Best Value SC Run for 360 SC's

[suey]

Hi there I have just worked out that I have 510 SC points to get to WP before the end of August...

I do all my flying in discount economy and so far only have two trips booked in til then - HK return tomorrow which I think will give me 60 SC and Hangzhou in July which will be 90 SC.

That means I'll still be 360 SC off qualifying damn it!

There is a chance I will do a UK trip so that might be another 130, but I was wondering what is the best way to get the extra 360 SC either paying for flights or doing a points run - I have around 220k points at the moment. Ideally I would like to save my points for kids flights, as if I can justify a trip for work purposes, I can put it through my business...

So please give me some advice as to the best thing to do I have seen the Nadi SC run mentioned a few times, a few nights in Nadi would be nice and I could possibly squeeze that one as a work trip...

BTW I am based in the Hunter Valley, so nearest international airport is Sydney, but I could fly JQ to Bris or Melb too.

Thanks, Sue

 

[samh004]

JQ to BNE and then the Air Pacific/Qantas J run BNE-MEL-SYD-NAN-SYD-MEL-BNE will net you 360SC for between $1300 and $1700 depending on when you book and how you book. There are a couple threads around.

 

[tuppaware]

The standard run for us on the East Coast is Fiji in Business class.

Hop to Brisbane to start then do.
BNE>MEL>SYD>NAN(Fiji)>SYD>MEL>BNE

You will have to stay overnight in fiji (but why wouldn't you?)
Exactly 360 sc and about costs about $1300.

Sam beat me to it.

 

[markis10]

A JASA run TSV-DRW-TSV will net 280 SC's for 48K + $200 cash, a connecting JASA will get you across the line.

 

[M@rcoPolo]

Exactly 360 sc and about costs about $1300.

Perhaps off topic but do you really think the gap from Gold to WP is worth $1300

 

[Princess Fiona]

Perhaps off topic but do you really think the gap from Gold to WP is worth $1300

IMHO if you fly internationally then yes, the FLounge at SYD/MEL and OWE benefits are worth it.

 

[medhead]

Perhaps off topic but do you really think the gap from Gold to WP is worth $1300

If doing all flying in discount economy it goes very close IMO. Of course, I currently do enough discount economy flying to get platinum without a status run. But really only the OP can answer this question.

 

[suey]

I have been tossing up whether it is worth it... Gold status definitely worth it for the lounge access and extra luggage, which I've reached easily anyway, but my thoughts as to why WP is worth it, is because I do pretty much all my flying at this stage in Y, from what I have read on here, I figure WP status will get me better seat choices, so increase my chances of scoring good seats like bulkheads etc. Is that right?

 

[Alanslegal]

The question I would be asking is, after hitting WP will I be doing a decent amount of international travel? As that's where the bigger benefits are when flying Y.

Not only you get F Lounges worldwide, F check-in, WP double miles vs 50% that of SG, and a better chance of points upgrade.

If after getting WP and all you are doing is domestic ... then is chasing WP worth the benefit of J Lounges over the regular QP's? I'll leave that up to you.

 

[samh004]

Perhaps off topic but do you really think the gap from Gold to WP is worth $1300

There’s always one. I didn’t bring it up as I’d have figured they’d already thought about the price versus the benefit, and would work out based on what was posted here if it was worth it. Just because it’s not worth it to some on here (strange that they’re here), doesn’t mean it isn’t to others.

I have been tossing up whether it is worth it... Gold status definitely worth it for the lounge access and extra luggage, which I've reached easily anyway, but my thoughts as to why WP is worth it, is because I do pretty much all my flying at this stage in Y, from what I have read on here, I figure WP status will get me better seat choices, so increase my chances of scoring good seats like bulkheads etc. Is that right?

Well in theory, with advance seat selection you’d have slightly better access to the front few rows, but the reality is at T-80 (80 hours before departure) I was selecting the bulkhead seats as a Silver member.

I think with the current food and drink offerings in the J Lounge, considerably better than the QP, it’s worth the boost you’ll need to get there, especially if you’re travelling weekly as it is. However, if not, it’s less useful.

Similarly, international travel between OneWorld ports, it’d be a good thing to have Emerald, as the F Lounges in SYD/MEL alone are worth a few hundred dollars every visit (at least that’s roughly how much I drink/eat every time I go)!

 

[medhead]

With domestic exit rows now selectable on line, if the aim is to get a good seat with leg room then gold should be good enough. The only thing that platinum offers for domestic seats is being able to sit at the front if the aircraft. That's important if you are carry on only and what to depart the airport quickly after arrival.

 

[Briz.QffBoi]

With domestic exit rows now selectable on line, if the aim is to get a good seat with leg room then gold should be good enough. The only thing that platinum offers for domestic seats is being able to sit at the front if the aircraft. That's important if you are carry on only and what to depart the airport quickly after arrival.

I find that on pretty choka flights (such as BNE/TSV, BNE/SYD, BNE/PER) that WP not only gets me up the front in Economy (with extra stretch & comfort) it also means greater chances of being bumped "up the front" when oversold out the back. This has happened to me on the TSV run 4 or 5 times since Feb.

I've got to say that the improved offering in the business lounges is also an additional benefit.

All the goodies that go with WP when going international speak for themselves.

My view is that we live in shifting times - getting less for more - the closer you can stay towards the top of the pack, the greater the sweetmeats will rain down upon you!!

 

[JohnK]

Perhaps off topic but do you really think the gap from Gold to WP is worth $1300

Depends on how much flying you do.

For me it is worth it as I need the extra luggage allowances commuting SYD-BNE and then also taking golf clubs with me is not an issue as I get the extra piece of luggage to check-in.

 

[markis10]

Depends on how much flying you do.

I agree, having been SG or WP since 97 I have been on both sides of the coin so to speak, its the unwritten benefits of WP that make the difference for me such as getting proactive calls from QF telling you of a flight you are taking that might have issues and offering alternatives before you even knew there was a problem. When you fly a lot, it makes a difference!

 

[suey]

Almost all of my travel is international, prob 8-10 trips per year - 5 to HK/china, rest to europe/us, hence why getting a good seat in Y is important to me (would love to travel in Y+, but my business in still in the early ish stages, so we are still doing all Y travel except for points upgrades)...

I've only been in one F lounge vs J lounge, at Singapore, and whilst it was bigger and more nicely decorated, with really fancy showers, I wasn't sure it was worth that much more than the J lounges I normally use, but please feel free to enlighten me

I was also hoping that as a WP, I would be more likely to get points upgrades etc than as a SG, hence wondering about doing a SC run to get there... Is that likely?

 

[samh004]

I've only been in one F lounge vs J lounge, at Singapore, and whilst it was bigger and more nicely decorated, with really fancy showers, I wasn't sure it was worth that much more than the J lounges I normally use, but please feel free to enlighten me

It’s the MEL/SYD F Lounge where it’s at, then the CX Wing/Pier in F or BA Galleries F

I was also hoping that as a WP, I would be more likely to get points upgrades etc than as a SG, hence wondering about doing a SC run to get there... Is that likely?

You’d certainly be higher up the order, but whether that would translate to more upgrades I’m not sure.

 

[markis10]

I was also hoping that as a WP, I would be more likely to get points upgrades etc than as a SG, hence wondering about doing a SC run to get there... Is that likely?

In theory you should have more success and evidence/experience posted here would seem to indicate that, but at the same time it does depend on where you are flying and when, and it should also be mentioned that you have a better chance of scoring a freebie upgrade ( I have had 5 domestic ones in the last 6 months) as well as being in a position to have a claytons upgrade (as in an upgrade where you get J seating for Y or PE fares when an aircraft is operating with classes that are not normally sold on that route, such as the current QF51/52 scenario with 747 equipment in place of A330s.)

 

[Alanslegal]

Almost all of my travel is international, prob 8-10 trips per year - 5 to HK/china, rest to europe/us, hence why getting a good seat in Y is important to me (would love to travel in Y+, but my business in still in the early ish stages, so we are still doing all Y travel except for points upgrades)...

I've only been in one F lounge vs J lounge, at Singapore, and whilst it was bigger and more nicely decorated, with really fancy showers, I wasn't sure it was worth that much more than the J lounges I normally use, but please feel free to enlighten me

With your mostly international flying I'd be persuading you to just go for WP! That's quite a few F Lounging you will be enjoying!

 

[suey]

Just bumping this up as I never did end up doing the status run as I couldn't fit it in to my schedule... However my end of FF year is fast approaching and I have a small window of opportunity (from Aug 18-21) to be able to do a status run before my points run out at the end of the month...

I have 270 SC's to get, and have decided its worth the run to get to WP, but was wondering if there is somewhere to calculate status points so that I can work out the best option for how to get my 270 SC's and the WP prize On the qantas FF calculator, it only includes actual Qantas flights.

Also, how long does it take for the status to come through after you get it, as I have 8 international sectors booked in September, so am hoping to take advantage of the status straight away haha.

Thanks, Suey

 

[markis10]

Just bumping this up as I never did end up doing the status run as I couldn't fit it in to my schedule... However my end of FF year is fast approaching and I have a small window of opportunity (from Aug 18-21) to be able to do a status run before my points run out at the end of the month...

I have 270 SC's to get, and have decided its worth the run to get to WP, but was wondering if there is somewhere to calculate status points so that I can work out the best option for how to get my 270 SC's and the WP prize On the qantas FF calculator, it only includes actual Qantas flights.

Also, how long does it take for the status to come through after you get it, as I have 8 international sectors booked in September, so am hoping to take advantage of the status straight away haha.

Thanks, Suey

Cost calculations come are hard as it can vary day by day, 270SCs is hard going but suggest probably -TSV-DRW will be best if you can get flights and hit it in one day, needs an overnight at both ends though: