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.

 

[MelbFlyer]

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...

Whilst it's good that VFF offers this, unfortunately it's pretty poor value at 1:1.55.

Whilst there may be generally more availability direct (normally) and taxes are generally lower, you need a lot more points for essentially the same reward.

ie.

MEL to SIN on SQ booked via VFF - 74k VFF pts for business
MEL to SIN via SQ direct - 72k KF miles (111.6k VFF pts) for business

37.6k pts is a significant amount.

 

[MELso]

Whilst it's good that VFF offers this, unfortunately it's pretty poor value at 1:1.55.

Whilst there may be generally more availability direct (normally) and taxes are generally lower, you need a lot more points for essentially the same reward.

ie.

MEL to SIN on SQ booked via VFF - 74k VFF pts for business
MEL to SIN via SQ direct - 72k KF miles (111.6k VFF pts) for business

37.6k pts is a significant amount.

Mind you, as you note first there needs to be availability (which is often not the case on VFF compared to Krisflyer - although it can occasionally run the other way it must be said), and second the carrier charges mean that the 'free' J flight booked through VFF attracts an extra couple of hundred dollars in real cash co-pay.

If the VFF points are valued at 1cpp, the extra co-pay closes that gap to about 17k points.

 

[sudoer]

MEL to SIN on SQ booked via VFF - 74k VFF pts for business
MEL to SIN via SQ direct - 72k KF miles (111.6k VFF pts) for business

37.6k pts is a significant amount.

The value of VA points becomes purely hypothetical if you can't find a redemption. Looking at that exact route, seats.aero suggests there are only two days in the rest of 2026 with 2 x J seats on the same MEL-SIN flight bookable through VFF.

 

[Human]

Whilst it's good that VFF offers this, unfortunately it's pretty poor value at 1:1.55.

Just because the conversion ratio is poor, does not mean that it’s poor value.

In considering value, you also have to consider the ease/cost of accumulating the points.

Given the existence of Flybuys and the preponderance of credit cards with Velocity sign-up bonuses and conversion to Velocity points at the more favourable 2:1 ratio, it’s way easier and considerably cheaper (for me, at least) to accumulate 200,000 Velocity points than 130,000 KrisFlyer points (or even 90,000 Qatar Avios).

In Australia, I find I can accumulate Velocity (and also Qantas FF) points about 3 times as quickly as I can accumulate points in foreign FF currencies. Which makes it, in that sense, “better value” to accumulate Velocity points even if more points are needed for award bookings.

I’m just trying to say that working out whether something is “poor value” or “good value” is more complex than most people think.

 

[Kangol]

I’m just trying to say that working out whether something is “poor value” or “good value” is more complex than most people think.

Another factor: many people compare current pricing to that of 10 or 20 years ago, whether it be award flights or other goods/services. Then start complaining about "poor value".
Most are not business owners with zero understanding; the ones in the above category that are, tend not to be good ones
Then complain further about this topic being better for the consumer, not for the business.
Who also fail to realise that without said businesses, points redemption suddenly disappears.
Rinse and repeat every time there is a change

 

[Seat0B]

I long for the days when we used to travel in J regularly as a couple with our Bose headphones and our individual movies and champagne, work trips mixed with leisure trips.

Nowadays it's screaming kids who can't sleep or get withdrawals if you take their screen away after 3 hours of non stop games, or get extremely constipated then extremely 'loose' with their toileting in the space of 14 hours, and kick and climb all over the seat in front, and constantly want to get in the aisle and irritate the hosties... and god forbid there is excessive turbulence after they have scoffed down their excessive serving of acidic orange juice and artificial cheese (vomit bags, anyone?) kids hate confined spaces. But it's a parenting team effort - I can't imagine splitting up our seating any time soon, or ruining the experience for the J pax by bringing our rugrats up front. Maybe in 6 or 7 years!

For me I don't see the point of a J or F , unless I am travelling alone for work - I wouldn't be able to enjoy it. Flying with kids (esp long haul) is not fun - but families do things together. Maybe one day I'll consider an upgrade to PE - but for a full family I am not sure it's worth the points.

Hang in there @HSB44 -it will get better! We Seats have certainly been where you are

 

[SOPOOR]

I think ive said it before however, im not a business spender,
In 2017-2021 ish i really chased points, all bills paid with CC, churning, gift cards at supermarkets, bought store gift cards that had low fees , bought a car on credit card (got lucky with no fees), flew/still flying in premium thanks to it

But now with churning getting harder, surcharges on every store except for the major supermarkets.

Now, I just use my card for bills that have no surcharge, churn rarely due to fees being quite high.

With the new rba rules, it will be a no go zone for me. Literally put everything without surcharge on the card and wait for the toaster in a few years.

Its a sad day, feels like ive lost a part of me

 

[levelnine]

I continue to think the UK is our best guide to where the state of the points collecting world is going in Australia post-RBA reforms.

If you follow the UK at all, you'll see avid points collectors proudly declaring that they earn ~200-300K Avios per year (see, eg, Matt's Planet annual recaps on YouTube).

While Avios are more valuable than QFF, it nevertheless gives you a decent indication of what a dedicated churner might be able to eke out. Probably enough for one medium haul return trip in J, if you're lucky. And remember you're up for almost the cost of a Y trip in taxes and fees.

At that rate, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people drift away from the game.