If your mate is going to do it, it also needs to be timed for maximum benefit. I booked in February DSC offer for 1st two weekends in May which made me Platinum until April 2020. I've collected 2.5 million points since March 16 and had a couple of redemptions in mind with a first class trip just completed to the US. I did ADL - BRI - MEL - SYD - NOU and return in J from a Thursday to Sunday which netted 820 SC. Someone else booked 30 minutes before I did so missed the cheapest price but it was $1,285 and I paid $1800. The following weekend for something different, I used points to get to Perth, did PER - MEL - SYD - NOU - BRI - ADL gaining another 540 SC for $1300 and then had one bonus of 50 SC.

Total cost including all accomodation, car hire and Uber rides were under $4k so don't think it could be done any cheaper than that. Qantas has now found out about the costing of the status run and it is now about $3k.

My thoughts will soon turn to meeting the minimum flight requirements after May next year and see if I'll soft land back to Gold or crash back to bronze. If I drop to gold, I might book another run for the following year if I then drop to Silver.

Regards,

Michael