Lack

Nah, cas_de had it right, I was hoping for ARN-TLL-WAW-NRT, just didn't have EF access to check the routing rules.

The Wolf

I booked AMS-ZRH-GVA-FRA-SOF / SOF-MUC-GVA-ZRH-BRU recently to position for the SOF-JNB fare.
Booked all in D for 974 EUR, should net 18.750 miles which I consider a fair deal.
The SOF-JNB was 883 EUR, so in total I'm getting 53.010 miles for 1857,- EUR. You could say it earns as an F(A) for the price of a P (manmaths alert).

That makes 8 segments to my final destination CPT, bit of a pain though! Luckily my wife is as crazy as I am so I'm in good company...

whiskey_sk

if your math is correct (don't know what the SOF-JNB fare was) then this is one of the cheapest SEN-achieving routings I've seen, if not THE cheapest. You get over 100k status miles (btw, does your calculation include exec bonus already?) for ~3700 EUR. ^

The Wolf

It was this fare, and it booked in C - that was the main win
Yes, calculation is inclusive of 25%, so you would have needed a bit more flying when starting as a non-FTL/SEN

whiskey_sk

wow I've completely missed that one. Was that an error fare or something?

The Wolf

I will never describe a fare as such

shorthauldad

I'm sure you're right, but why 750 per segment? I found this same fare last year, tbh thought it was a mistake (that A fare was actually cheaper than any SK Y fare on my date).

Booked it as ARN-OSL-MUC (in A both sectors) credited to SQ KF, earned 319 status miles on the ARN-OSL and 1000 on the OSL-MUC. Still don't understand where those numbers come from

fereke

SK A yields a flat 750 miles per segment when credited to M&M, see the earning chart.

When credited to SQ KF, it gives 125% of the distance, your numbers seem about right given that ARN-OSL ~ 250 miles and OSL-MUC ~ 800 miles.

shorthauldad

Thanks. Don't think I'd contemplated that you might be able to earn a % of miles flown when the operating carriers' FF scheme only pays flat rate (for intra-Europe sectors).

Lack

You care only about the program you're crediting to, operating airline program has little relevance. The discrepancy in earning between programs is often a arbitrage opportunity.

Concerto

I have just been looking at some Eurowings flights for departures in the next few days and I am seeing Best fares that are sometimes really quite cheap. For example, I saw DUS-GVA for only EUR119, whereas the Smart fare was EUR79. I have a feeling that we haven't yet fully investigated all the potential ins and outs of these Best fares on EW/4U and there might be some interesting bargains out there.

Anyway, I do need to get down to Geneva on one of those days and I just might not be able to make the flight in question. Do Best fares, even at that price, offer any flexibility? I recall once reading here, a year or two back, that Smart fares actually carry some sort of flexibility, or possibility of date change. I never got around to investigating that.

oliver2002

EW/LH have lowered the Best/Business regional fares and allow one ways now pretty much everywhere. The tradeoff for the 120-150EUR fares is no flexibility though....


Recently found a ton of E fares ex Italy and DK/NO/SE that are 850-900++EUR that are a great deal to get status miles double quick. A 1300EUR ticket I booked (for a private trip I want to take to FL over easter) will yield aprox 18-19k miles. ��

PAX_fips

There's cheap BEST (booking D or I) w/o included flexibility (the ~100-200E rates) and the full flex (booking J) which usually clocks around 250-400 for short-haul international.

Miles differ as shown in:
https://www.eurowings.com/en/your-re...-works-mm.html

On flexibility in "D": I had a MAN-HAM for ~180E booked and had to rebook it to one day later on very short notice. The fee was 65E.

Concerto

Thanks for the speedy feedback. So it is possible to rebook Best D and I fares against €65, I see. Along with presumably an upfare to whatever it would cost on the day you want to rebook to. J fares are obviously not worth it unless you really need that flexibility, and it seems to be the element of flexibility which costs good money with airline travel these days.

I would be interested to know what routing you found, Oliver, which is presumably within Europe. I am guessing E fares are Business, although they sound like Economy to me. I wonder if it's possible to make stopovers in Germany on those routings, although I suspect not. Would make them very useful! One day I'm going to ask your advice about Croatia Airlines routings, when the time is right!

oliver2002

E is longhaul premium economy, which earn 150% and are upgradable.