Qantas FF points vs. ANZ Rewards?

[w3stie]

Hi all!

I'm tossing up between earning Qantas points or ANZ Rewards Points. Does anyone have any insight or suggestions? Do you earn QFF points and status credits on flights purchased using ANZ points?

Cheers!

 

[mooingchicken]

You dont earn points and SC on flights purchased with points generally.

Really its your choice, In aus the 2 main choices are Qantas or virgin. Qantas have high taxes compared with virgin, but offer more routes and options wiht Oneworld. Virgin lower taxes. limited to mostly Etihad, singapore, delta and virgin. but can also be transferered to singapore at 1.35:1

Can also transfer direct to Singapore, Asia miles or NZ points, but some find them less usesful in aus, others more useful (this all depends on your needs and who you want to fly with)

Also with the sign on bonuses you will get more points with qantas as you are given 25k of qantas points vs 25k or ANZ points (which converts to less Virgin/SQ/whoever points)

Really depends what suits you and who you like to fly with.

Also Qantas is direct sweep, where ANZ you can choose when and where to transfer to at the time that suits. but you cant transfer qantas points, only direct sweep from the get go.

 

[Oxy]

You dont earn points and SC on flights purchased with points generally.

That's quite true, but on this occasion it is unclear if it is a points redemption or ANZ is purchasing on your behalf. I have a feeling they are the cheapest revenue fares available prior to taxes, as I have done a couple of dummy bookings and checked the fare classes. Also found recently that MH fares were cheaper than JQ to SIN (on a ANZ points basis), which would reflect their heavy discounting of late. But this is only theory, I too would like some gospel from some one with an ANZ rewards card please

 

[mooingchicken]

I do have an anz rewards card.

Generally booking flights with anz direct with anz points like most things cost more (think toasters) this being said this may not be true for all airlines and routes as I have not investigated every route etc myself. But when aus to LA return in J is over 1.1 million anz points if u book through anz, I'll let you work out what's better, using anz or transferring them to freq flyer points, weather it be qantas, virgin or one of the others

 

[w3stie]

You dont earn points and SC on flights purchased with points generally.

I was referring to flights purchased through ANZ RE the SC/points earn. Anyone got any experience with this?

I'm curious since, for a flight BNE->SYD in a couple of weeks ANZ wants 23240 pts + taxes, and Qantas wants 18600 pts outright, now this works out to be $7700 spend vs $12400 spend - so quite a difference (I'm ignoring classic award seats here). I know the Qantas price includes taxes, BUT surely the ANZ taxes aren't more than $50 or so, in which case it's still more efficient in terms of redemption (pt/$ value).

So if anyone has any insight that'd be greatly appreciated, because it seems like a really thorough and competitive rewards program.

Thanks!

 

[Bwtt]

Why aren't you looking at classic awards? You'll only require a spend of about $5300 +$30.

 

[tharaka]

I'm switching over from FF Black to Rewards Black.

Reason: I often get better availability to asian routes on Virgin than Qantas also with less taxes it works out well for me. However, if you travel Business only, and looking for business redemption Qantas may still be slightly better. Please do your own research if this is the case.

Also the conversion rate is slightly worse. With FF card, it's 1QFF ponint for $1. Velocity transfer works out to 0.88Velocity points for $1. (this is on the Visa)

With Rewards, it also gives the flexibility to convert points to gift cards etc. Yet, best use still is in Flyer programs.

 

[Archphoto]

I've just swapped my FF Gold to Rewards Platinum, so that I'd accrue miles for CX.
I still have my Amex Qantas card and my folks actually use my EDR card for purchases throughout the year, so I still earn QF miles.

Seemed stupid (for me) to have all my eggs in the QF basket, as I'm now based in Asia; spreading it around works well for me and the 2 Rewards points per $1 spent on the Rewards Amex is great - throw all my flights onto that, with the remaining 2 cards split for other purchases.

Will see how it progresses, only had the card 2 weeks, but already loaded several flights onto it, so points will be accumulating fairly quickly.

 

[andye]

I'm afraid I can't answer the question (Do reward flights booked via ANZ book into a SC and points-earning class?)

but

Booking Any Seat Awards (via airline website or bank) is a very poor value way of using FF points especially in Economy (You would have to be very cash-poor and points-rich to make it work. Qantas used to offer a way that was very effective but this is no longer available)

Even booking Reward Domestic Economy seats is rarely worthwhile

Remember a QFF point is worth at least 0.7c and a Rewards point 0.25c cashed out as a giftcard.

When weighing up the value of ANZ Rewards to you, you should look at the airline redemption partners (Velocity, Singapore, Cathay and Air New Zealand), the transfer rates of FF points to their programme and the Airlines own reward charts AND the typical taxes on reward flights

I suspect you will end up preferring the Rewards over the Qantas option when you do this but everyone is different. Usually the Qantas option offers an overall better sign-up bonus but worse for ongoing use

 

[tharaka]

Need to correct one thing:

"Also the conversion rate is slightly worse. With FF card, it's 1QFF ponint for $1. Velocity transfer works out to 0.88Velocity points for $1. (this is on the Visa) "

Actually the conversion rate is better with Velocity. It's 0.75QFF for $1 and 0.88Velocity for $1.