What's Your Strategy?

[Mattg]

+1 using a spreadsheet for each QFF membership year. I know exactly how many points and SCs I will be earning in my membership year, and can use this information to plan accordingly.

In my last membership year, I was able to easily work out from the spreadsheet that I needed 10 more SCs on a QF marketed flight by the end of the year for a loyalty bonus. That was handy to know and I planned accordingly to make sure I got the 8,000 bonus points.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I have a spreadsheet which does my QF and VA points and SC calculations - and formulae for status qualifications.
It's pretty with logos and everything.
If anyone wants a template let me know.

 

[Mattg]

I have a spreadsheet which does my QF and VA points and SC calculations - and formulae for status qualifications.
It's pretty with logos and everything.
If anyone wants a template let me know.

I'd love a template of your spreadsheet - sounds much better than the one I'm currently using!

 

[cove]

My strategy has been to run up many points and miles. Then I can redeem them for the family when it is time.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Bear with me.
ADL - PER one way gives me 60 QF SC, in discJ for Aud$1150, might be a bit more. $19.16 per QF SC $$$$$$$$ I know.
ADL - MEL/SYD - AKL one way gives me 120 QF SC, in discJ for Aud$1150, might be a bit more. $9.58 per QF SC.
This is one of the reasons I go over to NZ.
Have done MEL - WLG in J giving me 80, MEL - AKL in F giving me 120, AKL - MEL in J giving me 80, thats 280, plus a few Au domestics giving me now 330. Have bookings of 220 to go, paid already, giving me 550, another 50 to book and is 600.

 

[JohnK]

I think there should be an icon where the eyes have literally fallen out of it's face! But as none exist thus far, this will have to do -------------------> :shock:

That's not that many. And all have not yet been flown. I need to try and get to 120 by year end.

 

[medhead]

Of course, this discussion probably doesn't help the underlying question about strategy in terms of other airline status attainment, in place of Qantas. One thing I've noticed recently is the sector qualification with AA. If doing lots of low value flights then it might be possible to get AA status fairly easily. Of course, the earning would be poor.

I'd love a template of your spreadsheet - sounds much better than the one I'm currently using!

+1 My spreadsheet is a mess of patches and last minute add in formulas. One day I'll set up a pivot table or something - one day.

That's not that many. And all have not yet been flown. I need to try and get to 120 by year end.

Booked in the last 12 months tends to inflate the figure a bit with the forward bookings. I've booked 142 in the last 12 months and flown 114 in the same time period. If I was a keen booker I could've booked 168 or more in the last 12 months.

 

[Lowjhg]

2 international trips is what I need to requalify for WP

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Will look at my spreadsheet over the weekend to make sure it's suitable for distribution.
There may be a couple of manually filled data points which I can replace with formulae.

 

[SponsorSFC]

My strategy has been to run up many points and miles. Then I can redeem them for the family when it is time.

This is exactly my plan as well.

Though my travel is all leisure and my points balances would be dwarfed by yours the last year and a half has been very productive.

Topping up with some points purchases with specific redemptions in mind has also been good value.

 

[mviy]

It's easy to rack up points through credit card bonuses. Flying the SC are more important as those are what provide status and once you achieve status the points obtained from flying increase anyway.

I'm looking to obtain status and accumulate points this year. If I book an international classic award for next year I will likely lose my status though. Another possible use for the points I have is to try for upgrades. Though the upgrade chances on a low status tier are low you have to have the points and apply to have some chance.

Personal travel is getting me most of the way to SG for the first time this year with work travel more than making up the remainder of what I need.

 

[verduzzo]

Have you tried a spreadsheet? List your flights you know about and the potential trips you may take along with sc earn and just add them in as you go. You'll get an idea soon of whether you'll hit targets and if not it gives you time to maybe "fix" it by adding in an extra leg or positioning flight or you may choose to fly up a cabin to get extra points to hit your target. It can be painful to keep that stuff in your head!

Thanks NZflygirl, spreadsheet is now up and running - I have been avoiding creating one up to now (I already have enough of them in my life!), but it is good to see it all mapped out (and only took a couple of minutes). Thanks for forcing my hand!

A spreadsheet is pretty much my go to method. Map out the known flights for the year, predict SC earn and then fill in the gaps. Adding extra trips to visit family and friends.

This year, I'm 30SC short of platinum, accounting for 26 known flights still to book. I've got a potential school reunion trip. Between that lot I can decide when to book a higher earning fare to make up the shortfall. Otherwise, I visit family one weekend. I don't count that as a status run, even if I'm taking an unnecessary flight because of the status, it's more about varying the timing of a family visit that will happen at some stage.

I've also had 40 non-earning flights purchased with a prize from Qantas. So when the 50% bonus SC promo came in I locked some flights to make up the short fall. Probably that is a status run, but the cost was ~$1800 to make up for a much high value of prize fares. It was cost effective.

Nice work on the prize Medhead and agreed, cost effective.

How many points short of getting to the first SC in WP are you, OP?

about half way there AP

If 120/240, you could do several domestic trips in Aust in flexY.
Or 1 return trip to NZ, between about Nov and Feb there is a 330 direct flight from PER - AKL, does not need to be J, but if you can afford it, you could do it one way J and flexY back via SYD/MEL/BNE to PER.
Does not fly everyday, but 2 days a week.
Can fly EK metal QF flight number apart from QF metal QF flight number (Jetconnect).
But with Feb, its still a long way to go, so you could still make it worthwhile, if you are able to fly outside school holidays/Dec/Jan.

some good tips AP, thanks!

Another vote for a spreadsheet.
I always look out for opportunities to break flights up into multiple sectors.
The status credit earn usually makes it worthwhile.
I also look for opportunities to book international business fares which include a domestic sector.
That is easy to do from Perth. Apart from NZ you could look into the South Pacific.
Noumea and Fiji may be the only options unless they reinstate the code shares with Air Vanuatu.
The business fares from Perth to these destinations are usually a lot less than a domestic business fare to the east coast.
They can be as low as half the fare, and they earn double the status credits.
If you book carefully you may even be able to break the domestic flight up into two sectors, earning even more SCs.
There used to be opportunities to do this to Asian destinations as well.
However, with the return of QF flights PER<->SIN, flights to Asia via SYD or MEL have become much more expensive.
Qantas expect us to fly to SIN and then connect to Jetstar flights to other Asian destinations.
They do not seem to understand (or care) that many of their most loyal PAX simply do not want to fly Jetstar under any circumstances.

Thanks essee. you have a great handle on the trials and tribulations of PER pax...some good advice, appreciated.

my strategy is to look at the routemaps for a fare and use as many flights as the fare allows

Nice

+1 using a spreadsheet for each QFF membership year. I know exactly how many points and SCs I will be earning in my membership year, and can use this information to plan accordingly.

In my last membership year, I was able to easily work out from the spreadsheet that I needed 10 more SCs on a QF marketed flight by the end of the year for a loyalty bonus. That was handy to know and I planned accordingly to make sure I got the 8,000 bonus points.

Thank you to everyone who inspired me to finally get the Spread Sheet up and running. Nice reminder on the LB's MattG

2 international trips is what I need to requalify for WP

Assuming J?

Will look at my spreadsheet over the weekend to make sure it's suitable for distribution.
There may be a couple of manually filled data points which I can replace with formulae.

+1 to get my mitts on this spreadsheet if you're willing to share!

 

[samh004]

Moderator note:

It's common practice, when replying to multiple posts consecutively in a thread to invoke the multi-quote command to the right of the regular single quote button (shown here with a tick to show it is engaged). Click as many as you like, then when you hit reply multiple posts will be selected and combined into one to reply to. When not doing this, it can seem like post padding.

 

[verduzzo]

Moderator note:

It's common practice, when replying to multiple posts consecutively in a thread to invoke the multi-quote command to the right of the regular single quote button (shown here with a tick to show it is engaged). Click as many as you like, then when you hit reply multiple posts will be selected and combined into one to reply to. When not doing this, it can seem like post padding.

View attachment 68101

Thanks for the tip Mod. and apologies for my ignorance of that feature; noted for future reference.

 

[Jeremias]

I'd also love to get my hands on one of the spreadsheets mentioned in this thread.

I'm currently mapping out what I need to do to get to gold in the next year (just ticked over to silver) and it would be great to be able to easily monitor my progress via a spreadsheet.

Thanks!

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Jeremias, its easy to set one up for yourself for the time being.
Col A, from city and to city (source airport code and desto airport code)
Col B, miles earnt by class
Col C, SC earnt by class
Col D, culmulative bal of SC earn/t
Thats up until the others send you their spreadsheet outout.
First tick after PS (first year), is 301, or 251 if you have it as second year.
QF J transTasman does earn 80, or 20 down the back of the plane.

 

[Duck]

Will look at my spreadsheet over the weekend to make sure it's suitable for distribution.
There may be a couple of manually filled data points which I can replace with formulae.

Hi esseeeayeenn,

How did you go with your spreadsheet? I would love to have a copy if you wanted to share... :mrgreen:

Thanks