kangarooflyer88

Perhaps I'm putting the horse before the cart so to speak, but when international travel finally opens back up and I can get back on the road again, I'm tempted to maintain (or better yet improve) the QF Gold status I'll have earned from this latest status match. Looking at the QF status credit calculator if I were to fly from LAX to JFK on AA in F, I'll earn something like 300 status credits round-trip. Is that calculation correct? If so, that would represent a particularly useful sweet spot given how relatively inexpensive AA F flights are between those cities (combined with the fact that I normally travelled between those cities pre-pandemic). Are there other such "sweet" spots for accruing status on QF?

-'Roo Flyer

Dave Noble

You have a different idea of good value than I do - AUD2013 one way for a 5 hour 45 minute flight isn't what I would call great value

kangarooflyer88

I'm seeing around $1,250 AUD for LAX > EWR on AA in F roundtrip, which doesn't seem too bad to me if it means netting a minimum of 300 status credits out of the trip:



One question that's less clear to me is how QF calcualtes F status credits in the event the specific route has a two cabin setup (e.g. Y and F that's common on some AA routes). Will it be treated as J or will it still be counted as F? I'm guessing those domestic AA routes which offer a three cabin service (Y, J and F) will likely count as F for accrual purposes. Let me know if I'm missing something here.

-'Roo

Dave Noble

The only routes which credit for 1st class are those operated with aeroplanes that have 1st , business and economy class - You would need to be on one of the non stop services between Los Angeles and JFK to get one of those flights
Although AA calls the premium cabin 1st class on the 2 class aeroplanes, the booking class is a business one and wil credit as business class

i would really get away from the idea of trying to buy status. If purchasing business class because of wanting to travel business class, that is great, but how much is a pretty card worth? not worth paying more than the benefits are worth

AN-Diamond

Just to give you the answer, Flying LAX-CLT-EWR-CLT-LAX will net you 240 QF Status credits - 80 LAX-CLT, and 40 CLT-EWR each way.

This used to be a bit of a hack, but two things changed -
1. QF went from a global X-Y Miles = Z status credit earn chart to the far more complex status earning chart that exists today, and
2. AA shifted from F to J as the basis of US domestic First class fares (with the exception of the Flagship 3 cabin Trans-Cons) , and so status earning shifted back - there used to be a collection of status credit earn sweet spots in the system back then where the status earn per dollar was amazing, not so much anymore.

lokijuh

Not sure how the fares compare but if you can add an extra stop then that helps too ... couldn’t find anything out of LAX, but LGB-PHX-CLT-EWR could net 160SC each way.

kangarooflyer88

You're right. I guess what I'm saying is it will really depend on fare differentials and what not. Part of the goal in me leaving UA for QF is to avoid the revenue requirements of the new program (e.g. spending $24,000 USD/year on UA fares to hit Premier 1K), which I think I could probably do through clever use of routings and fare types. Prior to UA imposing revenue requirements on their elites I could adjust my routings to maximize the milage for status. Case in point, in 2019 I was in TXL for a workshop and had to go to KIX for a conference the following week. The most obvious and direct routing would be something like TXL > FRA > KIX on LH/NH. However, I decided instead to do TXL > DUS > LAS > SFO > KIX. Not only was the fare cheaper (and I got more milage for status) but I also ended up scoring complimentary upgrades to Polaris J since I was flying UA metal a portion of the way there. In addition, what a lot of folks don't realize about travel in the US is that in some markets, the difference between a Y fare and a J/F fare can be relatively minor and worth it for longer haul trips domestically. Case in point, a roundtrip ticket from HNL to NYC costs around $900 AUD in Y versus about $2,100 in J. Depending on routings and what not you can net 360 status credits on the roundtrip there versus 90 status credits on your typical discount economy fare. Given the length of the flight and fare differential, I suspect many would opt for the added comfort of the J fare.

I'm sure there are probably way better sweet spots out there, but given the amount of international travel I have planned once this COVID nonsense is over with, I suspect there will be a number of favourable opportunities for me to enhance my status credit earnings at minimal cost.

Your Friendly,
-Roo

hansyuwiwb

These will result in status credit based on J cabin not F cabin.
Only 3 cabin first will result in F status credit. AA has changed its domestic first booking class to align with JCDI sub classes so will not credit to QF as first.

Dave Noble

I don't think that there are many people that pay USD2100 for business class over USD900 for economy given that it is over double the fare

Also most people travel with the intention of getting to their destination and wouldnt do TXL > DUS > LAS > SFO > KIX. even if it was cheaper - flying 11,000 miles further (r/t) would involve me really devaluing value of my time. Even travelling business class for half the jouney would still leave pretty much the same amount of time in economy

snabbu

If you are trying to purely gain status there were some nice LAX-SFO routes via DFW/PHX for around $250 return in F (earning J status credits), not sure if they are still around though but were available regularly pre and early covid days.

shuuy

Note the transcon flights via CLT aren’t in the nice J (lie-flat), but in traditional business J.

Given the state of air travel these days... is a status credit run really worth it?

jrobin

The Partner Earn Tables state that between Dallas and West Coast USA (Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver) Business Class earns 100 SC's.
The Calculator states that these routes earn much less (~60 SC's on AA).
Which is correct?
Thanks

SNA_Flyer

That is interesting. The calculator used to be correct and match with the tables. I just checked the calculator for LAX-DFW on AA, and sure enough it's only showing 60. I had some LAX-DFW segments in Business in June and July, and they did earn 100 points. Not sure what is up with the calculator, or if this is a precursor to upcoming changes to earn rates. But I think it's safe to say that you can point to the T&C's as the source of truth on this matter if they don't post as 100.

jrobin

However, Dominicus in the thread Earning Points & Status Credits Calculator - not working? reported three years ago (April 19, 2020) that the Calculator was not working for some flights involving west coast NA.
Many flights involving west coast NA appear to be incorrect in the calculator now.

So was the Calculator fixed after April 1920 and then reverted again to not matching the tables? SNA_Flyer may know more about this from when it was working.

Perhaps QF, by encouraging use of the Calculator even when it under-reports earnings, wants customers to feel QF generosity when customers receive more than they expected?

SNA_Flyer

I'm sure the calculator was working correctly for LAX-DFW earlier this year. I actually thought it was an error when it stated LAX-DFW on AA in J was 100 points. But when I checked the T&C's sure enough it was.