SYD-HKG SC maximiser challenge

[newformula]

I'm planning to head to Hong Kong at some point in the next couple of months. I have a great SC earning return leg in mind, but need to work out the best SC earn for the outbound SYD-HKG leg. I will be flying at some point in the next couple of months. My requirements are kind of fixed as

• Flying SYD-HKG between Sat and Tuesday, arriving no later than a Wed AM
• Any time up til July 31
• Happy to sit in Y and/or stay overnight somewhere
• Have 25k AA miles or 25k BA miles I can burn if necessary to position or do a leg to keep me under my $ budget
• $ budget of 1300 AUD maximum a/i

The best I can come up with so far is SYD-SIN for ~$670 via BNE or ADL then SIN-HKG on JQ for around 275 AUD, total of 40+40=80 SC for the one way for $945 or $11.80 / SC, which is not great, but does fit the requirements above.

Any other interesting routings that might be worth considering?

 

[samh004]

If you’re heading to HKG to start a SC run, why not fly to HK with the cheapest option possible, even if it doesn’t earn SC’s, that way you have more money to spend on the run from HKG.

I would have suggested JQ too, so how much cheaper is a JQ light fare on both legs?

 

[newformula]

I'm heading to HKG to see a mate, and have found a great deal for the return leg - one I don't think I can improve on. So unless a return flight from SYD somehow trumps it my one way that I already have in mind, which I don't think it will, then I'm just looking for a one way.

The JQ light fares for SIN-HKG were about $150 cheaper from memory. $150 for the 40 SC instead of 0 seemed like a decent deal to me.

I can't find a oneworld or QF partner flight with SC earn cheaper into Asia than SYD-SIN o/w on QF at $670. I guess there's just so much capacity on that route. The only way to increase on the JQ option I think would be to find a location that CX have a decent deal on one way into HKG in J...

 

[samh004]

In that case your JQ Flex option seems like the best option.

I was thinking a StarClass fare to Japan and cheap CX (J or otherwise) fare from there. But even with a JQ Flex to Japan, might not be more cost effective.

Other than that, the BA 75th sale fares to BKK looked good, especially as you could then get a CX fare from BKK onwards, but as BA aren’t running at the moment, probably a bit useless.

 

[serfty]

If you can get to TPE cheaply, there is a 200 SC earner in I for AUD650.

 

[newformula]

Serfty - is that on CX?

 

[serfty]

Yes, but looking again it's now ~AUD700 (TWD20,500).

I flew it last month. (keep those BP's )

 

[newformula]

That's still pretty good - I could use points to get to TPE... I couldn't find that price at a cursory glance, can you give pointers as to dates and class (I am assuming J or F)?

I don't know why I am being secretive about my return leg - might as well share. Who knows, might be common knowledge. There's a $1350 (Thursdays) and $1550 (Saturdays) FJ HKG-SYD fare out there at the minute in J. 220 SC's for around $5/6 / SC. Hope someone else can make use of it.

 

[serfty]

Simply look for Business class TPE-BKK vv ...

Oh!

there's the issue ... mine was a return fare ... one way can be completely different.
~AUD915 for 100 SC's ...

 

[Alanslegal]

I had a look at SYD-BKK with JQ's StarClass and the BKK-HKG flying RJ in J but it came out to around $1650 for 220SC earnt. The routing for 18/7 SYD-xMEL-BKK would net 40 + 120 as the SYD-MEL leg JQ6423 "would be in Qantas Business Class" according to JQ's website ... and 20/7 for BKK-HKG would earn 60SC's but it means two (please pay $) nights in BKK.

 

[newformula]

If you take out the RJ leg, $1260 for 160 SC = $8 SC ish. That's still respectable, given I could get a points booking BKK-HKG.

I am considering attempting to make WP by August 31 - but with 'sensible' trips only, i.e. tweaking trips I am already planning on taking, rather than doing pure SC runs. 530 SCs to find... a big ask, and definitely not worth it, but I like the maths of the challenge!

At this point, I think my most cost effective option is a points booking to HKG and returning on FJ. The other SC earning options are tempting, but not quite tempting enough.

 

[dajop]

IMHO you need to get <$6.90 /status credit . Why? That's the going rate on SYD-CBR at the moment. But i guess as you're planning to go to HKG anyway, need to make allowances for being travel you are doing anyway.