I've been lurking about the forum for ages, reading sagely advice about QFF, even used the AVIS AWDs listed here. Like a good AussieBattler, I finally thought I better say G'day!

I am a Qantas SG (oneworld Sapphire) that has consistently not put my annual (work paid for) DONE4 to good enough use. Prior to 2003, I could say I wasted it by just doing the work trip (SYD-LAX-ORD-(SOMETIMES LGA/JFK)-LHR-SYD). Stupid!!!!!! So I was always a lowly blue/silver, thinking (though knowing that this was not true) my QP membership was okay.

Last year I was better organised, charmed the boss' secretary, and did SYD-LAX-ORD-DCA-ORD-MIA-JFK-LHR-ATH-BCN-ORY/CDG-LHR-SYD (I met up with Mrs Aussie Battler in LHR to have a much needed Euro holiday) and finally made SG(oneworld Sapphire). This year, Mrs AussieBattler will let me take a bit of extra time to get home. My challenge then is to get to WP (oneworld Emerald) this trip (DONE4).

My challenge is to get from SYD to ORD (spend the working week there for work Aug 2- 6), then to LHR (a weekday) possibly go to ATH (family- a couple of days), and some shopping for the impending little AussieBattler in HKG, I have to be back in SYD by Aug 15 or Mrs AussieBattler will not be happy.


Thanks in advance,
AussieBattler

Welcome Aussiebattler (both here and the QF forum),

I too used to be on DONE4s and since starting on FT went for WP and easily got it and will retain it on DONE4s. In fact I am finishing mine off this August - we may bump into each other!

So as an example here is an itin that includes some MR's but will also assure you get to WP (assuming you are starting from 0 SCs which you may not be for this year):

syd-jfk-lax-mia-ord-lax-lhr-ath-lhr-dxb-lhr-nrt-hkg-nrt-mel-syd

Total miles = 48172
Total SCs = 1410

SYD-JFK maximizes miles and SCs. Do at least one transcon in NA, added some sectors in NA, leave NA from LAX to maximize miles and SCs, included ATH but added LHR-DXB-LHR turnaround as over the 2700 mile for SC miximisation, some sectors in Asia, NRT-MEL to take you over the 5000 mile mark for SCs, and back to SYD.

This can be further maximised for miles and SCs and to use all 20 sectors, but given your time constraints that may be out of the question.

Good luck with this. If we catch up happy to shout you a beer (and possibly give you a sneak preview of an F lounge you can soon be enjoying!)

Since only two segments are permitted between LHR and Middle East and some ohter countries.
Both of ATH(Greece) and DXB(UAE) are included in this list.


32N NOTE 1: NO MORE THAN 2 FREE SEGMENTS BETWEEN THE U.K.
33N AND:
34N .
35N .
36N . ALGERIA ARMENIA AZERBAIJ BAHRAIN BULGARIA CYPRUS
37N . AN
38N .
39N . EGYPT GEORGIA GREECE IRAN ISRAEL JORDAN
40N .
41N . KUWAIT LEBANON MACEDONI MALTA MOROCCO OMAN
42N . A
43N .
44N . FUNCHAL QATAR ROMANIA RUSSIA SAUDIA SYRIA
45N . , PORTU ARABIA
46N . GAL
47N .
48N . TUNISIA UNITED UKRAINE YUGOSLAVIA
49N . ARAB EM
50N . IRATES

I stand corrected - who knew that while DXB is part of 'Europe', ATH is part of middle east, and although a shorter flight than LHR-IST is on the restricted list while IST is not. Sometimes I wonder about these rules

Well this makes things tough. SInce you can't do the LHR-DXB MR (given that you MUST be in ATH to visit family), you will have to make up the SCs in NA and Asia.

In Europe pick a city which is more than 1000 miles from LHR - round trip (instead of LHR-DXB-LHR) will net 120 SCs.

In NA add some sectors, and voila:

syd-jfk-phx-jfk-lax-mia-ord-lax-lhr-ath-lhr-ist-lhr-nrt-hkg-nrt-mel-syd

Total miles = 48768
Total SCs = 1450

If you already have some SCs this year I would omit one or more of the NA sectors (as that's a lot of flying in very little time in NA)

Alect thanks for your suggestion, definately up for several beverages!

I am assuming the lax-jfk bit of QF107 is not treated as a NA transcon. Realy the starfile it seems the only transcon is jfk-lax.

I knew that ATH is "special", and was actually considering doing the lhr-dxb and nrt-mel runs to maximise status. Was in Athens last year to see the family, so it should be ok.

Maybe this
syd-jfk-lax-mia-ord-lax-lhr-hel-lhr-dxb-lhr-nrt-hkg-nrt-mel-syd

might work???

SYD-JFK QF107 counts as one segment between continents (although it stops in LAX)

AS epr star file:-

69N . TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHT IS DEFINED AS TRAVEL
70N . BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING CITIES:
71N .
72N . BWI/BOS/FLL/BDL/MIA/EWR/NYC/ORL/PHL/SJU/YYZ/WAS
73N . AND
74N . LAS/LGB/LAX/OAK/SNA/PDX/SAN/SFO/SEA/SJC/YVR

So you can't do JFK-LAX-MIA but can do JFK-LAX-DFW-MIA

Other than that looks good. But you are at 1470 SCs - no need for that many. The following would net you 1410 SCs:

syd-jfk-dfw-mia-ord-lax-lhr-hel-lhr-dxb-lhr-nrt-hkg-nrt-mel-syd


I have another post in this forum with my itinerary - see if any of our dates co-incide.

You have too many transcons in NA on your itin. Here's the best SC-earning routing I've been able to find:

syd-jfk 220
jfk-dfw 60 (First)
dfw-sfo 60 (F)
sfo-bos 150 (F)
bos-dfw 60 (F)
dfw-anc 150 (F)
anc-dfw 150
dfw-zrh 160
zrh-hel 60
hel-lhr 60
lhr-ath 60
ath-lhr 60
lhr-nrt 160
nrt-hkg 60
hkg-nrt 60
nrt-mel 160
mel-bme 60
bme-mel 60
mel-per 60
per-syd 60

One of the nice things with a OneWorld Explorer RTW ticket is that you get 4 segment’s and 2 stopover’s in your country of origin (but there are rules limiting Oz flight destinations). These 4 segments can be at the start or / and the end of the trip. As in the post above With a little planing (to comply with all the rules) you can get flights to somewhere in Oz that you would normally not go, like Broom, Alice, Darwin or some like place that can cost more than going overseas.

You must avoid returning to original departure point, as the RTW ticket is considered complete, once you return to the departure point. You have 12 months to complete the RTW. so you could go to Oz-USA-Eu-Oz and say 9 months later go to Broom for a few weeks as an example. With the RTW starting in SYD, your first OZ stopover would be MEL, (for ~9 months), the second say Broome for 2 weeks with the ticket ending in SYD. A cheap Red-e-deal MEL-SYD would get back home to Syd for the first stop over and another SYD-MEL to pick up the RTW ticket again

Hi, remember that you could buy LON-ATH on a separate ticket. There are lowish fares from Luton with easyJet.com, and easyJet and BA from Gatwick. Heathrow tends to be more expensive with Olympic or BA.

Just getting ready for my own mileage run which will probably be an AONE6. I did my BA and QF top tier in 17 days once. Thank heavens I am not doing LHR-SYD-LHR twice a month any more.

Happy status points

David