Is it worth a minimum sectors run to get QF Silver prior to a 'big' QF J trip?

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I'm looking to do this for my upcoming trip to Japan next year - how do you upgrade the domestic flight ahead of time? Or would you request an upgrade upon checkin subject to availability?

Incidentally, does anyone have any experience with either the Super Sakitoku or Oneworld Yokoso fares?
https://www.jal.co.jp/en/dom/waribiki/super_sakitoku.html
https://www.jal.co.jp/yokosojapan/

When i looked a year ago the surcharge was available on line (just listed as a standard fare). i also believe you can upgrade at check-in (which kinda makes sense - for $10 plenty of people will probably upgrade on the spot to class J).

As for other JAL (and all japanese carrier) fares - I have absolutely no idea - except they seem to have very strange names, and the terms and conditions always seem to be in japanese.
 
already outlined in post #12 :) but only available on limited routes. but certainly worth the extra, just for the seat and service by all accounts. looks like a lot of fun!

Thanks. I've made a reservation with JAL - class J was pretty obvious and available on both flights; the outbound is a 73H with no F seats, the inbound is on a 777 which looks to have an F cabin as well as J, but there was no option or mechanism I could find to book F online (even when searching for outright F class flights online there was no option for the same flight).

I'm pretty happy with J SCs (80). If F's available for another ~$80 and nets me an extra 20SCs I'll bite, but it's not the end of the world.

With all of this, if I fly 3K plus bundles intra-asia for my brother's bucks (possible; no lounge access and not the best flight times but it's probably not too bad); AND if I can manage to snag something in AA "F" for LAX-LAS-SFO-LAX (their LAS-SFO appears to be via LAX as well) for something that isn't too expensive, I could be within ~50-60SCs of the magic 1400 by the end of April, with a requal requirement for 30 June...

I'd say if I get that close it's surely worth making the push, even for a few F lounge visits in '15/'16 alone!! :D
 
check any domestic upgraded flight carefully on the QFF website for JAL - i'm not sure what may have happened to them when SCs were enhanced with OW partners this year

it used to be the case you got J scs and Y points on some
 
check any domestic upgraded flight carefully on the QFF website for JAL - i'm not sure what may have happened to them when SCs were enhanced with OW partners this year

it used to be the case you got J scs and Y points on some

Yeah I had a look, I think it's a bit tough to be honest- JAL I can't find anything like a fare bucket (aside from "Class J") and QF have multiple entries for "Class of Travel: J"; neither of which reference anything to do with business: Frequent Flyer - Flying Qantas & Partner Airlines - Flying with Partner Airlines - Earning Qantas Points

"J Economy plus Premium Surcharge" and "J Discount Economy plus Premium Surcharge".

I'm kindof OK with whatever happens; if I get there I get there, and if I find out in late January that I've got a chance of making it, I'll probably push for the rest of the year. Who knows. We'll see.
 
Yeah I had a look, I think it's a bit tough to be honest- JAL I can't find anything like a fare bucket (aside from "Class J") and QF have multiple entries for "Class of Travel: J"; neither of which reference anything to do with business: Frequent Flyer - Flying Qantas & Partner Airlines - Flying with Partner Airlines - Earning Qantas Points

"J Economy plus Premium Surcharge" and "J Discount Economy plus Premium Surcharge".

I'm kindof OK with whatever happens; if I get there I get there, and if I find out in late January that I've got a chance of making it, I'll probably push for the rest of the year. Who knows. We'll see.


the qantas table lists it as a 'J' fare, which should earn J class status credits.
 
Looks like F class (and a range of other fares) might only be released at short notice (ie 60 days). Looking at NHD-cough I can only get F class fares until Jan 17. It is indeed a $80 surcharge over economy.

A limited number of fares and flights are available outside 60 days, but not F. (Just as an example, i cold only see two flights a day booking more than 60 days out, but 8 flights a day within the 60 days)
 
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Looks like F class (and a range of other fares) might only be released at short notice (ie 60 days). Looking at NHD-cough I can only get F class fares until Jan 17. It is indeed a $80 surcharge over economy.

A limited number of fares and flights are available outside 60 days, but not F. (Just as an example, i cold only see two flights a day booking more than 60 days out, but 8 flights a day within the 60 days)

I wonder if I can adjust (doubtful) my existing ticket? Might be easier to call a JAL office if availability is there on my flight back. $80 for 20SCs is pretty damn good, plus the F product actually looks decent vs. Class J's fairly standard Y+ product. It's only a ~2hr flight but still!
 
I wonder if I can adjust (doubtful) my existing ticket? Might be easier to call a JAL office if availability is there on my flight back. $80 for 20SCs is pretty damn good, plus the F product actually looks decent vs. Class J's fairly standard Y+ product. It's only a ~2hr flight but still!

i think it's as it says - a surcharge, which IIRC which can be paid either in advance or at the airport. I guess in advance would be better to secure a seat?
 
I'm flying QF J SYD-SIN, then MH J SIN KUL NRT and return in Feb (with potentially JL domestic hops in Japan). This is between 30/Jan - 23/Feb.

Using the QFF points calculators, this looks to be 480SCs and about 25k points, but given I have no other QF sectors this membership year, I won't get Silver until I fly 2 more times.
Can you change the routing of your business trip to SYD-BNE/MEL-SIN? Not sure what it would cost to change but that would give the 4 sectors and an extra 80 SCs which then gets you closer to Gold.
 
You would probably kick yourself up the bum, if you missed yourself another opportunity to use the QF J lounge at SYDi.
As a PS, you get a complimentary entry, so after your J flight SYD - SIN, for the US trip, if/most likely you would have made PS, you get another entry to sample the QF J lounge at SYDi.
Different timings of the day will have different types of food.
I have done the QF J lounge at BNEi. Not bad for a breakfast spread, but I would love to try next the QF J lounge SYDi breakfast! Have done their lunch menu, and their early evening menu.
Get that 2 flights, I am telling you, do anything to get to PS. Or SG for that US trip!
 
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Can you change the routing of your business trip to SYD-BNE/MEL-SIN? Not sure what it would cost to change but that would give the 4 sectors and an extra 80 SCs which then gets you closer to Gold.

JohnK that idea's a stroke of genius. (Singapore/Japan's not a business trip, that's a holiday :D). The fares are about the same as what I paid (maybe $100 more). I think there's a $200 change fee which isn't too bad given it kills a few birds with one stone, and being Asia I don't really mind doing connecting flights.

I was looking at getting the later flight (QF5) and still going to work the day I head out. The only 'later' flight out of MEL/BNE is the EK codeshare from MEL. Are there any traps with taking an EK flight with a QF flight number? (i.e. does it earn any SCs?)
Otherwise I could just ask for another day of leave I guess and fly out in the morning on QF metal.

The ideas you guys come up with are brilliant!
 
I was looking at getting the later flight (QF5) and still going to work the day I head out. The only 'later' flight out of MEL/BNE is the EK codeshare from MEL. Are there any traps with taking an EK flight with a QF flight number? (i.e. does it earn any SCs?)
Otherwise I could just ask for another day of leave I guess and fly out in the morning on QF metal.
A Qantas flight number on EK metal should still earn Qantas SCs and QFF points.
 
A Qantas flight number on EK metal should still earn Qantas SCs and QFF points.

Thanks.
I called up to make a change / get a quote on a change, apparently something strange (the lady on the phone seemed to think it was odd) about the pricing or the 'sale' business fare I got meant that my fare was only valid for nonstop flights. Even though if you were to make a new booking the total return fare is only about $100 more than when I bought mine, I was going to be up for about $2k in fare increase if I wanted to change my flights to bounce via MEL or BNE.

I'll keep this trick up my sleeve if I'm ever in the same situation. Pity I didn't think of this when I made the original change - but oh well! First world problems in the extreme here :)
 
Just wanted to chip in a few things - firstly, if you're a frequent hopper to the US, that OW Status will also get you and people on your ticket free bags. My PS, which activated the day before my flight over there, saved me and three co-travellers about $1.5k in coughulative AA baggage fees in a two-month trip (with a lot of flying). Also, remember to status match across to UA and AS if you do any legs with them.

Secondly, if you do still need a boost, as mentioned in the QF Status Run thread I stumbled across BOS-ORD-MIA-MCO return yesterday for US$781, priced based on Feb 3 and 4, us 1.72/SC delivering 440 in total. I also like the look of DFW<>SEA (1659), DFW<>PHX (868) and ORD<>BOS (867) which all hit at least one hub, so should be cheap(ish), and come in at just over an SC Mileage Threshold.


 
They have to be QF coded flights or they dont count in the climb to PS, the way I work it out.
Can be AA metal so long as QF flight code.

Ah, you're referring to the minimum 4 flight segments. My apologies, I'm thinking about the extra credits once you're there :)
 
Yes, you got it. That was the main gist I was referring to in the OP's post. I still think its worth it catch that two QF coded flights to get PS before the US trip. But thats me.
Eg, for me, to get to PS, I had to keep flying QF coded flights, even on EK metal.
With VA's VR, its a bit different, I got to VA PS by flying NZ code and it didn't matter.
But to QF its important!
Ie, if you or I or anyone flew on EK flight code and EK metal, no SC is earnt, and while it might save someone a few dollars, if they want to climb the QF status ladder, flying EK flight code, and EK metal, is not worth it.
But to each their own I guess.
 
I still think its worth it catch that two QF coded flights to get PS before the US trip. But thats me.

I'd find it hard to resist if it was a matter of one or two flights, especially if it meant hitting PS or even SG as he eluded to with that amount of flying....

And if it's SG, what's a meal in the QP worth, let alone a QFi J? Based on the $10 cost of a beer in Perth, you could certainly get your money's worth even if you only did 4-6 extra flights that year.
 
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