user29

HI,

i travel fairly often to SLC and YUL.
I am based in Perth

Looking for advice on

1. Most Qantas point
2. Quickest route
3. Comfiest / Nicest Route

Most points ithink is

PER > SYD >Lax all on QF then american to SLC
Per > SYd > dallas > then AA to montreal

thoughts?

jridge

Slightly more PER-SYD-DFW-SLC and PER-SYD-JFK-YUL.

A lot depends on booking class. If you're flying J and getting 100% credit on BA, then PER-DXB-LHR-BA-YUL is only slightly longer and avoids domestics.

Granlor

Have you considered PER-DXB-JFK-YUL. I don't know about price but timing should be good and you get the A380 from DXB.

jridge

There's also PER-DXB-YUL, but there's no QF codeshare on the EK trans-Atlantics, and if the goal is to maximise QF points, that's a bit of a limitation.

Dave Noble

Which class of travel are you using ; also, is the aim necessarily to get QF miles or to generally attain miles for rewards?

If the latter ( and especially if in economy ) , you might well be better looking at another scheme

PER-SYD-LAX collecting to AA travelling on AA codeshares would earn a base ( as with QF ) of 9529 miles ( 19058 return ). With use of a Platinum challenge, would be able to get to Platinum without much issue on 1 trip at which earning would be 38118 per trip

comparing against redeeming for the same trip , AA would require 125k return in business class or 145k in 1st with NO surcharges to pay - each trip would get you 30% of requirements of a busines trip / 26% of a 1st trip

c.f. with using QF to redeem 224000 in business 336000 in 1st with no better an earning rate ( in economy ) and you can be getting an 80% better value if redeeming in business and a 131% better value for 1st as well as not having to pay a surcharge of $780 on top of the miles

If it is Qantas miles specifically that you are interested in and are flying in economy, then just flying Qantas via the east coast is likely to be the best option

user29

Thanks, I fly J class and am Platinum today.

I also am not adverse to flying with virgin sssshhhhh

user29

I do enjoy this route, done it before some tight connections which I missed twice but it does allow me time in the LHR lounges

user29

I usually use ek ticketed as qf on that journey except the BA part

Dave Noble

In business class , your earnings even taking the Qantas flight number would be significantly better value credited to AA methinks. 4 trips in a year would get you top tier status on AA too ( equivalent to QF Platinum ) but a much better redemption rate

It is your choice, but if looking to maximise redemption value, crediting to Qantas is definitely not what I would be doing

Platinum QF business PER-SYD-LAX will earn 30250 points
AA Executive platinum business PER-SYD-LAX will earn 21440 miles

The AA earning is indeed less, but if compared to redemption for equivalent one way

Using QF points redemption is 112,000 points plus $390 plus taxes so will earn 27% of a one way trip per one way paid trip
Using AA points redemption is 62,500 points plus $0 plus taxes so will earn 34% of a one way trip per paid one way trip

An easy way of getting a 26% improvement in value without making any change to travel performed

user29

David - very interesting!!!!

My plan was to switch to AA if/when i obtain Lifetime Gold. (Or switch to Vigin on a more permanant basis.

So if i read it write all the flights PER>SYD>LAX>SLC are all QF metal (except the last leg) with an AA code share to get the points? or are they QF ticketed with AA points (does AA have points + credits like QF)

Some good food for thought here!

Dave Noble

It makes no difference whether you fly to US on the Qantas or the AA flight numbers in general since business class earns full miles plus 25% for business class

for domestic flights within the USA, you would be better to book on the AA flight number than the QF number since you will accrue at 1st class rates

The only exception to this that I would suggest is that for the 1st trip to USA, you

(a) book on the AA codeshare to LAX
(b) undertake the AA Platinum challenge

the 1 way flight to LAX will instantly give you platinum status with AA and give you 100% miles bonus ( including that qualifying flight )

You can use the QF Platinum card to get 1st lounge access in SYD and LAX until you have done the requisite trips to get top tier AA status

Once you have AA top tier status, you might like to consider doing a few trips via Tokyo or Hong Kong , since as an AA EP member you will get 8 systemwide upgrades that you could use to upgrade from business to 1st class

You will, I think, be getting a huge improvement in value crediting to AA and much better than trying to find longer routes to increase QF earning

your earnings will be slightly lower on AA since QF gives 22500 miles or 24750 ( depending on business or flex business ) whilst AA will give you 16848 miles. I would say that you will get far better redemptions value

As far as attaining status goes with AA there are 2 approaches

(1) actual earned base miles or
(2) elite qualifying points

For business and 1st class you will earn 1.5 elite qualifying points per mile flown , so PER-SYD-LAX-SLC being 10118 miles will earn 15177 points which gives 30354 per r/t . need just over 3 trips to get/maintain top tier status

Just make sure to do 4 sectors on AA flight numbers

grov

Have you thought about CX to HK then onto either Toronto or Boston? Only short flights then to Montreal.

deeruck

You'd think...but only a few AC options each day, and generally very pricey. All others connect through NYC or a Toronto airport.

grov

WestJet is $232 one way Economy - as you say, that's expensive for a short flight. Can't go via the US - tried that and the US authorities won't allow it.

jridge

Sure you can. For a one-way you'll need a proper visa rather than just an ESTA though.