Mileage Run

[NM]

Re: Silver

I think its wiser to buy Qantas Club membership once and for all instead of spending maybe an extra one thousand a year just to maintain Silver.

Good advice in my opinion. Spend the money on a QC membership and you get the check-in benefits as well as lounge access (which you don't get with Silver FF status).

I would NEVER count free upgrades as a benefit of Silver status. The chances of getting one are not worth considering. Even as a Platinum status FF, I have only had one operational upgrade in the last few years - that being BNE-SYD last month.

I would not be spending money just to reach Silver. Perhaps worth it to reach Gold or even Platinum, but not Silver in my opinion. I would be taking the advice of raccoon111 and invest the money into a Qantas Club membership instead.

 

[JohnK]

Good advice in my opinion. Spend the money on a QC membership and you get the check-in benefits as well as lounge access (which you don't get with Silver FF status).

Point taken. But for us plebs only flying 3-4 times a year qantas club membership at $330 per year or around $4000 lifetime is really not worth it. How much beer does that equal. I normally turn up for an international flight Sydney or Brisbane around 90 minutes before flight and a couple of beers cost around $10.

In Singapore most of my connections are only within 90-120 minutes of landing so lounge access is useless. In Bangkok I can get sloshed for around $20 without lounge access. So why bother. E-mail is free in singapore and I don't really care for e-mail in Bangkok. Shower I can have in the hotel room prior to departure. If I was flying continuously for 2 days I may need to have a shower but you can get this in the premium plaza lounge anyway for a fraction of the cost. There is something wrong with you if you think you need a shower in singapore in the middle of SYD-SIN-LHR flight or similar. Surely you don't pay for lounge access just for the food. Qantas club membership is only worthwhile if you have 10+ trips a year, or you get it for free, otherwise it is a waste of time.

I have been in the Qantas lounge in Sydney, Singapore and Bangkok and believe it is not worth the money. As a silver member i get to go in there once a year complimentary anyway and if I am lucky to jag gold soon then i get lounge access free for 1 year and if I jag platinum i get free lounge access for at least 2 years. Why would I buy lounge access for a year or more. Waste of money. Whereas flying to places I have not been before is very important to me.

I would NEVER count free upgrades as a benefit of Silver status. The chances of getting one are not worth considering. Even as a Platinum status FF, I have only had one operational upgrade in the last few years - that being BNE-SYD last month.

Sorry wrong again. I am grateful for the free upgrades i have received. It is my benefit for attaining silver. 3 upgrades in 6 months is pretty good odds I think. SYD-BKK, BKK-SYD and BKK-SIN. Not bad.

I would not be spending money just to reach Silver. Perhaps worth it to reach Gold or even Platinum, but not Silver in my opinion. I would be taking the advice of raccoon111 and invest the money into a Qantas Club membership instead.

Again think about it for most of us paupers who don't have a high flyers job to send them around the world in business or first. Needed in New York or wherever for 3 days of work then here have a business or first class trip around the world, on the shareholders, fully paid for a week. I have lost count of the amount of times I have heard that. Step back from your high status and just consider the plebs for a minute. I don't think you could do that though. I travelled to SE Asia in 7 trips in 2 years flying cattle class, also working around 100 hours in 7 days straight, while all my colleagues were travelling in business class and getting free upgrades to first as well as company endorsed qantas club membership for peanuts. Believe me when I say that silver to some is just as important as your poor excuse for platinum or gold.

Don't ruin it for the people that have very little chance of achieving high status because of their upbringing or working class.

In my opinion I am more worthy of silver than most of you people are of gold or platinum. But that is my opinion and I keep that to myself.

And i am not saying it because I am jealous of WP or SG but because I am proud of my poor excuse of a status called plebby silver status I have achieved with Qantas. My 2 trips a year for pleasure SYD-BNE-SIN-BKK-SIN-BNE-SYD return me around 220 status credits so what is wrong spending another $700-$800 travelling to PER or MEL or anywhere else for that matter to achieve silver. And now that I am aware of WT+ (thank you Lindsay I may even get silver in the 2 trips to BKK.

Have a great time on your next trip, and I hope no bread crumbs are on your personal tablecloth, or that you skybed is not too slanted, and remember the plebs of this world.

 

[serfty]

Re: Getting Silver

Sydney to Uluru via Melbourne, return. 30 SC each way. Average of $7.20/SC.

... $7.20/SC domestic is pretty good return!!!

...The latest QF sale for NZ domestic has fares around NZ$5-6 / SC. ...

An international business class round the world I'm taking from October will net at least 2340 SC's. Each SC is costing ~$3.45.

The first ¼ of the journey combined with travel already done in my current "year" will get me to WP. The remaining ¾ next year will ensure WP until at least November 2007.

 

[JohnK]

An international business class round the world I'm taking from October will net at least 2340 SC's. Each SC is costing ~$3.45.

The first ¼ of the journey combined with travel already done in my current "year" will get me to WP. The remaining ¾ next year will ensure WP until at least November 2007.

OK now I am jealous. The cost is ~$8000. Any clues as to the routing, airlines, duration or is this a secret?

2340 SC's would get me 1/2 way to lifetime silver or 1/4 of the way to lifetime gold much quicker than I had anticipated not to mention WP.

 

[serfty]

OK now I am jealous. The cost is ~$8000. Any clues as to the routing, airlines, duration or is this a secret?

2340 SC's would get me 1/2 way to lifetime silver or 1/4 of the way to lifetime gold much quicker than I had anticipated not to mention WP.

Whoops, I did not mean to make you Jealous .

Information is available on several forums. The best one I have found (and used) is the FlyerTalk oneWORLD Forum. I used information from there to construct my routing. I have quite a few posts there.

You will recognise a few handles as well.

With use of the information found there I am travelling on a oneWORLD explorer 4 continent Business class fare. I am commencing the journey from Columbo Sri lanka. This saves more than $3000 on doing it from Melbourne. (Same flights, same carriers, same taxes)

 

[NM]

And i am not saying it because I am jealous of WP or SG but because I am proud of my poor excuse of a status called plebby silver status I have achieved with Qantas. My 2 trips a year for pleasure SYD-BNE-SIN-BKK-SIN-BNE-SYD return me around 220 status credits so what is wrong spending another $700-$800 travelling to PER or MEL or anywhere else for that matter to achieve silver. And now that I am aware of WT+ (thank you Lindsay I may even get silver in the 2 trips to BKK.

I think you have misinterpreted my post somewhat :roll: . I was comparing the benefits attained with Silver status with that of a paid Qantas Club membership and Bronze status. As far as I can tell, the only difference is that Silver members earn 25% bonus points while Bronze Qantas Club members do not.

In my opinion (and yours may vary, which is fine by me), its not worth spending more than the cost of a paid Qantas Club membership to attain Silver status level, unless you will fly enough to make the extra 25% bonus points worthwhile, or you are seeking Lifetime status levels.

Personally, I do find a shower in the lounge in Singapore when travelling between Australia and Europe to be a pleasant experience, and I hope the people around me also appreciate my effort . Or by way of example, on a recent trip I had worked most of the day in Kuala Lumpur when the humidity was high and the smoke haze thick. After flying KUL to SIN and arriving about 7pm, I was very ready for a showed before taking my economy class seat for the overnight flight SIN-BNE. I am sure the person seated next to me appreciated that I was now in clean clothes and recently showered. But again, just my opinion and the way I like to travel.

Believe me, constant travel for work is no pleasure. I just want to stay home for a few months. But I am awaiting the email to tell me whether I am off overseas again tomorrow - I am hoping they have found someone else to do the work because I don't want to go. Someone else can have the Status Credits and FF points and I will stay here with my family.

And congratulations on your upgrade success. You have done much better than me. I have had one op-upgrade in the last 4 or 5 years from Qantas (and one from Cathay Pacific which was very nice of them indeed). Enjoy them when you get them.

 

[JohnK]

Whoops, I did not mean to make you Jealous .

Jealous is good.

Information is available on several forums. The best one I have found (and used) is the FlyerTalk oneWORLD Forum. I used information from there to construct my routing. I have quite a few posts there.

Looks like a maze. If I ever make it out it will be a miracle.

With use of the information found there I am travelling on a oneWORLD explorer 4 continent Business class fare. I am commencing the journey from Columbo Sri lanka. This saves more than $3000 on doing it from Melbourne. (Same flights, same carriers, same taxes)

That basically explains it. I tried to work out an around the world business class trip but could only manage an itinerary giving ~1200SC's and the cost from oz was ~$11,000 which is not really cost effective.

Anyway thanks for the information.

 

[NM]

That basically explains it. I tried to work out an around the world business class trip but could only manage an itinerary giving ~1200SC's and the cost from oz was ~$11,000 which is not really cost effective.

Anyway thanks for the information.

List price for DONE4 is A$9539 plus taxes, levies and surcharges, so its going to end up over $10K. My last one was $10,300. Cheaper from some other places, per Serfty's example. A recent DONE3 purchased in Malaysia cost A$7305 including taxes.

A good option for earning SC's is Circle Pacific fares. With the new SC rates, its possible to earn ~1000 SC's on a single trip for $7029 plus taxes from Australia. Still not down to the $/SC rate of Serfty's, but less of an investment. I have used these fares when my employer pays the economy fare and I pay the extra for business class Circle Pacific.

 

[serfty]

... Looks like a maze. If I ever make it out it will be a miracle. ...

I thought so originally too (around November last year) but I managed to research, ask some question of the forum and recived good answers.

At the top of that Forum there are two 'sticky' threads. The most important one is The oneworld explorer ticket FAQs which is a great guide to the rules of these tickets.

For pricing, a great tool in the forms of an Excel Spreadsheet is available in this link: Consolidating RTW fare data. All credit to its creator.

 

[BlacKnox]

There is something wrong with you if you think you need a shower in singapore in the middle of SYD-SIN-LHR flight or similar

Really? :roll:

In my opinion I am more worthy of silver than most of you people are of gold or platinum. But that is my opinion and I keep that to myself.

Thank you for keeping that to yourself :roll:.

 

[Craigo]

As serfty noted, the DONE4 (oneworld four continent Business Class) fares are considerably cheaper offshore. Colombo is the cheapest in the region but Bangkok is not too much more and is more easily accessible to start and end the journey.

I've got a DONE4 ticket from BKK for a trip in Jan-Feb for $7800. I'm not maximising the status credits because I'm travelling with a family member with an award ticket, however the ticket will give me 1500 status credits for BKK-SIN-LHR-MUC, MUC-LHR, LHR-JFK, LGA-ORD-LAX, LAX-ORD, ORD-HNL, HNL-SYD, CBR-PER-CBR, SYD-CHC-SYD, SYD-BKK. I've got a British Airways World Traveller Plus award ticket to connect to and from Bangkok.

 

[BlacKnox]

Agree that BKK is generally more convenient for commencing/ ending trips. But if you have the time, Sri Lanka has some spectacular resorts while CMB is also the gateway to the Maldives (MLE). Of course, civil disturbances need to be considered.

 

[JohnK]

There is something wrong with you if you think you need a shower in singapore in the middle of SYD-SIN-LHR flight or similar

Really? :roll:

In my opinion I am more worthy of silver than most of you people are of gold or platinum. But that is my opinion and I keep that to myself.

Thank you for keeping that to yourself :roll:.

I am really sorry. Reading it again that does not sound the way I want it to. That's what happens when you have had 7 too many and are about to fall asleep.

Again I really do apologise. It was totally innapropriate. :cry: :cry:

 

[serfty]

... I've got a DONE4 ticket from BKK for a trip in Jan-Feb for $7800. ...

The actual current fare for a DONE4 from CMB is LKR523,200, which is (using today's exchange rate) about AUD7,050. From BKK it is THB238,765 or AUD8,250.

The taxes on my fare were LKR76,750 or AUD1,050

For reference, I used the most recent Qantas Industry oneWORLD fare Levels.

I am travelling to CMB using a 50K award (+$177) on QF & CX MEL-SYD-SIN-CMB.

 

[JohnK]

I think you have misinterpreted my post somewhat :roll: .

I was being defensive again when there was no need. I do apologise.

I was comparing the benefits attained with Silver status with that of a paid Qantas Club membership and Bronze status. As far as I can tell, the only difference is that Silver members earn 25% bonus points while Bronze Qantas Club members do not.

You are basically right. But in my experience the free upgrades and not waiting in the cattle queue are important as well.

In my opinion (and yours may vary, which is fine by me), its not worth spending more than the cost of a paid Qantas Club membership to attain Silver status level, unless you will fly enough to make the extra 25% bonus points worthwhile

Again you are absolutely right. It would not be worth it to purely travel just to maintain silver. As mentioned I go to thailand 2 times a year to get away and it would be a shame not to make up silver with a couple of shorter trips in oz. Again my preference and it may not necessarily be the right thing to do.

, or you are seeking Lifetime status levels.

Yes please. I would love to get lifetime gold. It will be hard especially not working but a few carefully calculated DONE4 trips should get it close.

Personally, I do find a shower in the lounge in Singapore when travelling between Australia and Europe to be a pleasant experience, and I hope the people around me also appreciate my effort . Or by way of example, on a recent trip I had worked most of the day in Kuala Lumpur when the humidity was high and the smoke haze thick. After flying KUL to SIN and arriving about 7pm, I was very ready for a showed before taking my economy class seat for the overnight flight SIN-BNE. I am sure the person seated next to me appreciated that I was now in clean clothes and recently showered. But again, just my opinion and the way I like to travel.

Right again. Personal hygiene is very important. I have worked in KUL on a couple of occassions and then travelled KUL-SIN-SYD but my own policy is I never travel on the day I have worked. So I usually have a shower in the hotel room prior to departure.

Believe me, constant travel for work is no pleasure.

I would love to be working again and travelling. Basically I would find it a pleasure as I don't have many commitments.

And congratulations on your upgrade success. You have done much better than me.

Thanks just pure luck. In the right place at the right time.

 

[JohnK]

At the top of that Forum there are two 'sticky' threads. The most important one is The oneworld explorer ticket FAQs which is a great guide to the rules of these tickets.

For pricing, a great tool in the forms of an Excel Spreadsheet is available in this link: Consolidating RTW fare data. All credit to its creator.

Thanks serfty

I have started reading the FAQs and looking at the spreadsheet.

I suspect it will take me a while before I can say I am confident that I understand it all.

Again thanks for you assistance and guidance in the right direction.

 

[JohnK]

List price for DONE4 is A$9539 plus taxes, levies and surcharges, so its going to end up over $10K. My last one was $10,300. Cheaper from some other places, per Serfty's example. A recent DONE3 purchased in Malaysia cost A$7305 including taxes.

A good option for earning SC's is Circle Pacific fares. With the new SC rates, its possible to earn ~1000 SC's on a single trip for $7029 plus taxes from Australia. Still not down to the $/SC rate of Serfty's, but less of an investment. I have used these fares when my employer pays the economy fare and I pay the extra for business class Circle Pacific.

Thanks NM

I will research Circle Pacific fares as it would certainly cost additional money to get to CMB or BKK to begin the DONE4. Your example above provides ~$7/SC. Again not bad but I will try to see if I can milk it for more SCs.

 

[BlacKnox]

There is something wrong with you if you think you need a shower in singapore in the middle of SYD-SIN-LHR flight or similar

Really? :roll:

In my opinion I am more worthy of silver than most of you people are of gold or platinum. But that is my opinion and I keep that to myself.

Thank you for keeping that to yourself :roll:.

I am really sorry. Reading it again that does not sound the way I want it to. That's what happens when you have had 7 too many and are about to fall asleep.

Again I really do apologise. It was totally innapropriate. :cry: :cry:

No problem JohnK. The beer goggles explain all. Good luck with your DONE4 research.

 

[Craigo]

The actual current fare for a DONE4 from CMB is LKR523,200, which is (using today's exchange rate) about AUD7,050. From BKK it is THB238,765 or AUD8,250.

The taxes on my fare were LKR76,750 or AUD1,050

For reference, I used the most recent Qantas Industry oneWORLD fare Levels.

I am travelling to CMB using a 50K award (+$177) on QF & CX MEL-SYD-SIN-CMB.

The amount charged to my credit card by the travel agent in Bangkok was $7623.85, then a currency conversion fee of around $140 was added to that. I'll check how much the fare was in Baht when I get home, but I gather that it was less than the quoted industry rate.

I booked my WT+ award before the 25 May changes, so it was 62,500 points CBR-MEL-SIN, BKK-SYD-CBR. I booked a cheap SQ fare SIN-BKK to enable me to start the DONE4.

 

[serfty]

The amount charged to my credit card by the travel agent in Bangkok was $7623.85, then a currency conversion fee of around $140 was added to that. I'll check how much the fare was in Baht when I get home, but I gather that it was less than the quoted industry rate.

I booked my WT+ award before the 25 May changes, so it was 62,500 points CBR-MEL-SIN, BKK-SYD-CBR. I booked a cheap SQ fare SIN-BKK to enable me to start the DONE4.

Prices for CMB & BKK changed as recently as June and probably earlier. When did you Book?

(in May ex BKK was THB229580, CMB was LKR498200)