Qantas FF or VA Velocity?

[afpaff]

I'm looking to start my points journey and getting my first credit card.

Should I go with Qantas FF or Velocity points? I'm mainly going to be using it for international trips (e.g. mostly Europe but also Asia and USA).

I'm hearing that it's quite hard to book with Qantas FF classic rewards these days whilst Velocity are upping their game with new alliances/partnerships and trying to catch up.

Which membership should I go with?

 

[Scr77]

I’d be doing both, but focus on velocity. Velocity will probably be better to get out if Australia, but its still helpful to have oneworld options once you’re out of au.

 

[stm1sydney]

Yes, it does appear that VA has more reward availability for int flights, even when looking at the same airline. Anecdotally, QR reward availability via VA (one-to-one alliance) has been better than via QF (oneworld alliance), for example.

 

[UP4014]

Welcome aboard.

I'm going to say go with QF considering international is what you are wanting to focus on. While Velocity has its pluses I think the current owners aren't in it for the long term so the scheme could change, it could change for the better but it's an unknown.

 

[Human]

Yes, it does appear that VA has more reward availability for int flights, even when looking at the same airline. Anecdotally, QR reward availability via VA (one-to-one alliance) has been better than via QF (oneworld alliance), for example.

Not just anecdotally. Qatar is currently releasing business class reward seats to Velocity 330 days before the flight, but to Qantas 119 days before the flight. I've just booked return business class flights to Europe on QR for two for the second half of next year: something that would have been impossible if I'd had to rely on Qantas points.

Qatar Airways Reward Seats: Velocity Members Get Priority over Qantas

This week, Qatar Airways launched a new strategic partnership with Virgin Australia. But as a member of the Oneworld alliance, Qatar Airways already

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[The Flying Schwartz]

We've decided to hedge our bets. We're in a regional area only served by QLink so we started with a QFF points card, we'll churn after the second bonus round with that card and will go with a VA points card I think. The transferability to KrisFlyer from Velocity is attractive for us as long as VA owners Bain keep that option. The plan is to use QF points to get to our starting point and then either QF, Velocity or Krisflyer to get elsewhere.

In the meantime, we're earning Woollies Rewards points at double rate with Everyday Extra (pays for itself after a very short time if you're a woollies shopper) and also getting a few things at Coles with Flybuys, aiming for bonus points offers. So both are constantly topping up. Trying to use some QF points now and it is a challenge because we aren't that flexible with dates.

 

[The Flying Schwartz]

Not just anecdotally. Qatar is currently releasing business class reward seats to Velocity 330 days before the flight, but to Qantas 119 days before the flight.

I wonder if this is just a thing between airlines in the current environment or if Qantas is doing something to damage relationships (on top of damaging brand and customer value)?

 

[Human]

I wonder if this is just a thing between airlines in the current environment or if Qantas is doing something to damage relationships (on top of damaging brand and customer value)?

Hard to tell ... what I do know is that long haul premium cabin flights are just about impossible to come by at the moment using Qantas points , but they're relatively easy to come by via Velocity and KrisFlyer.

At some stage in the future, might things change and might Qantas points actually become useful again? Of course. But for the time being, it doesn't seem all that clever to focus on Qantas points, and to spurn Velocity points, on the basis of what might possibly happen maybe at some time in the future...

 

[antycbr]

I'm looking to start my points journey and getting my first credit card.

Should I go with Qantas FF or Velocity points? I'm mainly going to be using it for international trips (e.g. mostly Europe but also Asia and USA).

I'm hearing that it's quite hard to book with Qantas FF classic rewards these days whilst Velocity are upping their game with new alliances/partnerships and trying to catch up.

Which membership should I go with?

Another factor to consider is QF award availability as a zero status pax isn’t great. Do you have an idea of your spend and what status tier you are going to aim for? It’s not just about points… we need to know more about what types of fares you buy unless you’re planning to just earn on the ground and redeem in the air.

 

[Human]

Another factor to consider is QF award availability as a zero status pax isn’t great. Do you have an idea of your spend and what status tier you are going to aim for? It’s not just about points… we need to know more about what types of fares you buy unless you’re planning to just earn on the ground and redeem in the air.

That's exactly right. As a Qantas FF Bronze I've been effectively frozen out of long-haul business class flights.

 

[antycbr]

That's exactly right. As a Qantas FF Bronze I've been effectively frozen out of long-haul business class flights.

I am fairly certain (but happy to be corrected) that VA do not tier availability based on FF status with either their own (limited) metal or partner award availability. If it's available as a Plat it's available as a Red.

 

[Human]

I am fairly certain (but happy to be corrected) that VA do not tier availability based on FF status with either their own (limited) metal or partner award availability. If it's available as a Plat it's available as a Red.

That's my understanding too.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

One good thing about VFF is it's easier to get PS or silver status, less status credits to attain.
They (VA/VFF) only one call centre which is outsourced to the Phillipines whereas QF/QFF have 4.
Virgin allows us to buy single entry to the Lounge, while QFF does not, if they do, it's rare.
If you chose VFF and fly QR, you can do flights with them and earn VFF points and SC then... and...
If you want to increase your QFF points, on another booking,book with QR but enter your QFF #.
QR is now in both VFF and OW alliances!
.

 

[afpaff]

Another factor to consider is QF award availability as a zero status pax isn’t great. Do you have an idea of your spend and what status tier you are going to aim for? It’s not just about points… we need to know more about what types of fares you buy unless you’re planning to just earn on the ground and redeem in the air.

Probably Silver membership at most. 1-2 international flights a year. Would not be flying business unless it's redeemed with points.

 

[afpaff]

I have just done a trial comparison from syd to LAX next year (1 way economy)

VFF cheapest is around 60-70k, whereas QFF cheapest is like ~40k points.

Are Qantas points usually worth more per point? Most credit card deals offer same amount of either QFF or VFF points so in that case it would be better to get QFF points..

EDIT: actually VFF point quotes are with no extra fee whereas QFF it was + couple of hundred dollars.

 

[antycbr]

I have just done a trial comparison from syd to LAX next year (1 way economy)

VFF cheapest is around 60-70k, whereas QFF cheapest is like ~40k points.

Are Qantas points usually worth more per point? Most credit card deals offer same amount of either QFF or VFF points so in that case it would be better to get QFF points..

EDIT: actually VFF point quotes are with no extra fee whereas QFF it was + couple of hundred dollars.

VA allow you to trade in points to offset taxes, QF don’t. It’s not an amazing use of points but some people earn lots of points through different channels and are happy to reduce the copayment.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

As a QF lower grade FF member, your chances of an upgrade are slim, as a lot of people who in higher QFF tiers get first dibs at offers from QF.
Also, QFF has got more status tiers, CL (Chairmans Lounge, best looked after by QF), WP (Platinum), P1 (Platinum 1), SG (Gold), PS (Silver), then us NB (Bronze),
I used to be SG for quite a number of years, about 3, but it entails flying a lot, or flying less flights, but in J/F with QF/partners that carry a QF flight number.
VFF only has Beyond (don't know why), WP (Platinum), SG (Gold), PS (Silver), and NR (Red).
QF has got their own planes to the US, and also partners LATAM, AA...
VA has got HA and UA, as they are not flying to the US direct for the forseeable future, they have also got SQ via SIN, which is a good one to go with, even though you have to go via SIN.
For VFF, join FB, (Flybuys) too, they are a partner of VA, and you can earn a bit of tier status by buying your groceries from Coles, 10 per month, and also earn FB points, which are transferable to VFF, which can then be transferred to SQ.
Where as with QF, you can join EDRewards, where you don't earn status with their groceries purchase, but they (QF) have got something called points club, but you have to spend 150,000 on ground activities to earn QFF status, (ouch).
Both are more or less airlines, both have upsides and downsides, but the major downside, is that you play with fire, because even if you book your award with QF, they can palm you off to their low cost partnner, JQ which no one has mentioned.
Ek, read up on "don'tflyjetstar" if you want some scary factors on your flight plannings!
VFF don't have a LCC partner, so they can't palm you off to any other airline.
Granted both can have cancellations, or late departures.
I have my flying with both, am waiting to see if AJ retires, and if things get better at QF, a lot of the cost cutting is down to him, good or bad as it is, some cost cutting was prior to his arrival at JQ/QF.

 

[justinbrett]

VA allow you to trade in points to offset taxes, QF don’t. It’s not an amazing use of points but some people earn lots of points through different channels and are happy to reduce the copayment.

QF absolutely do let you pay for the taxes with points, have done so for as long as I can remember. You just have to select the option. It’s deselected by default.

 

[antycbr]

QF absolutely do let you pay for the taxes with points, have done so for as long as I can remember. You just have to select the option. It’s deselected by default.

Ok - VA default the other way around I think.

 

[SYD]

Ok - VA default the other way around I think.

Correct. Which actually gives me the irits. You have to click through and turn off the pts for taxes. It’s VA marketing spin for “free flights”.