Rules: 26000 miles with max. 5 stops, 2 in any one region.

Would like to know how many points and status credits (am QF silver) would accrue on the following itinerary:

BNE-LAX-JFK-HEL-LHR-BOM-SYD

The mileage (using flying fish) is 25700. Fare ex Aus $2419 (low season).

Thanks for feedback

foreigner

For SC and QF points it depends which airline or codeshare you fly
Economy RTW (LONE4 & Global Explorer) are booked in L class. Get zilch SC and QF points on AA, so stay with QF, BA & AY where possilbe. The most SC you will get is 170. Actual mles traveled is 25710. Get status bonus points and SC's on QF and elgible BA & AA flights.

The post below Oneworld Explorer itinerary validator has a very good tool that calculates SC's, but you must deduct any AA & CX flights from the total.

As of July 1 2004, L class on AA now accrues 50% of miles flown. So maybe the Plat challenge would be an alternative.

I'm setting off an on LOWEX26 next week on the following itinerary:

PER-HKG(CX)-LHR(BA)-JFK(BA)-LAX(AA)-SYD(QF)-PER(QF)

and I was under the distinct impression that you actually do earn points and status credits in L class on CX. I haven't seen anything in the QFF terms and conditions that states otherwise, though I'll certainly stand corrected.

I've upgraded to WT+ on the HKG-LHR leg, which helps too. But now you're all making me feel that I won't get anything on CX in addition to AA. What in fact is the case?

Note that for BA flights in L, you only get 25% points in the QF program, so that will include LHR-BOM. If you returned via SIN or BKK instead of BOM, you would get 100% points on either QF or BA flights according to this announcement (valid until June 2005)

Take AY on the HEL-LHR leg to ensure you don't get caught in the 25% points on BA. Take QF107 on the LAX-JFK leg to get full points.

So my calculation for a QF Silver member is as follows:

QF BNE-LAX = 7166 miles, plus 25% Silver bonus = 8958 QFF points, 40 SC
QF LAX-JFK = 2467 miles, plus 25% Silver bonus = 3084 QFF points, 25 SC
AY JFK-HEL = 4117 miles, no bonus = 4117 QFF points, 25 SC
AY HEL-LHR = 1149 miles, no bonus = 1149 QFF points, 20 SC
BA LHR-BOM = 4486 miles, BA 25%, no bonus = 1121 points, 25 SC
QF BOM-SYD = 6308 miles, plus 25% Silver bonus = 7885 QFF points, 40 SC

Total miles = 25,693
Total points = 26,314
Total SC = 175

Note that the mileage for BOM-SYD may vary slightly, depending on the numbers QF use. I have used real QF numbers for miles for BNE-LAX, LAX-JFK, HEL-LHR and I have used Great Circle mapper miles for the other flights.

I am assuming this is a Global Explorer fare, being LHGLOB26 or LLGLOB26 fare basis.

Note that when including ground sectors, the miles for that ground sector must be included in the total. I believe on a xGLOBxx fare, you can have an open-jaw at the completion (ie start in BNE and end in SYD), so long as you start and finish in the same country. But some may interpret these two rules as meaning you must include the SYD-BNE miles in the total calculation. There is no specific reference to this in the rules, so it may depend on individual interpretation. Personally I don't think it should be included, but the ticket issuing agent may thing otherwise.

You're fine on that, the CX leg still gets 100% of points in L class with the QF program (it just doesn't earn anything in the AA program). I guess it's probably too late for you to change things now, but it would be worth looking at either QF108 for JFK-LAX, or one of the Qantas codeshare numbers on AA metal for JFK-LAX if you can. There's plenty of them, and I had no problems booking the QF codeshare when I did my LONE.

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. Certainly, there is so much to grasp with rules. LHR-BOM was done purely to see India, again, otherwise I would have chosen either BKK or SIN to maximise points and SCs.

Would it have made any difference in getting points and SCs if I had somehow travelled to BOM with Swiss, via ZRH? Just wondering because I recall the rules defined Asia without BOM! I could still try to work around the Europe sectors to ensure I keep within the 26k limit.

Foreigner

The following are alternatives I worked out using Flying Fish:

BNE-LAX-JFK-HEL-LHR-ZRH-BOM-SYD

SYD-LAX-JFK-MAD-FRA-ZRH-BOM-SYD

To me, JFK and BOM are important. The second itinerary starts me off from home and returns me home. ZRH in both is going to be transit only.

The other issue someone may clarify is if flying SWISS from the States to ZRH will accrue points and SCs.

Hope to hear on above.

Cheers

Foreigner

Although you can include Swiss (LX flight numbers) on the OneWorld Global Explorer fares, you don't earn any QF Status Credits on Swiss flights. You can only earn QF SC's on QF, OneWorld, Air Pacific and QantasLink flights.

Also note that you only earn QF FF points on some Swiss flights. These are listed in the QF FF program terms and conditions as:
So yes you can use Swiss for LHR-ZRH-BOM and you will earn QF FF points on the SRH-BOM segment only. No QF FF points for Swiss to/from North America.