Best Credit Cards, Best Programs

[flightplan]

Hi all

As new members, these questions may have been answered many times prior to us joining. We would be grateful for your advice and apologise for not using the correct jargon as yet. We have enjoyed reading comments placed on this website.

The majority of our points are gained using AMEX Rewards Maximiser and CommBank Visa Platinum. We transfer these on a regular basis to our QFF membership which enables us to travel as a family of 4 Business Class, overseas (US, Canada or Europe) every 2 years (approx.)

The increased difficulty in using our points (fewer seats) and the reduction in the value of the points is proving prohibitive and therefore we seek your advice on the best programs and Credit Cards available.

Thank you.

 

[NM]

Hello flightplan and welcome to AFF.

You seem to have already chosen some CCs that will earn points at a good rate, so if you are ok with the annual fees on those cards, then stick with them.

The problem you will find is the ability to find 4 business class seats to any destination on any dates that your want to travel. Its going to get harder and harder to get them as more and more people are building large stocks of FF points and trying to use them for the same awards. And this is not just the Qantas FF members, but all OneWorld members world-wide, and members of other partner FF programs, are all bidding for the same small number of award seats.

Qantas is expected to introduce changes to their program later this year that will allow members to use points for seats on any flight that have revenue seats available. Of course the kicker is that the number of points required will increase as the number price of revenue seats increases for any individual flight. This may work out ok for people redeeming economy class seats, but could mean such business class awards will require huge numbers of points if they are available under the new "any time" award scheme.

Think about the current situation where a business class award typically costs double the number of points as an economy class award. If the points cost is changed to be proportional to the cost of a revenue seat, a business class seat could then cost 4 or 5 times that of an economy award.

For example, an economy award SYD-LAX-SYD today requires 96,000 QF FF points and a business class award required 192,000 points. If no such award seats were available, Qantas may offer an "any time" (my name for it, not Qantas' name) based on the current revenue seat cost and for a premium of FF points. So lets say the economy revenue price is $2000 and they want a 25% premium of points to make it available as an award (again just my made up numbers) making it 120,000 points. And if the business class revenue fare was $12,000 for that flight, then extrapolating the points cost you could find it requiring 720,000 points!

The other problem with someone who earns primarily from credit cards and is resident in Australia is that nearly all credit card programs are going to offer the best transfer rates to Qantas FF. This makes it difficult to earn significant points balances in other programs - but its not impossible. Amex is one program that gives you some flexibility to use your points in other programs. And there is little point in using a different OneWorld program in this case since all OneWorld programs are using the same buckets of award seats unless you hold high status level in their program. So you need to look at either a Star Alliance program, or an independent program (such as Virgin Flying Club with Virgin Atlantic). but these non-OneWorld programs may make it difficult to redeem for Australian domestic destinations and you may find you have to pay to get yourself to an international gateway city.

 

[austrider]

Would a better status (e.g. emerald) help in getting the award seat? Or do you (or any other WPs) also find that being increasingly diffcult such that you don't bother anymore, and just use it for upgrades?

 

[serfty]

It is a general rule of thumb for frequent travellers with Qantas Frequent FLyers that Upgrades are the most cost effective use of points.

SG/WP status certainly enables better access to WHY awards and recent indications are that Qantas are toying with the idea, or, actaully have, extended this to premium cabins.

 

[simongr]

SG/WP status certainly enables better access to WHY awards and recent indications are that Qantas are toying with the idea, or, actaully have, extended this to premium cabins.

Do we have any empirical evidence of this? It would influence my long term coice of program...

 

[serfty]

Look here on FT: QF award availability checker on KVS

Specifically posts #17-#26 and #35-#38 ...

 

[serfty]

... it appears to be still true.

As I post this, my WP and mrs serfty's SG accounts can 'see' a F seat MEL-HKG on QF29 for Feb 20th whereas NB mini serfty's QFF account cannot.