Which FF program?

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freekickk

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Mar 23, 2005
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Good morning guys,

I will be trabvelling to Israel in the next few weeks and was wondering which FF program would be best. I would probably use the miles to travel domestically in Australia.

My itinary is:
MEL-HKG CX class M
HKG-TLV LY class H
TLV-HKG LY class H
HKG-MEL CX class M

Thanks
 
Welcome freekickk

It depends on so many factors.

How often do you fly o/s?

How often do you fly domestically?

What cc's do you have that link with FF programs?

A bit more detail and there are many wise souls that can answer your question!

Cheers
 
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Thanks for that mate,

To answer your questions:

I don't have a CC
I rarely travel O/S (once every 3 years)
I travel domestically once a year
 
Well, let's rule out AAdvantage, as they don't give CX's M class anything (no miles, no EQM's); so a Plat Challenge is out of the question. The only way you would go to AAdv is if you changed the CX flight to the QF codeshare or used the QF metal MEL/HKG.

I'm no expert on CX's AsiaMiles, so no help there.

I'll do some more research and come back.
 
The flight I'm going on is an El Al ticket (codeshared with cathay pacific.)

Just a few more questions. I have already booked and paid for the tickets.
1) If I joined Qantas would I have to notify my travel agent of my membership details?
2) How long does it take until your able to use the membership?
3) Is it possible to pay for the Qantas FF using cash as I don't have a CC
4) Approx. how much would it cost for me to change my tickets so that I leave 1 week earlier?

Thanks
 
Quicky back to AAdvantage to complelely rule it out. The El Al flights would actually give you 100% mileage (but not too sure whether you get any EQM's towards status, it doesn't give an EQM table so I wouldn't be hopeful). So while you'd get something fot your El Al flights, you get nothing for your CX flights. Not a very palatable solution.

Now let's look at the QFF program. The SC & points earning Table gives El Al the thumbs up to H class, as well as M class on CX. The only caveat, which I believe you meet, is:

QFF progam rules said:
Points can only be earned on flights operated by El Al with an LY flight number between Israel and Asia, India, South Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

so it's looking very positive.

Now to your questions/points:

The flight I'm going on is an El Al ticket (codeshared with cathay pacific.)

No use changing the El Al flights to CX codeshares and vice versa, so makes the AAdv program stop dead in the comparison. We can rule it out.

I have already booked and paid for the tickets.

Makes changes a little harder and costly, if you need to do them (depending on the fare rules).

1) If I joined Qantas would I have to notify my travel agent of my membership details?

Either your TA or direct to QF. I'd trust QF over a TA...

2) How long does it take until your able to use the membership?

As soon as the payment method has been accepted and it is activated (you have a FF number).

3) Is it possible to pay for the Qantas FF using cash as I don't have a CC

Don't believe so...I'd give the money to somebody else and get them to use their CC.

4) Approx. how much would it cost for me to change my tickets so that I leave 1 week earlier?

Depends on the fare rules. As you have already been ticketed (and I assume you have a paper ticket), what is the fare basis on the ticket (look on the first line where it shows Melbourne..read across past Carrier, Flight, Class, Date, Time, and Status...then you'll see Fare Basis. What is the code (a series of letters and/or numbers). Let us know what that says...

Alternatively, armed with that code, you can look up the fare basis on Travelocity by doing a dummy booking.

Without knowing what fare class, I'd expect $75+ on a discount economy ticket


But finally, you should explore the CX AsiaMiles program (or even El Al's). I might do some reading tonight...
 
Cathay's Asia Miles I think we can also discount, as they don't have El Al as a partner airline, so no earning of status or miles apparently on the HKG/TLV sectors.

Back to QFF. The program will give you:

MEL/HKG 4,596 miles & 25 SC's
HKG/TLV ~ 4,980 miles #1 & ~ 25SC's
TLV/HKG ~ 4,980 miles #1 & ~ 25SC's
HKG/MEL 4,596 miles & 25 SC's

Mileage = ~ 19,152 FF points
SC's = ~ 100

#1 I couldn't find exact distance on either QF, El Al or other mileage websites, nor SC's - guessed the SC's and took HKG/Egypt for mileage)
 
I couldn't find YHEE6M, but here are the fare rules for GHEE6M (which is a higher-discount ticket, so rules will be harsher than for YHEE6M):

Fare details for GHEE6M

REGULAR EXCURSION SPECIAL FARE FARE

BK CODE: G -

RES/TKTG

SGMTS USING THIS RULE MUST BE CONFIRMED.

MIN STAY

5 DAYS. MEASURED FROM DPTR FROM GATEWAY.

MAX STAY

RETURN TRVL MUST COMMENCE NO LATER THAN 6 MONTHS AFTER DPTR FROM ORIGIN.

SEASONS

16JUN-15AUG OR 11-23DEC. SAME DATES APPLY EACH YEAR. SEASON IS BASED ON DATE OF ORIGIN.

BLACKOUTS

NO BLACKOUT RESTRICTIONS APPLY.

FLT APPL

APPLIES TO ANY FLIGHT EXCEPT QF 303-318/QF 321-386/QF 389-399/QF 2921-3999/QF 5000-5999/BA 3000-3379/BA 4250-4319/BA 4450-6199/BA 6670-6799/BA 7000-7299/BA 7500-7599/BA 8300-8599/CX 1000-1999/CX 7000-7999/TG 1000-9999 AND APPLIES TO ANY LY/QF/BA/CX/TG FLIGHT.

STOPOVERS

A FREE STOPOVER IS PERMITTED AT BKK/BOM/HKG, IF IN ROUTING APPLICABLE TO FARE. APPLIES TO HALF ROUNDTRIP ITINERARIES. A STOPOVER OCCURS WHEN THE PASSENGER DOES NOT DEPART AN INTERMEDIATE POINT WITHIN 24 HOURS.

TICKET RESTRICTIONS

TICKET RESTRICTION MAY APPLY. CONTACT THE CARRIER FOR PROVISIONS. NOTE: TICKETING MUST BE MADE ON LY/QF/BA TICKET STOCK ONLY.

DISCOUNTS

75 PCT OF THE ADT FARE IS CHARGED FOR A CNN PSGR 2 THRU 11 YRS OF AGE. CNN PSGR MUST BE ACCOMPANIED ON ALL SGMTS BY AN ADT PSGR TRAVELING IN THE SAME COMPARTMENT. - - - - 10 PCT OF THE ADT FARE IS CHARGED FOR AN INF PSGR UNDER 2 YRS OF AGE NOT OCCUPYING A SEAT. INF PSGR MUST BE ACCOMPANIED ON ALL SGMTS BY AN ADT PSGR TRAVELING IN THE SAME COMPARTMENT.

TRANSFERS

2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED, 1 IN EACH DIRECTION IN ADL/BNE/CNS/ MEL/SYD. -TRANSFERS MUST OCCUR BETWEEN DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS ONLY. ADDITIONALLY 2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED, 1 IN EACH DIRECTION IN BKK/HKG/ BOM.

COMBINATIONS

CARRIER / RULE / FARE CIRCLE OPEN ROUND BASIS TRIP JAW TRIP SAME / SAME / SAME N C C SAME / SAME / DIFF N C C SAME / DIFF / SAME N C C SAME / DIFF / DIFF N C C DIFF / SAME / SAME N C C DIFF / SAME / DIFF N C C DIFF / DIFF / SAME N C C DIFF / DIFF / DIFF N C C Y / PERMITTED N / NOT PERMITTED - / DOES NOT APPLY C / SEE TEXT FOR CONDITIONS ROUND TRIP - -PERMITTED. -MAY BE COMBINED WITH ANY ROUND TRIP G-EE6M TYPE/M-EE6M2 TYPE FARES GOVERNED BY IPRAP RULE 5221 AND IPRMEAS RULE 5221 AND 033S RULE LYK7 VIA LY/QF/BA. -MOST RESTRICTIVE CONDITIONS APPLY. CIRCLE TRIP - -NOT PERMITTED. OPEN JAW - -SINGLE OPEN JAW PERMITTED AT EITHER ORIGIN OR DESTINATION. -MAY BE COMBINED WITH ANY ROUND TRIP G-EE6M TYPE/M-EE6M2 TYPE FARES GOVERNED BY IPRAP RULE 5221 AND IPRMEAS RULE 5221 AND 033S RULE LYK7 VIA LY/QF/BA. -MOST RESTRICTIVE CONDITIONS APPLY. END-ON-END - -PERMITTED. TRAVEL MUST BE VIA THE FARE COMBINATION POINT.

CO-TERMINALS

NOT APPLICABLE.

ROUTINGS

EXCESS MILEAGE SURCHARGE MAY BE IGNORED UP TO 25M WHEN TRAVEL EXCEEDS THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED MILEAGE

MISC

TITLE AND APPLICATION - ROUNDTRIP EXCURSION FARES FROM AUSTRALIA TO ISRAEL VIA ASIA Y RT/SOJ VIA EH ON QF/BA/LY ONLY FROM : ADL/BNE/CNS/MEL/SYD/PER TO : TLV RT OPEN JAW PERMITTED RBDS LY - G OR N QF/BA/CX - M TG - S/V FARE BASIS CODE - GLEE6M / GKEE6M / GHEE6M. MINIMUM STAY - 5 DAYS. TICKET ENDORSEMENTS - FARE RESTRICTIONS APPLY.

If you want to look for yourself, try Travelocity and put in your flihgt details. You might be best to contact your TA to find out the cost for re-ticketing.
 
Thanks for that.
I contacted my TA and they said that I couldn't change my departure date on my current ticket. The only way I could leave earlier is if I cancelled my flight and then rebook with an earlier departure date. Does this sound right?
 
Welcome to AFF, freekickk :)

Not knocking your analysis Lindsay, but given the OP's lack of travel I think any status anywhere is out of the question.

This means maximising value of miles earned is the most important, probably allowing for adding to the miles with future credit card (and perhaps hotel, rental car, etc) usage.
 
Indeed, Kiwi Flyer, the analysis pointed to using the QF FF program, as they receive mileage and status credits for all flights, not just selected ones. Sure, it doesn't get them past Bronze, but it does get them the availability of using the gathered points for at least 1 domestic return flight.

After all, the analysis was based on their OP:

I will be trabvelling to Israel in the next few weeks and was wondering which FF program would be best. I would probably use the miles to travel domestically in Australia.

The analysis did not extend to the addition of linked CC's; hotel stays, rental car etc. It was not asked and therefore no opinion given...
 
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