The Danger of Hoarding Points

[JohnPhelan]

Qantas leaving One World is my worry - but if they stay this year (which you would think they will), I will book my RTW trip and presumably they will still have to honour flights for 2014.

Why is that a worry? There is zero chance of that happening. All the other problematic scenarios are much more likely, but I don't expect any of them to happen.

And I certainly won't be changing my points burning pattern. But then, I don't hoard points, I use them! Never seen the point in hoarding them. It's like people hoarding money - if you never use it, then it's completely worthless.

 

[samh004]

If you're worried and want to lessen the burden, I'd be happy to spend some for you, long lost cousin!

I have about 50k points and tend to build up to 100k before whittling them down again. One day I will save up for a longer JASA, but at the moment the earn/burn rate is fairly much the same.

I'm about the same, approaching the 100k now and reckon a JASA in the coming months will sort out those pesky points

Incidentally, as from May 1 this year the QFF program notice period is going from six months to three.

Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Terms & Conditions

Edit: section 3.2

Thought that was the case.

 

[casanovawa]

Paid Y flights seemt o be getting cheaper, even with fuel seeming to be such an onerous burden that Qantas raised fuel fines a couple of times in 2011 and kept them up, there seem to be some amazing deals out there, with flights to Europe and the US under $1000 so that it would be an utter joke to use QFF points for such redemptions, so from an economy class perspective i would say the deals are getting worse off... Its only the J and F redemptions that seem good value but need the higher amounts of points...

I'll have about 130,000 QFF points in a few days and so nearly enough for another 140,000 OW Y redemption, but seeing i have enough USDM miles for several more J redemptions i might allow my QFF tally to head towards a 280,000 J OW redemption for use in a few years time as I agree the chances of QF going under or leaving OW quickly seem pretty remote...

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

Another big threat to your points is if you stop traveling for whatever reason and they all expire.

Just link a QFF point earning credit card and you don't have a problem

 

[cove]

Jessica I was so pleased to get down to "back to the top" icon where you finish reading the T&C.
There is almost no danger in hoarding points in Australia at the moment.
If you have Kingfisher points that would/ could be a problem.
Ansett is the last failure here that really mattered.
Have been able to grow the points this year despite flying in style so if it did all end I think I might be able to learn how to purchase airline tickets. It cannot be that hard!

 

[JessicaTam]

Jessica I was so pleased to get down to "back to the top" icon where you finish reading the T&C.
There is almost no danger in hoarding points in Australia at the moment.
If you have Kingfisher points that would/ could be a problem.
Ansett is the last failure here that really mattered.
Have been able to grow the points this year despite flying in style so if it did all end I think I might be able to learn how to purchase airline tickets. It cannot be that hard!

I am sorry but you can't get that time reading the T&Cs back!
That's why I only got to 3.2.

 

[Berlin]

I think it's pretty unlikely QF will go under or leave OW. Things aren't that bad!

Fully agree, I don't think that Qantas packing up entirely is too much of a threat. Though I understand that many of you guys will have been burnt before with Ansett so I hope I won't be proven wrong...

What the latter is concerned- would that really be such a huge issue if you can burn those points on Emirates instead of BA or CX?

 

[Pushka]

Fully agree, I don't think that Qantas packing up entirely is too much of a threat. Though I understand that many of you guys will have been burnt before with Ansett so I hope I won't be proven wrong...

We never thought Ansett would go.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

QFF is a license to print money.
Even if QANTAS folds someone will acquire QFF.

 

[Berlin]

We never thought Ansett would go.

Yea- I thought so! Maybe I better use up some more of my QF points for "totally unnecessary travel" as my partner would call it

 

[JessicaTam]

Yea- I thought so! Maybe I better use up some more of my QF points for "totally unnecessary travel" as my partner would call it

You might need to explain to your partner that it is all necessary travel, especially when they join you in the Flounge.

 

[ReLoad]

Personally I hoard points for an objective, 4x J tix to MCO when the kids get a bit older.

Like most things it pays to have an objective, and when you reach it, you can enjoy the rewards.

 

[CaviAck]

Personally I hoard points for an objective, 4x J tix to MCO when the kids get a bit older.

Like most things it pays to have an objective, and when you reach it, you can enjoy the rewards.

Can you adopt me? All I ever got was whY to LAX.

 

[burmans]

We never thought Ansett would go.

Would have to suggest that in retrospect this can only be regarded as naive, there were plenty of signs for quite a while really. Hindsight is a wonderful thing of course, but the position at Quantas is nowhere near as some make out, indeed save for last year Qantas has been one of the few consistently profitable airlines in the world. For Ansett it was absolutely as bad as made out, indeed probably worse, people just didn't want to recognise it.

 

[Pushka]

Yes. It's just like no one would have predicted the twin towers in New York would be totally raised within 20 minutes of each other. That would be naiive. Could never happen.

 

[Economy_Gold]

Of course the danger of hoarding anything is that life can take a turn for the worse and you never get to enjoy what you have hoarded.

I have decided not to hoard points and to "reward" me and partner about once a year with an international JASA or FASA.
I had a sudden medical condition a few years ago that prevented me from flying for a couple of months and since then I am happy to use my points whenever I like / whenever I see a decent value in using them. You life only once!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Yes. It's just like no one would have predicted the twin towers in New York would be totally raised within 20 minutes of each other. That would be naiive. Could never happen. 

And your analogy is for what purpose?

Are you suggesting not to enter any tall building as it may collapse? No you would probably enter one tomorrow without any hesitation. I certainly do not consider that at all before entering.

It is about reasonable risk. If you think QFF is in peril, then yes redeem your points ASAP. If not then the game for many is to redeem them for maximum return.

 

[Pushka]

I am saying that anything can happen. Reasonable risk? Anything is reasonable risk in the current climate.

 

[nickfromeastryde]

My problem is that I want to use my points but there has been so many J specials over the last few years, that I've actually ended up paying cash. I just feel the value isn't there when in some cases, flights have been around half price eg. NYC $5600 and LHR $4999 over the last 12 months and would prefer to save for some time in the future against a full flight fare

Still, a few 280K RTW trips are something to aim for and seem to represent the best value anyway

 

[ashleyn]

I'm hoarding mine for 2014 F or J to Europe and back.