Meet the points geeks

[CaptJCool]

An article in the AFR today




As soon as I got to this part I thought
Hmmm
4 properties …

Getting obsessed through intermittent reinforcement, consider your share of wallet being directed to one program.




And a second article

 

[ChrisMars]

The angle of the pictures, the framing, and bluriness make it a bit hard to process for my little brain. Thanks god chatgpt is less judgemental and more patient. Hopefully it got the gist correctly, that's what it outputted for me below.

Summary of the Article​

The article explains how Australians can extract significant value from frequent-flyer points, particularly through credit cards and strategic everyday spending, but warns that it requires discipline and effort.

Key Points​

• Credit card sign-up bonuses are the main driver of points, not everyday spend.
  
  • While earn rates per dollar have declined over the past decade, bonuses have increased.
  • A single application can yield 100,000–130,000 points (Qantas or Virgin).
• Annual fees can still be good value
  
  • Paying a ~$300–$400 annual fee can be worthwhile if it delivers enough points for:
    
    • Business-class flights to Asia, or
    • Substantial long-haul upgrades.
• The biggest mistake is applying too often
  
  • Applying for cards every few months makes you look credit-desperate.
  • The recommended approach is intentional, spaced-out applications aligned to real financial needs.
• Banks are adapting
  
  • Some now offer 20,000–40,000 bonus points in the second year, once the annual fee is paid, to reduce customer churn.
• Everyday spending still matters, but less so
  
  • Supermarkets (e.g. Woolworths Everyday Rewards) and utilities can add points, but:
    
    • It takes ~$10,000 spend to earn ~2,000 Qantas points, often poor value.
  • The real value comes from converting points into premium flights, not gift cards.
• Mortgage and loan switching can be lucrative
  
  • Some borrowers switch multiple loans to Qantas-branded products and earn hundreds of thousands of points.
  • One example cited collected ~400,000 points, enough for:
    
    • Business or first-class flights to Europe (e.g. Emirates).
• Time vs reward trade-off
  
  • Managing cards, tracking offers, and staying across rule changes can feel like a part-time job.
  • However, for those willing to invest the time, the rewards are described as “well worth it.”

Overall Message​

Frequent-flyer programs still offer strong value, especially for premium travel, but:

• The easy wins are gone.
• Success now depends on strategy, timing, and restraint, not just spending.
• Points are best used for luxury travel experiences, not everyday redemptions.

 

[aikman]

There are three case studies.

1. Someone switched her four home loans to Qantas for 400,000 points per year.

Makes me wonder how much more interest she is paying by doing this.

2. Someone earned an undisclosed number of points by buying $2 bath ducks at Big W which earned 2000(?) points each.

I was not aware of this. Has this been mentioned in AFF?

3. Someone flew business class on SQ to Europe for $110.

Typical clickbait headline. Looks like he earned the points from credit card sign ups and he said the annual fees were worth it.