DL - Help Needed - USA to Sydney Mileage Run
Oct 21, 2019, 8:09 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: Skymiles
Posts: 2
DL - Help Needed - USA to Sydney Mileage Run
Hey folks, got thrown on a last minute business trip to Sydney and attempting to make a mileage run at the same time. New to the whole international game and typically fly domestically.
Need to leave the East Coast on 11/2 or 11/3 and return to the states on 11/9 or 11/10. What's the best way to maximize the trip here?
Open to most major airports (JFK, LGA, EWR, BOS, PHL, ORD, etc) into SYD. I know that using partners can help hit the MQD's. Any leads or insights on how to book this?
Currently Delta Platinum with 30K MQM and 6K MQDs to hit Diamond. Not expecting to get them all here, but want to get most of the MQD's out of the way.
Departure Airport:East Coast USA
Destination: SYD
Miles Needed: 15K+
Required Spend or Budget: $2,000-$2500 (flexible)
Available Travel Dates: 11/2 or 11/3 Departure and 11/9 11/10 11/11 return
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Delta
Need to leave the East Coast on 11/2 or 11/3 and return to the states on 11/9 or 11/10. What's the best way to maximize the trip here?
Open to most major airports (JFK, LGA, EWR, BOS, PHL, ORD, etc) into SYD. I know that using partners can help hit the MQD's. Any leads or insights on how to book this?
Currently Delta Platinum with 30K MQM and 6K MQDs to hit Diamond. Not expecting to get them all here, but want to get most of the MQD's out of the way.
Departure Airport:East Coast USA
Destination: SYD
Miles Needed: 15K+
Required Spend or Budget: $2,000-$2500 (flexible)
Available Travel Dates: 11/2 or 11/3 Departure and 11/9 11/10 11/11 return
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Delta
Last edited by Jlancaster007; Oct 21, 2019 at 8:22 pm
Oct 21, 2019, 8:21 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: NYC
Programs: AS 75K, DL Platinum
Posts: 631
Do you have a budget? If not just buy the $12k business ticket on DL (or Virgin Atlantic) and you'll get exactly the MQM (and 2x the MQD) you need.
If cost is a factor Xiamen will also get you there but it'll involve 2-3x much flying time.
If cost is a factor Xiamen will also get you there but it'll involve 2-3x much flying time.
Oct 21, 2019, 8:24 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: Skymiles
Posts: 2
Just added budget 2-2.5K but can be flexible. Client will subsidize a "reasonable cost" but biz class is out.
Oct 22, 2019, 10:44 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Smyrna, GA, USA
Programs: DL FO 1MM
Posts: 1,761
Check Premium Economy fares (whatever they are called) on VA for increasing MQD. I think if you flew JFK-LAX-SYD in VA's PE you'd get just a hair under $6 MQD, but you should verify by looking at partner earning charts. In order to get the partner MQD earning, you must purchase with the partner as the marketing carrier (i.e. the name that is embedded in the lfight number) but the operating carrier does not matter.
Oct 26, 2019, 7:43 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,018
. VS Virgin Atlantic is going the long way, and now does not fly to SYD.Look at Skyteam airlines to SYD. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Airport
Airlines that fly USA/Canada to/from Australia
- Air Canada AC (YVR – SYD BNE MEL) [Star Alliance]
- Air New Zealand NZ (LAX SFO ORD IAH YVR via AKL) [Star Alliance]
- Air Tahiti Nui TN (LAX – via Tahiti & AKL. Last segments on QF codeshares) (AA & DL partner)
- American Airlines AA (LAX - SYD) [OneWorld Alliance] (AS partner until 28 Feb 2020)
- Delta DL (LAX – SYD) (VA partner) [Skyteam Alliance]
- Fiji Airways FJ (LAX SFO HNL – BNE SYD MEL via Fiji) (QF, AA & AS partner) [NAN-ADL ceased 20 July 2019]
- Hawaiian HA (HNL – BNE SYD) (AA & VA partner)
- Jetstar JQ (HNL – BNE SYD MEL)
- Qantas QF (SYD - LAX SFO JFK(via LAX) DFW HNL YVR*, BNE - LAX SFO*, ORD*; MEL- LAX SFO) [OneWorld Alliance] (AS partner) {* seasonal}{*BNE ORD from 20 April, 2020, *BNE SFO from 5 Feb 2020}
- United UA (LAX - MEL, LAX SFO IAH – SYD) (SFO - MEL from 31 Oct 2019)[Star Alliance].Reduced service IAH-SYD & LAX-SYD March 29 through October 25
- Virgin Australia VA (LAX – BNE SYD MEL) (codeshares with AC*) (DL & AC* partner) [*= some routes in 2017-18 link]
- and others via Asia & Middle East
Oct 26, 2019, 10:12 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,895
Hey folks, got thrown on a last minute business trip to Sydney and attempting to make a mileage run at the same time. New to the whole international game and typically fly domestically.
Need to leave the East Coast on 11/2 or 11/3 and return to the states on 11/9 or 11/10. What's the best way to maximize the trip here?
Open to most major airports (JFK, LGA, EWR, BOS, PHL, ORD, etc) into SYD. I know that using partners can help hit the MQD's. Any leads or insights on how to book this?
Currently Delta Platinum with 30K MQM and 6K MQDs to hit Diamond. Not expecting to get them all here, but want to get most of the MQD's out of the way.
Departure Airport:East Coast USA
Destination: SYD
Miles Needed: 15K+
Required Spend or Budget: $2,000-$2500 (flexible)
Available Travel Dates: 11/2 or 11/3 Departure and 11/9 11/10 11/11 return
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Delta
Need to leave the East Coast on 11/2 or 11/3 and return to the states on 11/9 or 11/10. What's the best way to maximize the trip here?
Open to most major airports (JFK, LGA, EWR, BOS, PHL, ORD, etc) into SYD. I know that using partners can help hit the MQD's. Any leads or insights on how to book this?
Currently Delta Platinum with 30K MQM and 6K MQDs to hit Diamond. Not expecting to get them all here, but want to get most of the MQD's out of the way.
Departure Airport:East Coast USA
Destination: SYD
Miles Needed: 15K+
Required Spend or Budget: $2,000-$2500 (flexible)
Available Travel Dates: 11/2 or 11/3 Departure and 11/9 11/10 11/11 return
Required Metal or Codeshares okay*: Delta
If you are able to be a bit flexible then you could do:
Nov 2 - 10, Delta, JFK-HKG-JFK, $965, about 17,300 MQMs (via ICN), $846 MQDs
Nov 4 - 9, China Eastern, HKG-SYD, $1252 (Premium Economy on PVG-SYD legs), about 16,000 MQMs and $3000 MQDs
Otherwise, when you get back to the States, do a JFK-JNB run on Virgin Atlantic to pick up about 22,000 MQMs and $4500 MQDs in Economy Delight for $955 (many Friday and Saturday departures in November)
Last edited by canuck_traveler; Oct 26, 2019 at 10:33 pm
Nov 3, 2019, 9:07 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: DTW
Programs: TK E+, WY, Radisson R
Posts: 2,360
I hope my response isn't too late but it might also help others. Have you look at MF's crazy LAX-SYD fares? It's frequently under $2500 USD rt and you''ll get a lot of Delta skypesos.
Caveat, plan accordingly so you'll fly LAX-XMN-SYD and no technical stop (it's anything other than technical). From LAX nonstops are on Mon, Wed, and Fri, from XMN it goes to SYD on Mon, Wed, and Fri. Other dates it goes to SYD from FOC.
Just need to reposition to LAX from East Coast which should be easy to do for most.
Caveat, plan accordingly so you'll fly LAX-XMN-SYD and no technical stop (it's anything other than technical). From LAX nonstops are on Mon, Wed, and Fri, from XMN it goes to SYD on Mon, Wed, and Fri. Other dates it goes to SYD from FOC.
Just need to reposition to LAX from East Coast which should be easy to do for most.
Nov 3, 2019, 9:26 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,018
Jlancaster007 may be in Australia now or in the air. (Date is 4 Nov here in Aust)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XiamenAir
Transiting in China is an issue for some people