Hello Everyone - Need for advice

[Robstar]

Good Morning Everyone & Happy Saturday,

My name is Rob & I am a Plebian Silver FF & a Qantas Pub member.
I'd like to aks the frequent flyer community some advice in regards to a round the world trip my wife and I will be going on in August 2011.

I have approx 250K worth of points which I'd like to use as upgrades from a base economy fare for my wife and I.

Looking to travel - SYD/ J'BURG/LON/NYC/EZE(Buenos Airies)/ SYD

My conundum is that my best friend has worked for Qantas for the last 12 years and he will be making me his Qantas buddy for 12 months in March 2011.

Although this provides me with significant travel discounts, I wont be able to use points to upgrade myself therefore any status credits contributing to my FF status are void.

Any advice on how I could best utilize this situation for me and my wife.

Any comments/ suggestions are more than welcome.
Thanks for any assistance that you may provide.
Best Regards.

Robstar

 

[Princess Fiona]

Hi Rob welcome to AFF. I don't know anything about staff travel but I'm sure that SC earned on any routing are only based on the original fare booked and not the upgrade to Y+ or J with points. The only way to get these SC is to use your points to book an ASA ( any seat award).
The trip sounds great !
Happy Travels

 

[Robstar]

Thanks for the comments Fiona,

Very much appreciated.
Regards

RB

 

[straitman]

Robstar,

Welcome to AFF.

You will not be able to use your points to upgrade staff travel and you will not earn SCs and points using staff travel. As well as this there are a lot of other advantages and disadvantages of staff travel.

If you really want to get somewhere at a particular time and on a particular flight then paying for a ticket and using a legacy carrier is your best option. I have many friends who are, or were, airline pilots and that is their approach. If a few hours or a day here or there do not matter then staff travel can have some very good benefits. (The main one being price)

Just one other word of caution that if you elect to buy your tickets and use your points for upgrades then make sure the booking class you use actually allows for upgrades.

Good luck with your decisions.

 

[markis10]

+1 for the welcome to AFF!

Have you bought your tickets yet, there is a vast wealth of knowledge here on traveling around the world at the lowest possible cost with maximum flexibility that may make staff travel look like flying with Tiger!

 

[Robstar]

Thanks Bill & Markis,

Staff travel does have its perks, we are fairly flexible on dates however, I dont think I'd hear the end of it if from my wife if I get upgraded and she would have to fly coach.lol.

No, have not purchased tickets yet, looking at possible options within the next 8 weeks.

One World Explorer, we are looking around a 31,000 miles round the world fare at approx $4600 not including taxes. If we can get a one world fare and book the other ticket through staff travel - looking to save at least a few thousand $$$.

As we hold QF FF points, any suggestions on other carriers or fares, within one world where we would be able to redeem points with QFF and possibly go for J class upgrades?

Thanks for any feedback.

RB

 

[serfty]

To be able to use QFF points for upgrades you need to be booked on QF flight number on QF metal, not in classes E, N, Q, O and X.

The oneworld explorer in economy class books into the L fare bucket.

 

[ozmille]

And don't forget that points upgrade is a lottery (in which I haven't been lucky to this day despite many attempts...)

 

[ozmille]

Can you do a Business redemption ticket and 1 paid DONE ticket leaving from AKL? Not an expert on these redemption tickets but there are a few around...

 

[Robstar]

Thanks to everyone for their responses.

Much appreciated.
Will continue to hunt around over the next few weeks for a good deal.
Best Regards,

Rob*

 

[MissBurrill]

Good Morning Everyone & Happy Saturday,

My name is Rob & I am a Plebian Silver FF & a Qantas Pub member.
I'd like to aks the frequent flyer community some advice in regards to a round the world trip my wife and I will be going on in August 2011.

I have approx 250K worth of points which I'd like to use as upgrades from a base economy fare for my wife and I.

Looking to travel - SYD/ J'BURG/LON/NYC/EZE(Buenos Airies)/ SYD

My conundum is that my best friend has worked for Qantas for the last 12 years and he will be making me his Qantas buddy for 12 months in March 2011.

Although this provides me with significant travel discounts, I wont be able to use points to upgrade myself therefore any status credits contributing to my FF status are void.

Any advice on how I could best utilize this situation for me and my wife.

Any comments/ suggestions are more than welcome.
Thanks for any assistance that you may provide.
Best Regards.

Robstar

If you're keen to earn sc's could you fly on the paid ticket and your wife fly on best mate's staff travel?

 

[JohnK]

Welcome to AFF Robstar!