Cathay SC Earn calculator?

[SeatBackForward]

Is the mileage earnt from CX flights (and the associated SC's ) the same as per the Qantas table?

I'm looking at booking HKG to BKK and its 1300(ish) miles each way, so is that a total of 160SC's in business class?

I can't use the QF calculator to determine this and the CX wesbite only displays mileages not SC's.

Thanks
SBF

 

[Dave Noble]

For flights eligable to earn SCs, international SC earning uses the same table so you will earn the same SCs

I believe that it is theoretically possible for SC earning to be different on the same route on different carriers if the mileage for the flight is calculated differently by different carriers ( e.g. carrier 1 defines distance from A-B to be 1195 miles -> 60SCs and carrier 2 defines it as 1205 miles -> 80SCs)

Dave

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I believe that it is theoretically possible for SC earning to be different on the same route on different carriers if the mileage for the flight is calculated differently by different carriers ( e.g. carrier 1 defines distance from A-B to be 1195 miles -> 60SCs and carrier 2 defines it as 1205 miles -> 80SCs)

That surprises me. I can understand getting different mileage when crediting to different FFPs - indeed I've experienced this myself. But the same route being credited to the same FFP should have calculations based on the same distance surely regardless of airline?

I thought the operating airline just passes along info on paid class of travel, date, route, FFP # and name? It is up to the FFP to determine how much credit they do or don't get.

SeatBackForward - CX doesn't attract any status bonus.

 

[NM]

I believe that it is theoretically possible for SC earning to be different on the same route on different carriers if the mileage for the flight is calculated differently by different carriers ( e.g. carrier 1 defines distance from A-B to be 1195 miles -> 60SCs and carrier 2 defines it as 1205 miles -> 80SCs)

Indeed that may be possible, but I am not aware of any routes jointly operated by CX and QF where that is currently the case, so not something for anyone to be concerned about.

The main difference with QF FF points earning is that CX flights do not receive the Status Bonus (100% for Platinum, 50% for Gold and 25% for Silver) which is only paid for QF, AA and BA flights (as determined by flight number not by operator, so AA codeshares on CX flights do earn the status bonus).

 

[Dave Noble]

That surprises me. I can understand getting different mileage when crediting to different FFPs - indeed I've experienced this myself. But the same route being credited to the same FFP should have calculations based on the same distance surely regardless of airline?

I thought the operating airline just passes along info on paid class of travel, date, route, FFP # and name? It is up to the FFP to determine how much credit they do or don't get.

SeatBackForward - CX doesn't attract any status bonus.

I thought that the operating airline passes across details of mileage travelled

Dave

 

[SeatBackForward]

Oh ok I understand now. So I'd get 80SC's one way because it's business class, and then the 1300+ points but only get an additional 50% because its CX business class. My Silver earning of 25% doesn't apply unless its QF, AA of BA.

Understood.

By the way I'm looking at a HKG > BKK > HKG in business class would cost me under $1000 with CX for a total of 160points. I need 200 more by 31DEC06 to get to gold and will be in HKG from December onwards. Next year with potentially another 6+ return trips from HKG I think going for Gold would be worth it for lounge/priority etc. and Of course my QF membership would get suspended until I drop back from Gold which might be 2009

Interesting that to earn similar in Business class within Australia, a trip to Perth return would be almost three times the price.

 

[NM]

That surprises me. I can understand getting different mileage when crediting to different FFPs - indeed I've experienced this myself. But the same route being credited to the same FFP should have calculations based on the same distance surely regardless of airline?

I thought the operating airline just passes along info on paid class of travel, date, route, FFP # and name? It is up to the FFP to determine how much credit they do or don't get.

SeatBackForward - CX doesn't attract any status bonus.

CX may credit a different mileage for say a CX operated flight HKG-LHR than QF will credit for a QF operated flight on the same route.

You are correct when considering the same operator posting to different FF programs.

 

[Dave Noble]

Oh ok I understand now. So I'd get 80SC's one way because it's business class, and then the 1300+ points but only get an additional 50% because its CX business class. My Silver earning of 25% doesn't apply unless its QF, AA of BA.

You only get an extra 25% for business class travel so would earn 1300 + 325 = 1625

Dave

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

CX may credit a different mileage for say a CX operated flight HKG-LHR than QF will credit for a QF operated flight on the same route.

You are correct when considering the same operator posting to different FF programs.

Understand that example. But I would expect the mileage used within the calculation by QFF to be the same for HKG-LHR regardless of whether flown by CX or QF (credited mileage may differ due to status bonus), and likewise by CX's FFP (although this mileage used may differ from QFF's I'd expect to be the same whether flown by CX or QF).

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Interesting that to earn similar in Business class within Australia, a trip to Perth return would be almost three times the price.

Trans-tasman another good example of the different SC/$ rate compared with australia domestic (hint look at LA).

 

[JohnK]

Oh ok I understand now. So I'd get 80SC's one way because it's business class, and then the 1300+ points but only get an additional 50% because its CX business class. My Silver earning of 25% doesn't apply unless its QF, AA of BA.

Not sure how someone else has not picked this up but QF will only credit you 60 SC's one-way HKG-BKK (Zone 2) and 1,064 FF points plus 25% cabin bonus only, for business class on CX, for a total of 1,330 FF points one-way. No status bonus is correct.

By the way I'm looking at a HKG > BKK > HKG in business class would cost me under $1000 with CX for a total of 160points. I need 200 more by 31DEC06 to get to gold and will be in HKG from December onwards.

If you need 200 SC's by 31st December then you will need $2,000 with CX to reach your target as each return trip is only 120SC's. There is a cheaper way to do it but would require 3 return trips HKG-BKK-HKG. PM me if you want details.

Interesting that to earn similar in Business class within Australia, a trip to Perth return would be almost three times the price.

Very difficult to get good $/SC ratio in Australia. The best places are US with QUP/YUP fares and UK/Europe on BA with I class business specials.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Very difficult to get good $/SC ratio in Australia. The best places are US with QUP/YUP fares and UK/Europe on BA with I class business specials.

Some NZ fares reasonable SC/$ rates too

 

[NM]

Understand that example. But I would expect the mileage used within the calculation by QFF to be the same for HKG-LHR regardless of whether flown by CX or QF (credited mileage may differ due to status bonus), and likewise by CX's FFP (although this mileage used may differ from QFF's I'd expect to be the same whether flown by CX or QF).

Well lets look at an example where we can find from the different airlines operating the same route just how many miles they calculate the distance to be. For LAX-JFK, according to Qantas web site's points calculator, the trip would be 2467 miles, then they will apply any status and cabin bonuses. If you fly LAX-JFK on AA, they will credit as 2475 miles flown plus any bonuses.

When you fly an AA flight (say AA2) and credit it to QF, they post the exact mileage as AA show on their flight information on their web site, so will post to QF as being 2475 miles flown, which is different to what QF would post for taking the QF107 between the same city pair.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Well lets look at an example where we can find from the different airlines operating the same route just how many miles they calculate the distance to be. For LAX-JFK, according to Qantas web site's points calculator, the trip would be 2467 miles, then they will apply any status and cabin bonuses. If you fly LAX-JFK on AA, they will credit as 2475 miles flown plus any bonuses.

When you fly an AA flight (say AA2) and credit it to QF, they post the exact mileage as AA show on their flight information on their web site, so will post to QF as being 2475 miles flown, which is different to what QF would post for taking the QF107 between the same city pair.

Thanks for posting your first-hand experience. A strange system!

 

[Dave Noble]

Thanks for posting your first-hand experience. A strange system!

It doesn't seem strange to me; the earning for a flight is based on what the carrier decides is a distance and informs the FFP. It is normally only a trivial amount, but it could theoretically ( I don't know any specific cases where it does ) cause it to cross a SC level

Dave