best/cheapest way to earn status credits to retain Gold

[MEL-bum]

First post... here goes

I'm a QFF with Gold status, but it looks like I'll be around 200-240 points short of retaining Gold by end March 2011. What is the best/cheapest way to get the SC points required to retain Gold (From MEL)? I'd really like to do this as I'm flying to europe with the fam mid 2011 and a reaonable amount of other work flights.

I've read quite a few posts about points + pay (JASA), but I can't see where to calculate SC from flights. A few other ?'s.........

Are the SC for JASA bookings awarded at business class levels? Economy? Other?
Do I need to wait to book a flight until last minute to get best JASA deals or can I book now for Feb/Mar?

Appreciate any help anyone can give!

Cheers

 

[Sprucegoose]

Welcome Mel bum,

JASA - business class any seat award.
Check SC on QF website in earning points section ( sorry cant post link from iPad- too stupid)

Look at Mel-cbr then a cbr-syd-hba return for around 42000 points in J class.

Markis10 has some great ideas so follow his posts.

Book jasa asap and be patient for best deals, invest the time and reap the rewards

Others will pipe up with ideas but this will get you started.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Welcome to AFF.

All of the info you seek will be found in the threads here, but I can confirm a JASA will earn business SCs, which may be the easiest (and cheapest) way to achieve your goal.

SCs are calculated in the points calculator (https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/do/dyns/initialPointsEarned).

A JASA is the same as a business class paid ticket for SC earn.

e.g. MEL-SYD JASA will net 40 SCs each way, MEL-BNE nets 60 SCs. A couple of trips and you're there!

All the best!

 

[markis10]

If your Melbourne based, the best JASA opts are HBA-SYD-CBR and return that will earn 200 SCs and is doable in a day sometimes, cost is 32k in points plus sub $200 in cash payment, or ADL-BNE-TSV return for 240 SC and sub 200 cash, again doable in one long day. In the meantime look at maximizing you travel for SCs, sometimes travel via CBR can add SCs without much cost.

 

[serfty]

...

SCs are calculated in the points calculator (https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/do/dyns/initialPointsEarned).
...

Although *ASA SC's can be probably used with that, it does not do calculations for routes that QF does not fly.

There are two other ways:

• Manual:
  • Work out routing distance for each segment using Great Circle Mapper,
  • Check these on the SC"s earning table found on Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Status Credits
    or​
• Mileage Monkey:
  • Open MileageMonkey 0.95022
  • Plug the routing into the "Oneworld Explorer Validator" box,
  • Tick ignore errors and
  • Click OK.
    
    
    QF SCs shown down on the table at the bottom under "biz".​
    
    

 

[MEL-bum]

Book jasa asap and be patient for best deals, invest the time and reap the rewards

Thanks heaps for this.... I assume this means the points/$'s cost is not fixed...?

 

[markis10]

The cheap JASA options exist when there is classic award availability, which does not last.

 

[reductionist]

My g/f has family in CBR so I was thinking it might be a good opportunity to do the HBA-SYD-CBR JASA run. I would actually have to start this run in MEL. It's a little OT but I have some questions regarding connection times.

1. The first QF flight from MEL to HBA arrives at 10:00am. Is 40mins enough connection time? I can't seem to find info about this on the Qantas web site.

08:45:00	10:00:00	MEL-HBA		Y
10:40:00	16:15:00	HBA-SYD-CBR	JASA

2. Would I be able to ask Qantas to connect these bookings together? This would be useful for checked luggage and what not?

 

[markis10]

The plane that you are getting from MEL is the same as the one going to SYD, so no issue, and I would ask for the bookings to get connected for luggage, otherwise you may have issues in Hobart.

 

[AV8]

Advice on best/cheapest JASA from SYD to receive 160sc's would be appreciated - April 2012 sc reset.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Advice on best/cheapest JASA from SYD to receive 160sc's would be appreciated - April 2012 sc reset.

i

Its not a JASA, but the LAN J class SYD-AKL-SYD, gets you 160SC for $700 ish???

for JASA i like the CBR-SYD-HBA-SYD-CBR runs for around 42,000pts and $200 odd dollars for memory.

look at the TSV thread from Markis10

 

[Myrna]

We took LAN from SYD to AKL for a short holiday a few weeks ago. Cost $750 pp in J class return - 160 scs. Seats were great, true international J class, flat bed. Food OK, not great though. And, we are still waiting for QF to credit our ff points and sc points. This is a problem with taking LA flights - FF points and SC points are not automatically credited.

We also did JASA from SYD to TSV (via BNE) for another holiday (as we had never been to TSV before). Cost 48K ff points pp in J class return, plus about $220 in taxes - 200 SCs. Domestic J seats were nothing to crow about - in fact after LA flights they paled in comparison. Food good. Got ff points and sc points credited soon after flights.

AV8: you have plenty of time to earn 160 scs by April 2012 for your gold. Hope one of the above will suit your timetable. You can actually do the SYD - BNE - TSV in one day, I believe! Leaving SYD on the 6am flight to BNE, arriving in TSV around 10:30am. Then take the 4:40pm flight from TSV to BNE, arriving in SYD by 8:40pm. All possible. The SYD - AKL is not possible in one day, so you may need to stay in a hotel overnight instead of sleeping at the airport! We stayed at the new Novotel hotel right next door to the international terminal. Very nice, convenient and comfortable. We don't normally do status runs without having a holiday at the same time.

 

[sydflyer]

i did the LAN SYD-AKL-SYD in April as part of an Easter getaway. But the points have not been credited yet, despite a couple of emails and phone calls with staff who advise that it will be done.

 

[AV8]

Thank you for your reply's - lots to work with - I've also found domestic QF JASA's SYD-PER/return on 744 both ways which is very enticing (upper deck).

 

[Myrna]

Thank you for your reply's - lots to work with - I've also found domestic QF JASA's SYD-PER/return on 744 both ways which is very enticing (upper deck).

If you go SYD-PER-SYD direct on B747 then you will only get 160sc on JASA. However, if you go via ADL (not on B747, but on B737), then you will get 280sc. Admittedly, the J seats on B747 will be nicer than the J seats on B737. The ff points required will be about the same whether you choose the direct route or the indirect route.

 

[markis10]

Thank you for your reply's - lots to work with - I've also found domestic QF JASA's SYD-PER/return on 744 both ways which is very enticing (upper deck).

Unless you want to go there or like PER, such JASAs are poor value, a simple TSV-ADL JASA earns 120 SC for 24K + $120, the positioning flights would earn the rest for few $$ and done in one day.