Point Collectors Anonymous

[Bindibuys]

My accountant husband hates the DEFT Amex charges, but puts up with it due to J & F redemptions.
Only thing I pay cash for is local charity raffle tickets.

 

[cove]

I was addicted to Diet Coke up to 1994. Needed an operation to get off it.
Frequent flyer points and miles are just a game where you could get quite addicted to picking the best seats on a planes.

 

[ellen10]

I blame addicted to chasing points when I discovered AFF.

 

[potm]

The obsession is not just earning the points but burning them as well.
There's so many possibilities and things to learn in redeeming points.

 

[cove]

The family have tried AA,BA,EY,QF and SQ so far. We did burn about 1.4 million of Mrscove’s Miles last month as they were close to expiry. The family rallied to help out. They are very kind.

 

[drross]

I’m sure we get QFF or AA points with out Air b nd b bookings.

 

[potm]

I've got SQ, TH, JAL, QF F flights booked over the next year. I've never been in F before, only J so am very much looking forward to it. Have plans for CX and EY F bookings for trips in 2019 but will have to wait a few more months for those to be available until I can book them.

 

[drron]

Another guilty one.Award bookings already booked on SQ,NH,TG,AA,HA.
I just love riding on planes.

 

[Limewood]

Yes we just got 2 x J on CX HKG/JFK/HKG plus after the Montreal to Boston cruise - BOS/JFK, the fees for the lot were a mere AUD $197, Qantas would have been 20 times that amount out of OZ.

 

[daft009]

Surcharges that I am willing to pay will depend on the points to be earnt for that card, the type of points, and also whether that surcharge is tax deductible or not.

For example $100,000 earnt on Amex at 2 MR nets me 200,000 KF points. Surcharges are:
1% $1000 = winner
2% $2000 = still good
4% $4000 = you can start getting paid deals in J for that and so this is probably break even. With Lifemiles etc you can do better.

So if not tax deductible anything above 2% will see the Amex not used. especially if the VISA is fee free.

I have also learnt to be careful with whom I discuss this hobby/part-time job for most people will either get bored or envious.

Yes surcharge is the key, thanks for your insight. rewardpay then doesn't sound so bad, as its just a small percentage of my monthly bill, the other 95% is surcharge free

Points collection, I actually asked my accountant any of his other self employed clients were points crazy and he said none, this I found very surprising!

I would love to talk to other people about it and I'd just be awestruck!

 

[drron]

I have paid a 4% amex surcharge when the option was 2.5% on visa/MC but did inform the place of the new rules and I was sure they didn't pay those amounts.

 

[cove]

Yes drron we pay 1.5% fee on Amex and 1.0% fee on Visa and MasterCard in our business. Charging more than the processing fee is not a good idea.

 

[ramboflyer]

I'm definitely a "card carrying" member of this group. Before posting I was trying to see how many points it would get me!
I'm currently just shy of enough points for 2 J OTW bookings which will be done later this year. Despite telling myself to slow down on churning new credit cards I have just been approved for the NAB Signature card and the Amex Ultimate card (both 100,000 bonus points) so will be well on the way to the next trip after that.
I read where some experts say credit cards aren't what they used to be for earning points but you could have fooled me. There are choices out there for big sign on bonuses and 1.5 or 1:1 point earning capacity if you look around.
Annual fees are climbing so you need to be extra careful but you cant go wrong with the Amex Ultimate card as you can spend the $450 on travel (limited to QF flights)

 

[cove]

Had to handle two calls from Citi Executive AA credit card fraud check messages. All ok no fraud.
In the US I have to use the correct cards for the bonus points so it is Chase for dining and AA Executivve for car hire. Most of the rest go on Amex Premier Rewards.
My son now has a Bank Of America credit card without a Social Security Number. Back home he is trying for a Citi card that will give him airport lounge entries in Russia , UK and the rest of Europe. I think he may become a junior member of this group fairly soon with AA Miles, QF points, VA points, Alaska points , Kris Miles, SPG points and Avianca points. I think he has abandoned travel in coach class.

 

[large]

Hi, my name is Large......and I'm a point collector.........

 

[Denali]

Could have flown Sydney - MELB - Santiago, but because of points (wanting more), went Sydney - LAX - Atlanta - Santiago instead.

 

[daft009]

Going to try and get my first SQ suites trip in from FRA to SYD including the new suites.

Currently have a J redemption for the entire trip... But as I've read here.. No point collecting if not spendinng as well!

 

[cove]

daft009 it is hard to go back. I remember a Qantas lounge manager telling us this but it was too late because our 2 young sons were booked into business class too. Now only my eldest son can fly in economy....the rest have been corrupted.
After saying that I can tell you that he was really impressed flying Emirates in First to Russia.

 

[daft009]

Well I'm going to bump upto to F for two reasons:
1. free SQ PJs
2. get to try the new A380 suites on SQ221.

Its only an extra 100k SQ points so what the hell. Only doing it for the return journey
Did I mention the free PJs

I've been telling myself that I don't want F as I'm not a champagne man, and once you're lying flat in J, how much better can it really get

 

[Dr Ralph]

Hi, my name is Large......and I'm a point collector.........

But not a point spender?