Optimizing the North American DONE4 section
 

I am arriving into Lax on a DONE4 where getting to Alaska is not really a viable option (middle of winter). Supposing you wanted to maximize your mileage and hence status credits to QF. What six legs would you choose in the USA?

Assuming the break points are 1500 and 2500 miles, I'd certainly include ANC in the equation, served year round from PHX (2551 mi.)

Remember that flights to/from the Caribbean and Canada book into D, not A on RTW tickets; AA doesn't call the front of the bus first class on those routes.

Also look at PIT as a possible mid-haul point, AA has service from both LAX and PHX; 1814 mi. from PHX and 2130-something from LAX, but PIT isn't on the transcon list.

Mmmm - so how many QFF SCs would this give the OP, flying in F of course:)

The other question to maximise your total route mileage is which other continents you are going to. Obviously, if your next stop is Asia then you want to be finishing on the east coast not the west in order to get most miles for the next intercontinental section. If the next is South America then you want to be finishing as far north as possible, and so on. Since you're arriving in LAX I assume you're coming from Europe?

But for those people crediting to AA, remember that JFK/LAX and SFO nonstops produce the higher level 2015 mileage bonus even though they're under 3,000 miles. For PLTs and EXPs, that's an extra 12K miles for Business and First cabins (spendable, but not EQP or EQM).

780 by my count, 4 x 120 + 2 x 150.

Wow! From NB to SG in just those six flights! Would make WP very reachable on a DONEx:)

PIT is on the list.
East Coast:
Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Ft Lauderdale, Hartford, Miami, Newark, New York, Orlando, Phildelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh-Durham, San Juan, Tampa, Toronto, Washington, West Palm Beach

West Coast:
Las Vegas, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ana, Seattle, Vancouver

Try looking at places like Columbus or Atlanta.

Are you counting the devaluing of SC earn on non QF oneworld flights in that count?
In many cases, you earn more SC on a QF code then you would on the same flight and booking class with a non QF code.

I made Platinum (from Silver) half way through my first DONE3.
I'm now a little over 500SC from Life Time Gold.

Cripes, sorry, I was going from memory. Right, LAX-ATL-PHX-ANC-PHX-ATL-LAX would give the same yield.

This is the table I used - right one? https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn...status-credits

Gardyloo

Firstly thanks for all the help and advice. I am stuck though. The calculator does not seem to recognize ATL as a possible airport (when flying out of LAX). Or is it just me?

I don't know; AA has either 3 or 4 nonstops/day (depending on the month).

DFW/SJU is 2,165 with no cross-continent limitation and 14×/week service on AA with a 738.

But books into D not A as I recall...