But if the cost is substantially greater then it's not worth doing. PER-ADL is an example of the former and ADL-SYD an example of the later.


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