Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

[martynking]

Hi All,

I know this topic has come up from time to time but there does not seem to be a definite answer from my searches.

I am presently well on track to achieve PS within this membership year, however I would like to get to SG within my next membership year (1st Aug to 31st Jul).

There is a couple of barriers standing in my way:

I can only fly from 6pm Fridays and must return to my home port of SYD not later than last flight on a Sunday.

I do not have vast funds at my disposal - Unfortunately leaving me just the good old Red-e-Deal as my option.

But by the same token I would much prefer to use cash over points, unless the point deal is too good to pass up!

Now typically I will take 1 return flight per month to either MEL or BNE (20SC) totaling 240SC through the year - However this remains a solid 460SC that I would need to make up to reach SG.

Just wanting to see if there is any suggestions from the vast knowlege here that would assist me to my goal!

Many thanks in advance to you all!

 

[pshepvic]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

If you do a few of those as JASAs (Business Any Seat Awards) you would earn 4x the SCs. So one return from SYD-MEL/BNE would net you 80 SCs - for a cost of around 32,000 points plus $50-ish (if you book early enough). 5 of those and you'd be at 400 SCs.

Another option is the Fiji run on Air Pacific - via BNE or MEL (or both) and you could net 240 SCs or more.

Then there is the LAN SYD-AKL-SYD run - at the moment it is $747 and would get 160 SCs. The question is though, you'd have to do that 3 times - is gold really worth $2241?? Only if you are going to do a significant amount of travelling in the following year - but if it's going to stay around the same, then maybe not.

 

[Sifor]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

I actually worked out how much you need to spend to achieve certain status levels for QFF. No points, just hard cash.

I would say that Business Sydney to Canberra is the cheapest, best bang (or rather status) for buck. This being said, however, I have not examined long distance International so perhaps more efficient outcomes can be found there.

The "eco to Syd" means you fly down on business to Canberra and return to Sydney on Red E Deal. "Eco to BNE" means you fly return Red E deal from Sydney to Brisbane (or perhaps Melbourne) after doing the Canberra leg.

Sydney - Canberra $387 Bus, $109 Economy (Red E Deal)

Qualify
Silver 300: $3,045 (7 Bus, 1 Eco to SYD, 2 Eco to BNE)
Gold 700: $6,920 (17 Bus, 1 Eco to SYD, 2 Eco to BNE)
Platnium 1400: $13,660 (35 Bus, 1 Eco to SYD)

Retain
Silver 250: $2,540 (6 Bus, 2 Eco to BNE)
Gold 600: $5,920 (15 Bus, 1 Eco to SYD)
Platnium 1200: $11,600 (30 Bus)

 

[markis10]

Have a look at the JASAs, the best value one at the moment is TSV-DRW which nets 140 SCs for 24K + $95, the extra points you get from doing the run make it cheaper than the Hobart-Canberra run in terms of gain for points burned.

Its up to you to determine the value of SG, and if your flying the following year takes you over the minimum points per segment level, the extra points you get as a SG could well cover the cost of using points in the first place to achieve that status.

I actually worked out how much you need to spend to achieve certain status levels for QFF. No points, just hard cash.

I would say that Business Sydney to Canberra is the cheapest, best bang (or rather status) for buck. This being said, however, I have not examined long distance International so perhaps more efficient outcomes can be found there.

BNE-MEL-SYD-NAN return in J can be had for $1400 return, thats 360 SC or SG qual in two trips - $2800.

 

[Sifor]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

Like I said, I haven't examined international legs. It appears international is cheaper.

 

[Bundy Bear]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

Hi All,

I know this topic has come up from time to time but there does not seem to be a definite answer from my searches.

I am presently well on track to achieve PS within this membership year, however I would like to get to SG within my next membership year (1st Aug to 31st Jul).

There is a couple of barriers standing in my way:

I can only fly from 6pm Fridays and must return to my home port of SYD not later than last flight on a Sunday.

I do not have vast funds at my disposal - Unfortunately leaving me just the good old Red-e-Deal as my option.

But by the same token I would much prefer to use cash over points, unless the point deal is too good to pass up!

Now typically I will take 1 return flight per month to either MEL or BNE (20SC) totaling 240SC through the year - However this remains a solid 460SC that I would need to make up to reach SG.

Just wanting to see if there is any suggestions from the vast knowlege here that would assist me to my goal!

Many thanks in advance to you all!

There is no definite answer for reaching another status level as each persons situation is different.

There is a cost vs benefit of reaching the next status level.

If there is less than 100SCs below the threshold for the next level then a simple CBR-SYD-HBA JASA for 24,000 miles to reach 100SCs is one of the best ways to earn status credits easily. If you live in Sydney flying LAN to Auckland and back will get you 80SCs each way and depending on where you purchase the trip will depend on the cost.

For someone who needs over 300SCs then a Brisbane-Melbourne-Sydney-Nadi and back will earn around 360SCs for approximately $1,400.00

If you are trying to earn 400SCs then there is no way to do it cheaply. Your time constraint doesn't really make it easy.

Like you mentioned, there is no definitive answer, as it depends on your circumstances.

If you need to be at a certain location for work then everyone on AFF can make suggestions but it will come back to a cost vs benefit.

If you are only likely to make Silver then buying a simple Qantas Club membership, discount is available via joining AFF as a Gold member is also a good compromise. Silver gives you seat selection and Qantas Club access gives you access to Qantas lounges and if flying AA and BA then access to their operated lounges.

 

[Maca44]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

If you are only likely to make Silver then buying a simple Qantas Club membership, discount is available via joining AFF as a Gold member is also a good compromise. Silver gives you seat selection and Qantas Club access gives you access to Qantas lounges and if flying AA and BA then access to their operated lounges.

His profile suggests he has QP membership already, so I can't see that SG is worth it unless he is going to do a lot of flying in the following year.

 

[tyrolean]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

I just have put a few segments into my itinerary on my last trip to Australia. Mrs. Tyrolean will benefit form her PG status on our next trip to Oz and on a few European trips.

Instead of ASP-SYD, I did ASP-SYD-AKL-MEL-BNE-SYD with JASA fares. They were quite cheap. The flying was OK.
Two points:
- Immigration into NZ was quite a pain.
"Why are you staying only a day?"
"Because I want to get frequent flyer points"
"Really, just wanted to make sure that you are no drug dealer"
"Nice"

Quarantine:
"So you are on transit"
"Sort of"
"Why"
"Frequent flyer points"
"Ryan Bingham?"
*smile* "Right"

So the points are in my pocket. The next time I may try Fiji or stay a bit longer in NZ.
Sad that I did not have more time.

 

[PaulC83]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

Qualify
Silver 300: $3,045 (7 Bus, 1 Eco to SYD, 2 Eco to BNE)
Gold 700: $6,920 (17 Bus, 1 Eco to SYD, 2 Eco to BNE)
Platnium 1400: $13,660 (35 Bus, 1 Eco to SYD)

Retain
Silver 250: $2,540 (6 Bus, 2 Eco to BNE)
Gold 600: $5,920 (15 Bus, 1 Eco to SYD)
Platnium 1200: $11,600 (30 Bus)

I think your numbers work around their price point, given that an average DONE4 itinerary will nett you platinum, and costs ~~ $14000, and a LONE4 ~~ $3500 and will score you silver. Also if you calculate it out through numerous e-deal flights, the figures pan out about the same.

Obviously as others have pointed out, sale fares and quirks in booking engines can certainly drop these numbers significantly, but I would not be surprised if numbers similar to yours are floating around in some yield management/price point calculations......

 

[toronto]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

I just have put a few segments into my itinerary on my last trip to Australia. Mrs. Tyrolean will benefit form her PG status on our next trip to Oz and on a few European trips.

Instead of ASP-SYD, I did ASP-SYD-AKL-MEL-BNE-SYD with JASA fares. They were quite cheap. The flying was OK.
Two points:
- Immigration into NZ was quite a pain.
"Why are you staying only a day?"
"Because I want to get frequent flyer points"
"Really, just wanted to make sure that you are no drug dealer"
"Nice"

Quarantine:
"So you are on transit"
"Sort of"
"Why"
"Frequent flyer points"
"Ryan Bingham?"
*smile* "Right"

So the points are in my pocket. The next time I may try Fiji or stay a bit longer in NZ.
Sad that I did not have more time.

What the total cost and how many SC you have got?

 

[pshepvic]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

We managed to get two of us to qualify for WP in a year for roughly $16,000 plus 64k points.

Consisted of a MEL-BNE return on a red e-deal, MEL-SYD-MEL JASA, a JAL companion fare in J SYD-NRT/HND-SFO/LAX-NRT-SYD, a single JAL J-class domestic ITA-HND, a discount Y AA flight SJU-SXM, and two 3-flight AA YUPPs (SFO-DFW-MIA-STX and SXM-MIA-DFW-SEA).

So that's 1420 SCs for $8k plus 32k points per person - didn't think that was too bad.

 

[samh004]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

So that's 1420 SCs for $8k plus 32k points per person - didn't think that was too bad.

At $5.63/SC it’s not bad, but I feel it could be had for a lot less (though you might not be going where you want to go)

 

[pshepvic]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

At $5.63/SC it’s not bad, but I feel it could be had for a lot less (though you might not be going where you want to go)

It was all done based on where we wanted/needed to go - none of it was done as an SC run (although we could have got away with 2 segments from SFO to STX instead of 3).

So in my book that's worth it ... to achieve the same in QF J class would have cost twice as much.

For my requal for next year, so far I've got a MEL-SYD-NAN return run booked (for a friend's wedding in Fiji - so we were going there anyway), a SYD-AKL on LAN J class (for a week in NZ we already had planned), a MEL-SYD return JASA, and then we're looking at another trip to the US. Thinking about doing MEL-SYD-DFW return on a JASA which should net 480 SCs (to add to the 480 we already have planned), then a couple of YUPPs down to the Caribbean again and should be home and hosed! (Can't say no to free accommodation in the Caribbean!)

 

[zeiron]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

i didnt think AA offered YUP fares to the Caribbean? i'm going in June on the new DFW service and any "regional" AA fares that im looking into book into D and not F or A so you dont rack up the miles as quickly as domestic YUP fares...

anyone have ideas on how to get around this?

 

[serfty]

...

anyone have ideas on how to get around this?

Nothing to get around. Domestic US sectors book into A or P (First) class. The USA to/from Caribbean segments book into D or I Class.

In January I flew LAX-(A)-BOS-(A)-MIA-(I)-AUA.

 

[obrienja]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

As a couple of people have mentioned YUPPs in the US are a pretty effective way of getting to SG/WP. In my current qualifying year I took advantage of an AA sale to do a mileage run alongside some business travel and picked up 840SCs LHR-MIA-MCO-MIA-ORD-MSN-ORD-MIA-MCO-MIA-LHR in J & F for $4000AUD which is a pretty decent return and with an economy RTW and another LHR-MIA-MCO-MIA-LHR trip requalified for Platinum for just over $7k.

Just after my anniversary this year I've got an F trip LAX-ORD for $2k for 400SC and that Jetstar Starclass sale should be useful for anyone wanting to SYD-MEL-SIN-MEL-SYD (290SCs by my calculations) at about $1150 a shot will get you Platinum for under $6k.

Of course all of that flying just to get WP is stupid if you don't actually want or need to go wherever you're flying.

 

[drewbles]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

i didnt think AA offered YUP fares to the Caribbean? i'm going in June on the new DFW service and any "regional" AA fares that im looking into book into D and not F or A so you dont rack up the miles as quickly as domestic YUP fares...

anyone have ideas on how to get around this?

No way around it. Flights to/from the Caribbean are in J (even though it's the same as an F cabin).

This is why you do something like HNL-LAX-LAS-DFW-ORD-JFK-MIA-BGI-MIA-DFW-ORD-LAS-LAX-HNL, with only the flight to/from BGI being in J, and the rest in F.

Just be constructive in your routing, look at the routing rules (you often get a rule that permits a distance with a certain 'credit' in miles based on transiting via certain hubs). AA's fare rules are great when used to the max

 

[samh004]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

This is why you do something like HNL-LAX-LAS-DFW-ORD-JFK-MIA-BGI-MIA-DFW-ORD-LAS-LAX-HNL, with only the flight to/from BGI being in J, and the rest in F.

Just be constructive in your routing, look at the routing rules (you often get a rule that permits a distance with a certain 'credit' in miles based on transiting via certain hubs). AA's fare rules are great when used to the max

How long does it take to complete such a routing? Is that simple an overnight (or longer) at your destination, or does it require several overnights along the way?

 

[drewbles]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

How long does it take to complete such a routing? Is that simple an overnight (or longer) at your destination, or does it require several overnights along the way?

I didn't do the HNL-LAX segments, and it was a little different. I did LAX and was meant to then go DFW-ORD and overnight in ORD, but wx delay saw me go back to LAX and then to ORD, with same SC's anyway. O/N in ORD, then ORD-JFK-MIA, overnight, MIA-BGI-MIA, overnight, MIA-DFW-ORD-LAS-LAX in a day, overnight in LAX then went about my other business

There are overnights involved which bump up the price per SC if you calculate it that way. There are many reasonable airport hotels at reasonable rates, and being HHonors Gold, the Hiltons at the airport tend to be a safe bet to get a decent room, free breakfast and free internet.

 

[Sprucegoose]

re: Quickest & Cheapest way to SG

Like I said, I haven't examined international legs. It appears international is cheaper.

Look YUPP KUPP out of HNL on AA???