New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumped!

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domcc1

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Hi everyone,

Wow, what a great forum!

I've just started a new job where I'll be flying from Melbourne to Perth return each week for about 3 months.

As you can imagine lots of points and status credits. I seem to earn around 80 status credits per week (40 each way).

What is the best way for me to make the most of this? From what I can tell there isn't a quicker way for me to boost my status other than waiting.

I'm in the QANTAS FF program and am a lowly Bronze member. I'm kinda sick of getting bumped onto the 7+ hour flights that go via Sydney so am keen to get my status up.

I've been reading up about the American Airlines challange but it seems that's really only for codeshare flights (which obviously I can't book).

It's company policy I book via their travel centre. Their preffered airline is QANTAS.


Regards,

David.
 
Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

The best way to get the benefit from it would be to find the extra SCs to get Platinum. I'm figuring you'll get say 12 or 13 flights in so Gold is a laydown.
 
Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

At 80SC's a week you'll be a silver (PS) within 5 weeks, and a gold (SG) within 10 weeks.

Short of taking a few extra side trips somewhere, there isn't really a way to fast track that I know of... AA certainly does have it's plat challange, but that would only get you to the equiv of SG.

You could alway buy a qantas club (QP) membership. Whilst it will become a moot point within 10 weeks (SG are automatically given QP entry) it'll probably make your trips a little easier, and besdies I've noticed business (J) or QP check in seem to go that little extra mile to get better seats or better flights.
 
Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

If flying Qantas and using the Qantas FF program, purchasing K, H, B or Y fares will earn status twice as fast as purchasing the cheaper fares. Obviously comes with a cost.
 
Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

Or of course throw in a few J flights...

BTW NM, at 80 SC a week, the OP is already flying full Y.
 
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Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

Or of course throw in a few J flights...

BTW NM, at 80 SC a week, the OP is already flying full Y.
or B, H or K ;)
 
Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

I'm in the QANTAS FF program and am a lowly Bronze member. I'm kinda sick of getting bumped onto the 7+ hour flights that go via Sydney so am keen to get my status up.

Ironically, the quickest way to accrue status is to go via somewhere else so you get incremental status credits .... going via SYD will get you an extra 10 or 20 SCs depending on the fare used.
 
Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

I'm kinda sick of getting bumped onto the 7+ hour flights that go via Sydney so am keen to get my status up.

Welcome!

Could you explain this comment? By bumped, do you mean you arrive at the airport and Qantas says that you're now flying MEL-SYD-PER rather than MEL-PER, or does this occur when you're trying to book your ticket through your call centre?
 
Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

Ironically, the quickest way to accrue status is to go via somewhere else so you get incremental status credits .... going via SYD will get you an extra 10 or 20 SCs depending on the fare used.

Heheh yeah, I found another 20 that way.

Welcome!

Could you explain this comment? By bumped, do you mean you arrive at the airport and Qantas says that you're now flying MEL-SYD-PER rather than MEL-PER, or does this occur when you're trying to book your ticket through your call centre?

Recently a MEL-PER direct was cancelled and I was put on a MEL-SYD-PER rather than one of the two later MEL-PER's that day. I'm assuming this is because I'm a Bronze and the Silver / Golds got the priority. Pretty rude considering my work paid $851 for that fare one way.

Thank you everyone for the comments so far!
 
Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

At 80SC's a week you'll be a silver (PS) within 5 weeks, and a gold (SG) within 10 weeks.

Short of taking a few extra side trips somewhere, there isn't really a way to fast track that I know of... AA certainly does have it's plat challange, but that would only get you to the equiv of SG.

You could alway buy a qantas club (QP) membership. Whilst it will become a moot point within 10 weeks (SG are automatically given QP entry) it'll probably make your trips a little easier, and besdies I've noticed business (J) or QP check in seem to go that little extra mile to get better seats or better flights.

I didn't think I could do the AA challenge? Don't you have to book an AA codeshare to get the points and MEL-PER isn't one of those?
 
Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

I'll keep that in mind with the Qantas club. Apparently the corporate rate through work is quite good, 50% off someone said.
 
Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

I didn't think I could do the AA challenge? Don't you have to book an AA codeshare to get the points and MEL-PER isn't one of those?

Correct - see here (Challenge (AA) - FlyerGuide Wiki) or here (AA Platinum Challenge and mileage earning/burning).

You'd have to book AA marketed flights, presumably through AA. I doubt they'd sell those codeshares unless they connected to an AA marketed international flight to the US.

You could still accrue points on AA if you wanted to take advantage of the better burning rates - but I'm not sure if earning is as good without jumping straight to PLT through the challenge. On B/Y fares you'd get ~5000 EQPs / 3300 RDMs per return trip, so would get to PLT in 10 weeks, but it would take 15 weeks on H/K fares. Once you reach PLT, the RDM earning rate would jump to 6600, which you wouldn't get on QFF until you reach WP after 20 odd weeks.

Of course, AA status may not necessarily help you avoid getting 'bumped' as it were, but as noted above, that bumping may help your ability to get to higher status more quickly.

FWIW, since I frequent the MEL-SYD route on Red e-Deals, I'm switching back to QFF once my wife pulls me across to PG, but AA PLT certainly has its benefits for accruing mileage on longer routes like MEL-PER on flexible fares. :)
 
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Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

Recently a MEL-PER direct was cancelled and I was put on a MEL-SYD-PER rather than one of the two later MEL-PER's that day. I'm assuming this is because I'm a Bronze and the Silver / Golds got the priority.

Aaah, ok. Yeah, status does give you a higher priority over "lower status" pax when something goes wrong. May not have got you on the MEL-PER flight, but should have reduced your chance of it happening.
 
Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

If you get qantas club membership, then achieve gold, you should retain the balance of the QP time until you drop below gold.
 
Re: New job, MEL-PER weekly returns - best way to boost status? Sick of getting bumpe

Ironically, the quickest way to accrue status is to go via somewhere else so you get incremental status credits .... going via SYD will get you an extra 10 or 20 SCs depending on the fare used.

Exactly my thoughts!
 
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