SCs for my husband to attain Platinum status

[Mardi]

Hi everyone, this is my first thread!

My husband is Gold and currently needs 1300 SC by 28.2.13 to attain platinum. We are travelling CBR-MEL-LAX-JFK in late Sept, returning JFK-LAX-SYD-CBR in mid October, which will get him 640 SC. He is travelling to MEL on a JASA soon, which is another 60 SC.

So that leaves him short 600 SC.

We are thinking of going to Auckland in January, which a paid business saver ticket for two people return is $2832 (which seems very cheap to me!). Anyway that's another 240 SC (I think).

My question to the learned AFF QFFs is, how can he (as cheaply as possible) earn the remaining 360 SC, or alternatively ditch the NZ trip and earn the 600?

Why does he want to get to Platinum? We fly to NYC each year and we would really like to experience the Flounge, and also have a better chance of an upgrade using points. And we like status I guess

I'm currently Silver and will hit Gold by the time we return from the USA in October. My year ends in June and I won't be able to attain Platinum but I don't think its that necessary if he has it. So I won't need to go on status runs with him, unless we do it as a holiday or something, which of course adds extra costs.

Thanks in advance for reading, and hopefully offering advice

 

[bodog]

Fingers crossed for a Double SC offer to appear in his inbox!

 

[Hvr]

Well if he is going to be in the US then have a look at the YUPP threads, he can get some very easy SCs for not much. For example when in the US in April I did JFK-BOS-ORD return and got 300 SCs quite cheaply.

Or from LAX do LAX-SFO-SEA return for another easy 300 SCs. Lots of opportunities for cheap and easy SCs in the USA.

 

[TonyHancock]

Auckland seems a little pricey. Check out the LAN J flights from SYD. They have been around $700 return. You might be able to do a couple of them for the price you are currently paying.

I'm not expert on the domestic JASAs' (But it you search around there are a few threads on the subject.) I'm sure someone else will be able to offer much better advice than I can.

 

[Mardi]

I'll definitely keep my fingers crossed that he gets a double SC offer.

I looked up LAN flights (lan.com) and the total for 2 people in business was $44xx whereas the QF Business saver is $22xx. We'll probably book the NZ trip for January but I'm going to wait a couple of days for my CC to tick over to the new month.

Or am I looking in the wrong place?

But that will still leave him with 360 SC to collect... double status credit offer where are you?

 

[JessicaTam]

I'll definitely keep my fingers crossed that he gets a double SC offer.

I looked up LAN flights (lan.com) and the total for 2 people in business was $44xx whereas the QF Business saver is $22xx. We'll probably book the NZ trip for January but I'm going to wait a couple of days for my CC to tick over to the new month.

Or am I looking in the wrong place?

But that will still leave him with 360 SC to collect... double status credit offer where are you?

I was looking at LAN AKL flights recently and they were less than 700 return ex SYD. I suggest you have a bit of a play with dates, and keep CBR out of the search as that is where the extra cost may be coming in.

Also, a CBR-MEL JASA should earn 180 sc if you route via SYD, or 80 direct.


Sent from my iThing.
Why, because iCan.

 

[ShaneN]

In Canberra you are ideally located for the Hobart Express. Qantas any seat award business class (JASA) from Canberra to Hobart via Sydney will give 200 status credits. You should be able to book this for just over 60,000 frequent flyer points if you pick the right day. You can reduce the points by paying some cash.

 

[serfty]

In Canberra you are ideally located for the Hobart Express. Qantas any seat award business class (JASA) from Canberra to Hobart via Sydney will give 200 status credits. You should be able to book this for just over 60,000 frequent flyer points if you pick the right day. You can reduce the points by paying some cash.

Or 32,000 points and $250 with a mix of points and pay.

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

Hi Mardi
I suggest you re-check the SC calculation.
I have just flown MEL-LAX-JFK return in J.

I expected 640 SC's but got 560.

Queried it and the reason is that the leg SYD-LAX-JFX has same flight number. In my case QF107 over and QF 108 back. As such only 240 SC each way.

Check out the QF earning calculator etc.

You might neeed to get another unexpected 80 SC's

Good luck

 

[ozmille]

Hi Mardi
I suggest you re-check the SC calculation.
I have just flown MEL-LAX-JFK return in J.

I expected 640 SC's but got 560.

Queried it and the reason is that the leg SYD-LAX-JFX has same flight number. In my case QF107 over and QF 108 back. As such only 240 SC each way.

Check out the QF earning calculator etc.

You might neeed to get another unexpected 80 SC's

Good luck

That is correct, I made that mistake once as well, QF1 to LHR as one segment is 240SC if you do QF5 to QF1 it gets 280SCs. Try to get different flight numbers if possible, since then I have never done the trip to Europe on just the one flight number

 

[Hvr]

In Canberra you are ideally located for the Hobart Express. Qantas any seat award business class (JASA) from Canberra to Hobart via Sydney will give 200 status credits. You should be able to book this for just over 60,000 frequent flyer points if you pick the right day. You can reduce the points by paying some cash.

And another CBR special which can be done in one day is a JASA travelling CBR-SYD-ADL return.

Much the same cost as above.

 

[Mardi]

Hi Mardi
I suggest you re-check the SC calculation.
I have just flown MEL-LAX-JFK return in J.

I expected 640 SC's but got 560.

Queried it and the reason is that the leg SYD-LAX-JFX has same flight number. In my case QF107 over and QF 108 back. As such only 240 SC each way.

Check out the QF earning calculator etc.

You might neeed to get another unexpected 80 SC's

Good luck

Ugh I hope not! We are on QF795 CBR-MEL, QF93 MEL-LAX, QF107 LAX-JFK, QF/AA3112 JFK-LAX, QF12 LAX-SYD, QF1473 SYD-CBR. So I think that should be 640?

 

[Mardi]

Well that gave me a bit of a scare about the SCs for the USA trip! But I think all is well and 640 points will be coming my (and my husband's more importantly) way.

As at today he needs 1300 points before 28 Feb. This is is booked (all JASAs except the USA trip):

80SC CBR-MEL J rtn 8/9 Sept (going to watch Souths play the Storm - by himself, I dislike Thugby league)
80SC CBR-MEL J rtn 10 Sept (business meeting)
640SC our USA trip 26 Sept - 11 Oct
180SC CBR-SYD-ADL-MEL-CBR J 21/23 Nov (going to the first day of the Adelaide test with a mate of his who lives over there) (Yes back through SYD would have been 20SC more but too expensive on a JASA/inconvenient timing)
240SC CBR-MEL-PER-SYD-CBR J 1/3 Feb (going to a ODI at the WACA. I am going too - never been to PER and I'm just about OK with ODI cricket)

Total SCs for booked flights: 1220.

So he needs another 80. He is thinking of doing a Tassie run to meet with people he sometimes works with down there, but at worst I'll just send him on a day trip to MEL using a JASA once my poor old FF point balance builds up again. I've only got just enough left to pay for the F upgrade I've applied for, for the MEL-LAX leg of our USA trip. The other day I was wondering what use FF points are - I guess I've found out. I've spent a lot of them in the last few days!

Thank you so much to all of you for taking an interest and helping out with this. I never would have thought to look at going through different cities (e.g., SYD instead of MEL on the way to ADL) if it wasn't for your help. I like the sound of the USA SC run but we have planned all our days there and he didn't want to interrupt our holiday.

I've just paid my membership fee for AFF. I think it is well and truly worth it, plus it makes the AFF app on my iPad about a zillion times more useful

I think I have a new hobby after spending most of today researching and booking the PER and ADL trips! I'm hooked!

 

[Simo]

When i the states make some flights there and that will be easy SC's.

 

[medhead]

Ugh I hope not! We are on QF795 CBR-MEL, QF93 MEL-LAX, QF107 LAX-JFK, QF/AA3112 JFK-LAX, QF12 LAX-SYD, QF1473 SYD-CBR. So I think that should be 640?

Looks fine to me. I couldn't think why you would flight CBR-MEL then MEL-SYD instead of just CBR-SYD. Having said that I'm not that good with AA earn.

Can you get the PER trip to route via ADL. I think I've seen SYD-ADL-PER But even CBR-ADL-PER will give you an extra 20SC. Actually might have seen BNE-ADL-PER.

 

[Mardi]

Normally we would fly through SYD both ways but on that date they changed the plane from an A380. We prefer the A380 so we changed out booking to go through MEL.

 

[medhead]

Normally we would fly through SYD both ways but on that date they changed the plane from an A380. We prefer the A380 so we changed out booking to go through MEL.

Sorry I didn't explain properly. The lower earn would only happen with SYD-JFK on QF107 all the way. To do that you'd have to leave oz from SYD. I just thinking it would be strange to route via MEL if doing that, even for extra SC.


Sent from the Throne

 

[ozmille]

Ugh I hope not! We are on QF795 CBR-MEL, QF93 MEL-LAX, QF107 LAX-JFK, QF/AA3112 JFK-LAX, QF12 LAX-SYD, QF1473 SYD-CBR. So I think that should be 640?

I would say 620 SCs

QF1473 is a Dash8 so no J on those but I assume you are booked in full Y for that one

 

[Mardi]

Mille, I think you are right! I was thinking 640 because we got that last year but looking at our itinerary we flew a jet from and to CBR.

Now I have another dilemma. I worked out SCs for the PER trip by putting each city in the calculator (CBR-MEL-ADL-PER-ADL-SYD-CBR) but now I see the flights through ADL have the same flight number so I think I've overcalculated. Argh this is all too hard!!

That DSC SYD-OOL is looking better and better...

 

[medhead]

Now I have another dilemma. I worked out SCs for the PER trip by putting each city in the calculator (CBR-MEL-ADL-PER-ADL-SYD-CBR) but now I see the flights through ADL have the same flight number so I think I've overcalculated. Argh this is all too hard!!

what flight numbers? I can't think of any flight that does that via ADL.