Strategy to maintain gold, or even platinum

[fifo]

So after 10 years of FIFO (making platinum within 4 or 5 months) and living and working overseas in the middle East (paying for platinum but using strategys such as travel with Sri Lankan biz fares for trips) and this year of a lot of flying with ba in y+ and in USA with as j fares, I'm returning to Sydney.

I've got 11 months until anniversary date.
I'm close to 10k life time sc, so keen to pump it to LTG. I have a trip to Adelaide (confirmed), one to NZ and possibly one to Taiwan/sth Korea in the works.

I'm not shy of a status run or two, but id love any ideas or input as to how you would go about keeping gold, if not platinum. My main reason for platinum is the extra luggage, award international availability and to a much lesser extent, partner lounges. Else I can live with gold. Thanks for your input.

 

[sudoer]

There are some good ex TPE runs on MH. Take a look at the deals section on their website.

 

[fifo]

Thanks for the tip

 

[sudoer]

No problem. Here's a breakdown of ex TPE runs at the moment, prices as advertised in the MH deals section.



Also, this should probably be merged with the Status Run Discussion thread.

 

[Ade]

No problem. Here's a breakdown of ex TPE runs at the moment, prices as advertised in the MH deals section.

View attachment 199186

Also, this should probably be merged with the Status Run Discussion thread.

As always @sbor90 , you are amazing with your excel information on MH runs AAAMMMAAAZZZZINNNGGGG!!!

 

[fifo]

Thanks, is the status run thread where that Excel is from? Also looking at ex kul to tpe and Seoul.
Wanted this as a separate thread as there are other things that may be suggested that I'm sure I haven't thought of, not just doing status runs.

 

[sudoer]

Thanks, is the status run thread where that Excel is from?

No, I pulled the data from the MH Deals section today and created the sheet. It's not an automated process or live sheet, so I usually just take screenshots filtered down on the city of interest - but here's a sheet you can play with if you like. (note it's not live data)

MH Deals 11 Dec 19

Sheet1 Fromcity Url,Fromcountry Countryname,Tocity Url,Tocountry Countryname,Price,Currency,AUD,Return SC,$/SC,Bookbefore,Travelstartdate,Travelenddate,Travelclass,Packagetype,Promotionname BKI,Malaysia,TWU,Malaysia,89,MYR,$31.40,240,$0.13,15 Dec 2019,02 Dec 2019,31 Mar 2020,Economy,One-way,Dec ...

docs.google.com

Click File > Make a copy if you'd like to filter down on certain origins/destinations. The SC calculations are broken for domestic flights and some random routes which don't fly through KUL, such as BKI-TPE.

Also looking at ex kul to tpe and Seoul.

JL have some very competitive fares ex KUL to virtually anywhere in Japan. You could look at KUL-xSIN-xHND-OKA with separately booked flight across to TPE, or KUL-xSIN-xHND with a connecting flight to SEL (note JL only fly their own metal HND-GMP, all JL flights into ICN are KE codeshares so don't earn SC)

Wanted this as a separate thread as there are other things that may be suggested that I'm sure I haven't thought of, not just doing status runs.

Okay sure. It reads like you're asking for status run advice though.

 

[kevrosmith]

Other than status runs, some obvious other comments to assist with retaining status are: booking higher fare classes to ensure you maximise status credit earn on what flights you do take, and keeping the ol’motto “why fly direct when you can connect...” in mind. But most Status Runs are the main method of manufacturing easy Status retention.

Other than being able to request release of award availability as WP, AFAIK general reward availability is same for WP and SG and released at same time window.

 

[sudoer]

Are you far from LTG?

They mention 10k LTSC so still a fair way off. If wanting to smash it out quickly, OP would be be better off waiting for DSC and doing CBR-xMEL-xSYD-DPS return five times for ~$10k

 

[kevrosmith]

They mention 10k LTSC so still a fair way off. If wanting to smash it out quickly, OP would be be better off waiting for DSC and doing CBR-xMEL-xSYD-DPS return five times for ~$10k

Yeah, I realised that after I replied, and was editing my post when you replied. Cheers.

It's a shame though. I attained LTG in 7 years of FIFO-type flying, along with maintaining QF WP and VA Platinum with some judicious use of flying connections and DSCs.

 

[fifo]

They mention 10k LTSC so still a fair way off. If wanting to smash it out quickly, OP would be be better off waiting for DSC and doing CBR-xMEL-xSYD-DPS return five times for ~$10k

I probably want to smash it out over the next 3 or 4 yrs. Thanks for the tips, some I do already, some are new

 

[sudoer]

I probably want to smash it out over the next 3 or 4 yrs.

If we do see another public DSC early next year, I'd suggest booking as many QF runs as you can afford. Hopefully the travel window allows you to straddle membership years so you'll have two years of WP secured and at least 2400/4000 SC accounted for.

 

[fifo]

If we do see another public DSC early next year, I'd suggest booking as many QF runs as you can afford. Hopefully the travel window allows you to straddle membership years so you'll have two years of WP secured and at least 2400/4000 SC accounted for.

I was hoping this may be the case and I can book all my travel then. Unfortunately Adelaide probably can't wait (unless I.book flex and cancel or something) but NZ and Asia trips probably can. Anniversary is Nov 30, so unlikely

 

[kevrosmith]

You may want to check out some of the Domestic Business Class sale fares on today as part of their 12 Days of Christmas sale.

 

[fifo]

You are brillant. Saved me 500 bucks. Thankyou so much.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I would not go with MH, even if the fare for J was good, read, cheapish.
The earn even if you fly J with them, (MH does not ever carry a QF flight number), you will only earn QF SC at fleyY rate of SC earn.
Edit: unless of course, you are happy to fly flexY and earn that, or fly whY and earn at min Y rate.
If you are really interested in earning QF SC, thereby retaining QF tier, is to fly the OZ flight from SYD to TPE, it does carry a QF flight number, so even though the airline is in *A, because it carries a QF flight number, you will earn J QF SC, if you choose to fly that class.
OR if timing is important, there is the JL flight that leaves MEL past midnight, gets you to NRT mid morning, and you can make a midday connection to TPE, at least with this, you will earn a bit more SC than flying MH.
If you have to go through SEAsia, why not get the QF plane from MEL/SYD/BNE to SIN, and ten a 3K flight (with bundle), to as close as TPE as you can.

 

[sudoer]

The earn even if you fly J with them, (MH does not ever carry a QF flight number), you will only earn QF SC at fleyY rate of SC earn.
Edit: unless of course, you are happy to fly flexY and earn that, or fly whY and earn at min Y rate.

Only the Aus-Malaysia component earns at Y rates. So if OP was based in SYD, they could fly SYD-(QF)-MEL/BNE-(MH)-KUL-(MH)-TPE and only the MEL/BNE-KUL flight was earn at Y rates. The other two flights earn at J rates. Total 300 SC.

If you are really interested in earning QF SC, thereby retaining QF tier, is to fly the OZ flight from SYD to TPE, it does carry a QF flight number, so even though the airline is in *A, because it carries a QF flight number, you will earn J QF SC, if you choose to fly that class.

I think you mean CI (China Airlines, based in Taiwan) rather than OZ (Asiana, based in South Korea) ? China Airlines is a member of SkyTeam rather than Star Alliance, but yes a QF codeshare will earn SC, albeit only 240 SC on SYD-TPE return.

OR if timing is important, there is the JL flight that leaves MEL past midnight, gets you to NRT mid morning, and you can make a midday connection to TPE, at least with this, you will earn a bit more SC than flying MH.

The most indirect JL route available ex SYD is SYD-MEL(QF)-NRT(JL)-TPE(JL) which earns 320 SC return, a whole 20 SC more than the most indirect MH route...

If you have to go through SEAsia, why not get the QF plane from MEL/SYD/BNE to SIN, and ten a 3K flight (with bundle), to as close as TPE as you can.

I wasn't able to see this as a valid route on SYD-TPE QF fares, but if you are suggesting making two separate bookings then you'd be looking at a) more money than any normal QF/MH/CX fare, b) the prospect of QF not checking you through and c) a grand total of 320 SC as the SIN-TPE flight won't have a J cabin.

I can't see a sane person taking that option when QF offers SYD-BNE-HKG-TPE as a valid routing.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I thought I saw under CI SYD to TPE did carry a QF code/flight number.

 

[AIRwin]

I thought I saw under CI SYD to TPE did carry a QF code/flight number.

QF383/384 and QF389/390