EUROPE (via USA) on points... a stopover question. THE BEST ITINERARY??

[timmy-t]

Hello experts...

Just trying to plan a trip to europe next year for a wedding and need your help/advice.
I had read somewhere that it was possible to get good value for your QFF pts from Asia to Europe via USA, provided that the stops were less than 24hrs then you would be charged the point to point fare between Asia and Europe.

Eg. something like HKG-ORD-DTW-ORD-LHR-FRA would be possible so long as there are no 24hr+ stops en route. Is this correct?

Anyway, I'm trying to stop in DTW if I can, otherwise, it may be quite a vanilla itinerary..

1/ MEL/SYD/LAX/ORD/DTW/ORD/LHR/HAM...PSA/LHR/BKK/SYD/MEL (includes a380 in F to LAX, DTW visit, BKK visit) - 376k pts

or

2/ MEL/SYD/SIN/FRA...PSA/LHR/BKK/SYD/MEL (includes A380 in F to SIN, BKK visit but no DTW visit) - 302k pts

or

3/ MEL/SYD/SIN/FRA...PSA/LHR/ORD/DTW/ORD/LAX/MEL (includes A380 in F to SIN, DTW visit, but no BKK visit) - 374k pts

or

4/ MEL/SYD/SIN/FRA...PSA/LHR/ORD/DTW/BOS/NRT/BKK/SYD/MEL (includes A380 in F to SIN, DTW visit, BKK visit and JAL 787) - 463k pts



As you can see, I'm trying to get a seat on a QF A380 in F for one leg. Either MEL/SYD-SIN or MEL/SYD-LAX.

The europe part is pretty straight forward, but I'm trying to add a couple of <24hr stopovers in BKK and/or DTW to visit friends/family.

Once I have the routing, I'll try to get the FASA or JASA tickets where I can...


Your comments are appreciated!


​

 

[serfty]

The points cost is calculated on the 'length' of each trip within an itinerary. A trip can be 'broken' by a stopover or some changes in carrier.

A "trip" is defined: (http://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/program/terms#jump1)

'Trip' means a series of one or more consecutive Flight Segments within an Itinerary:
(a) that does not include:
(i) a Stopover; or
(ii) a Flight Segment whose arrival city is the same as the departure city of any other Flight Segment in that series (in this instance the Trip will be broken at the farthest point from the departure city for that series);
(b) not exceeding the maximum permitted miles in the Qantas or Partner Classic Award tables (also see the Benefits Guidebook for the tables); or
(c) not broken by a change to or from any airline included in the Partner Classic Award table (also see the Benefits Guidebook for the table) excluding:
(i) any change from a British Airways Flight Segment included in the Qantas Classic Award table to a British Airways Flight Segment included in the Partner Classic Award table; and
(ii) any change to or from any airline included in the Qantas Classic Award table to or from any British Airways Flight Segment included in the Qantas Classic Award table.
Note: in paragraphs (c)(i) and (ii):

• 'a British Airways Flight Segment included in the Qantas Classic Award table' means a Flight Segment with a BA flight number which if it were the only Flight Segment in an Itinerary it would be covered by the Qantas Classic Award tables (also see the Benefits Guidebook for the table); and
• 'a British Airways Flight Segment included in the Partner Classic Award table' means a Flight Segment with a BA flight number which if it were the only Flight Segment in an Itinerary it would be covered by the Partner Classic Award table (also see the Benefits Guidebook for the table).

The change of carrier is the issue here.

Intra European BA flights for example are considered as being on a "different" carrier than a BA/QF flight on the "Kangaroo Route". So BNE-(QF)-xSIN-(BA)-xLHR-(BA)-CDG is considered two trips. BNE-LHR and LHR-CDG.

 

[timmy-t]

Intra European BA flights for example are considered as being on a "different" carrier than a BA/QF flight on the "Kangaroo Route". So BNE-(QF)-xSIN-(BA)-xLHR-(BA)-CDG is considered two trips. BNE-LHR and LHR-CDG.

Thanks Serfty, is this a new rule?

I'm sure I did MEL/SYD/BKK/LHR/HAM about three years ago all on the one "trip" i.e. 128k in J (I also had 20hrs in SYD, then 23hrs in BKK on the way over)

 

[serfty]

Thanks Serfty, is this a new rule?
...

IIRC ~18 months since it came in - before that QF to BA vv anywhere was not in itself considered the end of a trip.

Interestingly, SIN-(BA)-xLHR-(BA)-CDG is two trips as well; SIN-(BA)-xLHR-(QF¹)-CDG is one trip.

¹ Codeshare