new qantas frequent flyer member

[ac82]

Firstly hello and congratulations on an excellent forum which I have been lurking around for a while.

I recently became a Qantas FF member through the woolworths promotion and have earned around 1000 points through woolies and etrade.

I have just booked return flights from darwin to london in august/september this year (jetstar/qantas) and when I booked it quoted approx 15000 FF points.

My first question is when will I recieve these points? Before I fly or after?

My second question is how does the upgrade from bronze to gold etc work (automatic or do I have to log on and check if I qualify?)

Do FF send out newsletters? I have been a member since October last year and have recieved no emails or post with offers etc?

My final question and thanks for bearing with me this far!!

I am in the market for a credit card to also earn points (no CC currently) I like the look of the westpac earth card as I already bank with them but I see I have just missed the bonus points offer, will they do one again in the future or is there anyway promo codes I could try at the moment?

Once again thanks and sorry for all the questions

 

[NM]

Firstly hello and congratulations on an excellent forum which I have been lurking around for a while.

Welcome ac82

My first question is when will I recieve these points? Before I fly or after?

Qantas FF points earned from flights are credited to your account after you have taken the flights. Qantas flights usually post the same day as the flight is taken, while partner airlines flights (including Jetstar flights) usually post within a week or so after the flight.

My second question is how does the upgrade from bronze to gold etc work (automatic or do I have to log on and check if I qualify?)

To move from Bronze to Silver status, you need to earn 350 Status Credits in your membership year. Status Credits can only be earned by flying and the number of Status Credits earned for each flight varies by the type of fare purchased (discount, full-fare, premium economy, business class or first class). To achieve Gold status you require 700 Status Credits in your membership year. I suggest you head the Qantas Frequent Flyer terms and conditions on the Qantas Web Site for details of how the Status Credits and Status Benefits work in the program.

Do FF send out newsletters? I have been a member since October last year and have recieved no emails or post with offers etc?

They do send correspondence via email. You will not receive a membership card/kit until you reach Silver status. Log on to the Qantas web site and make sure your membership profile has the correct email address. Also make sure the emails are not treated as spam by your email system.

My final question and thanks for bearing with me this far!!

I am in the market for a credit card to also earn points (no CC currently) I like the look of the westpac earth card as I already bank with them but I see I have just missed the bonus points offer, will they do one again in the future or is there anyway promo codes I could try at the moment?

I'll leave credit card recommendations to the experts in that field.

 

[HB7]

I am in the market for a credit card to also earn points (no CC currently) I like the look of the westpac earth card as I already bank with them but I see I have just missed the bonus points offer, will they do one again in the future or is there anyway promo codes I could try at the moment?

Hi,

I highly recommend getting the ANZ qantas frequent flyer visa and american express. It is one account, but you get two cards. At the moment they are offering a 10,000 points sign up bonus, which I think is an excellent offer. You earn 1 point per dollar spent on the AMEX and 1 point for every 2 dollars on the VISA. Annual fee is 95 dollars and there is no points cap. I tend to find that it is true that more and more places accept AMEX, so you should be able to earn a fair amount of points.

 

[samh004]

My second question is how does the upgrade from bronze to gold etc work (automatic or do I have to log on and check if I qualify?)

You can find some answers for this question at this link.

 

[ac82]

Thank you all for your excellent responses.

That has cleared things up for me nicely, I will look into the ANZ offer and try and fly as much as possible to boost the status credits!

 

[medhead]

I would suggest that you look at more credit cards than just the ANZ card. We really need more information to make a valid suggestion. How much do you spend per month or per year on a card?

If you are spending $1000 or less per month then I would recommend a NAB qantas credit card, as this earns the same point and only costs $65 per year. Similiar the Westpac Earth card costs $75 per year and earns the same without any spending limits.

Also how much are you prepared to pay per year for the credit card fee? If your prepared to pay more then there are gold and platinum cards to consider. Take the NAB Gold qantas card - it costs $140 or so per year and it earns more points (just) than the ANZ card that was mentioned. Westpac Earth Platinum earns 1.5 per dollar on the amex for $250 per year - this might be a better option given the higher earning depending on your curcumstances.

You say you bank with Westpac. If you have a mortgage with them then you might be able to get a card without having to pay the card annual fee.

So the best card is really going to depend on your circumstances.

 

[samh004]

Thank you all for your excellent responses.

That has cleared things up for me nicely, I will look into the ANZ offer and try and fly as much as possible to boost the status credits!

Status can give you points bonuses (but only when flying, not shopping) and priority boarding and such, but if you’re after lounge access, you might be better off buying it than doing flights that aren’t needed to get it for free, as it all costs something

Fly - The Qantas Club - Benefits

 

[oz_mark]

To move from Bronze to Silver status, you need to earn 300 Status Credits in your membership year. Status Credits can only be earned by flying and the number of Status Credits earned for each flight varies by the type of fare purchased (discount, full-fare, premium economy, business class or first class).

Initial qualifiation to moive from Bronze to Silver is 350 Status Credits.

 

[Skyring]

Firstly hello and congratulations on an excellent forum which I have been lurking around for a while.

I recently became a Qantas FF member through the woolworths promotion and have earned around 1000 points through woolies and etrade.

I have just booked return flights from darwin to london in august/september this year (jetstar/qantas) and when I booked it quoted approx 15000 FF points.

Welcome, lurker!

First off. Beware. This flying thing gets very expensive very quick. Before you know it you are sucked in and each sip of champagne in a first class lounge costs a hundred dollars or so once you factor in all the costs.

Ryan Bingham, millions of airmiles under his belt, said it best when he declared he never spent a cent of his own money if he could help it. He was an elite member everywhere because work paid for travel and accommodation and cars.

Having said that, I pay my own way - working long hours as a night cabbie to pay for it - and enjoy it immensely.

Treat it as a hobby. People spend tens of thousands on cars that they only rarely roll out of the garage. Or libraries of books they never read. Or stamps and old pinball machines.

For me, the pleasure is in visiting the places I read about in books and magazines. Such a thrill to see The White House or Trafalgar Square or Hiroshima. And to do it in style.

This forum is a treasure. The members have their fingers on the travel pulse, and offer information on special deals that can save you thousands. By way of example, my daughter and I had two nights at the Waldorf-Astoria recently, at a fraction of the rack rate. There was a special promotion going on and all I had to do was enter a code when booking.

Oh yeah. That was a round the world trip using points. Points gained through flying and spending money via credit or loyalty cards. I had enough for one RTW ticket in Business Class, or two in economy, so I took my daughter on a two week tour of seven of the world's great cities.

Points are useful. But status credits are the real deal for the hardcores, and you only get them through flying. Bronze and Silver on the Qantas program have some minor benefits, and are not to be sneezed at, but Gold and above bring lounge access, and if you travel a lot, or long-haul, the comfort and security of a lounge is golden indeed. Having a quick shower between two long legs, a snack and a coffee, an internet terminal. It makes all the difference between transits in reasonable comfort, or camping for hours on a hard plastic chair, unwashed and out of contact.

Anyway, welcome aboard, look through the posts, especially the stickies, and have you considered FlyerTalk for a more global persepective?

 

[NM]

Initial qualifiation to moive from Bronze to Silver is 350 Status Credits.

Yes. You are correct. Its 300 for re-qualification.

 

[drewbles]

Ryan Bingham, millions of airmiles under his belt, said it best when he declared he never spent a cent of his own money if he could help it. He was an elite member everywhere because work paid for travel and accommodation and cars.

Almost. He said that he never spent a cent unless it benefited his mileage balance in some way.

Most his travel was work yes, but he was just like a lot of us, card for everything where humanly possible; I've gone on a trial run going cash free for 3 weeks now and finding it relatively easy to rack up points with the Amex (including the café next to work that takes it without surcharge).

As others have suggested, look around at cards. If you're with westpac, it may be easier to get an earth card. The best earn you'll get is 1.5 points per dollar on some of the Amex issues platinum cards (platinum charge and QF Amex Ultimate).

So many options

 

[JohnK]

Treat it as a hobby. People spend tens of thousands on cars that they only rarely roll out of the garage. Or libraries of books they never read. Or stamps and old pinball machines.

Do you know my friend who is also called Peter? He regrets selling the unit and buying a 57 Chev from the US (left hand drive as well), the pinball machines, the Coke sign from the 50's, the old style petrol bowser, the boat etc.

Most his travel was work yes, but he was just like a lot of us, card for everything where humanly possible; I've gone on a trial run going cash free for 3 weeks now and finding it relatively easy to rack up points with the Amex (including the café next to work that takes it without surcharge).

I know this is not for everyone but the amount of money I save by making my own lunch and buying my own drinks in bulk is amazing.

To buy a decent lunch and drink one would need to spend a minimum of $10. I can make my own lunch (whether this is a sandwhich, a soup, some pasta etc) for a fraction of the cost and buy a can of coke for ~60 cents (even less if not buying Coca-Cola products). While I am in Brisbane i figure I am spending ~$3 for lunch so a saving of $7. So I can buy lunch 5 days a week for 46 weeks and spend $2,300 and earn ~3,450 MR points or I can spend $690 and save $1,610. And if you can make your own breakfast and dinner as well, buy beer by the carton to drink at home then the savings can be even greater.

Don't really care about the MR points balance as the extra money available for more overseas trips is much better....

 

[ac82]

Thanks again for the responses.

On the credit card front, Im still looking would probably put between 1500 and 2000 per month on it if I used it for everything, may put more on it this year due to the overseas trip.

I am a bit dissapointed now I know what I know about the frequent flyer programe as I could have earned loads of status credits as five years ago I flew lots of flights between darwin and manchester on qantas but was too young to be bothered with it all (28 now)

What I am really after is the lounge access as I always seem to get stuck with long transfer times (got nearly 10hrs on way back in singapore)

Also if my partner were to book a seat can I claim her status credits and points?

cheers

 

[JohnK]

Also if my partner were to book a seat can I claim her status credits and points?

No. You can only earn SCs for the flights you take. She would need to join the QFF program.

You can transfer QFF points between accounts though.

 

[drewbles]

I know this is not for everyone but the amount of money I save by making my own lunch and buying my own drinks in bulk is amazing.

To buy a decent lunch and drink one would need to spend a minimum of $10. I can make my own lunch (whether this is a sandwhich, a soup, some pasta etc) for a fraction of the cost and buy a can of coke for ~60 cents (even less if not buying Coca-Cola products). While I am in Brisbane i figure I am spending ~$3 for lunch so a saving of $7. So I can buy lunch 5 days a week for 46 weeks and spend $2,300 and earn ~3,450 MR points or I can spend $690 and save $1,610. And if you can make your own breakfast and dinner as well, buy beer by the carton to drink at home then the savings can be even greater.

The café next door to work sells very acceptable bagels for around $6. I am not drinking soft drink at the moment (thanks to my dentist) so tend to just go through a lot of water. I probably only buy lunch from here 1-2 times a week, the rest being made at home and taken (with things bought on the amex at safeway). I don't waste my money to earn points, merely maximise where possible

But this is getting way off-topic

 

[Skyring]

Thanks again for the responses.

On the credit card front, Im still looking would probably put between 1500 and 2000 per month on it if I used it for everything, may put more on it this year due to the overseas trip.

What I am really after is the lounge access as I always seem to get stuck with long transfer times (got nearly 10hrs on way back in singapore)

A good MasterCard and you get insurance if you purchase the tickets with it. As well as the points.

There are always deals and bargains to be had. Buy wine through cellarmasters (I think) and you get bonus FF points.

Make sure you pay back the credit before they charge interest. Fall into a hole and it can be hard to dig your way out, as well as inflating the cost of the points.

Ten hours in Singapore? Well, it's a great airport to spend time in - you can have a lovely holiday without leaving the terminal. There's a cinema and swimming pool. And some good shopping. And an airside hotel where you buy time in blocks of hours. I've had a couple of nights there and it's great for getting some solid sleep.

Or, duck into Singapore for some sight-seeing. There's a few historical districts and an unbeatable orchid garden. A Singapore Gin Sling at Raffles Long Bar is a must.

 

[medhead]

I know this is not for everyone but the amount of money I save by making my own lunch and buying my own drinks in bulk is amazing.

One interesting statistic that I have learnt in my new job is that drinking one 100 calorie soft drink per day takes 210 days off your life. This prompted me to buy my coke in bulk and ration myself to putting one can into the fridge per day, instead of going to the vending machine whenever I feel like doing something. Savings a dollar a can and getting days back.

 

[JohnK]

I don't waste my money to earn points, merely maximise where possible

Very sensible.

But this is getting way off-topic

Don't worry! This is AFF and most threads end up OT eventually!

This prompted me to buy my coke in bulk and ration myself to putting one can into the fridge per day, instead of going to the vending machine whenever I feel like doing something. Savings a dollar a can and getting days back.

It is funny how life works. When I was younger I used to drink 6 buddies of coke a day (only 40 cents each from the vending machine at work) and had no problems with weight. Now I may have 3-4 soft drinks a week and I can't keep the weight down. I used to eat more junk food and alcohol intake was about the same but I have given up smoking. Go figure....