DONE4 SC's

[neil_gardner]

Hi There. When I relocate to Shanghai next month, I get a flight home per year (or cash equivalent of USD4000). I plan to use this for a DONE4 to a) go home and visit relatives and friends in UK and US and b) maintain my Gold FF status.

As I will be travelling with family (they get $4000 too), I will need the most direct route to earn the 600 SC's. We want to visit SFO and MAN. Anyone recommend any "nice" routes? Rather avoid these massive status runs that people do...am trying to nail 600 SC's with the miminal effort.

I am also a Gold *A so could potentially do a similar ticket on their airlines. I will need 38,000 miles to re-qualify (2x bonus for J/D for all airlines except SQ which earn 1.5x bonus)

Thanks guys

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Depending on your travel pattern, BMI gold could be much more valuable than QF gold. Not only are the benefits better (apart from when flying Australia domestic, UA/TG SYD-MEL excepted), but earn more miles and the award costs are massively less.

Hence, I would go with *A RTW in C. Easily requalify and to the extent you do more than 55,000 status miles a year the excess converts to bonus award miles, upping your earning rate in business class to 425% (except SQ).

Additionally, if you do much intra-China flying both Shanghai Airlines and Air China have announced they will be joining *A (date unknown).

 

[Dave Noble]

It is v easy to get 600 SCs on a DONE4. Taking a basic routing such as PVG-lhr-man-lhr-jfk-sfo-HNL-SYD-PVG, with JFK-SFO-HNL being in 1st class, you would earn 870 SCs. You only need more complex itineries if you want to maintain a Platinum status

Dave

 

[neil_gardner]

Depending on your travel pattern, BMI gold could be much more valuable than QF gold. Not only are the benefits better (apart from when flying Australia domestic, UA/TG SYD-MEL excepted), but earn more miles and the award costs are massively less.

Hence, I would go with *A RTW in C. Easily requalify and to the extent you do more than 55,000 status miles a year the excess converts to bonus award miles, upping your earning rate in business class to 425% (except SQ).

Additionally, if you do much intra-China flying both Shanghai Airlines and Air China have announced they will be joining *A (date unknown).

Thanks NM. I was thinking exactly this as I was typing....the note about Shanghai Airlines joining *A is invaluable. That's who I fly between Shanghai and Shenzhen on a regular basis. Great advice as usual

PS didn't like the way it dropped ad's into my post. Especially as I work for a credit card company that is not ANZ

 

[neil_gardner]

It is v easy to get 600 SCs on a DONE4. Taking a basic routing such as PVG-lhr-man-lhr-jfk-sfo-HNL-SYD-PVG, with JFK-SFO-HNL being in 1st class, you would earn 870 SCs. You only need more complex itineries if you want to maintain a Platinum status

Dave

Fantastic route, Dave. Hadn't thought of the stop in HNL so that will please Mrs G. BA fly direct from MAN to JFK. I guess I'd lose a couple of SC's for that but save an extra domestic flight down to LHR. Sweet.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Thanks NM.

I didn't realise I'd changed names with the software switch!

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

PS didn't like the way it dropped ad's into my post. Especially as I work for a credit card company that is not ANZ

Welcome to google adsense. Not everyone sees the same thing (eg to me it is not ANZ in your post).

 

[NM]

I didn't realise I'd changed names with the software switch!

Oh No! Can I please have my body back (my mind has been gone for years) . Now let me see ... "fish and chips at six, please" ... yep all still good on the vocal front .

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

aussie aussie aussie

nope doesn't feel right

 

[NM]

aussie aussie aussie

nope doesn't feel right

Oi! Oi! Oi! ... What ever do you mean?

Now, lets see ...

Ka Mate, Ka Mate ...

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Some sample *A routings

a) short pvg-icn-lhr-man-lhr-sfo-akl-syd-akl-(nrt)-pvg (can skip last nrt once NZ launches Shanghai service), which fits well under 29,000 miles so CRWSTAR1

b) longer but more comfort/service pvg-nrt-lax-sfo-lax-lhr-man-lhr-hkg-sin-syd-akl-(nrt)-pvg, which fits under 34,000 miles so CRWSTAR2.

 

[Dave Noble]

Fantastic route, Dave. Hadn't thought of the stop in HNL so that will please Mrs G. BA fly direct from MAN to JFK. I guess I'd lose a couple of SC's for that but save an extra domestic flight down to LHR. Sweet.

Yep. You would lose 40SCs by flying MAN-JFK direct but you would easily stay over 800 SCs so no issue with maintaining status

Dave

 

[neil_gardner]

I didn't realise I'd changed names with the software switch!

oops...Sorry Kiwi Flyer.

 

[NM]

oops...Sorry Kiwi Flyer.

Apology accepted .