The Danger of Hoarding Points

[BAM1748]

As others have said, the danger of hoarding is the risk of getting nothing at all.

matt

 

[ScottO]

I am gobsmacked at the QFF devaluation of points in their system. I also have around the 400K mark (hoarder?) however this is because my wife is English so we use them for bi annual trips back sometimes with the kids.
Last year I took all three kids and my wife to Boston and back using QFF points. The fees and charges associated with taking the girls was around $1100 and the frequent "Sales" prices meant I could have purchased return tickets to NYC for about $1800 at one point.
Again I looked at more local fares for a family holiday and Bali flights return were only around $200 more expensive on the Red Saver flight.
End Result. I looked at the same with Velocity and leave next Tuesday to Bali with fare paying Virgin flights and will be moving all Amex/CC points to Velocity in the future.
My QFF points will only be used for upgrades on domestic from here on.

 

[mannej]

It has been mentioned that economy redemptions offer poor value for points. You will find the same with velocity redemptions to the US, so I would do some research before you fully switch all your points over, as you may be finding out that both program's are quite similar in some ways...

 

[genedna]

ha. Dangers of hoarding. Not quite like the dangers of deep sea diving.

I did lose 90,000 points with Ansett, so made me not get so attached. The most I've had is 3.1 million qantas points, right now with 1.9 and I've been splashing out with them. My wife thinks I'm overly generous flying my brother and wife around the world, my sisters to India and Central America, and her parents twice to South America business class.

But if you can't spend them on friends and family, then what is the point of having them? I'd hate to lose them again over a collapse or resale. These days I use them for upgrades. But with Qantas getting stingy on upgrades (not allowing them on red-class seats) and not making any allowance to spend more points on upgrading on lower class fares, I am starting to fly a lot more with Star Alliance and put my points with Virgin.

Having them spread out will also lower the "risk".

 

[ScottO]

It has been mentioned that economy redemptions offer poor value for points. You will find the same with velocity redemptions to the US, so I would do some research before you fully switch all your points over, as you may be finding out that both program's are quite similar in some ways...

Already done Mannej. Velocity points on almost EXACTLY the same flights, times, class were hugely less with Velocity than QFF including Business Class.

Frankly between Qantas failure with capacity for award seats, HUGE fees and charges that Qantas levies (which made up more than 70% of what they want to charges beyond airport taxes, GST etc), frequent flyers would be mad to continue wit the programme.

 

[susiesnowflake]

As I've got older I have started to use everything including FF points. I earn and burn - I also use the good crystal every night when drinking up all those bottles of French champagne given to me on my retirement. I could go on, but have to say I am much happier getting rid of things and not accumulating too much. I have had some lovely trips on FF points and some lovely paid up front trips which earn FF points for other lovely side trips and it goes on and on. Enjoy life and spend those points!!!!

;-))

 

[Pushka]

As I've got older I have started to use everything including FF points. I earn and burn - I also use the good crystal every night when drinking up all those bottles of French champagne given to me on my retirement. I could go on, but have to say I am much happier getting rid of things and not accumulating too much. I have had some lovely trips on FF points and some lovely paid up front trips which earn FF points for other lovely side trips and it goes on and on. Enjoy life and spend those points!!!!

;-))

Yes. I'm not at retirement yet but close enough to smell it. And agree with using all the nice things in life rather than simply looking at them.

 

[rhjames]

Before I retired, I collected about 1.2 million FF points with Qantas. I planned to have overseas holidays, and use them for business class to Europe and USA. I found it impossible to find business class seats available for FF points. I managed to use some in premium economy. In the end I just threw them away on some economy seats, most of which were in Australia. Other plans (eg KLM) I had no problem using them for business class whenever I wanted.

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

My preference is the EMIRATES FF scheme, basically because you can use your points on all EMITATES flights if there are seats available, whereas Qantas FF its near impossible to ever get a seats on a flight you actually want - seems FF seats are only offered on unpopular routes - eg to LA via Fiji, rather than direct.
Trouble though with EMIRATES all points have an expiry date, so unused points are lost. I am about to lose 50000 points that expire in June, so am looking now for another holiday.
Just as well Qantas FF points dont expire - impossible to use them as you want - no decent International seats, and excessive cost of using them domestically.

My experience is that domestic IS good value expecially if you can snag a good JASA seat and get SC's & points. I always use the minimum number of points and move the slider to the LHS and for me I reckon that is good value. I have never had trouble getting seats for SWMBO and myself.
International....now that's another story but Singapore and NZ are good value IMHO

 

[Julesmac]

Please please can someone adopt me? I'd be awfully happy to help you out of your points hoarding 'problem'.Have a friend, a small businessman, who pays every single thing on his Amex and as a result travels first class RTW every couple of years. Now that's what I reckon is a sensible use of points - a fabulous experience, and no problem of losing something which clearly has a dollar value.

 

[Alnwick]

I just dont see the point of hoarding. call me pessimistic (I am actually the opposite!) but once I have enough points for a lovely long haul business class flight I use them. I was lucky to have done this just prior to Ansetts collapse and felt good that I had had the benefit of those points instead of losing them.
Nothing is certain about airline businesses and i believe in taking the benefits as they accrue. So, go somewhere and enjoy it knowing that the person sitting near you paid a lot of money for the same experience.

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

Everything in life is a risk. The question is " how solid do you think Qantas or QFF are ? " If Qantas folded ( Unlikely IMHO) will QFF be sold ?? IMHO there would be lots of buyers keen to get their hands on the huge number of members....Trash the value of the points ??? Prettty unlikely IMHO but how would I know I lost 25,000 points with ANSETT too.

I like to build them up to use on the drip feed with points plus dollars and am comfortable BANKING/HOARDING the points

 

[JohnK]

Hoarding! Saving! Almost same same.

My plan is to get to 1,000,000 QFF points (currently on ~830,000 QFF points) before the end of the year and start using them next year.

Why next year? I will turn 50 and thinking about retiring or at least working even less than I am now.

 

[rhjames]

I hope you enjoy economy - that's about all you'll find for long haul, unless Qantas has recently changed policy.

 

[serfty]

I hope you enjoy economy - that's about all you'll find for long haul, unless Qantas has recently changed policy.

Policy has not changed - to be sure of getting the long haul flights you want in premium cabins on awards, you basically need to be planning 13 months out and book 11½ months out when the awards classes become available.

I have spent over 400K QFF points in the last 18 months on long haul award business/first class travel with Qantas. See my recent post on this topic as to strategies.

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

Policy has not changed - to be sure of getting the long haul flights you want in premium cabins on awards, you basically need to be planning 13 months out and book 11½ months out when the awards classes become available.

I have spent over 400K QFF points in the last 18 months on long haul award business/first class travel with Qantas. See my recent post on this topic as to strategies.

I can see a few Internationals JASA's in October at points less than Classics

 

[Creditcardking]

I thought the same a few years ago with 600,000 QFF points, i decided to cash them in for Woolworth's gifts cards when they had a special offer 5750 points for a $50 gift card, got me $5200. Not as good value as a long haul flight but not bad.

 

[rhjames]

How many people would book a holiday 13 months in advance? I'm typically about 2 months for a major overseas holiday.

 

[markis10]

How many people would book a holiday 13 months in advance? I'm typically about 2 months for a major overseas holiday.

One month to nine is the average window most will use, which means your compete with the maximum amount of people for the same award seat, outside those windows the competition is far less and seats more readily available, as its too early for yield to cough their chances of selling or an assessment has been made and the seats go in the bargain bin to prevent them going empty.

 

[rhjames]

I guess other airlines put more priority than Qantas on looking after their FF. I've tried to book premium economy on Qantas with points, but no seats available - only a couple of weeks ahead of the flight. Imagine my surprise when I boarded to find the cabin close to empty.