How do you place a value upon your frequent flyer points?

[straitman]

May 25th has been and gone and we are now "stuck" with the New QFF system.

How does everyone place a value upon their QFF points :?:

It seems to me that depending upon how you do the calculation that each point is worth from 1 to about 4 cents.

Any thoughts :?:

8)

 

[johnsmith]

Re: How do you place a value upon your frequent flyer points

May 25th has been and gone and we are now "stuck" with the New QFF system.

How does everyone place a value upon their QFF points :?:

It seems to me that depending upon how you do the calculation that each point is worth from 1 to about 4 cents.

Any thoughts :?:

8)

Well an economy flight from Perth to Newcastle UK return costs around A$2000.00. Its costs 56,000 points each way plus 2500 points telephone booking fee for each trip not booked on the net. So they are either worth .0178c each or .0170c each. Or if you book a return costing 128,000 points plus booking fee then they are only worth .0153c each. They used to be worth .018c each when it only cost 110,000 points to fly to the UK.
I think its great to be able to book a one way journey with points because this enables me to book my forward flight months before the return allowing me to get the dates I want and this gives me the time i need to accumulate the points for the return journey.

 

[NM]

An upgrade from discount economy to business class on SYD-LAX (one way) costs 72,000 points. Given you need to be better than N/O fare to upgrade, the discount economy fare is probably about $1300 or thereabouts, while a J fare one-way SYD-LAX is more like $4000. So those 72,000 points are worth $2700 or 3.75c each.

Similarly an upgrade from business class to first class on the same route is 45,000 points or about $2500, making points worth about 5.5c each.

But if redeeming for a SYD-MEL awards (reported to be the most popular award by Qantas propogandar), your 8000 points is buying you a $50 airfare, so that is 0.625c per point.

So guess where my points get used? Hint: I travelled F on LAX-JFK, LHR-MEL and MEL-SYD on my last DONE4 trip. I bought Mrs NM a BNE-PER-BNE trip using dollars and not points.

So your points value delends on how you spend them. If hyou don't spend them they are not worth anything. Spend them on short domestic flights and they are less than a cent each. Spend them on long-haul international upgrades and they can get over 5c each.

 

[danielh]

Well I traditionally use my points for return flights to HK for me and the better half each year and I usually go at around Late Dec to Early Jan. Pretty much peak season for HK.

These tickets go for about $1300-$1700 each so I 'value' my points quite highly.

If I had to to go to HK during June or any other off-peak time then I would probably consider paying the $600-$700 instead of using points.

The value of points can be pretty subjective but it also depends on when you 'crystalise' these points. Use them up to provide maximum value to you.

Regards
Daniel

 

[ronone69]

I travelled MEL->LAX->MEL last Christmas.

2 first and 3 business class tickets were 880,000 points. The tickets would have cost around $60K (First $15K each, business $10K each. This values each point at 6.8c.

 

[serfty]

I travelled MEL->LAX->MEL last Christmas.

2 first and 3 business class tickets were 880,000 points. The tickets would have cost around $60K (First $15K each, business $10K each. This values each point at 6.8c.

How much are they now worth (after the changes) for the same journies? 5¢?

 

[NM]

I travelled MEL->LAX->MEL last Christmas.

2 first and 3 business class tickets were 880,000 points. The tickets would have cost around $60K (First $15K each, business $10K each. This values each point at 6.8c.

How much are they now worth (after the changes) for the same journies? 5¢?

Lets see now, 4 x zone 8 in F @ 144,000 points plus 6 x zone 8 in J @ 96,000 points = 1,152,000 points for $60K value is 5.2c each.

But if you consider the restricted nature of the award tickets and compare to the cheapest possible QF/OneWorld option for the flight (being ACIR22 and DCIR22), the paid fare would be worth just under $40K for those trips, making the points worth 3.4c each now or 4.5c each before the change.

So, as others have said, its all about how you measure it! The value will be different for each person depending upon their circumstances.

 

[ronone69]

Lets see now, 4 x zone 8 in F @ 144,000 points plus 6 x zone 8 in J @ 96,000 points = 1,152,000 points for $60K value is 5.2c each.

But if you consider the restricted nature of the award tickets and compare to the cheapest possible QF/OneWorld option for the flight (being ACIR22 and DCIR22), the paid fare would be worth just under $40K for those trips, making the points worth 3.4c each now or 4.5c each before the change.

So, as others have said, its all about how you measure it! The value will be different for each person depending upon their circumstances.

Don't disagree at all - what Qantas has done with the latest changes is to devalue our points. Don't you love it when business deliberately screw their best customers and then make excuses for doing so. Wish my business could get away with that - only joking - why would you ? I suppose that is so Qantas can pay more bonuses to their senior staff. Somebody has to pay for them.

Should also say:

Got more 4 more (2 first, 2 business) MEL->LAX->MEL tickets couple of weeks ago before the change so that I could use up most of my points. Will use thse at the end of next year

 

[danielh]

Also, a lot of us accumulate points due to work expenses so in a sense the points we earned cost us nothing.

For example, I currently generate about 7,200 points a week due to flights, hotel and taxis and I pay nothing for it.

Regards
Daniel