Value Status Runs

[justinbrett]

I'm writing this post from the ADL QP - waiting to return home from my status trip.

So far I've had a great day. Quite surprised too, I thought it would be a drag. Just to have no plans and no schedule - it's great.

I think overall I'm loving the 'randomness' of it all - how often do you get to visit four of the big 5 capitals all in the same day?

Decided to return to ADL airport a bit early (2 hours prior to the flight) cause it's quite hot outside and I'm a bit over walking around the city (it was either this or find a nice pub - but I prefer the Qantas pub where it's all free!).

It's been a pretty cheap trip too, excluding what I spent at the shops (which really has nothing to do with this trip, I would have bought the stuff anyway) I don't think I've even broken a 20 (thanks to being stuffed with food on 4 flights plus the QP).

Flying BNE - CNS - DRW tomorrow, but not a status run, returning home from holidays. Via CNS because it's the only PM flight to DRW on QF, plus the extra SCs don't hurt. I'll probably be over flying by then. No, not really!

 

[Skyring]

Decided to return to ADL airport a bit early (2 hours prior to the flight) cause it's quite hot outside and I'm a bit over walking around the city (it was either this or find a nice pub - but I prefer the Qantas pub where it's all free!).

Nice pub, that one. The new Adelaide terminal is an outstanding piece of work - Sydney looks more and more tacky every time I visit.

 

[justinbrett]

Nice pub, that one. The new Adelaide terminal is an outstanding piece of work - Sydney looks more and more tacky every time I visit.

Absolutely - except ADL is to SYD what SYD is to BNE.

I think BNE is the oldest QF terminal of the big 5 now?

Gotta admit MEL is a nice club, awesome view of the international apron, and close to the RWY.

 

[Altair]

I believe that you would need SG status to access OW lounges, not QP membership. Doesn't flying IB business class gain access to business class lounges?

Ok to clarify.
QP will not get me anywhere this trip and if I renew it the value is only for a couple of months, actually 1 NZ domestic flight, as I will then get SG by a LAN trip in J, and the remainder of the membership gets grandfathered until I drop to PS again, unfortunately will happen someday .
IB short haul business class same economy seats, well 3 inch extra pitch, but the only other thing is that the middle seat will be blocked. Additionally half the flights are under an hour, double the price (which is a better SC/$ return), on MDs so we have the two seats, and all sectors are in zone 1 so 40 SC only, OK if it was just me flying then I would be going J . Oh I had to make a budget cutback somewhere and this decision saved 7% of the honeymoon budget. If I did an SC run would most likely SYD-CBR return with one leg in J, but I would stay overnight in Canberra and catch up with a friend and see some sights so it would not be a total waste and only 1/4 of the cost of the Iberian flights for 2 in J.
I cannot be like some other flyers as I do not want to fly to a place and only stay in the airport or lounge, even if it was a 4 hour transit I have been known to catch a taxi and do a brief cruise in town to have a look, stressful sometimes due to unforeseen delays getting back.

 

[Mal]

The Finnair flights to HKG will be direct from HEL from latish May and the BKK-HKG-BKK MR's will no longer be available with AY going BKK-KUL-BKK instead.

As talked about over at FT, plans have changed again. Finnair is apparently dropping SIN/KUL as destinations (and pushing off to codeshares). Flights will turn around in BKK and planes used to expand their routes into India and China. So no short runs from BKK available.

Finnair

"Following these renewals, we will fly to all our long-haul destinations non-stop, without stopovers,"

the onward flights from Bangkok to Singapore will no longer be operated. Singapore and the flights previously planned for Kuala Lumpur will be served in cooperation with partner airlines.

 

[NM]

As talked about over at FT, plans have changed again. Finnair is apparently dropping SIN/KUL as destinations (and pushing off to codeshares). Flights will turn around in BKK and planes used to expand their routes into India and China. So no short runs from BKK available.

Finnair

Does thus suggest that HEL-KUL is not going to happen with AY? That is a shame as I would likely have used AY for the Asia-Europe inter-continental routing of DONE4s.

 

[JohnK]

As talked about over at FT, plans have changed again. Finnair is apparently dropping SIN/KUL as destinations (and pushing off to codeshares). Flights will turn around in BKK and planes used to expand their routes into India and China. So no short runs from BKK available.

That was totally unexpected!

The QF airfares SIN-SYD are well priced and the AY business class SIN-BKK made the total airfare price more cost effective for the total SC's received.

Oh well.... back to the drawing board.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Does thus suggest that HEL-KUL is not going to happen with AY? That is a shame as I would likely have used AY for the Asia-Europe inter-continental routing of DONE4s.

Yup - pulled before it even started. AY concentrating on India with many more flights (DEL and BOM). No more AY longhaul tag legs, all flights will be nonstop.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Closer to home the reduction in fuel surcharge and NZ's new domestic pricing has sharpened QF pencils. Current sale AKL-ZQN NZ$74 each way for 15 SCs (and 1000/1200-odd points depending on if WP or not).

 

[futaris]

Do the cheap NZ Red-E-deal these book in N class, or O class?

 

[Altair]

Do the cheap NZ Red-E-deal these book in N class, or O class?

Last time I booked an NZ red e-Deal it gave the AA points to SO. I believe domestic NZ is still rated as international, eg no full economy SC earning unless in Y fare class.:evil:
Oh AKL-ZQN is a good deal, I though WLG-AKL for $64, 10 SC was good.

 

[futaris]

Last time I booked an NZ red e-Deal it gave the AA points to SO. I believe domestic NZ is still rated as international, eg no full economy SC earning unless in Y fare class.:evil:

SO? One way S, the other way O? So 0.5 EQP / mile. Min 250 EQP, Min 500 EQM.

 

[Altair]

SO? One way S, the other way O? So 0.5 EQP / mile. Min 250 EQP, Min 500 EQM.

Sorry SO = Significant Other.
As far as I remember she got 500 but I do not know if points or miles, as it did not matter too much then as she was not on the challenge and would not mean too much.

 

[serfty]

Do the cheap NZ Red-E-deal these book in N class, or O class?

'Tis generally R class.

 TRAVEL DETAILS FOR:
 
 CUSTOMER NAME: MR <serfty>
 BOOKING REF:   3ABCDE
 E-TICKET NO:   081 1234567890
 MEMBERSHIP NO: QF  QF0699999
                FREQUENT FLYER PLATINUM/ONEWORLD EMERALD
 ISSUED BY:
 DATE:          09JAN07
 
 YOUR ITINERARY AND TRAVEL DETAILS:
 
 QANTAS AIRWAYS            QF4019  ECONOMY CLASS  (R) CONFIRMED
    DEPART     29FEB07     AUCKLAND                         1000
    ARRIVE     29FEB07     WELLINGTON                       1100
    OPERATED BY QANTAS - JETCONNECT
    DEPARTS FROM:TERMINAL D
    NVB 29FEB              NVA 29FEB
   BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE: 20 KILO

(Dates, serial and code numbers changed for confidentiality.)

 

[serfty]

Yup - pulled before it even started. AY concentrating on India with many more flights (DEL and BOM). No more AY longhaul tag legs, all flights will be nonstop.

YUP is the word; HNL-BOS return on AA for AUD1950. Get up to 780SC's with QFF or 16,000 Qpoints with AA.

(Of course you have to get to Hawaii first .... )

 

[futaris]

'Tis generally R class.

Good for a top up on AA challenge (started last year), then... 0.5 EQP/mile. 1 EQP/EQM.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

On QF NZ domestic, the weekly specials always book in R. The longer duration red-edeals book in O in my experience.

 

[Shano]

YUP is the word; HNL-BOS return on AA for AUD1950. Get up to 780SC's with QFF or 16,000 Qpoints with AA.

(Of course you have to get to Hawaii first .... )

I am going to US in a couple of months and was looking at YUP fares. Have just been doing some dummy bookings on AA website. I have selected first class with restrictions and the itinerary shows booking class as P. I assume that this is what I should be looking for??

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

From Airline Tickets and Airline Reservations from American Airlines | AA.com it looks like the NZ cheapies earn miles on aadvantage.

0.5 miles, 0.5 eqps for R and
0.5 miles, 0.25 eqps for O.

Similarly, Air NZ's domestic cheapies use a funny booking class and appear to credit 100% to mileage plus.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I am going to US in a couple of months and was looking at YUP fares. Have just been doing some dummy bookings on AA website. I have selected first class with restrictions and the itinerary shows booking class as P. I assume that this is what I should be looking for??

Yup. It should also shade yellow flights unable to confirm into first so you can tell straight away if there is availability (or flight even has a first class section).