Article: My 3 Favourite Airline Points in 2024

[AFF Editor]

During last week's Ask Me Anything session, I was asked which airline points or miles I'm currently focused on collecting. My answer was Aeroplan points, Velocity points and Avios.

I thought I'd take the time to explain in a bit more detail why this is in this article:

My 3 Favourite Airline Points Currencies in 2024

I collect points with many airlines, but there are three frequent flyer point currencies that I find particularly valuable as an Australian.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Do you agree or disagree? And which airline points are you collecting in 2024? Let us know below!

 

[luxury-lizard]

Mine are:-

• Aeroplan (buy miles)
• Velocity (from some domestic travel, Velocity Platinum AmEx card, Flybuys)
• QF (buy wine, the odd bonus from buying insurance etc)
• SQ (used to be #1 from AmEx transfer but stopped after last devaluation)

 

[I love to travel]

SQ for me.

 

[kpc]

I collect in many programs! In descending order in terms of total points I hold:
1. Qantas
2. Krisflyer
3. Velocity
4. Avianca
5. BA/ Qr Avios
6 Aeroplan...just opened and thinking of buying some...

Also have a stash of Marriott Bonvoy
and Amex points which can go to many airline partners

 

[exceladdict]

The main thing tying me to QF is WP status and the associated seat releases - enabling me to redeem what I want almost all of the time, and then via points club, chip away at retaining.

Without the status though I would be seriously looking at VA again.

 

[Hunter4vr]

Qatar PC has been my main focus lately, most of the points are coming from my Citi at the moment.

1. Qatar Privilege Club - from travel, Citi Prestige, BA Avios sub
2. Velocity - Flybuys, insurance, everyday spend
3. Aeroplan - buy miles

 

[RooFlyer]

Aeroplan
Velocity/Krisflyer (I regard these as pool-able)
Qantas FF
Avios - BA, QR, IB, AY

 

[outthere1000]

If you're actually intending to fly on AC in the reasonably near future, until 17 July (Canadian Eastern Time) you can buy yourself a gift card and that will give you 4x miles (ie, buy a $2000 gift card and you'll get 8,000 miles, on top of the miles you fly, of course). Part of the Aeroplan 40th birthday offerings, though multiplier points for gift cards come up not infrequently.

 

[outthere1000]

Interesting, can you gift the GC to a canadian friend instead or is it attached to your account?

You can give the gift card to anyone you like (including, of course, yourself). They come in eCard and plastic card varieties; the former is delivered more or less instanteously to anyone with an email address. You get the 4x points as you've paid for the card. Provided you include your Aeroplan number on the purchase, of course.

 

[elanshin]

I was going to look more in VS but have heard there's a lot of devaluation happening and the main sweet spot award I want from them is being withheld often (NH).

Currently
QFF (business cards are mainly tied here)
VFF
AC
SQ I'm considering but holding off for now.

Slowly picking up where the value is here and there.

You can give the gift card to anyone you like (including, of course, yourself). They come in eCard and plastic card varieties; the former is delivered more or less instanteously to anyone with an email address. You get the 4x points as you've paid for the card.

Thanks.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Living in a regional town only serviced by QL and REX, VA is not much use for me although I still collect a few VA points through shopping at Coles, etc. So I still value QF points as their cash fares to my town have remained high since Covid. I used to think using points for domestic Y was wasteful; now it's good value!

A few years ago I changed to SQ as my favourite program but the enhancements to Amex and St George transfer rates (together with the 3 year hard expiry) has significantly reduced the attraction for me. SQ is still my favourite program due to the low fees and high availability, but not to the same extent as previously. I've also taken a subscription with BA for Avios points. So:

1. KrisFlyer
2. QFF mainly for domestic (and international if ever there is availability)
3. Avios

Also looking at Virgin Atlantic now that they are an Amex partner, and Aeroplan/HSBC may be my next credit card.

 

[levelnine]

The main sweet spot programs for me are:

- US Amex MR (AUD 2.4c/pt when used towards business class cash airfares — shows how laughably bad Qantas Classic+ is)
- Hyatt (unbelievable value for higher end hotel stays)
- Aeroplan/Velocity (sub-100K J class airfares on UA to the US & good value J class fares on ANA to Japan)
- Avios (12.5K J class airfares between SYD & MEL on QF & 90K Qatar J to Europe)
- Qantas (WP classic award releases)
- AA (for first class on JAL & 80K Qatar J to Europe & sub-100K J class airfares on AA to the US & bargain internal flights within the US — book the cheap itinerary with lots of connections, wait for a schedule change & change to the direct flight for free)
- IHG/Hilton when combined with their 4th/5th night free
- Air France (~55K J class airfares across the Atlantic)
- SQ (for reasonable Europe/Africa J class redemptions with availability for 4+ pax)
- Cathay (extra availability over what's released to partner airlines & 110K J to Europe)
- UA (30K+$500 upgrades to J on cash Y tickets to the US)

 

[jase05]

- Velocity, from flights and CC spend
- Avios, BA and QR spend and may look to subscribe in future
- Aeroplan, buy on sale
- VS, buy on sale. Some good sweet spots and a fairly underrated program IMO

 

[RooFlyer]

Aeroplan/Velocity (sub-100K J class airfares on UA to the US & good value J class fares on ANA to Japan)

Can you still get NH via Aeroplan? It disappeared for me a while back. Reports of other airlines not being offered too (I haven't checked specifically).

I love Aeroplan's list of minor airline partners.

 

[levelnine]

Can you still get NH via Aeroplan? It disappeared for me a while back. Reports of other airlines not being offered too (I haven't checked specifically).

I love Aeroplan's list of minor airline partners.

ATM no, but there's reason to think it'll eventually come back — Aeroplan's partner avail is a moveable feast with different partners coming and going at regular intervals.

FWIW, VA is one of the only programs that has good/reliable NH availability ATM. Makes for some funny discussions in US forums where everyone's trying to work out how to acquire VA points

 

[Duffa]

The main sweet spot programs for me are:


- Avios (12.5K J class airfares between SYD & MEL on QF

Excellent sweet spot. I just had a look and the flights are Virgin not QF?? Am I missing something or did you make a typo?
p.s. the rest of your post is absolute gold for me, thank you!

 

[levelnine]

Excellent sweet spot. I just had a look and the flights are Virgin not QF?? Am I missing something or did you make a typo?
p.s. the rest of your post is absolute gold for me, thank you!

BA has QF J. QR has VA J. You can transfer Avios between BA & QR.

 

[Duffa]

Mine are:-

• SQ (used to be #1 from AmEx transfer but stopped after last devaluation)

Same for me; down to my last half a million... Can't be doing with 3:1.

 

[Bjet]

I may be biased because I'm not sure whether it's worthy to buy a plane ticket by using points+pay or points with different airlines.

When I used my aeroplan points+pay to buy a Virgin Australia ticket for the domestic flights, I'm suprised that it's more $$ than Virgin Australia's points+pay.

However, if you are in Canada and fly in domestic flights, it's a lot cheaper.

I'm thinking of cancel Aeroplan membership.

 

[sydney slug]

I would love to begin to collect Aeroplan points but Air Canada claim to have sent me a confirmation email and will not send me a new one because there is no way to ask for one. Trying to use another email doesn’t work because my name and birth date are already locked up. Very frustrating.