Decoding fares / AA Platinum Challenge

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Bob

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Hi, Can anyone advise how to make sense of class/fare codes. In particular, I have a booking LAX to BNE with QF that is BKEE1YQ and I thought I might sign up for the AA Platinum challenge. I think the code means I have a B class fare and it looks as though that fare LAX to BNE would give me 1.5 Q points for each mile, which would give me AA Platinum from that one flight. Have I computed it correctly? If so, can I now change the FF number linked to that ticket from my QF number to an AA number?
 
Bob, I presume that you are aware of the AA Platinum challenge rules, given your comments in the post. However I'll give 1 caveat, don't ring AA Res in SYD to try and get you on the Challenge...I tried 3 times and each time the CSA had no idea what I was talking about. Instead, spend a little money and ring AA Res USA on 0011 1 800 843 3000; who know exactly what you want and each time I have done it through them, it has happened as it should (the challenge was correctly keyed in). I don't know what they have to do, but it can't be that difficult :? .

Yes, you have a B class fare, I agree with your 1.5 Q-Points per mile assertion, according to this chart, as well as you'll get 100% mileage.

Calculation-wise, BNE/LAX is 7,166 miles, thus 1.5x = 10,748 Q-Points, thus automatic qualification with 100% mileage bonus on that flight (for the achievement of the challenge). Hopfully, it will have posted correctly so that by the time of your return flight will also get you 100% bonus for Plat status. Nice little earners, aren't they :D

Check with AA when you are over there to see that it has posted.

Then you'll have automatic OW Sapphire status, so you should be able to get QP access in LAX on the return (not that it is much to write home about, but better than out in the general hubbub). You won't have your card for entry, but hopefully you get a CSA who understands.

As for deleting your QF FF number and changing to your AA number - this is not so simple. Seems that QF Res have trouble deleting the number from time you time. I have found varying degrees of success with ringing QF Res, asking them to do it, then checking 10-15 minutes later on Check My Trip. Your QF number should have disappeared and your AA number inserted. If at first you don't succeed, ring again...

I'll be trying that this week, when I change my wife's (she QF Silver but AA Plat).
 
Lindsay,

Many thanks. I am in North America at present and the LAX BNE leg is the last of a return trip. Do you know if changing from my QF number to an AA number is possible for just that segment or would it have to apply for the whole trip?

Bob
 
Should I do a Plat challenge?

Hi Lindsay,
I'm QP life (paid!) and have no status with QF. I have a trip to Rio next year which I will do in Business probably on Lan Chile. Is there any benefit for me in signing up for the AA Plat Challenge? One World Sapphire will get me into international lounges where QP membership won't but since most of my (infrequent) overseas travel is J class (which would get me lounge access), I really can't see any additional benefit that One World Sapphire will add by doing the AA challenge. I suspect getting QF status credits on the Lan Chile flight is the way I should go!
 
Bob, yes it can still be done for the final sector (as the first sector will have posted to your QF account and can't be reversed), but much harder in the middle of a trip and from over there. Give it a try, as the effort is worth the reward....
 
Hi kpc, long time no see...

From the point that you are QF NB, I think it's a lay down mazairre (??sp) that you should take the AA Plat Challenge. On the stated J ticket, you'll be AA Plat after either one or two sectors (depending on your routing)...presumably you're SYD via PPT on Lan Chile metal, so by the time you land...

With the Plat bonus on the (presumably) first flight, then at 100% for every subsequent flight, I think it'll give you some many more points than under your QF NB rate, that I can't see why you'd not want to do it.

Give me your routing and I'll calculate (have a spreadsheet that I plug it into). Then anytime you're flying in AA-land, on a Y or H ticket, you'll get auto-upgrade to J when you request it...plud their very generous (better than QF) award redemption rates...
 
kpc, excellent resource...

Okay, here's the AA earning chart for Lan Chile.

I need your current points and SC's to run it through my spreadsheet, however assuming standard earning rates here (no status bonuses have been added, ie. Silver then Gold):

SYD/AKL 60 SC 1,341 Base + 336 Cabin = 1,677
AKL/SLC 160 SC 6,014 Base + 1,504 Cabin = 7,518
SLC/RIO 60 SC 1,823 Base + 455 Cabin = 2,278

Total SC's = 560
Total assumed base level miles = 22,946 (no status bonuses calculated, which I'm sure you have Silver and Gold levels on the inbound sectors)

Compare that with the AA Plat Challenge (I'd sign up for it without worrying about the Gold Challenge), NM could confirm whether that would be the best option):

SYD/AKL Mileage: 1.25 x 1,677 = 2,096 EQM: 1.5 x 1,677 =2,516
AKL/SLC Mileage: 1.25 x 6,014 = 7,516 EQM: 1.5 x 6,014 = 9,021
Mileage Bonus: 7,516 * (You're AA Plat now, as your EQM bal > 10K)
SLC/RIO Mileage: 2.25 x 1,823 = 4,101 EQM: 1.5 x 1,823 = 2,735
RIO/SLC Mileage: 2.25 x 1,823 = 4,101 EQM: 1.5 x 1,823 = 2,735
SLC/AKL Mileage: 2.25 x 6,014 = 13,516 EQM: 1.5 x 6,014 = 9,021
AKL/SYD Mileage: 2.25 x 1,677 = 3,773 EQM: 1.5 x 1,677 =2,516

Total Mileage: 42,619 Total EQM's: 28,544

Although it may take a couple of weeks to register, you'll end up getting AA Plat bonuses (100%) on all the subseqent flights (and maybe lounge access on the way back, depending on the Lounge Dragons)...as you won't have your card

* The flight which completes your challenge is given a bit of "special status". It gives you elite status bonus miles (25% bonus if this is a Gold Challenge, 100% if you just finished Plat Challenge).

Why don't you PM me and I'll plug in the figures and email you the results on the QF side...if you're still interested.
 
Here is the info

Lindsay,
I'm happy to post the info publicly so others can laugh (at my miserly balance!)...I mean, benefit from you wisdom / knowledge :)

Current Status: Bronze
Status credits earned from 01 Nov 2003: 170
Additional Status credits required by 31 Oct 2004 to attain Silver: 180

Total points: 31,411 Last point activity: Oct 2004

Departing Flights

QF321 From: Sydney Fri 10:30 AM
To: Santiago Fri 12:45 PM

Airbus Industrie A340-300 1 stop AKL

LA756 From: Santiago Fri 03:00 PM
To: Rio De Janeiro Fri 09:20 PM

Airbus Industrie A320-100/200

23 hrs 50 min


Returning Flights


LA751 From: Rio De Janeiro Thu 2005 02:40 PM
To: Santiago Thu 2005 07:35 PM

Boeing 767-300

QF322 From: Santiago Thu 2005 11:25 PM
To: Sydney Sat 2005 07:25 AM

Airbus Industrie A340-300 1 stop AKL

27 hrs 45 min


NB: QF 321/2 is codeshare on LAN metal. Obviously, my SCs are going to expire in a few days, so maybe just assume I have the same SCs when I do the trip and do one with 0 SCs!!!

Thanks again Lindsay for your interest and help^

kpc
 
kpc, no problems for a FT friend. Now that I know you are flying direct SYD/SLC, that'll change my figures. The fact that it's a QF codeshare won't change the AA side, but it will the QF calculation.

QF calculations - assume you do no flying between now and these flights (and that your yearly balance from 1 Nov 04 will reset back at 0 SC's).

Opening balances: LTSC's: 180 Points: 31,411

SYD/SLC Mileage: 1.25 x 7,063 = 8,828 QF SC's: 160
SLC/RIO Mileage: 1.00 x 1,823 = 1,823 QF SC's: 60
RIO/SLC Mileage: 1.00 x 1,823 = 1,823 QF SC's: 60
SLC/SYD Mileage: 1.25 x 7,063 = 8,808 QF SC's: 160

At this stage, you actually reach Silver status (wow, one free QF experience + 25% status bonuses now apply) :roll:

Not confident on the LAN J flight points earnings...late at night and brain functioning poorly :(

Total balances: Points 31,411 + 21,302 = 52,713
SC balance = 440 (a long way from Gold)


Whereas, the AA calculation changes to:

SYD/SLC Mileage: 1.25 x 7,063 = 8,828 EQM: 1.5 x 7,063 = 10,595
Mileage Bonus: 8,828 * (You're AA Plat now, as your EQM bal > 10K)
SLC/RIO Mileage: 2.25 x 1,823 = 4,101 EQM: 1.5 x 1,823 = 2,735
RIO/SLC Mileage: 2.25 x 1,823 = 4,101 EQM: 1.5 x 1,823 = 2,735
SLC/SYD Mileage: 2.25 x 7,063 = 15,892 EQM: 1.5 x 7,063 = 10,595

Total Mileage: 33,750 Total EQM's: 26,660

Depending on when the flight is (hope it's in the first half of the year), will depend on how long you keep AA Plat - the points will survive until 2008. But AA Plt = QF Gold, so gets you lounge access every time your fly on OW airlines. Plus award redemption rates are better than QF's.

Plus you still have 31K QF FF points (a flight to NZ!!)
 
Thank you very much

Lindsay
thanks!!!

kpc
 
Just a few more points of clarification. As Lindsay states, you will reach AA Plat on the first leg, gaining you access to OneWorld lounges (except AA's Admirals Club lounges when flying on AA domestic flights without same-day international connections).

Also note that the 26K AA points is probably worth more than the 31K QF points. AA awards on QF in Australia/NZ are all the same cost, not matter of distance. 20K points gets you anywhere inside Australia and NZ in economy, and 30K in business class - including PER-AKL if you want.

You can top up your AA account by taking a few serveys at Opinion Place (opinionplace.com), just remeber that they think you are American, so find a suitable US zip code to use etc.
 
BORING!

Come on fellas... You guys haven't finished the challenge... I want somebody to try to work out the date of Bob's flight. He's already given you all the information you need to figure it out.

Benny
 
Benny, what's with the BORING comment?? :? . If that's the way you feel...(you can insert any number of words here :roll: ).

The second part of your comment is much more helpful - a challenge in fact. I'm sure that we will all learn something here...as I did on the weekend about fare codes from Dave Noble, the FT guru.

My understanding is that the ticket is an Advanced Purchase Special Excursion fare, with restricted seasonal dates of travel. l can't replicate the exact fare coding from Travelocity (although I'm sure I'll be able to with a bit more knowledge and experience navigating it), but BKEE1YA code gives the following:

SEASONS

15-25JAN, 2APR-17JUN OR 19JUL-2NOV. SAME DATES APPLY EACH YEAR. SEASON IS BASED ON DATE OF ORIGIN AND IS DETERMINED BY DATE OF DEPARTURE OF FIRST INTERNATIONAL SECTOR.

So I'd presume that the Q a the end of his coding is simply different seasonal dates.

I'm a person with no travel agency or ticketing experience. Of course, if I could have been bothered, I would have rung QF Res and asked them (without letting on to Benny). But I couldn't be bothered if he's BORED :shock:

For those that want to learn more about the codes, use Travelocity
 
Boring was the long bit between the challenge and the answer.

The "K" gives it away... Ie the season. What you're looking at is the Fare Basis code which is different from the booking class. The fare basis contains the booking class, which in this case is "B".

You'll find a number of fare basis codes which look like this:
BKEE
BLEE
BHEE

K is shoulder season
L is low season
H is high season

You can't actually work out the exact date but you're ranges are very good. You'll find that K will lead up to about 20th December and come back down after the end of the school hols around the end of Jan.

These are economy fares. International economy fares are both inventory controlled (hence the B) and seasonal. Business international fares aren't! They are only inventory controlled as in D class, and J being the full fare, or its fare basis code which is JRT (J-Return with no seasonal designation).

God, now I sound boring... Can you tell i spent 7-very long-years in the industy?

Cheers,
Benny.
 
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Boring was the long bit between the challenge and the answer.

Well, if you're talking about the time between when you posted and when I answered, sorry to bore you, however I had better things to do tonight before I was available to log onto AFF.

You can't actually work out the exact date but you're ranges are very good

Why thank youBenny (complete with self depreciating sidewise glance :|)... "your" grammar needs some work on it while we're at it :p ...

But you intimated from your initial post that we could work out the date of Bob's return sector:

I want somebody to try to work out the date of Bob's flight. He's already given you all the information you need to figure it out

Finally:

God, now I sound boring... Can you tell i spent 7-very long-years in the industy?

Yes, well now that you mention it... :roll: (well you did open yourself up for that one!! :D )
 
Benny said:
BORING!

Come on fellas... You guys haven't finished the challenge... I want somebody to try to work out the date of Bob's flight. He's already given you all the information you need to figure it out.

So when you said "You can't actually work out the exact date but you're ranges are very good." you were actually just having a big w-a-n-k?

Nothing in his posts leads anyone to work out the date of is flight.

Dave
 
Hmmm, it would seem that Benny's bubble is popping...akin to AcrossTheDitch's.

Benny, one must learn that whilst one has specific knowledege on a particular subject or area, rather than appearing self-important and wearing it as a badge of honour, one must be self depreciating. Share it freely and in doing so, you will reach your target audience and reveive thanks, but don't abuse the privilege you have and never, o never, get into a verbal stoush with thadocta.

I'm beginning to formulate an understanding similar to thadocta's comments in his topic to you. Not everybody here travels on the company dime, in fact I'd think AFF is populated by a higher proportion of SFSC's (self funded status chasers - to coin a phrase used over in Flyertalk). There, by contrast, would be a forum more evenly split between company/personal dime travellers. Try to comment as well on the QF travelling life outside the corporate sphere - where you will garner a much wider audience, but if you can't, I wouldn't take thadocta on ;) :oops:

To give you an example about the type of flyer I am - for work, I travel on part my $ (80%), part company $ (20%) (yes I split the costs because of my unusual employment contract within my family business - yes, I'm one of the family). The same for accomodation costs (80/20 split), but incidentals (taxi's etc) are 100% company expense. So whilst I can afford and justify to fly in K class now (and stay in decent hotels), I'm exteremely lucky - most here would love to earn the full SC's that it gives.
It also as a result of 20 year hard work in my industry and giving everything I can to my clients to make it happen for them. In doing so, I am rewarded...

Personal travel is exactly that - after tax $, as it is for everybody.
 
Hmmm, it would seem that Benny's bubble is popping...akin to AcrossTheDitch's.

Lindsay,

Maybe you're right with this though I certainly hope not. Maybe it's just my trusting attitude or my Ocka nature to support the underdog. I'm more than happy to eat humble pie on this if appropriate or shout you (and thadocta) one of those funny NSW beers at the QP some time.

I believe it's now up to Benny to respond appropriately with the balanced perspective as you suggest.

Go Benny :!:
 
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