QFF program or AAdvantage?

[serfty]

Flying QF-QF-AA-AA-AA-AA-AA-AA-QF(JQ); V class on QF, P on AA. So only the last flight might not be eligible for AA earning. ...

OK, so the QF Codeshare on JQ metal should not earn as JQ is not a oneworld carrier.

If I commenced a PLT challenge before departure the goal would be achieved on the 5th flight:

- Total Qpoints earned 19092
- Total AAdvantage points 28540.

Also, there would by 35SCs and 11K QFF points as the last flight would need to be posted to QFF.

 

[Soundguy]

John, I am probably in a somewhat similar situation to you except I don't think I fly quite as much. I am QFF NG for which I re-qualify in about the first 9-10 months typically. So I have no chance of getting to WP and don't even bother trying, however the benefits of NG are worth retaining for me. So what I do is credit all flights to QF up until about the point a re-qualify for NG then the flights in the 2 or 3 months after that point I credit to AA, unless they are ineligible (such as N class) which goes to QF.

This means my AA points only grow quite slowly and I get no AA status but I figure it works out OK for me. I don't fly within the US regularly enough to bother with the AA challenges, although my daughter is AA Gold courtesy of a challenge done on our last trip there. I didn't enrole her with QFF due to their FF entrance fee & the fact that she doesn't fly so much yet being only 2.

 

[simongr]

I don't fly within the US regularly enough to bother with the AA challenges

Do you fly to/from the US at all?

 

[NM]

Do AA comp status for people ? ie ig you don't make Platinum will they let you keep it anyway like what appears to happen on QF a lot.
E

No, they don't comp status. But they have the Challenges to fast-track people to status so they can get the benefits early.

 

[serfty]

... QFF NG ...

That's SG I presume. (Scough Gold)

 

[Soundguy]

Do you fly to/from the US at all?

Yep, a round trip about every 12 - 18 months generally. That is where I use my FF points up.... I find long haul flights the best value, hence not applicable for AA challenge obviously. Took advantage of a YUP fare last time we were there, this was a one-way flight but enabled my daughter to qualify for AA Gold; guess I could have put this towards AA myself too but like John I find the odds still a little in QF's favour when booking mostly cheapy-e-deal flights here. It would probably be a different story if I could transfer AMEX points to AA on a 1:1 basis though.....

Serfy: "That's SG I presume" ah yes..... can't get the hang of these abbreviations, will just say plain 'Gold' in future!

 

[Dave Noble]

Yep, a round trip about every 12 - 18 months generally. That is where I use my FF points up.... I find long haul flights the best value, hence not applicable for AA challenge obviously.

If you go to the US using the AA codeshare then completing the Platinum challenge is not hard at all. It is easy to get a fare that gets 1 qpoint per mile flown and even those that earn 0.5 per mile flown may still do the trick if you are doing some domestic travel over there

Dave

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Try qualifying AA EXP on N, O and Q class airfares. I will even add S and V class airfares in there if you really want. QF Platinum can be achieved comfortably on lower class airfares.

You can comfortably reach QF Platinum of NOQ airfares? I'm very curious about this. Most NOQ domestic flights would earn 10/15 SCs. Longhaul NOQ flights earn far fewer SCs for the time spent in the plane (e.g. SYD/LAX is only 45 SCs).

At 10/15 SCs a flight, you'd need to do around 55 return trips (1400/12.5) - that's more than one trip per week for a whole year. I'm not sure that's "comfortable" - sounds like a way to waste a lot of time in a plane (unless you have to do this travel for work etc - aka the situation I find myself in).

At around $150 return (assuming you can get cheap filghts) that's also going to cost you around $8500 (again, unless someone else is paying for your travel). If you are paying out of your own pocket, then for not much more you can buy a DONE4 and see the world far more comfortably.

 

[JohnK]

You can comfortably reach QF Platinum of NOQ airfares? I'm very curious about this. Most NOQ domestic flights would earn 10/15 SCs. Longhaul NOQ flights earn far fewer SCs for the time spent in the plane (e.g. SYD/LAX is only 45 SCs).

I didn't specifically say NOQ airfares only. I said "QF Platinum can be achieved comfortable on lower class airfares". It may be a little misleading but not intentionally. In my 1400 SCs there was several short haul I class flights as well as many NOQ flights.

Right now I have 0 SCs. I can do 10 short haul returns BKK-SIN in I class on CX and pay ~$5000 and earn QF Platinum. On AA this would earn me ~30,000 Qpoints which is nowhere near enough for AA Platinum.

At around $150 return (assuming you can get cheap filghts) that's also going to cost you around $8500 (again, unless someone else is paying for your travel).

I am a fully self funded traveller. I don't know exactly but I think my airfares in the past 12 months to earn 1400 SCs would have cost me some where between $6000-$8000.

I am going to guess If you are paying out of your own pocket, then for not much more you can buy a DONE4 and see the world far more comfortably.

A DONE4 costs around $12000. The most I would want to spend on airfares is $8000/year. I do not want to restrict myself to a single DONE4 a year. I can achieve QF Platinum without exceeding my budget.

I want to go to SE Asia 2-3 times a year plus 6, or more, domestic trips a year. Hopefully I will earn enough points every 2 years to purchase a QF Oneworld RTW award.

Everyones situation is different and in my situation AA has nothing to offer me where as QF offers me Platinum.

 

[NM]

A DONE4 costs around $12000.

My current DONE4 cost $10,462.17, quite a bit less than $12,000. But still well above your $8,000 target.

 

[Dave Noble]

My current DONE4 cost $10,462.17, quite a bit less than $12,000. But still well above your $8,000 target.

Start from NRT and it can just about be done in approx 8k... even so, the main point of flights is to get to the destination and status/miles being a nice side effect.

Dave

 

[NM]

even so, the main point of flights is to get to the destination and status/miles being a nice side effect.

Dave

Ahh, yes. I knew there must be a good reason for what I am going through .

 

[AnonymousCoward]

I didn't specifically say NOQ airfares only. I said "QF Platinum can be achieved comfortable on lower class airfares". It may be a little misleading but not intentionally.

I only mentioned NOQ because the next set of fares up (super-saver) earn the same SCs, but cost you more. So the equation I posted would become even worse. Once you get to Flexi-Saver (that earn 2x SCs, you are paying 2x the amount to fly - at least). That doesn't count as "lower" class airfares anymore. But the equation is better IMHO because you are wasting less time sitting in a plane.

In my 1400 SCs there was several short haul I class flights as well as many NOQ flights. ... I am a fully self funded traveller. I don't know exactly but I think my airfares in the past 12 months to earn 1400 SCs would have cost me some where between $6000-$8000.

I'd be really interested in seeing if you could calculate this. $6000 for 1400 SCs (unless you are flying "first class" on US domestic flights) sounds like a bargain if you ask me.

Right now I have 0 SCs. I can do 10 short haul returns BKK-SIN in I class on CX and pay ~$5000 and earn QF Platinum.

10 round trips? Unless you live in either Bangkok or Singapore (or you are travelling between those two for business) that sounds like more ways to waste time in a plane.

 

[simongr]

JohnK is a frequent traveller to Thailand for holidays rather than business - every flight there is a joy for him so no wasted time

 

[serfty]

... I'd be really interested in seeing if you could calculate this. $6000 for 1400 SCs (unless you are flying "first class" on US domestic flights) sounds like a bargain if you ask me. ...

Until recently Finnair flew between BKK and HKG/SIN. As a seat filling exercise, Business class travel could be had quite cheaply.

JohnK was one of those who took advantage of the 'easy' SC's available.

See here:

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/qantas-frequent-flyer/finnair-recommended-6348.html

& Here:

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...flyer/finnair-status-run-experience-6820.html

 

[JohnK]

I'd be really interested in seeing if you could calculate this. $6000 for 1400 SCs (unless you are flying "first class" on US domestic flights) sounds like a bargain if you ask me.

The actual cost of airfares to earn 1400 SCs was just under $8000. I didn't think I got that close to my budget. :shock:

        Date    Routing                Class    SC       Cost
    Jun 2006    SYD-BNE-DRW-ADL-SYD    N,O      65     433.83
    Jul 2006    SYD-BKK (Award)        T         0       0.00
    Jul 2006    BKK-SIN-BKK            I       120     364.64
    Jul 2006    BKK-SIN-BKK            I       120     364.12
    Jul 2006    BKK-SIN-BKK            I       120     360.70
Jul/Dec 2006    BKK-SIN-BKK            I       120     476.01
Jul/Dec 2006    SIN-BNE-SYD-PER-SIN    N,O      85    1015.85
    Nov 2006    SYD-HBA-SYD            N,O      30     239.84
    Jan 2007    BKK-SIN-BKK            I       120     428.35
    Jan 2007    BKK-HKG-BKK            I       120     428.35
Jan/Apr 2007    BKK-SIN-BKK            I       120     533.00
Jan/Apr 2007    SIN-PER-SYD-PER-SIN    R,V      90    1004.00
    Jan 2007    SYD-AKL-WLG-CHC        N,O      40     477.00
    Feb 2007    AKL-SYD                I        80     361.92
    Mar 2007    SYD-CBR-SYD            N,O      20     224.38
    Apr 2007    BKK-SIN                I        60     236.72
    Apr 2007    SIN-BNE-SYD            N,O      40     381.85
    May 2007    SYD-CBR-MEL-SYD        N,O      30     381.48
    May 2007    SYD-MEL-SYD            N,O      20     200.40
                                       Total  1400    7912.44

 

[garyjohn951]

And if my addition is correct from that list 330 SC's were on N and O fares.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

The actual cost of airfares to earn 1400 SCs was just under $8000. I didn't think I got that close to my budget. :shock:

I didn't realise that the SIN-BKK fares were so cheap. Though, that said, I suppose it's only somewhat cheaper than some First class (sic) domestic AA flights.

However, you did accrue 980 SCs through those type of flights, leaving about 420 for domestic and international travel in lower fare buckets. I just don't think that most people are in a situation where they can route their business or holiday travel around "I" class business fares (which is how you earnt the majority of your SCs).

So, for you, it works. For most people, it won't. Certainly not "comfortably"

I achieved my first year of WP entirely on domestic flights (except for 160SCs - trips to AKL and SEA). I was flying on the full fare tickets, and I can tell that you that this is far from comfortable :shock:

For people flying on lower class fares (which for most people means cheaper economy tickets, whether domestic or international) this would be even less comfortable!

So, I don't think it's fair to say (as you did previously) that QF WP can be achieved comfortably on lower class fares. It can only be done so if you are prepared to route your travel/holidays specifically around the availability of I-class fares. And even then, it costs you around $8000 (unless you are prepared to sit a plane shuttling backwards and forwards between BKK and SIN or similar)

Edit: fixed some maths

 

[JohnK]

However, you did accrue 980 SCs through those type of flights, leaving about 420 for domestic and international travel in lower fare buckets. I just don't think that most people are in a situation where they can route their business or holiday travel around "I" class business fares (which is how you earnt the majority of your SCs).

To be fair there was only 5 AY BKK-SIN-BKK one day turnarounds. This is only 600 SC's. I made a decision early on that I would go for Platinum so chose the routing carefully. I still had to make up 800 SCs in other ways.

The other BKK-SIN-BKK flights in I class are part of my normal trip to SE Asia. I route this trip as BKK-SIN-PER/MEL/BNE-SYD-PER/MEL/BNE-SIN-BKK. To save on airfares I purchase BKK-SIN-BKK airfares in BKK and SIN-SYD-SIN airfares in SIN. So in July I still have part of a return ticket, paid for back in April, SYD-SIN on QF and SIN-BKK I class on CX. I will then purchase another BKK-SIN-BKK and SIN-SYD-SIN to return to Australia end of July and off to SE Asia again in December.

The NZ trip was flying over on QF and returning I class on LAN which cost less than the WHY trip on QF. To me this is careful management rather than being wasteful.

So, for you, it works. For most people, it won't. Certainly not "comfortably"

So yes what I do may not be comfortable for some people but it is comfortable for me. And I still get to go where I want to for my holidays plus earn top tier status.

 

[Evan]

I too had used the AY SIN-BKK I class flights
I had never been and stayed in BKK before so it was a trip to see somerhing new. Aside from that I class all my SC's this year were discount economy ! I made SG easily enough, i wish i had thought about it earlier i would maybe have gone for WP. (I still choose non OW flights of they are more practical, if i was wanting WP i would have tried harder and had longer turn arounnds in airports etc instead of non OW flights.)

I also made silver on SQ, and credited some miles to AA (JAL pre OW) and Asia Miles (KA pre OW)

E