Hi, my work has signed a new deal with Qantas & part of the offer is a status challenge for employees.

Hi, my work has signed a new deal with Qantas & part of the offer is a status challenge for employees. The challenge; 200 SCs = QFF Gold & 400 SCs = QFF Platinum - period is 90 days to accrue. I've recently dropped to silver from gold for circa 5yrs so keen to get back. Any advice on the most cost effective way to reach ideally 400 SCs in the next couple of months? I'll have a few work trips, but unfortunately at Discount Economy rates...

Yep. Map out the work trips and calulate the earn. If it's within ears shot of the 400sc then go for it. Bring forward any travel that may be outside of the challenge period, play the old EOFY card. Book it in sooner rather than later then backfill with personal travel. There was also a SC bonus going around recently that may assist.

Hi Greg,

It depends how badly you want it.

90 days is a short time for 400 status credits, if you don't have any hefty travel planned.

The difficulty with those offers (called "Accelerator" challenges) is that you must book through Qantas, with a QF flight code. That means no CX, AA, BA, EK flight codes, etcetera, which can make things a little more difficult.

The two best ways to rack up status credits are to fly in a premium cabin, or (/and) wrangle your long flights into as many seperate short sectors as possible.

With regard to the latter... Break your work flights up into short hops, if possible. E.g. instead of flying MEL>BNE, try to fly MEL>SYD>BNE, and so forth. I personally fly three sectors to Taipei instead of direct, for status credits.

Regarding the premium cabin, see what Business sale fares Qantas has on offer, and then see if you feel like you're due for a holiday... For $2k you could spoil yourself with a Business class return airfare to Jakarta (very reasonably priced), and then onward somewhere else... That's a hefty 240SC return straight up, from Sydney.

As I said, it depends how badly you want the status. Importantly, to my knowledge if you achieve the Accelerator challenge target, it is not like "making" platinum one year, and then keeping it for the following year... You will not even keep it for 12 months... It will expire at your next Qantas membership anniversary, and drop you from Plat to Gold (or from Gold to Silver). This might make the challenge less attractive. I am open to correction, but I am very sure this is how the challenges operate.

With this in mind, you could save yourself a whole lot of money & trouble, and purchase a Qantas Club membership. While obviously this doesn't give you reciprocal rights across the oneworld network, it still gives you great access to Qantas operated lounges around Australia and overseas (LHR, LAX, HKG, etc), as well as Emirates business lounge in Dubai.

Best of luck!

Jay

Great, thanks guys....will enquire re the length as having it drop off at the end of this year will be little benefit. Cheers

Please let me know what their answer is Greg84, I have a mate looking at doing an Accelerator challenge and so I would love to know for sure! :)

Hi, one of the guys at work advised he'd previously done one & his anniversary date was changed to provide 12 months...not sure if this is 100% accurate though.

I was offered the gold challenge when I transferred from VA. Jay is correct all fights must be on a QF fight, in QF metal and when you hit the required number of SC and flown sectors, you may need to ring Qantas to get them to apply it manually. You need to look at your travel and what who would be able to achieve ongoing to retain. If you take the gold challenge but cannot hit 600 SC you will revert back to your current level. The other thing to note is if you take up the Gold offer you will need to meet the standard 1400SC to move to P. From what I understand if you go for Platinum you will need to get the either 1200 to retain or 600 to at least maintain gold or you are back where you started. If you just want to get lounge entry quicker, go for gold, if you are going OS and want access to first or domestic BC lounge go for platinum. Either way as long as you hit 600 SC you will ether drop from P to G or retain G.

When I was offered Qantas allowed me to pick the start date for the challenge so I aligned it to commence not long after my annual review date and upcoming international travel so it was pretty easy to achieve. I did not know there was a P challenge if that was offered to me I would have taken up that offer, as I needed the 1400 SC to get to P. I have a heavy travel so base on the challenge I hit G 2 weeks after the start date and 3 months to P.

Hi Matt_01,

Not necessary to be on Qantas metal, but it does have to be booked and ticketed on QF flight numbers, through Qantas.

For example, you can fly EK metal from Dubai to London, on a codeshare such as QF8001 and so forth. The QF flight code is the absolute essential!

Cheers,

Jay