How does DSC affect Intl J fares?

[justinbrett]

Achieved WP for the first time last year and I'd like to keep it. Planning a trip to the US in Jun/Jul and will probably go J (just can't do Y anymore - or even Y+).

I'm based in NTL so probably looking at flying out of SYD so I can experience FLounge for the first time, and I hate the drive back on return so probably looking at BNE-NTL.

Likely my trip will be SYD-DFW (departing 8th June) and return LAS-LAX-BNE-NTL (mid July). For that I'm looking at between 8-9K in J.

I'm OK with that price, but it's on the upper end of OK (I'm sure I saw that as low as 6K this time last year). I'd like to wait for DSC because even in J that doesn't bring in a whole lot of SCs.

Key question - by waiting for the DSC promo (should be in the next few weeks you'd think) - is that fare likely to increase, and if so, by much?

I'd like to get around 800 SCs out of this trip (not doing much other travel this year). I can certainly top up with AA DOM F fares.

Any advice?

 

[RooFlyer]

I think there as anecdotal evidence last time that fares did rise during the DSC, but I can't recall by how much. Not a staggering amount.

SYD-xLAX-JFK on QF is the best single earner in going to the USA with DSC - 590 all up, 1 way. (Not saying its best value $/SC, but if you are going ...)

Edit ... I guess PER-xSYD-xLAX-JFK would trump the other one

 

[opusman]

There's always the GV method if you want to wait and see if there's a sale later on.

 

[justinbrett]

Thanks. I was actually planning a side trip to Panama, and have found I can get SYD-AKL-SCL-BOG, with a 2 day stopover in SCL, returning LAS-LAX-BNE-NTL for about 7.5K in J. All QF codes, around 600 SC. Might have a winner.

 

[Mattg]

Just don't expect any sales on during DSC promos. (And on the off chance there is a sale on, it probably won't be to where you want to go )

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

If you can afford to put the $ down onto the booking, I say do it now.
Because, if you are coming back in Jul, that is school holidays time here, and if coming back middle of Jul, J might start to fill up, either with WP/P1 or kids of theirs who have made a upgrade request and succeeded because there were empty seats.
When EK flew MEL/SYD - AKL, as soon as I had the $, and saw a fare, I jumped and did the booking.
SYD to the US would be a high demand route.
From my several visits to the QFi SYD F lounge, when I flew F SYD - CHC/AKL, the lounge was about half full, with families, and with retirees.
The first person on the frosted sliding door as you go up the escalators to the QFi SYD F lounge, really does take a look at BP.
If you do earn a good income, and I am bad to say this, and if you can't really pay for the $ upfront for those J seats, but you know you can pay back the personal loan ASAP, do it.
If you were flying out of school holidays, then maybe playing the waiting game would be ok, for your return flight back.
To make it really worth it, personally, if I were doing this, as I did prior several times, is to transit SYD overnight on the trip to NZ.
So, if you can, fly with QFlink from NTL to SYD the night before, so you would have 4 hours in the lounge, if you fly into SYD first flight you would get to T3 maybe 9.30am, and then have to get to T1 with QF's bus, which takes time.
The Ibis Budget isn't that bad, and then get a taxi to get to T1.
Of course if you plan to take plane hold luggage, then maybe doing an overnight stay might not be so good an idea.
Edit: looks like no direct flight with QFlink NTL direct to SYD.
All the through fares, in J from NTL pushes you through BNE.
So, if you want to feel the QFi SYD F lounge, you would have to a starting for this trip from SYD, and back to SYD, in J.
And the trip from and to NTL on a separate booking.
I checked on the QF website, and all flights from NTL on 09 June, pushes you through BNE int airport to the US.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Newcastle (Williamtown) to Sydney
Friday, 7 June 2019
Departs
11:50
Arrives
15:40
Flight Duration
3h 50m

• Your flight from Newcastle to Brisbane will be in Economy.

BUSINESS
2
Sydney to Dallas Fort Worth
Saturday, 8 June 2019
Departs
12:35
Arrives
13:00
Flight Duration
15h 25m
BUSINESS
3
Las Vegas to Los Angeles
Thursday, 11 July 2019
Departs
07:00
Arrives
08:00
Flight Duration
1h 00m

• Flight QF4364 is operated by American Airlines
• Your flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles will be in Economy.

ECONOMY
4
Los Angeles to Brisbane
Saturday, 13 July 2019
Departs
22:15
Arrives
05:00 Mon
Flight Duration
13h 45m

• QF56 is subject to government and regulatory approval for departures effective 01 September 2018

BUSINESS
5
Brisbane to Newcastle (Williamtown)
Monday, 15 July 2019
Departs
09:55
Arrives
11:25
Flight Duration
1h 30m

• Your flight from Brisbane to Newcastle will be in Economy.

ECONOMY

Flight subtotal
1 Adult
$7,151*AUD

 

[justinbrett]

If you can afford to put the $ down onto the booking, I say do it now.
Because, if you are coming back in Jul, that is school holidays time here, and if coming back middle of Jul, J might start to fill up, either with WP/P1 or kids of theirs who have made a upgrade request and succeeded because there were empty seats.
When EK flew MEL/SYD - AKL, as soon as I had the $, and saw a fare, I jumped and did the booking.
SYD to the US would be a high demand route.
From my several visits to the QFi SYD F lounge, when I flew F SYD - CHC/AKL, the lounge was about half full, with families, and with retirees.
The first person on the frosted sliding door as you go up the escalators to the QFi SYD F lounge, really does take a look at BP.
If you do earn a good income, and I am bad to say this, and if you can't really pay for the $ upfront for those J seats, but you know you can pay back the personal loan ASAP, do it.
If you were flying out of school holidays, then maybe playing the waiting game would be ok, for your return flight back.
To make it really worth it, personally, if I were doing this, as I did prior several times, is to transit SYD overnight on the trip to NZ.
So, if you can, fly with QFlink from NTL to SYD the night before, so you would have 4 hours in the lounge, if you fly into SYD first flight you would get to T3 maybe 9.30am, and then have to get to T1 with QF's bus, which takes time.
The Ibis Budget isn't that bad, and then get a taxi to get to T1.
Of course if you plan to take plane hold luggage, then maybe doing an overnight stay might not be so good an idea.
Edit: looks like no direct flight with QFlink NTL direct to SYD.
All the through fares, in J from NTL pushes you through BNE.
So, if you want to feel the QFi SYD F lounge, you would have to a starting for this trip from SYD, and back to SYD, in J.
And the trip from and to NTL on a separate booking.
I checked on the QF website, and all flights from NTL on 09 June, pushes you through BNE int airport to the US.

Thanks.

No, I was never going to fly NTL to SYD. I can drive from my house to the airport in just over two hours. I wouldn’t ever entertain flying that route. I’ll either drive down in the morning or night before (have plenty of friends I can stay with). You fly pelican but it would take me longer to do that than to drive.

I booked SYD-AKL-SCL-BOG//LAS-LAX-BNE-NTL. Returning to NTL didn’t change the fare by more than a few hundred dollars. That’s nearly 600SC and by the time I add my Domestic AA flights I’ll be up to 800-900, easily retaining WP so I don’t need the double SC.

 

[oz_mark]

I think the issue is more that some sales tend to end the night before a DSC comes out.

 

[bPeteb]

We booked BNE-SYD-SFO during DSC. Me paid, partner points. $7500 for me. Since then multiple sales down around 5300. Was I annoyed? Fleetingly yes. It is what it is.

 

[eddie 73]

Yes agree with others, don’t expect sale fares on popular routes during dsc promos.

My examples from last July promo...

SYD HKG return J, $3.8k... 5 years sale average sale fare about $3.4k

SYD MEL return (30 of them, almost weekly) paid $180 each way, cheapest times of the day. These same times are normally $140, and when on sale average $115. Booking 12 month’s of these hurt, but easily help retain WP.

Haven’t been lucky enough to time J bookings to LAX with DSC, but Nov 2017 paid $7,500 exMEL on a targetted 50% SC promo.

With the other legs, your price ain’t bad.

If you don’t plan on travelling much next membership year, it may not be worth waiting for promo and paying more. Unless chasing LTG.

 

[tdimdad]

There's always the GV method if you want to wait and see if there's a sale later on.

The GV's allow only one-way and return flights, departing Australia. The GV redemption system would not allow this kind of a multi-city booking. Yes, I've fallen into the trap (an upcoming status run SYD-CHC-BNE) meaning I get DSC only for the outbound but had to book the return leg separately earning normal SC's only. Lucky that will be enough to heave me over to SG.

 

[opusman]

You can apparently use GV's for phone bookings if you hit a friendly assistant. HUACA if not

 

[RichardMEL]

General comment/view:

In theory DSC promos are a function of QFF("Loyalty") and/or marketing with the objective of short term revenue during softer demand periods. Sale fares are another method.

As we've all seen today there's a huge F/J sale on to most destinations and as pointefd out above, usually bonus points or SC promos come right after a big sale like this (but this is not always the case, obviously).

I've also seen specific destination sales (eg: NOU) be on during DSC promos, but in general they are reasonably exclusive. There's no logical reason to have the two promos together because it only advantages the customer

 

[Fergo747]

Thanks. I was actually planning a side trip to Panama, and have found I can get SYD-AKL-SCL-BOG, with a 2 day stopover in SCL, returning LAS-LAX-BNE-NTL for about 7.5K in J. All QF codes, around 600 SC. Might have a winner.

Just beware of the DSC conditions which may stipulate that is has to be on QF metal. I ran into that mistake last year (not reading the fine print) and booked QF codes on EK during DSC to the UK in J and was rather annoyed with myself (particularly as DSC would have seen me hit P1)

 

[justinbrett]

Just beware of the DSC conditions which may stipulate that is has to be on QF metal. I ran into that mistake last year (not reading the fine print) and booked QF codes on EK during DSC to the UK in J and was rather annoyed with myself (particularly as DSC would have seen me hit P1)

Thanks, but I've already booked without the DSC. I don't need it - this trip gets me about 600SC just for the long haul flights and will be another 300 or so with AA DOM.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

The first person on the frosted sliding door as you go up the escalators to the QFi SYD F lounge, really does take a look at BP.

Not always

 

[opusman]

Last few times I've been to the F lounge in SYD there hasn't been anyone there at all.

 

[cove]

I just bought a First Class ticket for the price I was quoted last year for a business class trip with double status credits. This was for Mrscove rather than me. I almost always fly on points/miles.

 

[Quickstatus]

SYD-xLAX-JFK on QF is the best single earner in going to the USA with DSC - 590 all up, 1 way. (Not saying its best value $/SC, but if you are going ...)

Yes I did a SYD-LAX-JFK and return in December with DSC. Scooped 1170SC, and 2 ~. (Even though there are 4 sectors).

Just under $6 per SC. The tax deductibility makes it better - not a SC run.

The ticket was not purchased because of the DSC offer but just happened to be in that period. I will have an excess of SC but that’s ok.