If you could start over again - who would you choose?

[Leapstar]

Hi everyone!


First-time poster here, long-time lurker, and finally semi-retired enough to actually start enjoying the finer things in life—like not cramming into seat 54F next to the toilets


I’m just getting started on what I hope will be a new era of more frequent travel, sometimes solo, sometimes with my husband, sometimes with my 15 yo son and sometimes with both. I’m at a bit of a crossroads when it comes to choosing my points partner Qantas Frequent Flyer vs Velocity.

I currently have a credit card linked to Velocity/hefty flybys balance but haven’t accumulated anything significant yet. I’ve been reading up on recent changes to Velocity, and I’m wondering if I should jump ship before I invest any more effort.

I don’t have any real balance in either program, so it’s a clean slate and a perfect chance to start strategically.
My goal is to no longer always fly the cheapest fare, but rather use points, status, and hacks to upgrade my experience—ideally into premium economy or business when I can swing it.

I’m looking for:
The best value earn and burn strategies
Which program offers better bang-for-buck when it comes to upgrades and reward seat availability
Hacks that people in-the-know use to fast-track status
Lounge access without selling a kidney
Credit card synergies that actually deliver


So for all you legends who have long travelled the skies in relative luxury, if you were starting fresh in 2025, where would you throw your loyalty? What are the hidden traps? The underrated perks? The clever plays?

Looking forward to your wisdom—and hopefully a comfier seat next time I board.


Cheers,
Leigh

 

[Dr Ralph]

Welcome to AFF.

I'm sure you'll get some very detailed replies to your questions.

For me, there isn't any one option that is better than the other. 'The grass is always greener' is appropriate here. And even if one programme looks better today vis a vis alternate offerings, things can and will change. Having a foot in multiple systems is my best advice.

As for this request:

"I’m looking for:
The best value earn and burn strategies
Which program offers better bang-for-buck when it comes to upgrades and reward seat availability
Hacks that people in-the-know use to fast-track status
Lounge access without selling a kidney
Credit card synergies that actually deliver"

You've got about 100 hours of reading the already establish threads on AFF to get the required information. There wont be a simple answer to anything that you've asked about.

If this was a simple game to play everyone would be doing it!

 

[Human]

Hello and welcome!

You've certainly come to the right place when it comes to this stuff. There must be hundreds, if not thousands of years worth of accumulated wisdom and experience on this site.

My 2c worth:

You say you have a "hefty" FlyBuys balance. That balance can be transferred to Velocity which is not a bad place to start, given the sort-of-OK-ish availability on airlines such as Qatar, United, ANA etc and (especially) the option of transferring to KrisFlyer which is a seriously good FF programme.

I would strongly encourage you to use a credit card which accumulates points that can be transferred to a number of FF programmes, so you have the freedom to transfer points to the FF programme that has availability on the flights/routes you want. I use AmEx Membership Rewards.

If you are planning to travel more and you want lounge access etc, I'd have a serious look at the AmEx Platinum card. It has a high annual fee but, especially if you travel a lot, that fee can be more than offset by the travel perks that come with the card.

Have a read of the article below to find out more about why you should seek to accumulate points in a flexible points currency rather than Qantas or Velocity only:

Want to Fly to Europe? Collect a Flexible Points Currency!

Credit card rewards programs offer flexible points currencies that you can transfer to whichever airline has the best deal when you book.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[NM]

While this event requires investment in both $$$ and time, it is probably the best possible kick-start into the world of frequent flyer loyalty programs available.

Thread 'AFF MasterClass in Sydney on Saturday, 6 September 2025'

May 2, 2025

AFF is thrilled to announce that our inaugural in-person MasterClass will take place in Sydney on Saturday, 6 September 2025!

This ticketed event will take place at Crowne Plaza Sydney Airport from 11am until 5pm. Throughout the day, you’ll hear directly from three frequent flyer program and travel experts, with practical sessions designed to give you real-world strategies you can apply immediately. You'll also have an opportunity to quiz our experts in a Q&A session.

The guest speakers are:

• Matt Graham (a.k.a @Mattg) - Australian Frequent Flyer Editor
• Alan Lam (a.k.a...

• AFF Editor
• Replies: 30
• Forum: Meetings & Social Events

• 

The knowledge that will be shared and discussed would be extremely valuable for someone ion your position.

 

[kpc]

I can say this as they own this site....if you read everything in Point Hacks, you will become very knowledgable quickly!

Point Hacks

Find the best frequent flyer deals and credit cards rewards easily. Point Hacks helps you travel cheaper!

www.pointhacks.com.au

 

[drron]

Welcome to AFF @Leapstar . You will learn a lot here. However Although I began with Hotel loyalty schemes in the 80s stating with Sheraton where I had life time gold and in the airlines with QF in the early 90s. I purchased LT qantas Club membership in 1992. However the game keeps changing and you really need to keep up with it all and here on AFF plenty of us commenting on our experiences.

So in my case starting with hotels. After a few years Sheraton became par of Starwood. I was offered nothing for loosing my status so Joined Hilton. For the first few years was treated very well with 7 years of diamond by completing the nights, stays and points requirements. Then they started denying me upgrades and lounge access so SPG was offering a status match. First Hilton stay-no upgrade. First SPG stay at the Westin Madrid upgraded to the Royal suite and was able to watch the Spain Day parade from our balcony.
Ended up Life Time platinum. But then they were taken over by Marriott. so became LTP there. but Marriott members with less nights and points were offered Life time Titanium. I kept with the Marriott program as we usually stayed at Sheratons and Westins and kept being treated well. but after a few GM changes not so good so elected to switch to IHG. I could buy status through the IC Ambassador program and soon worrked out how I could etain status with less spends than other programs. It just suits me.

Then airlines. Although I had bought LTQP in 1992 I bought LT Golden Wings for Mrsdrron and they treated us better. But when they disappeared OK with QF for a whle. But Our son moved to the USA in the early noughties and we would fly there 2 or 3 times a year. JALs J fares were half that of QF. But JAL was not in One world back then but you could post your trips to the AA program. Flying that frequently soon got enough points to fly on AA J awards NRT-DFW. On our first award we were upgraded after boarding to F. I switched allegiance and very soon had LT Platinum but fond it hard to reach OWE status. Had a great run with AA but then discovered it was a lot easier for me to reach OWE with BA. After a few years they radically changed their scheme so to me it became useless. Through Covid I had joined Kris flyer because then I could buy their gold status plus quaranteed for the second year.

Hard to really earn a lot of KF points in australia plus found getting QF classic awards was virtually impossible for where we wanted to go so now our main program is velocity because we can choose to fly one world or star alliance so our eggs are not in one basket.

So if you find a program that suits you kep looking as it will almost always change. Don't be scared to change your loyalty as well.

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF @Leapstar . Just a word of caution. You can earn QFF and Velocity points very easily. But availability on QF is known to be bad, especially to prime destinations like Nth America and Europe. Getting seats out of Australia is the big difficulty. Many people accumulate big stashes but can't use them, except maybe with expensive redemption rates. There are about 10-15 million Qantas FF members, with billions of points to spend. Fancy your chances?

Watch out for this aspect as you bone up on the topic in general.

Which program offers better bang-for-buck when it comes to upgrades and reward seat availability

SQ Krisflyer and partners whose points you can use to book SQ Krisflyer awards. Not so much upgrades.

Virgin has much more limited partners, but an advantage is they you can convert them (at a discount) to SQ Krisflyer which has excellent Award availability out of Australia. In ALL cases, book ASAP.

A strategy to keep an eye out for is buying points during bonus promos on the offshore programs - BA/QR/AY - interchangeable avios, (OneWorld), Air Canada Aeroplan miles, Avianca Life Miles (Star Alliance), Virgin Atlantic (Skyteam) etc etc. Having a stash of these gives you options for those airlines and their partners when you need to fill a gap.

So for all you legends who have long travelled the skies in relative luxury, if you were starting fresh in 2025, where would you throw your loyalty? What are the hidden traps? The underrated perks? The clever plays?

If I was starting out, I'd do what I do now. NO LOYALTY. The loyalty will not be reciprocated by the airline. Join a few programs, see which ends up working best. Be flexible. Watch out for bonus points purchase offers (join the FF programs and get on their mailing lists! but they will also be announced here.

 

[WilsonM]

Hi everyone!


First-time poster here, long-time lurker, and finally semi-retired enough to actually start enjoying the finer things in life—like not cramming into seat 54F next to the toilets


I’m just getting started on what I hope will be a new era of more frequent travel, sometimes solo, sometimes with my husband, sometimes with my 15 yo son and sometimes with both. I’m at a bit of a crossroads when it comes to choosing my points partner Qantas Frequent Flyer vs Velocity.

I currently have a credit card linked to Velocity/hefty flybys balance but haven’t accumulated anything significant yet. I’ve been reading up on recent changes to Velocity, and I’m wondering if I should jump ship before I invest any more effort.

I don’t have any real balance in either program, so it’s a clean slate and a perfect chance to start strategically.
My goal is to no longer always fly the cheapest fare, but rather use points, status, and hacks to upgrade my experience—ideally into premium economy or business when I can swing it.

I’m looking for:
The best value earn and burn strategies
Which program offers better bang-for-buck when it comes to upgrades and reward seat availability
Hacks that people in-the-know use to fast-track status
Lounge access without selling a kidney
Credit card synergies that actually deliver


So for all you legends who have long travelled the skies in relative luxury, if you were starting fresh in 2025, where would you throw your loyalty? What are the hidden traps? The underrated perks? The clever plays?

Looking forward to your wisdom—and hopefully a comfier seat next time I board.


Cheers,
Leigh

Welcome to AFF Leapstar!

As others have said, it's very much a horses-for-courses decision.

It's good to have some goals already, but I would really encourage you to slowly develop more specific goals - this will directly influence where you go.

Flexible programs are always great, as they give you exactly that - flexibility. You're not hamstrung to Qantas' lack of availability (in some cases), or Virgin Australia's lack of partners (again, in some cases). You can transfer to other, foreign programs, and scoop up premium seats for less miles and with less competition!

But, the amount of points you earn is dictated by your income and expenses, especially expenses you can put through a credit card. A small business that spends 500k a year is in a completely different position to a person living alone spending 30k a year on groceries etc.

In my mind, the 3 questions you should ask yourself are:

1. Where do I want to fly (and in which class, as a secondary question)
2. What's my point-earning potential (income, expenses, other debts - not specifics, but for example, you can't be hitting lots of sign-up offers if you have a sizeable mortgage and a low income)
3. How much time you're prepared to invest in working out exactly what works for you (time/money conundrum).

If you can answer those questions, I think you'll be able to get more targeted advice beyond "which loyalty program is best".

Just because a flight costs less with a specific program doesn't mean it's the objective best way to go. For example, it costs 40,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles + ~AU140 to fly Business Class on Japan Airlines between Sydney and Tokyo, while using Qantas points it costs 90,000 Qantas points + ~AU450 to get the same flight. But, the only easy way to get AAdvantage miles in Australia is to buy them, while you can get Qantas points in a myriad of ways, including with credit card sign ups and buying wine, shopping at Woolies etc. So even though you need more Qantas points than AAdvantage miles for this flight, it'd probably be cheaper to get 90,000 Qantas points than to get 40,000 AAdvantage miles.

Most importantly, ask questions - we have a dedicated newbie thread for both Qantas and Velocity:

Thread 'The Virgin Australia Newbie Questions Thread'

Oct 27, 2022

This thread is specifically for new members to ask questions relating to Virgin and the Virgin Velocity Frequent Flyer program. Our more experienced members will be then be able to answer your questions.

Please note that this thread is specifically for new and/or inexperienced members, so please keep this in mind when replying to posts in this thread. In particular, please minimise the use of acronyms and explain the concepts in a way that a novice can easily understand. And please be gentle

P.S. If you're a newbie to frequent flyer programs in Australia, check out our guide

• admin
• Replies: 785
• Forum: Virgin Australia | Velocity

• 

Thread 'The Qantas Newbie Questions Thread'

Oct 27, 2022

This thread is specifically for new members to ask questions relating to Qantas and the Qantas Frequent Flyer program. Our more experienced members will be then be able to answer your questions.

Please note that this thread is specifically for new and/or inexperienced members, so please keep this in mind when replying to posts in this thread. In particular, please minimise the use of acronyms and explain the concepts in a way that a novice can easily understand. And please be gentle

P.S. If you're a newbie to frequent flyer programs in Australia, check out our guide

• admin
• Replies: 3,125
• Forum: Qantas | Frequent Flyer

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