General Questions - Answer as few or as many as you like: Thanks everyone

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Caesia

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Jan 18, 2013
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Hi Everyone, I was wondering whether you might be able to give me some insight into a few things that I have as yet failed to come across in my reading. Feel free to answer as many or as few of the following as you like:

1. What is the best way to pay for and book upgrades? It seems based on my calculations that I am better off purchasing flexisavers and applying upgrades vs red-e deals (from Perth to Melbourne that is)

2. I am doing quite a bit of flying ATM so I am burning my points a bit. I am currently QFF Gold but will be QFF WP in about 150SC am I best to burn up some more points to purchase JASAs to achieve WP quicker? I am currently doing 4 flights per week Perth-Melb-Melb-Perth

3. What cache of credit cards are the recommended few or many... for people with own business and moderate-high gross income? Currently have CBA platinum 2xAmex & 2xMC. I max these out for points earn by September each year.

4. What are the best hotel partners for points with accomodation in the range $80 - $150 per night

5. I have a medical condition which precludes me from booking anything more than a month or two out does this mean I'm doomed to never get good QFF business or first classic rewards RTW options?

6. Kris flyer members?We fly about 4 international trips per year including one that is RTW do you recommend joining other FF groups such as Singapore & Virgin? I have yet to try Virgin very much but have seen that there J option around Aus is becoming popular.

7. When people are doing status runs I assume they are purchasing business class seats? Is this the same as the status run in Australia?

8. What other good ways can you recommend of earning points besides flights and credit cards?

9. Do you worry about credit card surcharges? How much is too much? (I've worked out that reasonable value for points is about 8c/point for what I'm mainly using it for, is this too high or too low?) What do you aim to get your points to be valued at?

Thanks everyone hope you can help...

Warm Regards
Caesia
 
2. I am doing quite a bit of flying ATM so I am burning my points a bit. I am currently QFF Gold but will be QFF WP in about 150SC am I best to burn up some more points to purchase JASAs to achieve WP quicker? I am currently doing 4 flights per week Perth-Melb-Melb-Perth

This depends on a few things - namely, how far away your requalification date is, how many points you have to burn (and how much you value them) and how you'll use the quicker WP status.

The pros of earning WP sooner include sooner getting

  • increased points earn
  • better seat selection
  • higher chance of an op-up
  • more luggage allowance
  • MEL J lounge (which is a nice option to have but not a dealbreaker by any means)

Cons include

  • SCs above 1,400 going to "waste" in your membership 'year' if you're going to reach WP anyway but not 2,400 or 3,600, and only counting towards lifetime status
  • no PER J lounge
  • burning points that might be better used on something else, like a RTW ticket

The benefits of WP are more pronounced with international travel, but at the end of the day the decision on whether to get that platinum card sooner rests with you.

7. When people are doing status runs I assume they are purchasing business class seats? Is this the same as the status run in Australia?

Status runs will usually be done on points in business to get value, but a status run could be defined as any flight just to reach a desired status, even if in economy and paid for in cash. Not quite sure I understand your second bit. For best value they are often done in the US, across eastern Asia and parts of northeastern and far-south Australia ;)

8. What other good ways can you recommend of earning points besides flights and credit cards?
You've covered the two main ones, but also look out for special Woolworths bonus offers on this site :)
 
Thanks Eastflyer, yeah I think I'll wait with my points and just continue to upgrade my flights cause def won't get to 3600. My renewal in Jun and my husband has WP now anyway for our international trips. He may lose his next year but I'll def have mine by then for all our following year travel and then we'll be in US in July so could do a status run at that point if need be. Thanks for advice ;)
 
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