Frequent-flyer fanatics share their wildest status and points hacks
From midnight flights to $600 champagne splurges, The Australian’s frequent-flyer readers share the extraordinary lengths they’ll go to for airline status.
Confession breeds confession.
My midnight airport adventure wasn’t something only I would do, it seems.
Following our article about how I flew from Adelaide to Brisbane and back in one night to achieve gold frequent-flyer status for the first time, readers flooded our comments with tales of the extreme all for the joy of claiming status credits.
My crazy overnight flight strategy cost me less than $100 and some frequent-flyer points and will give me access to hundreds of airline lounges for domestic and overseas trips, priority booking and boarding, and extra points earned on every flight.
One reader, Luke, said he used a similar strategy: “I’ve done the same – quick run SYD to CBR – grab drink in the lounge and get the same plane back to Sydney! Meant I kept platinum which helps get the family upgraded on overseas holiday. Definitely worth a few hundred $$ and a couple of hours on a Sunday!”
Fellow reader, Margaret, shared a similar story about “the good old status run”: “My son and I were chasing gold and platinum renewals. We flew to from Perth to Gero (Geraldton) and back one Sunday arvo. We spent two hours in the Qantas business lounge before our flights. Cheap enough fares but they had the all-important status credits to get us over the line. Everyone we know thought we were mad.”
Another reader, Jeffery-West, heard of a turbocharged version of the tactic: “This one time, when VA (Virgin Airlines) had a triple-status-credits offer, I know someone who booked aJ-class fare (business class)MEL-BNE-CNS-BNE-MEL flight (at the end of the flight period), all sectors on the same day, and landed 960 status credits the following day,” he wrote.
“The fare was almost as cheap as a MEL-SYD-MEL business-class fare. Ka-ching!”
To put that into context, 960 status credits is enough to get instant gold status and on the verge of platinum status with Virgin, which requires 1000 status credits.
Lawrence said he knew “many people who do status runs”, while in the opposite corner was Jock of the Bushveldt who simply called it a “mad strategy”.
Even the beloved of those, who like me had a thirst for chasing points, could find it all a bit baffling.
Take Jonathan, for instance, who wrote about a surprise delivery to his home.
“A case of French champagne arrived unexpectedly at my door yesterday. What the hell? My partner ordered this $600 extravagance from Qantas Wines so he could get silver and lots of bonus lounge passes. Me: shaking my head.”
Meanwhile, Tetchy Tetchy suggested point collectors should “try getting an AMEX Platinum card”.
“It cost around $1400 last year for me and up to four family members. It provides international travel insurance that has actually been honoured on several occasions and VA lounge access when space is available. It makes me fly VA rather than QF when I can,” he said.
But plenty of our readers believe chasing status credits or frequent-flyer points is an, err, pointless exercise.
Reader Peter was blunt: “Why would you fly domestic to Brisbane and then train to International and sleep there and then train back to domestic for a 5.00am flight … stupid.”
For the record, the free shuttle bus from domestic to international only takes five minutes, and I only slept for about an hour, but got some work done on my laptop during the night.
Jessie also had a crack: “This is sad, especially as being a personal finance expert for 20 years hasn’t been enough to be able to afford a business class ticket and save the hassle”. Sorry Jessie, but being a finance writer means I’ve preferred to invest my money elsewhere rather than paying cash for expensive business-class fares.
Steevie chimed in: “There are many healthcare professionals that you can consult for this affliction – with the right care, you may return to a normal and balanced life.”
Fair enough.
Online forums and chat rooms also discuss the strategy, and talk about spouses rolling their eyes at their partners wasting time chasing points and credits.
If you’re a points-chaser rather than an eye-roller, you can find tips and strategies on websites including pointhacks.com.au, thechampagnemile.com.au and australianfrequentflyer.com.au.
Most status credits can only be obtained by flying, although Qantas and Virgin now allow customers to earn 110-120 each year on the ground. But there are countless ways to boost points that can pay for flights, accommodation and almost anything else.
Popular suggestions include chopping and changing credit cards with sign-on points bonus, grocery shopping, taking advantage of double- and triple-points deals, booking accommodation through your airline, buying booze through your airline, shopping on your airline’s marketplace, exercising, buying fuel, paying energy or insurance bills, dining out, being environmentally friendly, hiring cars or catching an Uber.
Many readers will still say points-chasing is a waste of effort. However, there is real value in collecting points if you were going to make the purchase anyway and it’s not too taxing on your time.
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