Status Chaser Calculator

[JohnK]

Not sure if there is a thread already for SCC so I have started this one. If anyone happens to find anything interesting or a really good value status run using the SCC and they want to share it with others this thread might be a good start. I know a lot of people are using SCC.

Again I apologise if there is already another thread for SCC.

I have notticed a bug/anomaly in some of Qantas' pricing that is not relfected in SCC and it is possibly not returning the correct $/SC rate. Accept my apologies if I am wrong. I have been known to hallucinate at times.

I requested a trip from SYD-SYD giving 40 status credits, and the following route was returned

• SYD to ROK, costing $156.00 and earning 20 status credits.
  ROK to SYD, costing $157.00 and earning 20 status credits.
  
  Total cost $313.00, earning 40 status credits, @ $7.82/SC

As far as I could see the $156/$157 price does not exist when trying to select flights. I have tried a lot of dates in October and November and the best I could find is $184/$186. These prices give a significant difference in $/SC calculation to the one in the SCC. SYD-ROK or ROK-SYD seems to be a very popular selection used by SCC and if my findings are correct then the results displayed will be far different to the actual $/SC.

I think the SCC should be displaying the correct airfare but these bugs/anomalies in Qantas pricing do not seem to be easlily detected unless you manually search for flights like I did. I hope I am wrong but I have seen this bug/anomaly in many other routes as well. It seems to happen when there is no direct flight to the destination and the price listed is almost certainly the direct route price (which off course is not available) if there was a direct route. The above result should have actually been calculated as below which is a significant difference in the $/SC rate.

• SYD to ROK, costing $184.00 and earning 20 status credits.
  ROK to SYD, costing $186.00 and earning 20 status credits.
  
  Total cost $370.00, earning 40 status credits, @ $9.25/SC

 

[JohnK]

Another example where using Steve's SCC has highlighted some more anomalies between Qantas list prices and actual prices from booking engine.

Using Steve's SCC I received the following result

You searched for a minimum cost routing from CBR to CBR earning at least 40 status credits, valid on 14/11/2005.

Search results are as follows:


CBR to OOL, costing $182.00 and earning 20 status credits.
OOL to CBR, costing $185.00 and earning 20 status credits.

Total cost $367.00, earning 40 status credits, @ $9.17/SC

When viewing list price page for CBR-OOL prices start from $182 yet when trying to book specific dates through the booking engine the outbound flight is $174 and inbound flight is $181. Achieving a better ratio. DPO-CNS is another where the actual price is $35 less than list price. I would have expected Qantas' list prices to be a little more accurate.

 

[infoworks]

I suspect the price differences may also reflect yield management changes and/or that QF changes pricing fairly dynamically, making it worth watching if one is looking for these types of opportunities.

 

[JohnK]

I suspect the price differences may also reflect yield management changes and/or that QF changes pricing fairly dynamically, making it worth watching if one is looking for these types of opportunities.

You may be right.

I normally skim the list price pages for each city and if I see something that looks good then I proceed to the booking engine to see if could find this price and suitable dates. If the list price is not lucrative based on previous analysis then I would not proceed to the booking engine and miss the lower prices!!!

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

The SCSC doesnt have "live" prices.

 

[JohnK]

The SCSC doesnt have "live" prices.

Understand that if Steve does not update then the SCC does not have "live" prices.

I have also noticed that even Qantas' list prices are not "live" prices as the booking engine comes up with totally different prices. As someone who designs computer applications it just seems logical that the front end displays the correct "live" prices not the back end of the process. Back end is useless as you have already lost most of the clientelle.

Just a thought.