The Velocity Status Run Master thread

[Grimace1]

OK after much messing about I think the cheapest way for me to get past 170 SC's before 14 April:

Out: SYD -> OOL -> MEL ->OOL (all Flexi)
Back: OOL -> SYD (Saver)

Total with code incl tax = $844.79

Total SC's = 90
Cost per SC = $9.39

I'd have to take my wife with me for a total of $1689.58

I'd like to do it but I don't think I'll get it past the goalie

Well you can get 140SC for doing CNS > MEL/BNE/SYD > PER And PER > * > CNS by booking flexis for $820ish.. using the coupon code, buy a voucher and save a further 5% but then it's getting upto Cairns and back to your home city/town that will be a factor

 

[mwattstci]

Re: Need 4 DJ sectors and 130 SCs by Sept 1

You will get a soft fall from Platinum to Gold on 19th February regardless of your SC's. Don't go out of your way this year but try for next year to get back to Platinum or stay gold.

Ah I see, so I will spend one year on gold before losing that, how the hell did I miss that? Thank you very much. The only issue is I just booked a Europe fight with miles, where as I probably would have tried for a paid mile fare if I had known. Oh well! Thanks for the advice, everyone has been so helpful here. One year to work it out!

 

[moa999]

Re: Need 4 DJ sectors and 130 SCs by Sept 1

Another benefit of soft landing and re-qualifying is that all your Platinum partner membership privileges reset (as I understand it). It's one of the downsides of re-qualifying each year, as far as I'm concerned.

I though some more recent reports that this no longer happened.

 

[pgsdiver]

Re: Need 4 DJ sectors and 130 SCs by Sept 1

OK So I'm now doing a USA status run starting in about 24 hours.
LAS-MSP-DFW-DTW-LAS, for 260 SCs, for $967 AUD which works out to about $3.72/SC - not awesome but as a last minute purchase I'm pretty happy.
Then two days later on my next free day I'm doing the same routing for just $755 USD which is about $3.16/SC - better.
Back to platinum and the trips will even be a tax deduction. Amazing what you can accomplish with 3 hours on the ground in Dallas!
Regards,
Peter

 

[serfty]

Looking at delta midweek.

6 months+ out they are too expensive.

3-6 months Sat, Tue & Wed are cheapest.

Within two months Mon & Thu join the cheaper levels.

MSP is good for LAX as it's over 1500 miles (just).

 

[pgsdiver]

Yes agreed. For me the re position to LAX would rule out most same day returns, and since there is hotel here paid for, I figured I'd try to get the most value I could out of here (LAS). The return via DTW does provide one leg over 1500 which is nice. And yes Saturday and Thursday were the two cheapest days for me.

 

[JessicaTam]

With the Speadsheet - I'm thinking I might archive all the VA cash run fares and start from scratch as I reckon most of them are now out of date.
I've added 2 new runs using the current 'Share the Love' sale and a discount code etc.

I'll need some assistance rebuilding the list of fares though if anyone has some time

Thanks lobo76. I am not a VA flyer so I doubt I could be any assistance. I would suggest a new LM tab, but the new tricks are very tightly guarded, and hard to book to boot.

 

[Eggsbenedict]

Looking at delta midweek.

6 months+ out they are too expensive.

3-6 months Sat, Tue & Wed are cheapest.

Within two months Mon & Thu join the cheaper levels.

MSP is good for LAX as it's over 1500 miles (just).

Going off this post it seems Delta get's cheaper as the flight times get closer?

 

[pgsdiver]

Well for this particular trip it was expensive a looong way out then got gradually cheaper. Then about 4 weeks out it then got expensive as the cheaper fares were bought up before getting cheaper about 4-5 days out. YMMV.

 

[serfty]

Going off this post it seems Delta get's cheaper as the flight times get closer?

It depends on how sales are going ... but (with www.flights.google.com) using the calendar views of business/first fares between two city pairs with Delta generally shows a marked decrease in fares at the 60 day mark. Click through to one of those days and you may see just one or two options at those cheapest rates or sometimes dozens.

 

[gwilli1]

Hi All. Has anyone got any creative domestic or TT routings up there sleeve for 180 S/C for around $1K. Need to lock something in before end of April. Current thinking is to go to HKG via SiN on a SQ Flexi which will get me 200 S/C for around $1.1K. Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[AviatorPJ]

Hi All. Has anyone got any creative domestic or TT routings up there sleeve for 180 S/C for around $1K. Need to lock something in before end of April. Current thinking is to go to HKG via SiN on a SQ Flexi which will get me 200 S/C for around $1.1K. Any thoughts appreciated.

Hi gwilli1, consider SYD to REP (Siem Reap- airport for the Angkor temple network). Out early SYD 24 APR RTN 26 Apr, both via SIN. Works only for this week in April. Earlier week is Khmer/Thai/Lao/Myanmar/Buddhist New Year. Nets 180 VA S/Cs in SQ flexi saver "E" bucket - for $AUD 1,085, but you can't upgrade SQ "E".. with points.. which may be useful for the SIN/SYD overnight.. Hot in REP in April... *b hot, actually not so humid.. just hot! Hotel with a pool for a few days maybe cheaper than HKG. Dates maybe problematic with ANZAC Day. Cheers, PJ

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Hi All. Has anyone got any creative domestic or TT routings up there sleeve for 180 S/C for around $1K. Need to lock something in before end of April. Current thinking is to go to HKG via SiN on a SQ Flexi which will get me 200 S/C for around $1.1K. Any thoughts appreciated.

With the rise of flexis I think it is very difficult to come close to that value domestically or TT. The best I can get domestically is approx. $1230 for exactly 180 SCs with lots of flying involved (probably more than SYD-HKG return on SQ).

I'd say your original plan is the way to go. You'll get the full service airline and lounge access in every port.
As a side note, I was in REP one month ago and Silk Air check-in was a bit of a shambles and my bags didn't get tagged priority which was a pain as there was a delay unloading the non-priority bags in Singapore. Additionally, I noticed to get to REP you have to go via Da Nang so not sure if that is still in place. However, REP and Angkor is a fascinating place and a lot cheaper if that is a relevant consideration.

 

[TomVexille]

Hi All. Has anyone got any creative domestic or TT routings up there sleeve for 180 S/C for around $1K. Need to lock something in before end of April. Current thinking is to go to HKG via SiN on a SQ Flexi which will get me 200 S/C for around $1.1K. Any thoughts appreciated.

SYD-MEL-CHC as a flexi for $467 and CHC-BNE-SYD in J for ~$850 is 180 for $1.3k.

Not as good as SQ right now. Better SC earn from MEL, but that bumps up positioning costs.

 

[AviatorPJ]

I was in REP one month ago and Silk Air check-in was a bit of a shambles and my bags didn't get tagged priority which was a pain as there was a delay unloading the non-priority bags in Singapore. Additionally, I noticed to get to REP you have to go via Da Nang so not sure if that is still in place. However, REP and Angkor is a fascinating place and a lot cheaper if that is a relevant consideration.

For Silk Air
Most SIN/REP are direct to REP except for: MI636 TUE,WED,THU outbound, that flies to DAD then back to REP.
Most REP/SIN are direct to SIN, except for: M633 MON, SAT, SUN inbound, that flies to DAD then back to SIN.
and MI622 REP/via PNH/SIN inbound, TUE THU.
Sorry to hear about your baggage tagging hassle.

I mostly fly MI in whY from SIN/PNH/SIN. I've had no issues in PNH and with VA WP card, receive priority check-in, extra luggage, priority tags and lounge access. However, no PNH lounge access in whY on MI with *A Gold.

 

[spadge07]

Some report being comp'd status if you're very close (5 or 10 SCs), but I would absolutely not count on it.

Yep, can confirm that was the case with me, in early 2012 I was on 785 SCs and a nice Platinum Membership envelope arrived in the mail. Flew enough to keep it for 2 years, but am unfortunately back to Silver after a double soft landing bugger it!

 

[lobo76]

Just booked my Plat requal trip - BKK-AUH-LHR + ATH-AUH-MEL in Biz (Z) which by my reckoning is 480SCs (x2 with pooling)

If I turn off pooling while in Abu Dhabi will those 160 SCs for the final leg go to my partner or does it take a few days to kick in?

 

[esseeeayeenn]

If I turn off pooling while in Abu Dhabi will those 160 SCs for the final leg go to my partner or does it take a few days to kick in?

It's pretty much instant.

 

[a1ring23]

If I book a J trip from Perth-Samoa via BNE and AKL/MEL on the way back. Do the domestic sectors count as the domestic points earn rate or do they count as the international earn rate? (All under 1 booking).

 

[aamslfc]

If I book a J trip from Perth-Samoa via BNE and AKL/MEL on the way back. Do the domestic sectors count as the domestic points earn rate or do they count as the international earn rate? (All under 1 booking).

Not sure quite what you mean by domestic earn rate vs international... you'll earn the usual distance-based Business credits for each sector.