How do retirees still earn FF Points, and optimise travel?

[amaroo]

I've purchased TI for my MIL (>70) ... a few examples that I could find;

2011, 5 weeks Europe = $965
2010, 2 week trip to Asia = $417
2008 , 2 week trip Asia = $273

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've purchased TI for my MIL (>70) ... a few examples that I could find;

2011, 5 weeks Europe = $965
2010, 2 week trip to Asia = $417
2008 , 2 week trip Asia = $273

wow. that's expensive! I just did a five week quote for europe now, based on age 80, and even Amex Compresensive is only $500! the cheapest cover for unlimited medical (and repatriation) is $343.

lol... unsurprisingly, travel insurance for an 80 year old wishing to engage in 'extreme sports' is a little more pricey, starting around $1500.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

TIP for extended travelling in OZ:

One of my mates is not yet retired, but will be in a few years.
He has a long of long service leave and so is going to use this to do an around Australia Trip. His wife has special dietary needs and so having their own caravan to do much of their own cooking (as dining out is problematic for them unless they 100% TRUST the skill and execution of a kitchen for her particular needs).

He has had a company lease car for a while. But has just upgraded to a vehicle more suited for towing the van, and on rougher roads. His lease includes all fuel and running costs and so this makes for an economical way to do such a trip.

 

[PLANT]

Make sure he gets the suspension upgraded or there will be no caravan towing..... Or it will be a matchbox size caravan!!!!

 

[coco50]

With 70 less than 2 years away I certainly have been looking at Insurance.At 75 the annual policy will be about x10 that of 65.

You and I must be about the same age. Yes, in one way we are punished for being in our golden years. However, my desire to travel far outweighs the financial compensation insurance companies require for taking on the risk of we old and frail travellers. I always get a few quotes, especially from my former industry health fund (which also dabbles in TI and is very competitive) and show them to my TA. She comes in hundreds of dollars under the quotes I supply. My advice, drron - don't worry what you would have paid if you were 10 years younger, Just enjoy life one day at a time - and stay real healthy.

 

[coco50]

wow. that's expensive! I just did a five week quote for europe now, based on age 80, and even Amex Compresensive is only $500! the cheapest cover for unlimited medical (and repatriation) is $343.

lol... unsurprisingly, travel insurance for an 80 year old wishing to engage in 'extreme sports' is a little more pricey, starting around $1500.

2014 RTW for 72 days, UAE, UK, EU and USA travellers' ages 74 and 67. Premium = $983 (SCTI). You have to have the insurance

 

[tgh]

We are outta here soon for 5 1/2 weeks…
Both over the Christian limit , one with pre existing meds.
Premium $700 odd with National Seniors .

 

[MEL_Traveller]

2014 RTW for 72 days, UAE, UK, EU and USA travellers' ages 74 and 67. Premium = $983 (SCTI). You have to have the insurance

Based on a similar quote today, premiums for comprehensive could have been as low as $560 for the same itinerary through Allianz.

however something like ANZ really comes in to play here for benefits... total insurance (assuming married couple) would have been just the annual fee of $79. Saving $904.

Not the end of the world for ageing road warriers!

 

[MelbMan]

Perhaps in this thread I'm with likeminded and similarly aged people, late 50s, early 60s with retirement in sight. I've got about 3 years to go (65) although could probably afford to stop work now. So last year we moved from a 40yo house to a brand new townhouse in the same postcode, so able to take all the phone, fax and PO box numbers with us and still do all the local activities (walking with friends and groups) and shopping.
With the value hindsight and buying first, selling the old place second, this was good to do while still working as less questions about a short term loan. New car for the boss this year..

Digressing from the topic of this thread slightly, I'd like a local beach house close to Melbourne as well as o/s trips when I retire. Beach house somewhere on the Bellarine or Mornington Penisula, about 60 to 90 mins max from Melbourne. Ideally I'd like to share purchase this in a group so would still have part time use without all the costs of singular ownership. Earlier in life I met a group of likeminded people like this, they were all friends, I answered an ad. We met once a month, like a progressive dinner to work through this. In the finish they bought an about 8 bedroom ex vicarage in Yarraville with room for 6 to 8 people to share live. Late 1980s this was just over $200k. Meantime I'd bought an investment property, a 1br Tudor Brick 1930s apartment in West St Kilda for about $80k. Some money or the opportunity to borrow it became available (12% in those days) so I bought W St Kilda thinking the group would never commit or find somewhere...

So my retirement plan modelled on some friends would be beachside Feb (one friend goes to Mallacoota for the month of Feb), mid weeks and weeks here and there. Late Apr each year I'd like to head o/s and come back perhaps early Jul. Jul/Aug in the Mediterraen are perhaps a bit too hot for my tastes. I guess you could retreat to Scotland. One observation I could make is that going to Europe say in Sep/Oct, coming home to Melb the weather's not that much difference so going in Oct it feels like one long season until Mar. Would like to miss the heart of a Melb winter, not not all.

On the shared usage front I share a 1970s classic European car with my brother... on Victorian club plates, about $60 a year for 45 days use or double for 90 days. I'd like to add to this car. Unfortunately my brother has 2 other old 1970 european cars, neither really drivable so he's fully tied up. I'd like to fill in some of the gaps in my motoring experience. Most of these, the 1970/80/90s cars are not that expensive. An Alfa V6 manual, an assortment of Mercedes, etc, perhaps an Alfa convertible. Shared ownership again if I could find some partners. I have a modern car for day to day. Modern will beat really old any day for ease of driving and refinement. But once you get into the late 1980s and early 1990s you have EFI, air con and the better makes drive almost as well as a modern car.. We've found 45 days a year for a "weekend" car like this to be adequate. Comp insurance on the 1970s classic? Just over $100.

Digressing further, I've had a long and serious look at International property shares run by Ginny in New York, specializing mainly in shared ownership of houses in France and Italy and the UK. You buy an eigth or ninth share and get so much of a year on a rotating roster. With the expense of airfares from Australia not sure how a standalone share would be work (about USD60k to EUR50k). For Aussies it might be better to split a share like this again, to buy even a share o/s it would have to be somewhere you like.

Direct purchase there's a couple of areas in Italy I'd like to see (Basilicata) and another area in the hills about 120km NE Naples. Here you can buy properties for around ER25-30k and perhaps USD20k respectively. An old client in Canada has done something like this in Latin America, bought an old house, had it renovated, used a local couple to run it as a B&B and perhaps when John retires, he and his wife will move there part of the year. I think you could do this same in Italy..

We do have a couple of very modest NZ houses, old timber villas which are rentals in our superfund. So buying o/s does not phase me. It's just when you reach a certain stage in life, I think having a few eggs in many baskets might be better than having a lot in few.

Now to find some likeminded people!

 

[ChrisDPom]

As stated previously, tomorrow is my last day at work.

Any Perth based AFF'ers, I will be at Moon & Sixpence from midday until about 4 having lunch before going back to the office for my gold watch (have actually asked for a Qantas voucher but will see what they give me!!).

Pop in for a drink if around

Cheers

Chris

 

[Buzzard]

Congrats for your last day tomorrow ChrisDPom. Hope to be there soon myself.

 

[JohnM]

As stated previously, tomorrow is my last day at work.

Any Perth based AFF'ers, I will be at Moon & Sixpence from midday until about 4 having lunch before going back to the office for my gold watch (have actually asked for a Qantas voucher but will see what they give me!!).

Pop in for a drink if around

Cheers

Chris

Whoa - what sort of state will you be in to accept and wind the gold Mickey Mouse watch, I wonder . A major milestone - now life begins!

I may very well take a trip into the city tomorrow, so keep checking your phone for a PM.

 

[wandering_fred]

Best wishes Chris. Sorry that it is next week I'm in Perth for a few days, so I'll miss you tomorrow.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[Bindibuys]

Best wishes Chris, just a couple of more years to go for us.

 

[ChrisDPom]

Cheers all.

John, I will be as sober as a Judge (well maybe).

Also got 2 bottles from my collection for the afternoon work party (Bin 389 & Bin 28 Kalimna - both 1997), so need to be sober to appreciate them.

 

[PLANT]

Hey if they cared they would get you a voucher for the Apple store.....then you can have you Mickey Mouse watch...DYKWIM watch...blah blah blah
5pm pre order....I'm an Android guy myself.....

 

[ChrisDPom]

Was great to meet JohnM who popped in to the Moon & Sixpence for a drink.

Instead of a gold watch, I got an engraved tankard:shock: and some nice fat Qantas vouchers

Finally got home at 2am.

The '97 Penfolds Bin 389 was a down the sink bottle but the '97 Kalimna Bin 28 was absolute heaven.

Will sink in tomorrow when I don't have to get up for work.

Chris