I'm new to the points game & want some advice on which is easier to earn points on.
Understandably, if you only travel with Qantas your going to focus on Qantas points and vice versa.
Although there are other ways to earn points which involve credit card bonuses, spend & earn at participating stores/restaurants and insurances/gyms.
Also which has the best availability for flights ?
Thank-you
Agree Qantas are easier to earn, mainly because more cards offer QFF signup bonuses and points for ongoing spend.
Availability really depends on where you want to go and when, so is hard to answer. Qantas has a bigger network of partners. Qantas also charges more in taxes for redemptions on most/all routes. With both you generally need to be booking about a year in advance to find decent availability on international flights.
Credit card points like Amex points are also worth targeting because they give you flexibility - can almost always transfer to a range of airline partners, which means you aren't locked into one airline.
Points or Status Credits?
Personally don't bother with points, just the status credits myself.
I keep Velocity Platinum for domestic travel around Australia, and Qantas Gold for travel around Asia.
Tend to take more guests with me in Australia thus Velocity, and one guest is sufficient around Asia, Europe and America.
Qantas also has a better network of partners, especially in Asia.
Asia.
@OP I also agree with @Drew22 as Status Credits allow you to keep tier, and I use Velocity Platinum for both international and domestic since they allow 3 guests + 2 kids under 12 (QF is just 2). I haven't used QF Gold this year and can't see myself doing so in the near future … but there's lots of bonus offers for points, just depends what you intend to do with them …
The question is hard to answer because it depends on your personal circumstances.
I suggest you study the Velocity and Qantas Frequent Flyer websites and see what reward you want to save for and how many points it would take. Then think about the ways you can earn points and see which program suits you best.
Qantas has more partners in general though to earn and redeem points on.
thanks mate
and also check out keith's pointhacks
a lot pushing credit cards on that site but definitely some useful info
"Then think about the ways you can earn points"
We dropped from QFF Gold and have been collecting at least 150k points annually (each - 2 pax) for mostly longhaul BC travel, from:
https://www.qantaspoints.com/earn-points/cards-banking/card-…
You'll find its beneficial to have points accrued in several different programs. Availability varies wildly, particularly if you don't have status with the airline the points are accrued with.
There's no value in having say, 500k qff points if there is no availability on the route/dates you need, and 0 points in VFF which might have the exact route/dates you need.
Flexibility is key - with dates of flights (better chance of getting availability if you aren't fixed to school holidays, and maximising the airlines you can redeem with.
For me personally, VFF is advantageous due to its connection with Singapore airoines which has routes I fly with good availability. But with that said, QFF has been good to me recently with better flights and connections than Singapore Airlines had available.
I recommend for the newbie, the Platinum Edge Credit Card (referal, if I was helpful).
Note: You do not get the opportunity to get Qantas Points, but you access to 9 different airline partners! Velocity, Emirates, Singapore, Asiamiles and so on. (Emirates is a partner with Qantas so that helps out)
3 pts/$1 at Supermarkets (Coles/Woolies/IGA (However, you can purchase gift cards from Supermarkets for OTHER stores to get the 3 pts/$)
2 pts/$1 at Petrol Stations
1 for everything else.
What I do as well is get my Mum and Dad on my account via additional cards so they earn me points faster as well without me spending a $.
Low annual fee of 195 with $200 travel credit each year but you get 10k bonus points via referral.
You also get access to all the cashback AMEX offers you see often as well.
I think Qantas is easier to earn points. There are many more credit cards which come with bonus Qantas points once you reach the minimum spend compared to Virgin Velocity points.