Zero to OneWorld Emerald (QF Plat) in one trip to Europe - possible?

[sambo]

Hi all, i'm not a frequent poster, so apologies if this is not the correct place to post.

Background - I have a work requirement to travel from Melbourne to Copenhagen in May. Just a short trip of about a week and a half.

I currently have no airline status.

Question - I have approx $15K of flight spend available(haven't travelled in ages) - so am shooting for first class trip if possible, and I'm wondering if I choose airline and routing wisely, whether I might be able to score OneWorld Emerald from this trip alone?

I am open to flying any OneWorld carriers to hit this target.

I am acutely aware of the just expired qantas double status deal which would have made this mission a breeze.

Your thoughts on viability and any ideas to achieve this much appreciated.

 

[docjames]

What about a DONE RTW? Utilising F on two class US flights (if that' still credits as F - would have to check rulings).

Agree a pity the double SC wasn't achievable for you as it would have been easier.

 

[serfty]

Utilising F on two class US flights (if that' still credits as F - would have to check rulings).

The only AA domestic flights with A class are between LAX and JFK or SFO and JFK. Also, AONEx rules prohibit more than one such segment.

Still with an AONEx it may be possible.

 

[sambo]

Still with an AONEx it may be possible.

Thanks Docjames and Serfty - Interesting idea, will be a lot of hours on planes, but worth me pricing up. I'm now wrestling with the RTW planner tool at rtw.oneworld.com which keeps throwing errors and saying "The fastest way to get a quote is to call Qantas...".

 

[JohnM]

Easily done on an AONEx if you have the time to bounce around several places.

Don’t forget you also need 4 QF flights as another condition of status with QF.

 

[sambo]

Easily done on an AONEx if you have the time to bounce around several places.

Don’t forget you also need 4 QF flights as another condition of status with QF.

Thanks JohnM - I don't have a heap of time, but have always been fascinated by concept of Status Runs, and may be able to make this happen.

Am also considering just calling qantas and seeing if they'll give me a Status Challenge. Don't like my chances, but worth a shot, right?

 

[docjames]

The call to QF costs (almost) nothing.

Was thinking trying something like MEL-SYD-LAX-DFW-JFK-ORD-LHR-CPH-LHR-AUH-HKG-SIN-PER-SYD-MEL or similar. Will come down to total kms allowable on the xONEx and trying to balance travel time vs "backtracking" and optimising SCs. The above would be ~ 1030SCs.

Would be worth looking at the status run thread for ideas to optimise segments into higher SC categories.

And of course the SC calculator:
Frequent Flyer - Flying Qantas and Partner Airlines - Points Calculators

 

[JohnM]

xONEx do not have distance limits. Maximum 16 sectors, must travel in same direction between continental zones but can go back & forth within a continental zone (although as Serfty has pointed out, only one coast-to-coast sector is allowed), maximum four sectors within each continental zone except for N American zone where it is six.

A maxxed-out AONEx would reap HUGE SCs.

They are valid for a year, so give thought to splitting across your FF year to get WP in each year. To split it, you would need to separately postion back to Australia then when starting the second half, separately position back to the stopover (eg. think SIN, HKG or other ports close by.)

 

[docjames]

This thread:

Wiki - Discussion/Q&A on Best QF Status Run Options

 

[sambo]

This thread:

Wiki - Discussion/Q&A on Best QF Status Run Options

Thanks DocJames - I have many hours of reading ahead of me...

As a reference point, I quickly priced up a simple as possible fair with Qantas in First(where first cabin available) and got return fair of (same path) MEL-SYD-SIN-LHR-CPH for $15,115.00 inc Taxes and yielding 1010 Status credits total.

Or, a not-that-crazy(not even close to maxed out) 8 leg AONE4 fare for $18,000 inc Taxes - with an SC earn of around 1000sc also.

I've also just put in a request for a status challenge with qantas now - so hopefully that comes through and helps in my quest!

 

[Ivan Neville]

Thanks DocJames - I have many hours of reading ahead of me...

As a reference point, I quickly priced up a simple as possible fair with Qantas in First(where first cabin available) and got return fair of (same path) MEL-SYD-SIN-LHR-CPH for $15,115.00 inc Taxes and yielding 1010 Status credits total.

Or, a not-that-crazy(not even close to maxed out) 8 leg AONE4 fare for $18,000 inc Taxes - with an SC earn of around 1000sc also.

I've also just put in a request for a status challenge with qantas now - so hopefully that comes through and helps in my quest!

Hi I am intrigued about the status challenge. Could you give me some more details. Thanks

 

[sambo]

Hi I am intrigued about the status challenge. Could you give me some more details. Thanks

There's not a lot of official info from Qantas (i.e. none, that I can find) - but have read of a few people having success with this approach(and many with no luck at all), by calling QFF and asking for a status challenge. If granted to you, you are given a set amount of time (typically 3 month I believe) to hit a reduced number of SCs for a given status level. That's all I know sorry!

 

[Ivan Neville]

There's not a lot of official info from Qantas (i.e. none, that I can find) - but have read of a few people having success with this approach(and many with no luck at all), by calling QFF and asking for a status challenge. If granted to you, you are given a set amount of time (typically 3 month I believe) to hit a reduced number of SCs for a given status level. That's all I know sorry!

Thanks. I understand

 

[JohnM]

As a reference point, I quickly priced up a simple as possible fair with Qantas in First(where first cabin available) and got return fair of (same path) MEL-SYD-SIN-LHR-CPH for $15,115.00 inc Taxes and yielding 1010 Status credits total.

Or, a not-that-crazy(not even close to maxed out) 8 leg AONE4 fare for $18,000 inc Taxes - with an SC earn of around 1000sc also.

Bear in mind, if you are not clear on how xONEx pricing works, that there is a fixed base price for each of the 3-6 continental zone fares. Taxes and charges vary depending on which ports you visit, which airlines you use etc. to give the final total fare.

 

[Himeno]

What about a DONE RTW? Utilising F on two class US flights (if that' still credits as F - would have to check rulings).

Agree a pity the double SC wasn't achievable for you as it would have been easier.

The 2 class domestic US "book as A" rule disappeared early last year when AA changed their domestic fare class structure. 2 class domestic flights now book into business fare codes, even though the cabin is called "First" in all marketing. Only the 3 cabin flights (JFK-SFO/LAX, selected MIA-LAX) have F fare codes.

My first business class RTW got me from Bronze to Platinum mid trip, but that trip also had a DAS13 and was before earn to QFF on non QF coded flights was cut.

 

[JohnM]

I’ve been doing a DONE4 or 5 every year for the last 15 years. I comfortably maintain WP on the SCs from that. My Amex Ultimate card is used to ensure meeting the 4 QF flights threshold.

I did an AONE5 in the last year of the old 20 sector paper ticket days - using all sectors. Now that did earn some serious SCs.

 

[Quickstatus]

Hi I am intrigued about the status challenge. Could you give me some more details. Thanks

Typically it’s been rumoured to be (unofficially) offered to people from other airlines looking to “jump/ ship” who already have status on nonQF airlines. Seemed like to me they needed some kind of travel history first.
I doubt that if you never had recent status before that they will allow a “status challenge”.

Essentially the “Status challenge” is to get 1400SC

 

[kiwitripper64]

with the 16 sectors you used to be able to do multiple flights as 1 sector ie SYD-JFK ( via LAX) or AKL- MYS ( via LAX). You can then maximise by flying transcontinental back to West coast ( SFO) then off to Europe.
QR do some flights where they only offer F or Y ( local emirate region) and you used to earn F rates on J ticket.
Another 1 sector 2 flight route was HKG-PEK via NRT on JAL

 

[juddles]

.... I have approx $15K of flight spend available.......

Questions: is this 15k freely available or does it have to be spent strictly on the MEL-CPH ticket?

If it is not, the 15k is ample to get WP in many ways. The quickest and cheapest SC I know of are still doing status runs in the USA on their domestic "first" class. I would get a business ticket for the long haul, via the USA, and do a side trip status run within the USA.

 

[Quickstatus]

with the 16 sectors you used to be able to do multiple flights as 1 sector ie SYD-JFK ( via LAX) or AKL- MYS ( via LAX). You can then maximise by flying transcontinental back to West coast ( SFO) then off to Europe.
QR do some flights where they only offer F or Y ( local emirate region) and you used to earn F rates on J ticket.
Another 1 sector 2 flight route was HKG-PEK via NRT on JAL

On a xOnex is SYD-JFK (QF11/QF11) considered to be 1 sector?. Then backtrack to west coast before heading eastwards from LAX-EU?