Back in the game: CBR/SYD base, status chasing & Europe 2026

[Montien]

Hi everyone,
First-time poster. I’m currently based between CBR and SYD, and after a hiatus, I’ve decided it’s time to get serious about the points game again.

I currently hold Bronze (QF) and Red (VA), but I’ve got fond memories of my time as a QF Silver and I’m looking to claw my way back up the ladder, and ideally beyond! My goal for this year is to master "The Points Game" to help fund a significant Europe trip in June/July.

The Strategy: I’m looking into status run opportunities and maximising my everyday spend. I’ve realised I’m one of those rare breeds who actually doesn’t mind a layover, especially if there’s a decent lounge involved If there's a way to squeeze an extra 10-20 SCs out of a trip via an indirect route, I’m usually the first to sign up.

Looking forward to contributing more to the community and hopefully crossing paths with some of you in a lounge soon!

Cheers,
Monty

 

[Dr Ralph]

Welcome to AFF.

The points glory days have long gone.

 

[Montien]

Welcome to AFF.

The points glory days have long gone.

Thanks @Dr Ralph. I’ve heard as much but I may as well keep collecting the points!

 

[Dmac59]

Welcome aboard @Montien
If you're considering Status Run opportunities to climb the Status ladder, you should start planning now.
QF usually have a Double Status Credit (DSC) promo around February / March.
If you haven't already had a look around AFF, here's a link to the Qantas Status Run Master Thread
Enjoy

 

[Seat0B]

Welcome @Montien. There’s a lot of information on this forum that will help you towards your goal. You’ll probably need to up your status to get reward seats to Europe in peak season. Most of the seats to 2026 have already been snapped up, I fear. But don’t despair, you could still be lucky!

 

[BenG]

Welcome aboard @Montien

 

[Mwenenzi]

Hi everyone,
First-time poster. I’m currently based between CBR and SYD, and after a hiatus, I’ve decided it’s time to get serious about the points game again.

I currently hold Bronze (QF) and Red (VA), but I’ve got fond memories of my time as a QF Silver and I’m looking to claw my way back up the ladder, and ideally beyond! My goal for this year is to master "The Points Game" to help fund a significant Europe trip in June/July.

The Strategy: I’m looking into status run opportunities and maximising my everyday spend. I’ve realised I’m one of those rare breeds who actually doesn’t mind a layover, especially if there’s a decent lounge involved If there's a way to squeeze an extra 10-20 SCs out of a trip via an indirect route, I’m usually the first to sign up.

Looking forward to contributing more to the community and hopefully crossing paths with some of you in a lounge soon!

Cheers,
Monty

Welcome back to the game.
For the Europe June/July trip in 2026 will be hard to earn ff points/miles & status before. But should have a better balance after the trip

Depending on how long you have been away frequent flyer programs are morphing to frequent spender programs. Some are ffp's are now revenue based.
With credit cards, buying from vendors who give points, buying via QF/VA on line shopping portals and use of gift cards it is possible to get extra points at nil or very cost. If a wine drinker can buy via QF who at times have good QF points bonus. Never buy anything without considering/getting points and preferably double dipping. But check the extra cost, if any, vs normal retail.

 

[Montien]

Welcome aboard @Montien
If you're considering Status Run opportunities to climb the Status ladder, you should start planning now.
QF usually have a Double Status Credit (DSC) promo around February / March.
If you haven't already had a look around AFF, here's a link to the Qantas Status Run Master Thread
Enjoy

Thanks, @Dmac59. I’ve got my eyes peeled for that Feb/March DSC window, it’ll be the perfect launchpad to get back to Silver and hopefully push for Gold. I've already started bookmarking a few zig-zags from the Master Thread. Much appreciated!

Welcome aboard @Montien

Cheers, @BenG! Great to be here. Looking forward to learning from the collective wisdom of the community.

 

[Big John]

Welcome @Montien ! Like everyone else, I’m waiting for DSC with bated breath !

 

[markis10]

Suggest you have a look at getting to Asia and then grabbing a cash J fare from there, bank the points for later use while earning status.

 

[Montien]

Welcome @Montien. There’s a lot of information on this forum that will help you towards your goal. You’ll probably need to up your status to get reward seats to Europe in peak season. Most of the seats to 2026 have already been snapped up, I fear. But don’t despair, you could still be lucky!

Thanks for the warm welcome, @Seat0B. You’re right, peak July seats are like hens' teeth. I'm keeping a close eye on partner releases (Finnair/Qatar). Worst case, I’ll be testing out the value of Classic Plus to bridge the gap!

Welcome back to the game.
For the Europe June/July trip in 2026 will be hard to earn ff points/miles & status before. But should have a better balance after the trip

Depending on how long you have been away frequent flyer programs are morphing to frequent spender programs. Some are ffp's are now revenue based.
With credit cards, buying from vendors who give points, buying via QF/VA on line shopping portals and use of gift cards it is possible to get extra points at nil or very cost. If a wine drinker can buy via QF who at times have good QF points bonus. Never buy anything without considering/getting points and preferably double dipping. But check the extra cost, if any, vs normal retail.

Spot on, @Mwenenzi. The "Frequent Spender" shift is definitely noticeable since I was last active.

I’ve already started re-tooling the daily spend, mapping out the gift card triples through Everyday Rewards and hitting the QF Shopping portal for the 'double dip' on the June/July bookings. You're right about the Wine portal, too; the points-to-dollar ratio on some of those cases is hard to ignore when you're chasing that status bump.

Hoping the balance after the Europe trip will be healthy enough to sustain the next status year. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Montien]

Suggest you have a look at getting to Asia and then grabbing a cash J fare from there, bank the points for later use while earning status.

Solid advice, @markis10. I’ve been eyeing some of the current SQ Earlybird J-fares out of BKK and KUL. The math on a "Cash J" ex-Asia often beats a direct departure from Australia, especially when you factor in the extra SCs and the points haul for future use. Thanks for the tip!