Point Collectors Anonymous

[Saltywings]

It really isn't surprising that on a forum like AFF, us PCAs will all have stories to tell that share a common thread or two ;')

I definitely started out collecting points like nutcases, unti I realised that my points expenditure will never exceed points earn - the limitation is annual leave. Also unfortunate is that as I am nowhere near retirement age, the AL balance will determine how burns go. As such, I'm not above paying cash/EFT for many things - usually whenever a surcharge is imposed.

After all, what's the point in fronting up 1.5-2.4% when you earn pts at around 3x the rate at which you spend them? That 2.4% in saved cash could be (and indeed is) invested in appropriate instruments that yield far more value than even a really good award redemption (try a 9-12% return, which pretty much no average redemption can match), which of course can be used on much more than just flights or the occasional hotel reward booking. Of course, the argument of 'keeping an emergency stash' also does apply - but naturally that is already the case in my situation.

I love(d?) collecting points as much as anyone (well okay, maybe not as much as some on this thread), but my business background greatly informs when it is sensible to invest in one's real fiat wealth rather than points wealth which, over time, only goes in one direction: that of devaluation.

Just my two cents (not points, cents )

 

[large]

But not a point spender?

Yes, spending them...when not hoarding them.

 

[cove]

We head home to Perth in a week. Use of Kris Miles works for us to get to Los Angeles and back. In the US we can usually do quite well at running up points and miles but I do see Mrscove trying to figure which of her cards earn double or treble points per dollar.

 

[cove]

Apparently we have had Westpac Amex Kris Flyer CC doing auto payments on our multiple accounts around Australia. Well that card stopped working in early April so we keep getting texts and emails from Telstra. Quite an issue when we are traveling in the US but Mrscove is handling it. So long Kris Miles and hello Qantas points.
Way too much time and effort to fix this.

 

[yld200]

I got my FIL into point collecting via CC signups. He has churned through all of the major CCs and Qantas Assure health insurance over the past 18-24 months which has given him a balance of just over 1mil QFF points.

He does intend to use them for flights but always has excuses as to why he hasn't booked anything yet.

 

[Saltywings]

I got my FIL into point collecting via CC signups. He has churned through all of the major CCs and Qantas Assure health insurance over the past 18-24 months which has given him a balance of just over 1mil QFF points.

He does intend to use them for flights but always has excuses as to why he hasn't booked anything yet.

I have the same problem. But I like to think I have a 'legit' excuse - the never-enough balance of annual leave

 

[daft009]

I have the same problem. But I like to think I have a 'legit' excuse - the never-enough balance of annual leave

Same problem here, add to the fact the wife has the same problem and it's not too easy sometimes to use all these points!

So I'm splurging on my one 1wk work trip to Germany this year.

 

[cove]

Mrscove has an offer of a US AMEX Platinum card to earn 100,000 Membership Rewards for $550. I don’t think she is as warped as me.

 

[FrequentFlyerFrancisco]

New point collector here.. Have been organising a wedding (mine) so have had lots of opportunities to burn and churn through cards! In past 9 months me and fiancee have gone throne 7 cards and racked up almost 700k points. 480k are reserved for our round world honeymoon trip

 

[daft009]

New point collector here.. Have been organising a wedding (mine) so have had lots of opportunities to burn and churn through cards! In past 9 months me and fiancee have gone throne 7 cards and racked up almost 700k points. 480k are reserved for our round world honeymoon trip

Wish I was a PCA back then... Such a wasted opportunity thinking about it now... Trying now to make up for lost years

 

[Saltywings]

New point collector here.. Have been organising a wedding (mine) so have had lots of opportunities to burn and churn through cards! In past 9 months me and fiancee have gone throne 7 cards and racked up almost 700k points. 480k are reserved for our round world honeymoon trip

And this is how the game should be played - with a great goal in mind!

 

[cove]

It seemed a bit of a struggle to get Mrscove a St George Amplify CC. She keeps telling me things like this will be the last one. Having the Westpac Amex Kris Flyer CC conk out on April 4th was quite unhelpful as we get multiple TELSTRA/Foxtel bills each month that were on auto pay onto that credit card.
This year we have 5 international trips booked and that helps keep the points and miles from going up and up.
Congratulations FFF for getting your fiancée onboard the frequent flyer journey.

 

[cj4119]

New point collector here.. Have been organising a wedding (mine) so have had lots of opportunities to burn and churn through cards! In past 9 months me and fiancee have gone throne 7 cards and racked up almost 700k points. 480k are reserved for our round world honeymoon trip

7 cards? Haha, nice!

Since the credit cards signup bonuses are my main way of accumulating points, i was wondering if there is there a ratio of annual fee to points bonus that makes it worth while or not?

Eg: Westpac Altitude Black card has an 80k bonus for $250 annual fee.
MEL - SYD is 8,000pts + $36, so you could do 10 legs plus $360 to use up those points in Y class.
Where as to buy them as a Red E-Deal at $175 x 10 legs equates to $1,750.
So your $250 annual fee plus $360 in taxes makes the $610 money well spent.

The above card equates to 320p/$, but to get the most bonus points within reason do you just sign up if the deal looks ok, get your bonus points, close the card and move on or what?

Cheers

 

[cove]

We haven’t been big CC churners in the past but I can see cards that don’t pay points on certain items needing to be culled.
Yesterday I booked a Madrid to Perth run for my favourite eldest son and two Sydney- Perth A330 flights to get home before Christmas. Kris Miles and Qantas points were easy to use.
Sometimes I think I should try using business class on long haul flights but first class and suites flights seem to win every time.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

7 cards? Haha, nice!

Since the credit cards signup bonuses are my main way of accumulating points, i was wondering if there is there a ratio of annual fee to points bonus that makes it worth while or not?

Well yes. But the answer is different for each of us.

What class of cabin do you fly, where to, what other points can you earn (and by what means and at what cost), how many people you book for etc etc

Also not all FF programs are equal and for my uses a Krisflyer Point is worth several times what one QFF point is worth.

 

[cove]

So Mrscove activated her new Amplify CC on the weekend. By Monday night she is eligible for 45,000 Kris Miles which we can use on flights.

 

[Limewood]

We started collecting points about 15 years ago, about 2004 we really got into it, with CC, paying everything we could think inc. suppliers, many from OS, last year was good about $800K in toto, also buying AA & AS miles at times too.

 

[daft009]

paid the wife's speeding fine in NSW with V1 cards.
online system allows split payments with a 0.4% surcharge

not going to let an easy point collecting opportunity go by

 

[BenSQ380]

7 cards? Haha, nice!

Since the credit cards signup bonuses are my main way of accumulating points, i was wondering if there is there a ratio of annual fee to points bonus that makes it worth while or not?

The way I rationalise it is: what can the points get me and would I feel I'd got a bargain if I paid the cash value of the annual fee.

For example, last month I upgraded 2 x pax from Y+ to J MEL-LAX for 99k points which can be attained for a few hundred dollars in an annual fee.

So to 'pay $200 each' for an upgrade when the fare difference would have been 1-2k each makes sense.

 

[cove]

It was a sad day yesterday doing the final cut of my Westpac Kris Flyer credit cards as they stopped working on ATO on April 4th. Goodbye 100,000 credit limit that I used for almost 10 years on telephone and taxes mainly.
Lucky my trusty titanium bladed 3M scissors were able to cut the cards into little pieces.