N00b question about status credit earning

[runawaytrain]

Hi

Firstly, thanks to all who contribute to this forum. I have learnt a lot and am very grateful for the knowledge shared.

Now, to my n00b query, I've got a wedding in Vegas that I will be attending on the 20th of July. I'm thinking of experiencing Qantas J for the very first time. I have absolutely no status with Qantas. However, from what I remember, I will earn 560 status credits for a return flight from Melbourne to JFK. I'm also visiting relatives in Austin around the 22-25. My year ends on the 31st of July.

I'm assuming that status credits are calculated after the flight is completed right? So if I want to attempt to qualify for SG I would need to earn all the SCs before the 1st of August? I was actually planning on departing later in August because of my studies but I just realised when my year ends.

Thanks for listening .

 

[bismarck]

Yes, you have to acquire all of the status credits within a single year in order to reach the relevant status level.

 

[Storyteller]

You could look at doing a few flights in first on AA while you are there to get to where you need to be plus earn SC for QF. If you earn enough, why not return home at the time you want in August, & those SC will add to your next year's count.

Lots of threads here on good AA sectors to do that will fit in nicely with your plans.

And welcome!

 

[runawaytrain]

Thank you both for your help and thanks for the welcome Storyteller - both greatly appreciated . I think I'll be at least PS by the 1st then.

 

[Storyteller]

Hold off buying your QF ticket for a few days while you gather more info here on the AA flights? The J sale has a couple of days to go. If you do things right you could be WP

 

[runawaytrain]

Thanks for the advice.

I would love to be a WP - fits into my whole DYKWIA persona. Actually, I think it could be a very dangerous thing just like starting to fly J. I'm not a high income earner but I guess for a few weeks in my life I can pretend! When I flew to NY last time with Qantas it wasn't terrible and pretty good for the price I paid. I have to say I basically wasted a day in LA the last time because of my inability to sleep enough on the plane. Perhaps, I'll be able to sleep for longer this time. However, the prospect of good food is always a constant temptation.

 

[MYT105]

There is also the option, as you have no status currently of simply taking out a new membership of QFF, which gives you a new rollover date. Then do all the flights and take the ones in the US as YUPP fares and get to SG, or even WP, and if you join say in June then you have nearly 2 years as SG or WP before dropping down, assuming you don't fly enough to keep it.
And if you have QFF points currently you can transfer them across, only draw back is if you have a lot of lifetime SC points built up.

 

[oz74]

Thanks for the advice.

I would love to be a WP - fits into my whole DYKWIA persona. Actually, I think it could be a very dangerous thing just like starting to fly J. I'm not a high income earner but I guess for a few weeks in my life I can pretend! When I flew to NY last time with Qantas it wasn't terrible and pretty good for the price I paid. I have to say I basically wasted a day in LA the last time because of my inability to sleep enough on the plane. Perhaps, I'll be able to sleep for longer this time. However, the prospect of good food is always a constant temptation.

The status chase is very dangerous! lol. I never imagined I would be anything but NB but after discovering this site my wife and I are off to the USA in August flying J and F and will return SG! .

We have even just purchased sale fares to SYD the day before we go to the US just so we get out 4 qualifying flights for the year.

People ask me whats my hobby? I tell them chasing status credits on Qantas lol.

Have fun, sorry to go off topic.

 

[Limewood]

Agree with oz74 its a continual chase, got the bug a few years back been SG since and love the benefits as does my good lady, luggage allowance, checkin and club lounges etc. Once the bug bites hard going back.

runawaytrain, as said you could get new QFF account to extend your time before next renewal and gives you time to accumulate more points. Going to the US presents excellent opportunity to gather even more status points via AA who's fares are reasonable and get good points, check out the posts on AFF for itineraries.

 

[stewiejp]

Hi

I've got a wedding in Vegas that I will be attending on the 20th of July. I'm thinking of experiencing Qantas J for the very first time. I have absolutely no status with Qantas. However, from what I remember, I will earn 560 status credits for a return flight from Melbourne to JFK. I'm also visiting relatives in Austin around the 22-25. My year ends on the 31st of July.

I'm assuming that status credits are calculated after the flight is completed right? So if I want to attempt to qualify for SG I would need to earn all the SCs before the 1st of August? I was actually planning on departing later in August because of my studies but I just realised when my year ends.

Thanks for listening .

If you left Oz in August wouldn't you miss the wedding? AFAIK the date line only gives you back a day

Welcome aboard, and enjoy.

 

[runawaytrain]

Wow! Thank you all for going above and beyond.

@MYT105 - Thanks very much. I never realised that could be an option. I assume I'd need to register with a different email address if I decide to do that. Could I do that closer to the date of departure? Sorry for all the n00b questions and thank you kindly.

oz74 said:

I never imagined I would be anything but NB but after discovering this site my wife and I are off to the USA in August flying J and F and will return SG!

Haha well you are my role model then! This website is like catnip. I think we may need to start an AFF Anonymous.

@Limewood - I'm glad I have found like minded individuals like yourself and others here. I'm starting to think, that for me, anything over 7 or 8 hours, may require a bit more than what the usual Y cabin provides. Well, we shall see if that is true. And there is only one way of finding out...

Thank you for the advice. As for status runs, I've been looking around and trying to think of what I should do. I think my relatives would let me leave my luggage at their place if required.

@stewiejp - ...I didn't realise it read like that. I blame typing on an iPad.


My leave is approved and hopefully the money transfer happens in time. I still haven't decided on the dates but my dates where I definitely have to be in a particular city are the 19th to the 25th of July. So here are my options:

1. Stick to the same FF account, fly from LAX to SEA and leave luggage with my relatives. My problem is that they live pretty far from the airport. These relatives include the parents of the groom so I don't want to put extra pressure on them.

How long would an SC run take usually? I am thinking perhaps leaving on the 13th or would it be better to leave later. I would have to make sure I was in SEA on the 18th to collect the rest of my luggage and fly to LAS. I want to at least have a day to relax before the craziness of the wedding hits.

2. As above, but instead of trying to improve my QF status credits, I will try my hand at improving my VA tally before the wedding and try a QF SC run after my Austin visit. This would involve heading back to SEA and leaving my baggage there. I would rather leave it in Austin but my cousin will be heading to Michigan. In any case, either way I need to get back to LAX to catch my flight to JFK with QF.

3. Open up a new account so I don't have to worry about my expiry date falling smack bang in the middle of my holiday! I don't think I have a lot of lifetime SC credits at all.

Thanks for letting me get all my incoherent thoughts out. This has taken me quite some time to type out because of those incoherent thoughts! Therefore, i really do appreciate the effort and time taken in replying. I know you have your own travel plans to worry about. Good night all! I hope I will come back with news of my first booking in J (okay the fare bucket will probably be something else but you know what i mean ).

 

[Storyteller]

Whatever else you decide to do, you will really enjoy your transPac in QF J

J lounge before departure, comfy seats, good food & service, PJs. Both ways. And, from 1 July you get to enjoy the chauffeur drive from home to airport in most capitals, plus on return. Seeing you may not be on 107 to NYC or 108 to LAX probably not there though. Still, it sounds like you're putting together a great trip

 

[MYT105]

As you haven't booked yet why not do MEL- LAX on QF J then use AA YUPP fares to get to your internal US destinations and then back to LAX for the return to MEL, rather than the JFK - MEL option. MEL - LAX return will be 360 SC's, then LAX -JFK return is 200 SC's, but a YUPP fares, with some indirect routing, you would more than likely make your SC target, and not have to worry about luggage as you could check it in at the start and pick up at the end of the flight in the city you want to be in.

Good luck with your decisions.

 

[runawaytrain]

Storyteller - Thank you I will! Dare I say, that one of the reasons why I chose QF is the food (some may disagree about the sourdough though! ). I won't have much time in any lounge, I booked MEL-SYD-LAX-JFK and return for the extra SCs. I think I have a very short connection time between MEL and SYD.

MYT105 - Thank you for that suggestion it was something that I definitely considered and maybe I should've done that but to be honest, I really wanted to fly QF to NY. And also because when I left I wanted my last memory to be watching the NY skyline in the distance rather than saying goodbye to LA. LA is ok but in my limited experience NY > LA.

So now I am in a bit of a pickle. In my stress to book within the sale deadline, I have my current frequent flyer number on the booking. If I want to sign up for a new number and transfer the booking to the new number is that still possible? I understand I'm going to have pay a change fee since it's a multi-city booking and a new membership fee but I think I'm probably better off. Even if I try to fit in some status runs, I haven't found anything that is within the price range of others. I have found price ranges that reflect what other people are getting at a different time of the year but for me it's not working for that time I have to work with.

What I find strange is that sometimes, AA.com will allow me to do a multi-city booking through certain cities and at other times it tells me that the routing is n/a and to check their route maps.

If I can't resign up and change the booking, well there's nothing I can do but enjoy the holiday and er perhaps, travel a bit more in the future.