Are Hotel Loyalty Programs worthwhile?

After many years of loyalty to certain hotel chains, through membership of their loyalty programs, one member has taken a step back to look at the bigger picture. They wonder whether their loyalty was worth the extra time and cost, or whether promiscuity is actually a better strategy for choosing a hotel? In the past, … Continued

Good News for Infrequent Flyers

One infrequently-flying member is considering whether it is worthwhile collecting frequent flyer points. This member takes only a small handful of flights on Qantas each year. The answer from our brains trust is a resounding YES. Although our member may not fly enough to enjoy the perks of Gold or Platinum status, there are still … Continued

Joining Qantas Frequent Flyer for free

With over 10 million members, the Qantas Frequent Flyer program is arguably the most popular frequent flyer program in Australia. Technically it isn’t free to join as Qantas charge an $89.50 joining fee to Australian residents. But the good news is that there are a number of ways to avoid paying this fee altogether and … Continued

IHG Rewards Club enhancements – Positive or not?

Our members are divided over changes recently announced by Intercontinental Hotels Group to its loyalty program, IHG Rewards Club. Are the changes a positive thing for customers or not? A major part of the announcement is the creation of a new tier above Platinum, which is currently the highest tier. At the same time, IHG … Continued

Is Epiqure Premium Membership Worthwhile?

Many of our wine-loving members are also members of Qantas’ food and wine community, Qantas Wine (formerly epiQure). The program claims to offer good deals on premium wines, and many of our members are also attracted by the proposition of bonus frequent flyer points. Anyone can order wine from epiQure, but becoming a full member … Continued