So, I looked at the 100,000 mile issue so I thought I would take a look at a comparision of achieving status levels between QF and that "other" US type program.

I won't rehash all the assumptions I've used (see the other thread!) except for the following:

* Most people accept that first level elite (ie: QF Silver) status is next to useless except for a small bonus mileage but no real status perks such as lounge access, priority boarding etc so I will ignore this level as something to obtain. Instead I will focus on the Gold level as the minimum acceptable status level that anyone would want to get.

* The top tiers are important because they provide perks the lower ones don't. For example at AA or UA you get the confirmed upgrade certs valid on some/most/all(pick) lowball fares. At QF you get partner gold status privs and of course top priority (under CL) for upgrades and the like, use of F lounges internationally and the like. This is a perk many people like.

So to refresh, at QF:

Silver: 350 SC's
Gold: 700 SC's
Plat: 1400 SC's

In our "Generic" US based mileage program:

Silver: 25,000 flown miles/25 segments
Gold: 50,000 flown miles/50 segments
Plat: 100,000 flown miles/100 segments

For the sake of simplicity I will ignore things like AA's Q points which are a half way house between SC's and miles for qualifying and treat elite status on the "generic" program to be totally mileage based, as with most of the other US majors.

AGain, I shall compare with 100% minimum mileage trips (eg: MEL-SYD type), 50/50 short and long hail, and 100% long haul fares, comparing discount Y purchased fares.

(Can I phone a friend too?)

Case 1: Short haul.

On QF, this would require 70 one way trips to make Gold, and 140 one way trips to make Plat.

On the mileage program, assuming 500 mile minimum earn, you would require 50 segments for gold, and 100 for plat.

Advantage: Other for Gold / Plat

Scenario 2: 50% short haul, and 50% long haul (SYD-LAX @ 7500 miles earn/40 SC's).

On QF:
Gold: 17 one way short hauls = 170 SC's
+14 one way long hauls = 560 SC's
total: 31 flights / 730 SC's.

Plat: 17 one way short hauls = 170 SC's
+31 one way long hauls = 1240 SC's
total: 46 flights / 1410 SC's

*or*

Gold: 35 one way short hauls = 350 SC's
9 one way long hauls = 360 SC's
total: 44 flights / 710 SC's

Plat: 70 one way short hauls = 700 SC's
18 one way long hauls = 720 SC's
total: 88 flights / 1420 SC's

Over in Mileage land:

Gold:
50 one way short haul sectors (25,000 flown)
+4 one way long haul sectors (30,000 flown)
= 54 flights

Plat:
100 one way short haul sectors (50,000 flown)
+7 one way long haul sectors (52,500 flown)
= 107 flights

However you have already made plat with your 100 flight sectors, so this straight 50/50 split is not valid!

Therefore:
50 one way sectors (25,000 miles flown)
+10 one way long haul sectors (75,000 miles flown)
= 60 flights/100,000 miles

The next step is to somehow put a weighting on the cost factor of the long haul sector relative to the short haul sector because obviously it costs some factor X more to fly LAX-SYD than it does to fly SYD-MEL. For simplicity's sake I'll put a cost multiplier of 10 on the long haul flights vs 1 for the short haul flights.

So the equation now becomes:

on QF:
Gold: 17+140=157 or 35+90=145
Plat: 17+310=327 or 70+180=250

With miles:
Gold: 50+40=90 or 50+100=150

Advantage: Generic mileage program (cheaper cost of total flights)

And finally to the all long haul equation, which is easier as we don't need a cost weighting as we assume sector costs to be equal:

On QF:
Gold: 18 long haul flights = 720 SC's
Plat: 36 long haul flights = 1440 SC's

With Miles:
Gold: 7 one way long haul flights = 52,500 flown
Plat: 14 one way long haul flights = 105,000 flown

Advantage: Generic mileage program (less than half the flying required to obtain the status).

Conclusion: A mileage based program is more generous status wise than QF for low ball Y fare flyers. However someone paying full C fares with QF would fare much beter:

ie:
short hauls:
Gold: 24 flights @ 30 SC's = 720 SC's
Plat: 47 flights @ 30 SC's = 1410 SC's

Gives a clear advantage to QF and the mileage programs do not usually offer a status bonus for higher fares paid (exception: Lufthansa Miles & More). You'd only need to fly a little less than half the flight sectors required with QF to get plat vs the mileage program.

On the long hauls:
7500 mile flight sector = zone 4 = 160 SC's
Gold: 5 flights = 800 SC's
Plat: 9 flights = 1440 SC's

Again advantage to QF (5 vs 7 for gold, 9 vs. 14 for plat).

The 50/50 exercise I leave to the reader (it's late and my head hurts!) but you'll obviously find that the fare weighting makes QF far more attractive for earning status, or at least within earshot of a mileage based program, unlike for discount Y pax.

Hope this has been of interest to some people!

------------------
RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.