Are the days of Points collecting over?

[rurounimaikeru]

I spent about 3 years building up ~1.2 million velocity points to redeem 4xJ on SQ to Europe. Kids were 12 and 16. I'd done a few redemptions previously but for then first time. They loved every minute and were well looked after by the cabin crew. For me that was worth playing the game alone.

I booked in 2024 for 2025 at exactly T-330 and didn't get my preferred dates but made it work.
These days though I struggle to see 2xJ let alone 4.

So like others I'm thankful for what I've managed to do but not expecting to be able to redeem as easily in the past.

I'll target 2 x J every couple of years as budgets and leave allow and interspersed with cash fares.

Of course I'm now tempted to pay J cash outright because of my reward experience....

 

[CaptJCool]

Of course I'm now tempted to pay J cash outright because of my reward experience....

That’s where AFF gives you great advice and options to do it at the lowest cost
Eg repositioning to Manila or Jakarta
Or in this time period cheap Etihad out of Sydney and the J $299 Syd to Melbourne sales fares… or of course cash fares anytime

 

[Q Class Plebeian]

All this discussion makes me glad I ditched the credit card several years ago. Except the work one but that doesn't count as my employer pays the bills for work travel..
I just use cash and my debit card for air travel of a personal nature . Yes still continuing earning points with both QFF and Velocity.
Noted a really good article in the weekend Age/SMH on life after credit change surcharges and FF points.

 

[sudoer]

velocity points

Yep, VA points have become nearly useless for international J/F awards in the past 12 months - SQ, QR and UA pretty much non-existent. They can still be useful for last minute awards on NH.

The VA website only allowing award bookings from 330 days really handicaps their value. All the good partner awards are snapped up by then. It'd be such an easy win for VA to improve this and increase the appeal of their program.

This year I've been transferring my VA points over to SQ when I can find Saver availability - which is also getting harder. I think that's one of the best uses for them at the moment and I worry that feature won't be around much longer...

 

[flyguy77]

The VA website only allowing award bookings from 330 days really handicaps their value. All the good partner awards are snapped up by then. It'd be such an easy win for VA to improve this and increase the appeal of their program.

But if they opened the calendar at the same time as Singapore/Qatar/ANA etc do you really think they'd actually have access to the award seats?

I don't think that's likely as these programs would want the seats kept allocated and available for their own members not Velocity.

 

[sudoer]

But if they opened the calendar at the same time as Singapore/Qatar/ANA etc do you really think they'd actually have access to the award seats?

I can't speak for Qatar, but from what I've seen, they do get access to whatever drabs are left of NH and SQ (Saver level) at T-330

Conversely, I'd turn the question around and ask what the downside would be to opening at T-360?

 

[MELso]

Yep, VA points have become nearly useless for international J/F awards in the past 12 months - SQ, QR and UA pretty much non-existent. They can still be useful for last minute awards on NH.

The VA website only allowing award bookings from 330 days really handicaps their value. All the good partner awards are snapped up by then. It'd be such an easy win for VA to improve this and increase the appeal of their program.

This year I've been transferring my VA points over to SQ when I can find Saver availability - which is also getting harder. I think that's one of the best uses for them at the moment and I worry that feature won't be around much longer...

Totally agree. (I suspect that the issue with VA may be a Sabre-based booking system - the same used by several US carriers that also have 330 day limitations).

I'd also add that the carrier charges on SQ and QR are exxy.

For SQ awards, the carrier charges mean that I now prefer taking the points hit by conversion to Krisflyer (when, as you note, Saver award actually exists), rather than shelling out what is now several hundred dollars of real money for that rare J award.

There's also a new Qantas-style reward finder for VA coming Real Soon Now. This will presumably make it easier to dig up J awards making competition for them even more fierce.

Nowadays, VA's only real value (for me at least) is the MEL-SYD (and vv) J awards. 15.5K points and ~$60 in cash is a decent deal in the absence of Velocity status.