Advice-Travel BNE to ARN May-June 2022

[ceetee]

I need to be in Stockholm next month and requesting some advice from the experts here. I am QF gold and QR Platinum(from the status match) but not sure which airlines would be the best to book through.
On the one hand, I need to get some points on the board with QR if I want to keep the Platinum status that ends this Dec. On the other, I fly about 10 flights per year with QF domestically and want to maintain Gold or get to Plat. Also, QR flights are somewhat limited booked thru QF. Either way I get lounge access in the same lounge in Doha. And I don't have enough points with QF to get an upgrade on QR.
Any thoughts or recommendations?

 

[Anna]

Does Finnair have any good deals?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I would go with QR, as with QF you would need to SIN first, if you want to go with AY Finnair, or QF to BKK to link with something to ARN.
Revenue or award that you are looking for.
QR does not have premY, while QF does have that, either as far as SIN, or premY to LHR on the A380.
QF might even put you through LHR, thats the trouble, and then have to back track, where as with QR, its one stop via DOH.
Also, UK does have the APD so if you can get premium classes, either paid or via employer, or who ever, the fare/taxes will be higher.
Go with QR I say, one stop at the most, at DOH.
I have been QFF SG before, its not hard to keep that, though you do say you want QFF P1, 10 dom trips return dom trips (if you can snag J/subclass of J), plus maybe a return J across the pond, once that opens, might get you to QFF P1.

 

[VPS]

I need to be in Stockholm next month and requesting some advice from the experts here. I am QF gold and QR Platinum(from the status match) but not sure which airlines would be the best to book through.
On the one hand, I need to get some points on the board with QR if I want to keep the Platinum status that ends this Dec. On the other, I fly about 10 flights per year with QF domestically and want to maintain Gold or get to Plat. Also, QR flights are somewhat limited booked thru QF. Either way I get lounge access in the same lounge in Doha. And I don't have enough points with QF to get an upgrade on QR.
Any thoughts or recommendations?

You could check with @madrooster who is a TA and has helped people before

 

[jase05]

I need to be in Stockholm next month and requesting some advice from the experts here. I am QF gold and QR Platinum(from the status match) but not sure which airlines would be the best to book through.
On the one hand, I need to get some points on the board with QR if I want to keep the Platinum status that ends this Dec. On the other, I fly about 10 flights per year with QF domestically and want to maintain Gold or get to Plat. Also, QR flights are somewhat limited booked thru QF. Either way I get lounge access in the same lounge in Doha. And I don't have enough points with QF to get an upgrade on QR.
Any thoughts or recommendations?

I’d say you will find it almost impossible to retain your QR Platinum from the info you have given. You do have 60 Qcredits though as a platinum which can be used to upgrade from economy. Your 60 Qcredits could upgrade you one way if upgrades are available. As a Platinum you would get the best lounge in DOH if travelling in QR J.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

The most direct routing I can see from BNE to ARN would be BNE > SYD > LAX on QF, then LAX > ORD > JFK on AA then JFK > LHR on BA then LHR > HEL > ARN on AY. If booked in J I reckon that should rack up quite a few tier points on QF and QR.

Joking aside, in terms of collecting status, I would argue that it's pointless to hold status with more than one airline in a given alliance (i.e. OneWorld) since the benefits are largely duplicated and yet you have to run twice as fast on the status treadmill every year. Generally, when you are thinking of airline status you should ask yourself who are you flying with the most? If you only fly QR once a year but take many trips with QF, then I would argue focusing on the QF status since you'll have those QF benefits more often (i.e. better upgrade priority). Even if you travel with a Middle East carrier often, QF may still be the better choice given their partnership with Emirates. In the case of QF, a single flight with them this year will let you retain whatever status you had with them (provided your membership year ends by December).

If anything, I'd actually be looking to see about earning status elsewhere. For instance, earning status with Virgin Australia means you'll be covered regardless of where you fly in Australia. In addition, their partnerships with Air Canada, United, Singapore and others would set you up nicely should you have future international trips booked. Another option would be looking at other alliances such as Star Alliance (e.g. United, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Air NZ, etc.) and SkyTeam (e.g., Delta-Air France-KLM, Korean Air, etc.) to provide you with the best status coverage. Indeed some are even offering status matches at this very moment. For instance you can net Delta elite status with a single long haul trip from AU to Europe via the US.

Lastly in terms of award bookings and upgrades my advice would be to look around at the various frequent flyer programs and see where the availability exists for the routing you want. There's frankly no easy way around that, and being loyal to an airline won't generally help you here. Either the airline has reserved seats for award/upgrades or they haven't. Your best bet would be to use the award search engines of the three key airlines alliances (e.g. United for Star Alliance, Delta for SkyTeam and Qantas for OneWorld) to see where there is availability on the dates you want to travel. I would then transfer miles to the relevant frequent flyer program to redeem for the award, or if I don't have enough points, potentially purchase the points, supposing the price is right. Case in point, I'm travelling in late June from Sydney to Toronto in Air Canada business class for 160,000 points + ~$200 in taxes and fees return. It took quite some time to find the relevant program but when I did I was able to make the redemption for cheap.

-RooFlyer88

 

[tdimdad]

Hah, see you in Sweden next month. Though, I'll pop into Göteborg but anyway.

If you want to stay within OW alliance, you have pretty much three choices these days:
1) Maximise your QR gain: AU > DOH > ARN. A simple option.
2) Maximise your QF gain: AU > LHR on QF and then >ARN on BA.
3) If you are open to other options, QF to SE Asia / East Asia and AY from there > HEL > ARN. The least flying time would be via HKG (used to be in earlier years, now you have extra time in the air due to current flight paths). You could also think of JL to LHR or HEL via HND and then BA or AY for the last leg (of these, I'd do via HEL).

 

[ceetee]

Thanks all for the input. You ARE definitely the experts. Which is why I like this platform so much. I did end up on QR BNE-DOH-LHR due to first week need to be in London. Then BA-ARN for second week, then QR back home. This will be first time in 2 years plus that I have made the 14hr haul first leg. Wasn’t able timo upgrade so quite an uncomfortable day in the air.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Keep an eye out for upgrades, as they may appear in the coming in during the coming weeks - a lot will depend on load factors in J.

Safe Travels,

RooFlyer88

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

(O/t Be prepared to do the digital IPC, not sure when that starts, as to exact date, websearches I have done says Jun that the paper based IPC will be removed.
Some on here say, the DPD on the website is easy, so you might have to bring along a laptop.
Or do it on a smart phone.
I have not done either, as haven't flown int in about 2.5 years, as haven't others.
I feel the DPD taking photo of passport photo page can be difficult, as you have to keep photo page open, try that with a passport that constantly wants to close itself (!), some on here say its better to get someone to hold the page open, but I travel solo!
Oooh, and they want a selfie too (!), all the effort just to fly int (again)!
Lots of questions, if you take a look at youtube, as to what the procedures are to fill in the DPD and IPC.

 

[Franky]

(O/t Be prepared to do the digital IPC, not sure when that starts, as to exact date, websearches I have done says Jun that the paper based IPC will be removed.
Some on here say, the DPD on the website is easy, so you might have to bring along a laptop.
Or do it on a smart phone.
I have not done either, as haven't flown int in about 2.5 years, as haven't others.
I feel the DPD taking photo of passport photo page can be difficult, as you have to keep photo page open, try that with a passport that constantly wants to close itself (!), some on here say its better to get someone to hold the page open, but I travel solo!
Oooh, and they want a selfie too (!), all the effort just to fly int (again)!
Lots of questions, if you take a look at youtube, as to what the procedures are to fill in the DPD and IPC.

After looking at the DPD app and it's reviews, it was enough to convinve me to do it on a device when the time comes. I would like to start the process before we leave, but not sure that we can...

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Only way is 7 days prior.
Yea, would be nice if we could do it once it starts, like entering info that does not change, like passport info, vaccine info, passport data page photo, selfie etc, but Nak, wasn't meant to be.
No more NZ status runs for long trips.
Shirt 3 day hops from Au over there and quick back can work.
Ok, enjoy the trip.