I don't get it...

[DaveB]

I have run my own modest sized Sydney based business the past 13 years. Unfortunately whilst this does not entail any bona fide business travel, it has generated more than enough points to keep my family flying up the front.
Over the years, it has increasingly become more difficult to fly OS (why only to and from OZ???) in J+ unless you are prepared to fly ridiculous legs with long stopovers. I now just redeem points for two tickets in either QF (never available but still try to use my old points cache), VA or SQ and then 'buy' two tickets on the same flight using the card reward system - far from efficient use of points but it does get all of us in the same cabin and A to B anywhere under 24 hours.
I admit ignorance to nearly all of this and loathe fees, even when it is an obvious gain such as using my credit card when a low fee is charged.
Knowing little, I admit to not understanding:

1. How does anyone ever redeem points anymore given the surcharge gouging makes flying Y OS crazy, (QF the worst Vs VA with SQ in the middle) and there are no reward seats in J or F?
2. If there has been a drop in business travel, why has availability for rewards out of Oz continues to constantly drop rather than increased to match the increased availability?
3. Does anyone ever get upgraded anymore, either using points or the high status guys?
4. I find it mind boggling how much business travel some / most of you guys do. Does anyone on this site actually pay for personal travel?

No doubt all of this has been addressed in the past and hopefully will find the time to continue to read and learn from the many gurus on this site.

 

[mella2007]

Hi Dave...Welcome to AFF!

As a fellow business owner and someone who pays for their own travel I can emphasise where you're coming from. When I started on this crazy FF journey 3 years ago, I had no idea how anything worked and or how to make it work for me.
I don't fly QF but there are lots of threads on here talking about how to get the value with your bookings, and that doesn't mean having to fly lots of out of the way routes to achieve it.

VA with SQ rewards are still a work in progress, however you will find very good rewards with Etihad on a variety of sectors in J and often F.

Yes upgrades are still happening. It makes it quite easy these days to upgrade with points, of course you need to be in the right class for it to happen.

What are you hoping to achieve?

 

[straitman]

I have run my own modest sized Sydney based business the past 13 years. Unfortunately whilst this does not entail any bona fide business travel, it has generated more than enough points to keep my family flying up the front.
Over the years, it has increasingly become more difficult to fly OS (why only to and from OZ???) in J+ unless you are prepared to fly ridiculous legs with long stopovers. I now just redeem points for two tickets in either QF (never available but still try to use my old points cache), VA or SQ and then 'buy' two tickets on the same flight using the card reward system - far from efficient use of points but it does get all of us in the same cabin and A to B anywhere under 24 hours.
I admit ignorance to nearly all of this and loathe fees, even when it is an obvious gain such as using my credit card when a low fee is charged.
Knowing little, I admit to not understanding:

1. How does anyone ever redeem points anymore given the surcharge gouging makes flying Y OS crazy, (QF the worst Vs VA with SQ in the middle) and there are no reward seats in J or F?
2. If there has been a drop in business travel, why has availability for rewards out of Oz continues to constantly drop rather than increased to match the increased availability?
3. Does anyone ever get upgraded anymore, either using points or the high status guys?
4. I find it mind boggling how much business travel some / most of you guys do. Does anyone on this site actually pay for personal travel?

No doubt all of this has been addressed in the past and hopefully will find the time to continue to read and learn from the many gurus on this site.

DaveB,

Try (J)ASA flights rather than classic awards and with a little flexibility you can be well rewarded.

 

[JohnK]

Welcome to AFF DaveB!

With more and more people becoming aware it can be cheaper to travel in premium cabins than advertised airfares the award seats will become more competitive. If you want to go somewhere popular then you really need to book ~12 months in advance as soon as those premium seats become available.

 

[DaveB]

Thank you.
I have not had any time for travel in recent years since buying out my business partner in 2010, putting the effort in to get the company back in shape together with my wife's two full knee revisions.
Completing a booking for a family holiday to Europe in July showed me how things have changed for the worse and I have to become smarter. I am not sure who is worse to keep up with , airlines or the ATO.
A short time on this site has already shown me light in the tunnel.
Cheers all.

 

[markis10]

Thank you.
I have not had any time for travel in recent years since buying out my business partner in 2010, putting the effort in to get the company back in shape together with my wife's two full knee revisions.
Completing a booking for a family holiday to Europe in July showed me how things have changed for the worse and I have to become smarter. I am not sure who is worse to keep up with , airlines or the ATO.
A short time on this site has already shown me light in the tunnel.
Cheers all.

I trust you are finding the ATO a good source for points, coupled with JASAs they make an easy way to achieve status and comfortable travel when it comes to flying.