Give me your best OWE Itinerary

[beardoc]

It would be interesting to revive this thread in light of the rule changes and the reduction to 16 segments. How are people faring with this now?

Edit by NM:
I have split this off to a new thread so as not to confuse people reading through the original thread and poll.

For reference, the original thread based on old rules can be found here.

 

[drron]

Re: Give me your best OWE itinerary! Prize for best entry!

We are currently on a DONE4.If you are a member of Aadvantage the best bet is to optimise the mileage-gives you more EQPs towards status.However if in QFF it is best to maximise segments in the USA as your DONE4 books into A and hence you get first class SCs.
Thanks to a question from QF009 on this trip I am crediting to AA(just less than 150000 miles to LTG) but will fall short of requalifying for Plat(QFF gold).Mrsdrron is crediting to QF and will easily make gold and just fall short of WP.Had we had this plan when the trip was being organised a couple of extra US sectors would have her there.
EG she got 180 SCs for SYD-LAX(7457 miles) and 120 SCs for LAX-DFW(1223 miles).

 

[harvyk]

Re: Give me your best OWE itinerary! Prize for best entry!

If someone comes up with a half good route, I'll fly it, and I'll put a trip report up here, there will be brownie points for tying the whole trip into something I can claim for with my company (building software). I'm right now only a PS, but I'd love to be a WP.

Some provisios, OWE4, pref in J, but I'll do a Y one as well. Need's to have a minimum of 1140 SC's (Lets see that in Y , a real challange for you), and the least number of days possible. I'm ex CBR, but if needs be I'll make my own way up to SYD \ MEL or BNE to start. Prefer QF, perfer not AA (except domestic in the US), and just to throw an additional spanner in the works, I'd prefer larger planes such as the B747 \ A380.

Lets seem some itineraries.

 

[hayden]

Re: Give me your best OWE itinerary! Prize for best entry!

I'd be pretty interested to see a good example as well. Im on a bit of a mission to get to WP, and am also only PS. Need to maximise those SC's...

Whats the cost for doing a DONE4 , is there a rough price to work with?

 

[Flashback]

Prices can be found here: oneworld - oneworld Explorer

Note you will be lucky to get more than 350SC on an economy ATW.

 

[Hawkeye]

syd-jfk-dfw-anc-dfw-bos-mia-lax-lhr-mct-lhr-bud-lhr-hkg-mel-cns-syd

DONE4: 1920 SC's
AONE4: 2410 SC's

That can get the ball rolling.

 

[drron]

WP is a doddle on a DONE4 with just a little planning.EG a boring SYD-LAX-DFW-LAX-DFW-JFK-DFW-LAX-LHR will net you 720SCs for the 6 US sectors.1 stopover in DFW.

 

[harvyk]

A question I do have, does every flight on a DONE4 earn SC's, or are there limitations?

 

[serfty]

Prices can be found here: oneworld - oneworld Explorer

Note you will be lucky to get more than 350SC on an economy ATW.

I'm on a 16 segment LONE4 itinerary that nets 375SC's - it's not optimised as I'm travelling it with mrs serfty who is a nervous flyer.

 

[djfuzz]

Would have loved to have planned/flown a DONE4 when 20 segments were available, but this is what we have had to settle within the current 16 segment rules:

We are doing an ex-ICN DONE4 commencing in June with the following route:

icn-nrt-jfk-sfo-dfw-lax-lhr-dxb-lhr-syd-mel-akl-mel-hkg-dac-hkg-icn

QFSCs: 1750
Miles: 48278
SC earning rate: $4/SC (during the sale; probably about $4.40 now)

I'm also crediting to AA and doing a Plat Challenge based on advice provided here, but my partner is crediting to QFF.

However, given a bit more freedom, we could have booked something like this:

icn-hkg-jfk-sfo-dfw-anc-dfw-lax-dfw-lhr-mct-lhr-mel-hkg-bom-hkg-icn

QFSCs: 2070
Miles: 55673
SC earning rate: $3.38 (sale); $3.72 (current)

The difficulties with booking this itinerary (for us) were:
(1) the need to go to DXB and DAC;
(2) the need to book through AA online to reduce +++ (difficult when passing through HKG, which defaults to CX resulting in almost an extra $1000 per person); and
(3) the virtual impossibility of booking DFW-ANC-DFW using the online tool (it was possible until late March, then just stopped working for some reason).

Seems like it's pretty difficult to get to Partner Gold purely on a DONE4 these days - has anyone planned one that nets over 2100 SCs?

 

[hayden]

icn-hkg-jfk-sfo-dfw-anc-dfw-lax-dfw-lhr-mct-lhr-mel-hkg-bom-hkg-icn

QFSCs: 2070
Miles: 55673
SC earning rate: $3.38 (sale); $3.72 (current)

Is there a tool that calculates these Status Credits and miles out? I've been trying to work out how everyone does it so easily...

 

[serfty]

MileageMonkey 0.95021

 

[djfuzz]

Is there a tool that calculates these Status Credits and miles out? I've been trying to work out how everyone does it so easily...

Yep - Mileage Monkey.

Although bear in mind that it is an approximation based on the Great Circle Map, but usually it's a pretty good indication of what you're after.

 

[hayden]

MileageMonkey 0.95021

I thought that tool did it, I've been staring at it for a while. I couldnt get it to bring up that information, I guess I'm just doing it wrong

*edit* I just scrolled down................ thats my problem

 

[NM]

A question I do have, does every flight on a DONE4 earn SC's, or are there limitations?

Yes, every flight should earn Status Credits in the Qantas FF program.

Note that flights may not equal segments in the itinerary as ground segments count towards the maximum of 16 segments but do not earn Status Credits.

The number of status credits is determined by the fare class into which each segment is booked. L will earn at Discount Economy rate, Y at full economy rate, D at Business Class rate and A at First Class rate.

 

[harvyk]

Here's one I just put together,

CBR-SYD-LAX-EWR-ORD-MIA-JFK-LHR-BUD-LHR-SIN-HKG-NRT-HKG-SIN-SYD-CBR

It comes to 1550, combination of J and F, (AA flights in F) and with 1550 SC + 48138 Points (Taking into account J and F and ignoring PS points) for $12,111.46 (Ok not the highest amount of SC's but does what I want.) It's 10 days almost exactly, plus it lets me leave from CBR.



Monday, August 31, 2009

Departure: 06:45 Canberra, Australia - Canberra
Arrival: 07:35 Sydney, Australia - Kingsford Smith
Airline: Qantas Airways QF560 E


Fare type: Business

Change of plane required. Time between flights = 2:40.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Departure: 10:15 Sydney, Australia - Kingsford Smith
Arrival: 06:40 Los Angeles, USA - Los Angeles International
Airline: Qantas Airways QF107 E


Fare type: Business

Change of plane required. Time between flights = 2:05.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Departure: 08:45 Los Angeles, USA - Los Angeles International
Arrival: 17:15 Newark, USA - Newark Liberty International
Airline: Qantas Airways QF3049 E

Operated by American Airlines
Fare type: Business

Newark to Chicago

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Departure: 10:30 Newark, USA - Newark Liberty International
Arrival: 11:55 Chicago, USA - O'Hare International
Airline: American Airlines AA1883 E


Fare type: First

Chicago to Miami

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Departure: 14:15 Chicago, USA - O'Hare International
Arrival: 18:20 Miami, USA - Miami International
Airline: American Airlines AA1374 E


Fare type: First

Miami to New York

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Departure: 21:00 Miami, USA - Miami International
Arrival: 23:50 New York, USA - John F Kennedy
Airline: American Airlines AA972 E


Fare type: First

New York to London

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Departure: 08:40 New York, USA - John F Kennedy
Arrival: 20:35 London, United Kingdom - Heathrow
Airline: British Airways BA178 E


Fare type: Business

London to Budapest

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Departure: 11:15 London, United Kingdom - Heathrow
Arrival: 14:45 Budapest, Hungary - Ferihegy
Airline: British Airways BA862 E


Fare type: Business

Budapest to London

Friday, September 04, 2009

Departure: 15:30 Budapest, Hungary - Ferihegy
Arrival: 17:15 London, United Kingdom - Heathrow
Airline: British Airways BA863 E


Fare type: Business

London to Singapore

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Departure: 12:15 London, United Kingdom - Heathrow
Arrival: 08:10 +1 day(s) Singapore, Singapore - Changi
Airline: Qantas Airways QF32 E


Fare type: Business

Singapore to Tokyo

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Departure: 08:30 Singapore, Singapore - Changi
Arrival: 12:15 Hong Kong, Hong Kong - Hong Kong International
Airline: Cathay Pacific CX710 E


Fare type: Business

Change of plane required. Time between flights = 3:55.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Departure: 16:10 Hong Kong, Hong Kong - Hong Kong International
Arrival: 21:25 Tokyo, Japan - Narita
Airline: Cathay Pacific CX508 E


Fare type: Business

Tokyo to Singapore

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Departure: 11:00 Tokyo, Japan - Narita
Arrival: 14:50 Hong Kong, Hong Kong - Hong Kong International
Airline: Cathay Pacific CX501 E


Fare type: Business

Change of plane required. Time between flights = 1:25.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Departure: 16:15 Hong Kong, Hong Kong - Hong Kong International
Arrival: 20:00 Singapore, Singapore - Changi
Airline: Cathay Pacific CX711 E


Fare type: Business

Singapore to Canberra

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Departure: 19:50 Singapore, Singapore - Changi
Arrival: 05:10 +1 day(s) Sydney, Australia - Kingsford Smith
Airline: Qantas Airways QF6 E


Fare type: Business

Change of plane required. Time between flights = 2:10.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Departure: 07:20 Sydney, Australia - Kingsford Smith
Arrival: 08:15 Canberra, Australia - Canberra
Airline: Qantas Airways QF803 E


Fare type: Business

 

[serfty]

If you really want some good routes, have a look at this thread from FlyerTalk:

RTW ticket, longest routings ?? [On 16 segment rules] - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[Evan]

Note than MM is not current with what routes have F at the moment.
eg still has SYD-AKL and SYD-MEL etc.
E

 

[docjames]

We're actually currently contemplating this one:

MEL-BNE-SYD-EZE-SCL-SAO-MAD-LHR-MUC-LHR-DXB-HKG-KIX-HKG-SIN-PER-BNE


Gonna hurt as a LONE though - tought way to get 335scs....

Probably going to drop the -KIX side trip and the -SCL backwards and go straight EZE-SCL.

Origin: MEL (au) xONEx Fare Estimate
1: MEL-BNE: 1st of 4 (Southwest Pacific)
2: BNE-SYD: 2nd of 4 (Southwest Pacific)
3: SYD-EZE: intercontinental
4: EZE-SCL: 1st of 4 (South America)
5: SCL-SAO: 2nd of 4 (South America)
Note: for maximum accuracy please change SAO to a specific airport code: GRU | CGH
6: SAO-MAD: intercontinental
7: MAD-LHR: 1st of 4 (Europe)
8: LHR-MUC: 2nd of 4 (Europe)
9: MUC-LHR: 3rd of 4 (Europe)
10: LHR-DXB: 4th of 4 (Europe)
11: DXB-HKG: 1st of 1 (intercontinental entry to Asia without immediate transit & departure)
12: HKG-KIX: 1st of 4 (Asia)
13: KIX-HKG: 2nd of 4 (Asia)
14: HKG-SIN: 3rd of 4 (Asia)
15: SIN-PER: intercontinental
16: PER-BNE: 3rd of 4 (Southwest Pacific)

Congratulations!! Valid itinerary!!! - (34586 miles)

 

[wandering_fred]

While it is far more beneficial when posting to an AA FF account, the judicious use of the T class upgrades will add SCs to the postings to a QF account. BA on LHR-EZE or LHR-NAmerica might be the best use given BAs crediting policies with L class.

Also it is almost always more useful to purchase the short segments as extra (separate) tickets. On a LONE4 in the USA, Mrs WF has ended up with a total of 12 segments... Needless to say the cheaper ones are the extra 6. And in an earlier example I would not have included CBR-SYD on a LONEx unless I had absolutely nowhere else to use the two coupons.....

But most people consider my thought process... a bit strange as it wanders

Fred