re: AA Status Credit Run getting to gold QF

[Jezza8888]

Hey Everyone,

just wanted to say thanks to everyone on this great forum, especially my mate Isochronous who introduced me to this program.

First of all, I booked a round the world trip and just got home after being a year away. While I was in Europe, Isochronous told me to consider doing a status credit run while I was in the U.S. He told me if i flew from LAS-SJU (Puerto Rico) first class, I could pretty much get to gold from 0 points.

I did some research and realised I could get 600 because of the stopovers. LAS - ORD - MIA - SJU in first class. I would be flying all day, get two days in Puerto Rico to check out the much talked about Old San Juan town (which was pretty good) all for a mere $750 AUD, which is like 1.25 per status credit (Great value). I figured as I was doing a couple of internal flights on AA LAX - SFO, SFO - LAX and then LAX - LA along with my Qantas JFK-LAX i could make up the 100 SC for gold, if you also include my LAX - MEL flight. I then decided to purchase an AA 30 day Admirals Club pass for $99 considering I could use it anywhere in the states (if i was flying on AA) and also they have an agreement where I could use it on qantas within the thirty days (if i fly before i get that gold card)

I got to meet Tyra Banks in the JFK lounge too!!! was amazing.

Overall evaluation of lounges: $99 not bad value for maybe 6-7 visits. But if you were going any less than that it might not be worth it as the only benefits you get is that they have apples, drinks, biscuits, and a nice chair with free wifi and tv. The Tyra Banks meeting was absolutely worth it though!

AA first class. Loved it. I had never been on first class before in my life, and the only time I was on business class was from Mel - Syd so it was a great experience. Everyone was middle aged and business people, so they all looked at me funny as I am a 24 year old kid. I loved getting on the flights first, and the food was amazing Unfortunately LAX - ORD was a long flight with no food return. MIA-SJU was also the only flight that had a flat bed experience. Must be because it's a new airline.

My evaluation of the status run is nothing but positive. $750 and now I'm gold. Will go on at least 3 more overseas holidays before my membership resets in Jan 2014, so I've got a long way to go. Maybe planning to do a platinum run at some other locations around the world before Jan so i can try the Neil Perry Menu and get a massage at the platinum lounge. MIght have to scout out for some cheap flights to the US. Anyone got any suggestions? Thinking maybe ex HNL.

Fortunately, I am a gold Qantas member now which shall be fun when I go to sydney next month and get to bring my immediate family in. Hope it's good, if not better than the AA Lounge!

If anyone has any questions about my status run or my experience let me know!

 

[Isochronous]

Always happy to help good friends to travel in style!

 

[moa999]

Thanks for the thanks and glad you got Gold status..
Glad you enjoyed the AA F experience.

Strange you didn't get food on LAX-ORD, LAX-LAS I can understand (a 45min hop).
Getting a domestic flatbed anywhere in the world is tough (including Aus) and AA can be known to sub... To get MIA-SJU is pretty good... I had one recently JFK-SJU but no SJU-MIA. - http://www.australianfrequentflyer....p-photos/vegas-san-juan-hk-staatus-43059.html

The QF lounges are generally much better than the AA lounges.

 

[serfty]

... Unfortunately LAX - ORD was a long flight with no food return. MIA-SJU was also the only flight that had a flat bed experience. Must be because it's a new airline. ...

LAX-ORD must have been a red eye (late evening departure, early morning arrival).

The MIA SJU is strange ... was it a refurbished aircraft?

 

[Jezza8888]

i have got no idea, all i can remember it being a flat bed.. but 5/6 were just the usual AA first class.

You know what, I actually got it wrong ORD - MIA was a flat bed, it was indeed a red eye flight. It was a great experience even though it was only for three or so hours. The other aircrafts weren't too bad, but AA first class is nice. Wish I could get those sort of rates from MEL - HKG or something. I suspect AA must give flat beds only for red eye flight because when I travelled from MIA - ORD on the return leg there was no flat bed.

What is your experience with Qantas club in terms of comparison to Admirals? I mean I don't expect i'll see Tyra Banks or anything...

What other status credit runs have you had experience in? I think $/SC was probably the best but if you have any suggestions for better value then I'm up for travelling to new places!

 

[Finale]

Congrats on SG. I did the run last month but I had only 1 day to spare in NYC and couldnt get back too late. The best I could do was 360SCs for $575 or so. LGA-ORD-MCO-ORD-LGA.

Every single flight was delayed lol I had to rebook the last one. I checked availability as serfty suggested in another thread but the guy rebooked me into Y. He made a mistake and I was glad that I checked the boarding pass (15 minutes later) and got it sorted.

I'm hitting SG this month after Asia trip and might do another run for WP when I go to the US in April. After all remaining flights, I'll need less than 400SCs by June next year. Not sure if it is worth doing another run. I usually fly discounted Y only.

 

[Kangol]

What is your experience with Qantas club in terms of comparison to Admirals? I mean I don't expect i'll see Tyra Banks or anything...

As a general rule, the equivalent QF offerings are better than AA ones.

One *measure* I use of how good a lounge is can be attributed to the quality of alcohol available.
eg, in QPs you get basic spirits.
In AA A/Cs they have higher end spirits like Grey Goose and Hendrick's Gin that are for purchase. However you can ask for as many drink chits as you like (one at a time) which enable you to a complimentary premium beverage like GG or HG. I'm not sure about who is entitled to those but as a QF QP NB/SG/WP I have had no problem in getting as many as necessary.
Of course this comes with a disclaimer in that the LAX T4 A/C and F/L is one exception. They share the same entrance so if you are WP and entitled to the F/L, they will give you a keycard to access the sliding door and directions to go there if you are new. Of course you can access the normal A/C bar but if you ask for a drink chit at the desk, they will not give you one. "We don't mix the two" is along the lines of what I was recently told. So the self pour alcohol in the F/L is still OK but not at GG/HG level.

Then again to compare the equivalent AA offering of an int F lounge (only been to the ORD and LAX F/Ls) to the QF MEL/SYD F lounges, well, there is no comparison...

Depends on what you are after exactly.

AA wifi internet is always consistently good in all the A/Cs I've been to. Some QF wifi can be poor (eg HBA).

Oh and AA don't have any complimentary "food" in their A/Cs, just snacks. QF food offerings, whilst being grazing-type in the QP and somewhat meal-type in the dom J lounges, are complimentary and are substantially better than those in the AA A/Cs. QF int lounge food offerings are (at least) a step above their domestic ones.

Hope this helps.

 

[froggerADL]

I did some research and realised I could get 600 because of the stopovers. LAS - ORD - MIA - SJU in first class.

Hi Jezza,

Did your ORD-MIA flight give you 120SC? I ask because AA say ORD-MIA is 1197 miles which should be 90SC, 3 miles short of 120SC. To get 300SC each way ORD-MIA must have posted as 120SC. Is this correct?

 

[beardoc]

Hi Jezza,

Did your ORD-MIA flight give you 120SC? I ask because AA say ORD-MIA is 1197 miles which should be 90SC, 3 miles short of 120SC. To get 300SC each way ORD-MIA must have posted as 120SC. Is this correct?

QF posts ORD-MIA as 1205 miles, which gives you 120SC in F.

 

[Jezza8888]

that is correct, I actually had the same question, I thought I would get 90SC but then my good friend Isochronous told me that it was actually 120SC, making the SC run probably one of the best out there.. MIA - SJU only had business class which was a bit of a fail so I actually couldn't get first class SC for that. if they had first class would have smashed it.

would be interested if anyone has any reports of any other better/equally good value status runs.

very excited to be gold now, and from what I have been told, if I fly some other airlines besides qantas, chances of upgrades are higher!

 

[froggerADL]

Thank you Jezza and Beardoc.