The Points Coach

08/05/2024

Up to 140 000 Velocity Points with Medibank - including 6 weeks FREE cover if you join by the 30th of June 2024 ⏰

https://www.medibank.com.au/health-insurance/c/velocity/

Use promo code VELOCITY and enter your Velocity member number ✈️

This was a popular offer last year - with the 6 weeks free - and has returned in a slightly reduced format (2023 best deal offered 150k points and had lower overall premiums)

The free weeks kick in after 42 days so all going to plan you'll only need to pay for 7 weeks of coverage to get the points.

Note - Must be a NEW Medibank member who has not held Medibank or ahm hospital cover in the last 12 months and hold the same eligible cover for 90 consecutive days to be eligible for the Velocity Points.

Whilst the opportunity is there to score a pile of points for a fairly low rate - this is not an individual recommendation so always ensure you check T&Cs and consider your own circumstances 👌

08/05/2024

Velocity has launched a Points Sale where you can score up to 35% off when buying Points.

https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/the-basics/buying-points

Note you have to buy a minimum of 120k to get the maximum discount. This works out at paying 1.52c per point.

Not something I'd personally do BUT might be useful for anyone needing a quick points-boost to book an available reward seat.

Also keep in mind we've seen a few 'up to 40% discounts' the past 12 months so this is a 'reduced' offer.

1,000 - 25,000 Points: 10% discount
26,000 - 70,000 Points: 15% discount
80,000 - 110,000 Points: 25% discount
120,000 - 250,000 Points: 35% discount

Promo ends 11:59 PM AEST 15 May 2024

30/04/2024

The latest Velocity Frequent Flyer Transfer Bonus from participating partners has launched 🥳

Check Details of Eligible Partners and Full T&Cs below
https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/partners-offers/transfer-bonus

🌟Manual Transfer = 15% (must transfer in BOTH May & June)
🌟Auto Transfer = 20%

Bonus Points will be allocated to the Member’s Velocity account by 31st July 2024 - so keep in mind they are NOT immediate!

Whilst these offers are great, my standard advice is to only transfer flexible points if you know you will be booking a reward seat using that system.

The value of flexible points such as Amex Rewards is in their flexibility - Remember that once these points are transferred you can't send them back! 🚫

Will you be taking advantage of this offer? Let me know your thoughts....

30/04/2024

A new 'TRIPLE Points on everything' offer has launched at Qantas Wines 🍷
https://wine.qantas.com/
Offer EXTENDED to the 13th May 2024 11:59pm

✔️Standard members = 3 Qantas Points per dollar spent
✔️Premium members = 9 Qantas Points per dollar spent.

Premium Members = Points Club/Points Club Plus, Qantas Business Rewards and a few other methods....

Don't forget to use the code FIRSTORDER if a new customer spending over $99 for an extra 5000 bonus points.

A reminder that the triple points ONLY applies to the cash spend component and NOT triple the additional bonus points on products (we can only dream!)

There is ALSO an unadvertised 'VIP' offer for the month of May that you can only access by CALLING Qantas Wines.

$2000 spend = a bonus 30,000 points (on top of all other points)
For every additional $1k spend = 15,000 extra Qantas points. Up to $6k max (90,000 points) in total.

Obviously shop around to compare and do the Maths before purchasing 👌

29/04/2024

Qantas is currently offering up to 50% bonus when buying 'top-up' points (link below 👇)

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/use-points/top-up-points.html

Buy 15 - 35k Points = 25% Bonus
Buy 40 - 150k Points = 50% Bonus

As an example the maximum amount of 225k points would cost $3999 which is a rate of 1.78c per point.
Offer ends 5th May.

My Advice...
It usually only makes sense to buy Qantas points if you need an immediate amount to get you a reward seat which is available to book & saves you money over just paying for a ticket.
The main reason why you shouldn't buy Qantas Points is that even with a 50% bonus the pricing isn't great compared to other programs that sell points AND more importantly it nearly always works out to be a better deal just buying wine from Qantas Wines with bonus points instead 👌 (the downside is points don't credit instantly)

As an example....
Buy 60k Points with this offer for $1155
OR
Buy x2 cases of this Wine for $1068 and earn 60k bonus points + 12 bottles of wine 🍷
https://wine.qantas.com/p/curtis-family-vineyards-curtis-martins-vineyard-limited-series-shiraz-2020/CURMARSHZ20

22/04/2024

About the easiest FREE points you'll ever earn thanks to a newly launched partnership between Velocity Frequent Flyer and DiDi - a Rideshare app 🚗🚕

If you haven't already simply download the Didi App and make an account....

Link you Velocity Account in the settings and BOOM 1000 free points will hit your account - was instant for me! 🥳

If you have a Virgin Australia Business Flyer account link that also for 1000 points. (note this requires an ABN)

Don't forget to link any other family member accounts also - what a fun family activity!

Full info on the partnership and FAQ's about this offer can be found via the link below 👇 This Promo ends 15th May 2024

https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/partners-offers/everyday-essentials/didi

20/03/2024

A new site-wide offer from Qantas Hotels has just launched 🥳
Perhaps the best deal we've seen yet?!?

Spend $500 - Earn 5,000 bonus points
Spend $1,000 - Earn 10,000 bonus points
Spend $2,000+ - Earn 20,000 bonus points

https://www.qantas.com/hotels

This is valid on all Qantas Hotels and Qantas Holidays booked from 6:00 am (AEDT) 21 March 2024 until 11:59 pm (AEDT) 27 March 2024 for travel up until 27 March 2025. Excludes Airbnb and Qantas Tours.

This is IN ADDITION to the standard earn rate of 3 points per A$1 spent on the total booking value

Points will be credited within 8 weeks of hotel check-out so be patient....

As always shop around and compare hotel prices elsewhere 👌(whilst factoring in the value of the bonus points)

14/03/2024

Do you want to level up your Points Game with personalised help from an expert who knows all the ins and outs of the Points World?

Struggling to find seats and use your points? Or just simply don't have the time.. 😫

I've got the perfect solution...

For the first time I'm offering my Mentorship Group (linked below) to my Facebook friends.

www.buymeacoffee.com/thepointscoach

Since launching 8 months ago this group, and its members, are my focus, with the priority to put them on planes - and we've had plenty of success stories! ✈️

All members receive regular content including REWARD SEAT ALERTS straight to their inbox.

Just this week they have received multiple alerts containing ALL the dates & details of HUNDREDS of new Qantas BUSINESS and FIRST CLASS reward seats. Yes seats are out there!

I keep spots in this group extremely limited to ensure exclusivity 🔐

It is a flexible membership option priced at $39 a month or an $80 discount for yearly memberships. Help in securing just one booking pays for the membership many times over.

Please feel very welcome to send me a message if you have any further questions 👌

Dave - The Points Coach

01/03/2024

TripADeal has launched a surprisingly good offer for the Month of March allowing you to use 50% less Qantas Points on TripADeal bookings.

https://www.tripadeal.com.au/campaign/ultimate-qantas-points-sale

This promotion effectively values your precious points at a very respectable 2 CENTS each.

This offers THE BEST points redemption value available outside of those limited Classic Reward Seats and I'm sure could be quite tempting for many sitting on a big pile of points...

The 'cheapest package' which is a 10 day China Tour (including flights) can be had for as little as 49 950 points per person!

There is also excellent value in the 2-for-1 packages such as an 18 day Europe tour for x2 for under 500k points in total (again including flights and cruise).

Would love to know your thoughts on this offer.....

28/02/2024

Looks like one of the first 'enhancements' from Qantas in their upcoming Reward Program changes is the removal of those pesky (and ridiculously priced) 'Points + Pay' seats from the search results.

You now simply have the choice to see either....

Reward Seats (if available)
Cash Prices (with the chance to use points later in the booking)

A subtle change BUT a positive one as it helps remove the confusion for 'less experienced' points collectors and also hopefully removes those news articles telling us that a Qantas Flight to LA now costs a million points!

Now we await the other changes (surely tiered pricing or a new category of 'rewards' is the strong favourite!) 🤔

Do you have any predictions???

20/02/2024

Almost like clockwork - the yearly Double Status Credits/Points offer has launched at Qantas 🥳

Register and make your choice of Status or Points via the App or Website.

Book your Qantas marketed and operated flights by 11.59pm (AEDT) 27 February 2024 for travel between 28 February 2024 and 14 February 2025.

You can also earn Double Points for your Business.

Full details and answers to the FAQs can be found here 👇
https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/member-offers/twice-as-rewarding

15/02/2024

Qantas Hotels has launched a TRIPLE POINTS offer which runs until the 22nd of February.

During a Triple Points offer (generally see 2-3 a year) you can earn points at the following rates on eligible bookings.

$1 = 9 Qantas Points (standard)
$1 = 11.25 Qantas Points (Points Club)
$1 = 13.5 Qantas Points (Points Club+)

so a $1000 booking could potentially earn up to 13500 points.

Full T&Cs can be found here
https://www.qantas.com/hotels

I personally find Qantas Hotels is often not the cheapest option so ensure you shop around and compare prices before chasing points. However with the inclusion of bonus points they become a LOT more competitive 👌

14/02/2024

Accor is offering 50% off an Accor Plus membership for family & friends until the 22nd of Feb - this is a fantastic deal for anyone who travels within Australia or the Asia Pacific Region. So sharing with my Facebook friends 😉

https://www.accorplus.com/au/friends/

The sweet spot is an EXPLORER membership for $199 👌

The headline benefits of this are a 'free' Stay Plus hotel night which includes luxury brands such as Sofitel, Pullman, Fairmont & Swissotel and 50% off dining at Accor restaurants (no need to be staying at the hotel)

More details on benefits etc here https://www.accorplus.com/au/benefits/

I easily find $200 worth of value from a membership and have previously redeemed my stay plus night at hotels that were retailing for $500+ for the same room 🥳

*Just remember that availability on the stay plus nights can be limited so book early to secure the 'best' options.

15/01/2024

Facebook followers...

A heads up for those unaware that I share most of my content on Instagram (via stories) so follow along if you don't already!

https://www.instagram.com/the.points.coach

I'm also currently running a giveaway post that you might like to enter (which isn't allowed on FB)

Have a great week!

10/01/2024

For those interested - there is a Half Price offer on ONE PASS membership which reduces the yearly fee to $20.

Sign up via the Officeworks link below by the end of January.

https://www.officeworks.com.au/information/policies/onepass

At Officeworks, Kmart, Target, Catch and Bunnings you get the following benefits with One Pass....

- FREE delivery on eligible items
- 5x FLYBUYS Points in-store
- 365 day change of mind returns

If you shop regularly at those 5 retailers (4000 Flybuys earn will give a minimum $20 back in value) or enjoy the convenience of sitting on the couch as the orders roll in - it's easily worth the 20 bucks in my opinion 👌

02/01/2024

A little New Years refresher on how you can Maximise Qantas Points when buying Wine*.... 🍷🥂

Start your search by browsing offers in the Bonus Point Section
https://wine.qantas.com/c/browse-products?BonusPoints=1

If you want to work out the best 'bang for buck' points wise use the excellent Deal Tracker located here 👇
https://www.flightformula.com/tools/qfwine

The current 'best' offers are great, giving around 50 bonus points per $1 spent. (paying 2c per point with wine included!)

24 000 Bonus Points for $468 (x12 Ulithorne Prospera McLaren Vale Shiraz 2021)
https://wine.qantas.com/p/ulithorne-ulithorne-prospera-mclaren-vale-shiraz-2021/ULIPROSHZ21

24 000 Bonus Points for $480 (x12 Yalumba Barossa Valley Cabernet Shiraz 2017)
https://wine.qantas.com/p/yalumba-yalumba-barossa-valley-cabernet-shiraz-2017/X12YALBARCAS17

12 000 Bonus Points for $240 (x6 Moss Brothers Fidium Shiraz 2021)
https://wine.qantas.com/p/moss-brothers-moss-brothers-fidium-shiraz-2021/MOSBFISHZ21

The KEY to maximise your points is to then stack these deals with other offers such as...

✔️ 5000 bonus points for a new customer spending over $99 using the code FIRSTORDER (this offer looks to have now replaced the previous referral system)
https://wine.qantas.com/new-customer

✔️ Qantas Wine Premium Members (which includes Points Club/PC+) receive 3 points per $1 spend

✔️ Qantas Business Reward Members earn another 2 points per $1 spend

✔️ PC+ members receive an extra 10% discount

✔️ You can apply $50 discount vouchers received for reaching Points Club - find these in your QFF account (although you'd need to call up if applying more than one promo/voucher code)

✔️ Any Wine with a Sustainable Green Leaf logo earns another 250 points for Green Tier members.

✔️ By ordering over the phone and politely asking the consultant you MAY be given even more more points (especially if spending a large amount)

✔️ Finally look out for the Triple Point promos that happen a couple of times a year (although this only applies to your spend & excludes the bonus points)

Oh yeah - use a points earning card to buy it! 💳

Have I missed anything? 😂

*And importantly shop around and consider if paying the possibly inflated prices for the wine are worth the bonus points - you might instead just decide to stick to a $10 Dan Murphys special 👌

01/01/2024

Today is your last day to score 5000 Free Rex Airlines points as part of their Rex Flyer program launch promotion ✈️

https://rex.com.au/rexflyer/LoyaltyHomePage.aspx

Even if you don't normally fly with Rex I'd still recommend signing up - this initial bonus is quite generous as you can book reward seats from as low as 6900 points and upgrades to Business start at 4300 points.

Whilst at this stage you can only earn more points by flying Rex - who knows....one day they may also partner with some banks, shops, and fingers crossed, some overseas airlines which would make the points a lot more valuable 🤞

01/01/2024

TripADeal is offering 10 000 Bonus Qantas Points on any booking over $999* made in January.

https://www.tripadeal.com.au/campaign/10000-bonus-qantas-points

In addition to the 10k bonus you'll also earn a base rate of 3 points per $1 spend.

The website is quite clear indicating how many points you will earn prior to purchasing (see screenshot)

I'd personally value these bonus points at a minimum of $100 and potentially much more if redeemed on reward seats.

As always check T&Cs for exclusions. Shop around and compare prices/offers before chasing the points 👌

*Note that you can pay using a combination of cash and points but the cash component must be over $999)

30/12/2023

A reminder for anyone participating in the Velocity 20% manual transfer bonus across Nov/Dec/Jan...

Ensure you've made your transfer for December by the end of today!

https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/partners-offers/transfer-bonus -transfer

Personally I'm just transferring a minimal amount across and will make a final decision on the 'bulk' of my flexible points in Jan 👌

26/12/2023

The Qantas Marketplace is offering 5000 bonus points when you spend over $250 storewide (using cash not points) until the 31st of December.

https://marketplace.qantas.com/au

Obviously shop around and compare prices before chasing the points. I'd personally value 5000 points at a minimum of $50 so factor in your own 'valuations' when doing comparisons.

You will also earn a standard rate of 3 points per $1 spent.
Full T&Cs can be found on the website.

If anyone finds a great 'deal' might be worthwhile sharing in the comments 👌

16/10/2023

Krisflyer has just dropped a MASSIVE (and unexpected) sale on ALL Economy Saver Award Seats...

https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/plan-travel/promotions/global/kf/kf-promo/KFredemptionOct23/

They are offering 25% off ALL Economy Saver Reward redemptions on Singapore Airlines flights between the 1st of January and the 31st July 2024.

Premium Economy Saver award tickets are also discounted by 25% on selected non-stop flights between Singapore and the USA.

This offer runs from now until the 22nd of October. Note that you CANNOT cancel or change bookings made with promo rates.

Some example pricing with Promo Rates (25% off regular prices)
Sydney - Singapore 22 875 KF Miles
Sydney - London 43 875 KF Miles

(also looks like it has replaced the regular 'Spontaneous Escapes' offer for this month)

12/10/2023

An opportunity to earn TRIPLE VELOCITY POINTS on hotel bookings made via Virgin Australia (Rocket Travel)

$1 spend = 9 Velocity Frequent Flyer Points

Book by the 23rd of October.

Valid for bookings between 11 October 2023 and 30 April 2024.

As with any 'deals' always shop around and compare, as prices on hotels can vary wildly depending on the platform used for booking.

Full details and T&Cs are linked below 👇
https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/hotels/

27/09/2023

Qantas Wine is running a 'Triple Points' sale until the 2nd of October. Not a bad little booster if you were eyeing off buying some wine 🍷

During the Promo
'Standard Members' will receive 3 points per $1 spent.
'Premium Members' (such as those with Points Club) will receive 9 points per $1 spent.

Also a reminder that they seem to now be indefinitely running the 5000 point bonus for new customers as per the link https://wine.qantas.com/new-customer

*Note, despite the 'everything' wording...you WON'T get triple points on the 'bonus points' portion of any deals - that would be epic!

As always don't just 'chase points' - buy what you need and shop around to compare prices first 👌

08/09/2023

Kinda Exciting news for those with Velocity Points in that you can now finally redeem them on ANA flights (Japanese Airline).

https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/partners-offers/airlines/all-nippon-airways -redeem

THE POSITIVES
All Nippon Airlines (ANA) is a fantastic well regarded airline ✔️

More ways to redeem points on planes is always welcomed! ✔️

ANA flies Sydney and Perth (soon) to Tokyo. You can fly from Tokyo to Europe, North America and Asia (and of course domestic Japan flights) ✔️

Points Pricing is at the 'lower end' with flights Sydney to Tokyo priced at 34 800 points (economy) or 71 500 points (Business). Fees should also be quite low ✔️

THE NEGATIVES
You painfully can't search or book these seats via the Velocity Website at the moment and need to CALL VELOCITY to book. You might like to try and find Saver Award availability using another Star Alliance program such as United and then call up 👎

ANA doesn't traditionally release a whole lot of premium award space in advance on popular routes 👎

The 'best' Business Class product being 'The Room' won't be on the flights to/from Australia. 👎

OVERALL though this is a WIN for VELOCITY Points Collectors 🎉

03/09/2023

Qantas Hotels is having a TRIPLE POINTS Flash Sale....

https://www.qantas.com/hotels

Triple Points gives 9 POINTS per $1 spent.

Offer ends Sunday 10th September at 11.59pm AEDT

Also remember that Points Club members get a further 25% points bonus and a further 50% on top for Points Club Plus 🙌
Points Club = 11.25 points per $1 spent
PC+ = 13.5 points per $1 spent

My advice is to COMPARE Hotel Prices across multiple sites before booking to ensure the 'sale' is worth it - don't just chase the points. Qantas Hotels isn't generally the cheapest option from my experiences.

However if prices are competitive this is a VERY useful way to earn points - especially for those who can stack with Points Club bonuses & the Qantas Hotel Vouchers (via Points Club etc)

Check the offer T&Cs for all additional info 👌

08/08/2023

Points Redeeming Tip....

One of the best opportunities to find those precious Reward Seats & use your points often comes up when new flights or routes are announced ✈️

As an example of this Singapore Airlines recently announced a whole host of new flights and increased capacity across it's network - including Australia 🇦🇺

Some examples....
1. Cairns to Singapore upgrading to a much larger a350 aircraft....the first time a wide-body has flown that route in 20 years!
2. Perth to Singapore getting a fourth flight
3. Melbourne another flight to become x5 daily.
4. Extra seats (due to larger planes) & flights added to Darwin, Sydney and Adelaide.

Now whilst it doesn't necessarily guarantee extra reward/points seats, a quick check of the new Perth to Singapore SQ266 flight (launching April 2024) reveals excellent availability from early April on the new flights (up to 4 business class seats at the lowest Saver Rates) whilst the other 3 flights generally have zero, zilch, nada.....🚫

A reminder you can book these seats using 👇
- Krisflyer Miles (a transfer partner of Amex and various other bank reward programs)
- Velocity Points (can transfer to KF at 1.55 - 1 for better availability)
- A couple of other overseas based programs such as Aeroplan

01/08/2023

Qantas Wines is offering 5000 Bonus Points for NEW customers making a purchase of at least $99 during August.

https://wine.qantas.com/

A great time to make your first order! 🍷🍷🍷

I will assume you can use any vouchers and points club plus 10% discount as long as the final total remains over the $99 amount.

Some recommendations to take advantage of this would be...

Grab this Penley Estate Wine which comes with another 4000 bonus points (so a total of 9000 points for $99👌)
https://wine.qantas.com/p/penley-estate-penley-estate-helios-cabernet-sauvignon-2020/PENHELCAB20

OR

If you want a mixture of wines whilst keeping costs low consider the $99 mixed 6 'essential' cases in red or white
https://wine.qantas.com/p/essential-red-six/MIX2306026

https://wine.qantas.com/p/essential-white-six/MIX2306027

17/07/2023

KrisFlyer has just announced the 'Spontaneous Escape' deals for flights in August. (Bookable until the 31st of July)

This monthly promo allows you to book Reward Seats flying select Singapore Airlines routes at up to a 30% discount on normal prices.

The pick for Aussies this month is BUSINESS CLASS between Sydney & Singapore (flights SQ212 & SQ231) for a low price of 47950 Krisflyer Miles. There is also Economy Class availability from Melbourne at 30% off.

For all the info and routes check out the link below 👇

Plan your next getaway with Singapore Airlines and enjoy 30% off saver award tickets to selected destinations worldwide. Book now & enjoy your spontaneous escape!

09/07/2023

A decent little deal for those in East Coast cities chasing Qantas or Everyday Rewards Points via MILKRUN* where you can earn up to 8000ER Points which is 4000 Qantas Points on your first grocery delivery over $80.
*For those that aren't aware Milkrun is now owned by Woolworths and powered by Woolies Metro stores.

Steps Are...
1. Download the Milkrun App 🥛

2. Set up your account & Link your Everyday Rewards Card

3. Spend a minimum of $30 to qualify for bonus points. Over $80 will get you the full amount of 8000 Everyday Rewards Points.

4. (if you want) enter the code 15BUCKS for an additional $15 off - you'll also receive free delivery. To be safe i'd ensure you still spend the minimum amounts after applying the code.

So for a $95 spend you'll get $15 off with voucher and 8000 points which is 'valued' at a minimum of $40 - the value can be much higher when redeemed as Qantas Points on reward seats.

The only downside to this is that items are priced higher than regular woolies shops - the best 'value' comes from home-brand products.

Offer expires the 5th August. All the details and extra T&Cs can be found in the link 👇
https://www.woolworthsrewards.com.au/woolworths-offer/milkrun-offer.html

If you get a partner involved it's an easy 8000 Qantas Points plus some lazy shopping done. For those who don't use credit sign up bonuses or have a large spend - it's important to take advantage of all these little deals to boost the points balance 👌

06/07/2023

BAD NEWS this week for Point Collectors....

1. A few days ago American Express Rewards announced that the transfer rate for KrisFlyer & Emirates Skywards will be changed on the 4th of October from the current 2:1 to 3:1 - effectively a 33% devaluation... 😬

The sweetener alongside this is the new inclusion of Avios and HawaiianMiles as transfer partners in the coming months (thankfully at a 2:1 rate)

Overall (as an Amex user) I personally think this is a negative change as I love Singapore Airlines for it's reward availability, low fees, multiple daily flights from Australia and excellent connections to Asia and Europe.

2. JUST NOW Cathay Pacific has announced new Award Charts from October - overall an increase in Miles required for pretty much all Premium Award Seats.

https://flights.cathaypacific.com/en_HK/redeem-flights/flight-award-chart-new.html

*I have included images of the old/new charts. As an example a Business redemption between Sydney & HK will be increasing from 45k to 58k miles.

Whilst as Point Collectors we will adapt and find new opportunities it is always pretty rubbish to see these devaluations occur and a good reminder to USE & ENJOY your points - they are NOT an investment and will only go DOWN in value 👇

Would love to hear your thoughts on these changes in the comments....