Maintaining Gold status - how?

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Warks said:
This may deserve its own thread but what the hey...

When chasing Status Credits we all know it's best to fly say, SYD-BNE-TSV rather than SYD-TSV direct. However, sometimes when you look up a flight for say SYD-DRW it says (one stop) on the schedule but doesn't actually say the stop. I did this flight and landed in Alice Springs some years back. SCs weren't in then so I don't know if it has an effect. I assume if the flight number doesn't change you don't get two separate lots of SCs.

Correct. A transit stop with no change in flight number is no better than a non-stop in terms of SCs.

If you have a stopover you get the extra SCs. For example, let's say you are doing a round the world flight, and flying on QF 1 from SYD to LHR. This flight transits in BKK. If you make BKK a stopover rather than a transit stop (i.e. stay in BKK at least 24 hours) you will get the SYD-BKK SCs plus the BKK-LHR SCs. If you just transit you only get the SYD-LHR SCs.

A rule of thumb is that if you have separate boarding passes you get separate SCs, but if you have only one boarding pass you only get one lot of SCs. (Can't think of a situation where this is not true, but I'm prepared to stand corrected.)

Another example is DRW-CNS which I did last week and avoided a flight which also said (one stop) - I discovered that was Gove. Again I assume that had I taken that flight I would not have gained any additional SCs. But if I had booked DRW-Gove and Gove-CNS - even stopping for 20 minutes or whatever - would I have got the extra SCs? Fare would probably have been more as to do that I might have had to book two tickets. Dunno I'm no expert.

Separate tickets with separate boarding passes will give extra SCs, but they are going to be really expensive SCs!
 
Warks said:
This may deserve its own thread but what the hey...

When chasing Status Credits we all know it's best to fly say, SYD-BNE-TSV rather than SYD-TSV direct.

Good thought, but bad example ... SYD-TSV is 1046 miles, which is Zone 2 (ie 20/40/60 SC's) so only get you the same status credits as two Zone 1's (SYD-BNE-TSV)!

I think even if you have two tickets on the same flight you'd probably only get one set of SC's, as when, using your example you checked in Darwin they'd give you one boarding pass all the way through, unless the booking weren't linked, in which case you'd have to get off the plane and re-check.
 
dajop said:
Warks said:
This may deserve its own thread but what the hey...

When chasing Status Credits we all know it's best to fly say, SYD-BNE-TSV rather than SYD-TSV direct.

Good thought, but bad example ... SYD-TSV is 1046 miles, which is Zone 2 (ie 20/40/60 SC's) so only get you the same status credits as two Zone 1's (SYD-BNE-TSV)!

Nah this is from experience. I did this trip a few times earlier in the year and got 2 x 20 SCs for going via BNE but only 20 SCs if I flew direct. I just looked up my activity and it confirms that. Of course getting 20 SCs means that it wasn't the cheapest fare.
 
Yeah it does depend on the fare paid. Back in June I did a red e-deal MEL-SYD-TSV and I got 20 SCs for the SYD-TSV leg (30 all up). This was better than doing MEL-BNE-TSV which would have only got me 20. (As an aside I did TSV-CNS-MEL on the return as the SYD option wasn't available and still got 30 SC's, and as a bonus a great view - on a Dash 8 - and hot meal/leg room (A330), much better than the BNE option on two 737's!)
 
Sometimes it works the other way. A few years back I was booked on BA MEL-SIN and QF 31 SIN-LHR. SIN-LHR was upgraded using UC's to J.

Prior to departure date, QF31/32 became BA21/22, and of course upgrades are not permitted on BA, so it was changed to QF 9 SIN-LHR. The only flight that would get me MEL-SIN in time for QF 9 was - you guessed it - QF 9.

So I got 25 SC's for QF9 MEL-SIN and 40 SC's for SIN-LHR, rather than 60 SC's for MEL-LHR.

Dave
 
On my last DONE4 RTW I had the sectors to spare and wanted to return from LHR to BNE in comfort for max SC's. So I wanted to book QF9 LHR-SIN and QF9 SIN-MEL. My TA said she could not book it as two sectors if I was going straight through.

So I booked LHR-SIN on QF9 on one day, then told her to put me on QF9 SIN-MEL 24 hours later, hence with a one day stopover in SIN. Then once I have departed Australia, I called QF and changed the date of the QF9 SIN-MEL and the connecting MEL-BNE forward, eliminating the stopover and making my QF9 into two separete but connecting segments and hence 160+100=260 SC's in business class.
 
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SC's

Last year QFF they sent me a new gold card in early September even though I had only 510 SC's at the time. I did actually reach 600 before 31st October but the booking had not been made at the time. Like warks, my anniversay is end of October.
 
Maintaining Gold Status

I also got the dreaded email. But once I had explained that I had made two trips this year on SIA in J Class to India and plan to do the same next year, along with a personal J class vacation back to the UK, they rolled and extended my stay - even though I have only 80 SC's. (I came to QFF via the closure of the local BA program - traded my Silver BA for Gold Qantas).

BTW - Is it better to use my wifes BA Miles for local and regional trips in SE Asia and Australia or use my Qantas Miles?

Thanks
 
You searched for a minimum cost routing from SYD to SYD earning at least 250 status credits.

Search results are as follows:


SYD to WLG, costing $216.00 and earning 20 status credits.
WLG to CHC, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
CHC to WLG, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
WLG to CHC, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
CHC to WLG, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
WLG to CHC, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
CHC to WLG, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
WLG to CHC, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
CHC to WLG, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
WLG to CHC, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
CHC to WLG, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
WLG to CHC, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
CHC to WLG, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
WLG to CHC, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
CHC to WLG, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
WLG to CHC, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
CHC to WLG, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
WLG to CHC, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
CHC to WLG, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
WLG to CHC, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
CHC to WLG, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
WLG to CHC, costing $61.10 and earning 10 status credits.
CHC to SYD, costing $172.02 and earning 20 status credits.

Total cost $1671.12, earning 250 status credits, @ $6.68/SC


or

if you don't want to go to nz

You searched for a minimum cost routing from SYD to SYD earning at least 250 status credits. International flights have not been included in the search.

Search results are as follows:


SYD to MEL, costing $80.00 and earning 10 status credits.
MEL to CBR, costing $82.00 and earning 10 status credits.
CBR to OOL, costing $150.00 and earning 20 status credits.
OOL to CBR, costing $153.00 and earning 20 status credits.
CBR to OOL, costing $150.00 and earning 20 status credits.
OOL to CBR, costing $153.00 and earning 20 status credits.
CBR to OOL, costing $150.00 and earning 20 status credits.
OOL to CBR, costing $153.00 and earning 20 status credits.
CBR to OOL, costing $150.00 and earning 20 status credits.
OOL to CBR, costing $153.00 and earning 20 status credits.
CBR to OOL, costing $150.00 and earning 20 status credits.
OOL to CBR, costing $153.00 and earning 20 status credits.
CBR to SYD, costing $88.00 and earning 10 status credits.
SYD to BNE, costing $75.00 and earning 10 status credits.
BNE to SYD, costing $79.00 and earning 10 status credits.

Total cost $1919.00, earning 250 status credits, @ $7.67/SC

Also consider CBR-SYD J class for $366 and earning 40SC's.

The above is an old post but that would cost $2.2K at todays fuel hiked costs. Can anyone do better and save time?
 
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Also consider CBR-SYD J class for $366 and earning 40SC's.

The above is an old post but that would cost $2.2K at todays fuel hiked costs. Can anyone do better and save time?
certainly an old post; Jetconnect have not flown WLG/CHC for a year or two.

YUP's are the less cost per SC way to go these days.
 
Is the SC calculator chaser still running somewhere?
 
Also consider CBR-SYD J class for $366 and earning 40SC's.

The above is an old post but that would cost $2.2K at todays fuel hiked costs. Can anyone do better and save time?
Sprucegoose,

AKL-SYD-AKL $944 J on LAN 160SC
AKL-SYD $455 J on LAN 80 SC

ie 240 SC for $1400 or $5.84 per SC
 
good call - thnxs.

Serfty mentioned YUP's - what are they?

cheers
SPRUCE :rolleyes:

Hi, Sprucegoose. YUPs are Instant upgrade fares offered for US domestic travel on AA and other airlines (literally Y class fares upgraded). You can get the idea by reading the link below, but basically you are buying an economy ticket with a guaranteed upgrade into first cabin and then earning first level SCs and points:

First Class » Step by Step - How to Find and Buy a Discount First Class Airline Ticket

One example, HNL-BOS routed through LAX and DFW earns 780 SCs for around US$2,250 on AA - I have also seen on offer for as little as < US$2,000.

The discount business class into the Caribbean can be OK too - just did BOS-POS via MIA return and earned 400 Scs for about US$1,400 since this fare type puts you in first on domestic sector and business on international sector.

Look at www.AA.com and try a booking using the "fare+ schedule" option - look for "instant upgrade" column...

...you should be able to get QF Platinum renewal for less than US $4,000 if you choose your routes carefully...and Gold for half of that cost...

...flying Jetstar to HNL is a cheap way to get to US soil to start a US domestic status run...;)

...of course it helps if you actually need or want to go to one or more of these places! :D
 
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Another option is CNS-SYD-AKL return (or the reverse). Sometimes you can buy discount business class fares for around AUS $1,100 each way. Thus 320 SCs for $2,200. Not the greatest earning rate, but more convenient than sitting on lots of flights!
 
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