PPS run - does such a thing exist?
 

All,

While reading some of the recent discussion about RTW journey planning, I was wondering about what the cheapest way to get PPS membership might be. Has anybody ever done the math to see if a "PPS run" exists, where a certain combination of bookings/tickets gets disproportionate PPS sector bang for the buck?

Best wishes to all,
DoctorWu

Fares ex-CMB were very cheap for SQ C and F.
Are they still available? Sorry - have not been following this.

Living in London you could probably take a train up to Manchester Ringway airport and fly SQ from there to ZRH and in back in either Raffles or First. You can either come right back or you can spend two nice days in ZRH enjoying the fresh air and mountain scenery or make a trip to the beatiful little town of Lucerne. On a RTW to maximize mileage this a possible routing for CRTWSTAR 1. ex-LHR, LHR-FRA-JFK(2.5 sectors)-SFO-HKG(5 sectors), HKG-BKK, BKK-KIX(2.5 sectors), KIX-SIN(2.5 sectors), SIN-DPS(1.25secots), DPS-SIN(1.25sectors), SIN-ZRH(5 sectors), ZRH-MAN(1.25sectors). Thats 17.5 sectors!! Not bad right. hope this helps :)

I wouldn't recommend to anyone travel by train in this country :eek: :) . You can actually get BD one way fares from 11 GBP + taxes on the website.

I agree the MAN-ZRH vv is a nice quick way of clocking some PPS sectors in Europe.

Whatever dates I tried, the price for a MAN-ZRH return in Raffles came out at 931 GBP, which is around 1300 EUR. Not exactly a cheap way of racking up the PPS sectors, tempting though it is. It's just a tad too much for just 2.5 sectors. SQ's web site could not price the F return, so getting the 3 sectors might provide better value, but I doubt it.

I'd rather do a FRA-JFK return for around 2200 EUR to get the 5 sectors in J.

I found a very nice fare earlier this year that netted 12.5 PPS sectors and doable over 2 1/2 days. Not as good as the ex CMB fares (pre price increase) but not bad for this part of the world.

That's gone now but current fare is still not bad & I will do another early next year to get requal PPS out of the way.

Note that ex-CMB ALL SQ fares did not increase 15 Sept .. they had already gone up ..but may rise again... C for CMB-West Coast is around USD 1400 ..and best way I had approved by SQ Sales in CMB was a PPS sector run ...

CMSB-SIN-ICN-YVR-SFO (all on SQ or SQ codeshare = OK for PPS [YVR-SFO is an SQ cs on AC] ) then for MR you can add down to LAX, etc

and return.... 17 PPS sectors or about USD92/sector ...and you need 25 to qualify for PPS


A friend just booked this at my suggestion -- for 4 pax in December/January

Any PPS runs ex SIN? :)

Some BKK TA's have a US$3700 fare for BKK-SIN-FRA-JFK RT in C. With a change of flight numbers at FRA one could net 17.5 sectors.

PPS MR EX-SIN

1.Buy a cheap one-way to SIN-CMB
2. CMB-SIN-ICN-YVR-SFO-ICN-SIN-CMN SQ C-Clasds USD.1400.00
= 17.5 SEGs.
3. Cmb-SIN-JNB-SIN- CMB. USD.1700.00 I did this in 2-days. Had a one day meeting in JNB.9. SEGs.
4. CMB-JNB-CMB allows a stop in SIN on return. Stop Max. So you caouldd hold the SIN-CMB for next PPS MR. Without SIN-CMB sector one can still get the 25 SEGs.
TOTAL: USD.3100. Can be done in a week including crossing the dateline.
S

PPS MR EX-SIN

1.Buy a cheap one-way to SIN-CMB
2. CMB-SIN-ICN-YVR-SFO-ICN-SIN-CMN SQ C-Clasds USD.1400.00
= 17.5 SEGs.
3. Cmb-SIN-JNB-SIN- CMB. USD.1700.00 I did this in 2-days. Had a one day meeting in JNB.9. SEGs.
4. CMB-JNB-CMB allows a stop in SIN on return. So you could hold the SIN-CMB for next PPS MR. Without SIN-CMB sector one can still get the 25 SEGs.
TOTAL: USD.3100. Can be done in a weekI did it including crossing the dateline.
I only netted 45,000 Qualifying Miles these two were my Business trips.
I just worked out a creative mileage Run for a friend,it will net him: 25PPS & 50,000 Elite miles. Gold with UA or AC.
S

why would you do a PPS run to obtain middle-level status in a loyalty program?

Because PPS (and Solitaire PPS and Lifetime Solitaire PPS) are treated much better than even *G.

PPS is certainly not mid-tier in the sense of how most FFP's work.

This is sooo TRUE... PPS is more than just *G ...a lot better than SQ KrisFlyer Elite ...as you have to travel C or F to qualify...you get neat gifts..and lounge access at SQ regardless of class of travel (Y --> Raffles lounge; C+F -> First) AND you Red Carpet Club access on UA (which I can't even with UA 1k) ...all my miles go to UA MP but I still maintain PPS (7 yrs now)

PPS status is certainly mid-tier, have you seen the number of PPS and solitaire members on SQ flights, especially on regional business routes such as SIN-NRT and SIN-HKG, not to mention SIN-KUL?

if you're in C or F, you are treated the same as everyone else, the only benefit i see is silver kris lounge access, UA red carpet club access and waitlist priority. if you need to spend US$1400 for a PPS run, the cost of a red carpet membership is less than that. if you need to do a PPS run, you probably don't fly SQ enough to receive much benefit from silver kris lounge access or waitlist priority.

re: PPS gift - you're spending US$1400 to get US$100 in gift vouchers?

Well, that was the purpose of the question -- to see how low the cost of a PPS run could go, and to see if at some point it might become justifiable. And a PPS run might be useful if one were to be short of renewal points in a given year, etc etc.

Or, to put it differently, why does anybody do mileage runs when they will ultimately be one of many people in the next higher tier?

I find PPS status excellent for freeing up seats/waitlists. I have booked a couple of CRTWSTAR's this year, one at very short notice where I was waitlisted with only C available, sometimes on more than one sector. One call to SQ and the following day they have cleared without fail.

Same with changing flights during the trip, waitlists cleared when only C was available ^ .

I suppose it's a matter of opinion where one draws the line between upper-tier and mid-tier. For SQ, the hierarchy of status is:

Lifetime PPS Solitaire
PPS Solitaire
PPS
KF Gold
*A Gold
KF Silver
*A Silver
KF Member

Within the PPS levels, SQ ranks members by the number of years that status has been held. In other words, QPP4 (fourth year as a PPS member) outranks QPP3 (third year as a PPS member).

I would consider PPS and higher to be upper-tier, KF Gold and *A Gold to be mid-tier, and KF Silver and *A Silver to be lower-tier. Slice and dice as you see fit.

That doesnt prove anything. How many UA 1Ks are there on LAX-SFO shuttles? How many NZ Gs or GEs on AKL-WLG route? etc

Every major airline has (or should have) certain routes where nearly all pax have a high level of status. That doesnt mean the status should be considered mid-tier. That is just a reality that many high status members regularly fly with the carrier on the same route. Shouldnt be surprised at that.

sorry dupe

I certainly disagree regarding 'mid-tier'.
I would think that PPS is a top tier, together with Solitaire. You can see it from the way SQ staffs on the ground and in the air treat them.
- Priority waitlist exceed those of KrisFlyer Elite Gold and *G. *G is a top tier in many Star Alliance airlines. How can something higher be called mid-tier?
- You have the option to credit your award miles to another program - a luxury.
- Cabin staff address you by your name even in Y.
- Requalification gifts
- Excess baggage allowance extended to your whole family. Any other 'top tier' programs offer this? ;)
- Silver Kris Lounge access when flying on ANY airlines.

Although I agree that you shouldn't pay USD 1400 for PPS solely to get the gift vouchers. THAT would be stupid.
And yes, if you don't fly SQ enough it may not be worthwhile. It's better to get UA Red Carpet Club. Unless you like flying the 25 sectors on SQ First/Raffles for no specific purpose OR in love with the new PPS card design. :)

A plain PPS, like me, is perhpas mid-tier, just like a plain 1K is mid-tier in the UA scheme of things because it is not top-tier? ;)

But PPS is a very good mid-tier, too. :D

Thanks for the first run.. beats CRWSTAR1! Flying out of Colombo sounds dodgy tho! :)
Pray tell what would this creative mileage run be? :)

PPS ex SIN isn't that fancy anymore. No birthday present. No Magazine Subscription. :(

Umm... you also get *A Gold status, so no it's not only PPS that you get, you ALSO get *A Gold. I'm sure you could do it cheaper to just get *A Gold, but if you can also be PPS at the same time, it's not so crazy. I don't fly SQ enough right now to justify it, but if you are in Asia a lot (and can afford it), it's probably not a bad idea.

HI,
just a question: i don't know any TA in CMB, so my only choice is booking it through internet.
just a question: when i book a ticket with multicity option CMB-YVR YVR-SFO SFO-YVR YVR-CMB, does it work for the pps run? Cause SIN-YVR is 5 sectors (considering the total mileage), but the routing is SIN-ICN-YVR that means 2.5+3.75.. or have i to book every leg (CMB-SIN SIN-ICN ICN-YVR YVR-SFO SFO-YVR YVR-ICN ICN-SIN SIN-CMB)?
In the last case, the fare quoted through SIA website is more expensive.

If someone could suggest me the best way.... thank you in advance.

Mileage and sector count for PPS are based on each flight segment. Ie if it appears as single line on your ticket for SIN-YVR then you get 5 sectors (according to figures you supplied), but if it appears as two lines, SIN-ICN and ICN-YVR then you get each sector.

Normally ticket would be sold as SIN-YVR but can force separate legs by taking a stopover in ICN, or taking a different flight SIN-ICN. However this may cost you more. Up to you whether any extra cost or time taken is worth it.

thanks kiwy!!!!
you're my number 1 on FT ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Asa platinum on Continental (their highest level), I got offered a $50 discount on the annual membership fee for the lounge (down from $325). Whoopee.

The SQ lounge access as a PPS is a great thing for me because I usually get stuck in Y.

It's all a matter of perspective.

As longer as no stopover (>24hrs) no add'l cost when I priced this. I ended up dealing direct with SQ Ticket Office in CMB. Email them your itinerary (routing with flight numbers and dates) and ask them to confirm the pricing...
Be aware that another thread here said SQ were discontinuing YVR-ICN ... BTW, there was also the SQ flight number YVR-SFO (?) as extra sectors...

Good point - see SQ codeshare thread

PPS Waitlists
 

I have had excellent experience with PPS clearing my waitlists for full C and F flights even for disccounted C/F tix. Amazing service! That makes it worth keeping the status.

Another thumbs-up for PPS waitlists!
 

Bumping this up, as I found this thread while looking for advice on how to clear waitlists. My next Asia trip has turned into a RTW affair as I have to go NY as well, and a CRWSTAR1 was the cheapest option. Most flights were booked on SQ and initially waitlisted; the intra-Asia flights cleared within a day or so, as did JFK-FRA which was showing lots of zeroes in business (not just D), as well as ICN-SIN coming from just C1 and all zero in other buckets. After a call to SQ yesterday, the rest of my flights cleared today, including LHR-SIN and SIN-EWR (which was also showing D0, but did have C4 J4). ^

It certainly makes retaining PPS status all the more desirable! This alone saved my company about four thousand dollars in airfare by allowing me to do a RTW instead of a normal ticket. And SQ got a nice chunk of revenue in return, as most of the long-haul flights would have gone to BA, QF or NH otherwise.

Now I'm just hoping there won't be too many last-minute changes to my schedule. :)

CRWSTAR maximums
 

I had forgotten about this thread. Now that it's been bumped, I'll comment that the most PPS sectors that can be earned on a CRWSTAR1 is 22.5 with a routing of SIN-KIX-BKK-HKG-SFO-JFK-FRA-SIN-CGK-SIN-SGN-SIN (28872 miles). SIN-CGK-SIN-AKL-SIN-ICN-YVR-SFO-JFK-FRA-SIN is 33148 miles and yields 23.75 sectors, which I believe is the maximum possible for a CRWSTAR2. SIN-PEK-SIN-AKL-SIN-ICN-YVR-SFO-JFK-FRA-SIN is 37617 miles and yields 26.25 sectors, which I believe is the maximum possible for a CRWSTAR3.

Can anyone find CRWSTAR routes yielding more PPS sectors?

Guess again. 28.75 in C for AKL-SIN-ICN-YVR-JFK-FRA-ZRH-MAN-ZRH-SIN-ICN-SIN-AKL.

Are there any cheap code-share flights that still earn PPS sectors?

Generally to get the codeshare must be travelling on SQ connecting longhaul. I could be wrong on this.

I assume substituting SYD for AKL will yield the same result?

Will not be the same. AKL-SIN 5,227 miles gets 3.75 sectors, and SYD-SIN 3,912 miles gets 2.5 sectors. Total sectors for substituting SYD for AKL will be 2.5 sectors less, i.e. 26.25 only.

Thanks!

Just start/end at AKL and buy a separate cheapy ticket trans-tasman.