USA Holiday - How to make the best of all our flights

[Nug300]

Hi Guys

Second post in these forums but it have been over a year since posting so its like im brand new again.

There is so much information on these forums from well experienced travellers and i was hoping to get some advice on how to best capitalise on an upcoming holiday to the USA in Sept/Oct/Nov with my wife.

I am currently Silver status but will reach SG by the time my reassesment comes around in July.

We have booked the following flights and wonder if people here could be of assistance to tell me approx status credits/points that would be earnt.

All flights were done through Flight Centre on a Qantas ticket due to the amount of bookings.

SYD-DFW - Qantas QF7
DFW-MSY - AA
MSY-MIA - AA
MIA-DCA - AA
BOS-BUF - AA operated by US Airways
BUF-ORD - AA
ORD-SEA - AA
SEA-LAS - Alaska Air
LAX-SYD - Qantas QF12

What i am wondering is if all the flights will earn SC and Points, and if yes/no, is it worth signing up to AA.

I am not sure what class the internal US ones are booked as other than Y, i am not sure if Flight centre provide those details or not?

Anyway thanks in advance.

Rob

 

[drewbles]

You need to look at what fare bucket you're booked into on AA, as not all AA fares earn QF SC's.

For the ones that don't, you may as well credit to AA (better than going nowhere).

QF SC's can be earned on AA fare buckets O, Q, G, L, M, N, S, V, W (domestic), B, H, K and Y (all coach) with differing levels of earn for points (O/Q earn 0.25 points per mile, G/L/M/N/S/V/W earn 0.5 points per mile, and B/H/K/Y earn 1 per mile).

If you have anything else they will not earn on Qantas.

Take a look at Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Terms & Conditions under Airline Earning Table for more info on that.

To calculate how many you'll earn, I suggest you use MileageMonkey to make it easier (MileageMonkey). Under Oneworld Explorer Validator, enter in the segments (so DFW-MSY-MIA-DCA-BOS-BUF-ORD-SEA-LAS-LAX or the like) then put a tick in 'Ignore errors' and click Go!. Scroll down to the bottom, and you'll see a chart with SC earn sector-by-sector. If all your flights were in Discount Economy and eligible for SC earn, you'd earn 115SC's (providing the SEA-LAS is on an AA code).

 

[Nug300]

Ok i got the details of my booking classess

SYD-DFW - Qantas QF7 (S)
DFW-MSY - AA (N)
MSY-MIA - AA (Q)
MIA-DCA - AA (V)
BOS-BUF - AA operated by US Airways (O)
BUF-ORD - AA (L)
ORD-SEA - AA (Q)
SEA-LAS - Alaska Air (K)
LAX-SYD - Qantas QF12 (S)

I have SG with QF already, with pretty much no chance of making WP. Therefore would it be more advantageous to sign up to AA and collect the miles there or keep adding to the 120k points i have.

I see on AA you can buy 500-Miles upgrades for $30, however i am not sure i am reading this correct. Surely you cant upgrade from Econ to First for $30.

So much information on here and im struggling to get my head around the best way to take advantage of our holiday.

Cheers

Rob

 

[exceladdict]

SEA-LAS - Alaska Air (K)

Would you like a free upgrade?

I recently spent a fair bit of time in the US. Alaskan wouldn't status match from Qantas status directly, but as I had also matched my Qantas silver to United Premier Silver (on trial), Alaskan matched my United Premier Silver to Alaskan MVP for one year.

Using this, not only did my friends and i all get free bags on Alaskan, but they upgraded me from economy to first, on their free upgrade waitlist I could only enter the list on check in however, as otherwise our reservation would be split and my friends would have lost their free baggage.

Therefore would it be more advantageous to sign up to AA and collect the miles there or keep adding to the 120k points i have.

Using Qantas Silver or higher, you'll get free baggage on AA for you and all people on your ticket - for me, when travelling recently with friends, my wife and I got 3 bags between us, and each of my friends were allowed three bags each (free). If we added up the cost of $35 for first bag and $50 for second (each) on each leg - well, suffice to say we would have had a shorter holiday!

I also got free upgrades to AA's Main Cabin Extra (EDIT: forward row seats in economy with extra legroom) free, which normally costs $30-50 pp and priority boarding for me - i took my wife through with me and they never stopped her accompanying me in the priority lane.

If you do go down the AS MVP route - then maybe you can use their alliance with AA to get free baggage and build up status with AS? I was building QF status at the time so did not use this route myself. I think they may have an upgrade agreement as well.

 

[Nug300]

Thanks for the tip Excel.

Also my wife and i will be staying in IHG properties for the duration of our stay, enough to earn Platinum Elite

Does anyone know what the conversion rates are for earning airline miles, either QF or AA versus just saving the IHG points?

 

[Mwenenzi]

If you are not a QF club member worth buying 1 only 30 day membership for AA Admirals club lounge for US$99. This is not a "pass"
Admirals Club Passes (edit see you have QF gold so have lounge access)

If you are considerer AA miles for better earn/burn consider the AA challenge. But AA now do not have soft status landings
http://flyerguide.com/index.php/Challenge_(AA) (not by AA but good)
Help Desk: AAdvantage Elite Status Challenge (Gold and Platinum) - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[exceladdict]

Thanks for the tip Excel.

Also my wife and i will be staying in IHG properties for the duration of our stay, enough to earn Platinum Elite

Does anyone know what the conversion rates are for earning airline miles, either QF or AA versus just saving the IHG points?

I did exactly the same - HIex Dallas & Seattle; HI DC & San Fran, CP Chicago. Have you seen the Pointhacks reviews of IHG? If not check it out.

Edit: Also Holiday Inn Club Vacations in Vegas - slightly off the strip but a very nice two room villa.

My advice is definitely go for the IHG points - i only got a handful of qantas points the time i tried that; plus you can try to qualify for status via points (rather than nights) if that suits you more.