Is it advisable to have both Velocity and Qantas points?

Frequent Flyer Programs
1

Hi guys,

I have a stack of Velocity points and wanted to travel from Melbourne to Eastern Europe (Poland/Ukraine/etc).

Unfortunately I found that my Velocity points weren’t very useful. There were some options if I flew to Singapore or HK first, waited, paid for the additional ticket and introduced an extra leg - but the cost and time was just too much.

It was easier to buy an economy Qatar flight that had a single short stop in Doha.

I figured the best way to get to Eastern Europe from Melbourne is via Qatar, Emirates or Etihad.

I’m wondering, with the decent sign on bonuses at the moment, is it best to build points under both Qantas and Virgin for maximum flexibility when travelling? (is this what most people do?).

Also - I’m assuming if I had lots of Qantas points I could buy business class on Qatar or Emirates easily enough? (I understand I have to do this outright, rather than by upgrade).

Thanks!

2

Yes, is the short answer. This is why flexible point currency (e.g. Amex reward points) is much more valuable/useful compared to a specific point program like Velocity. As you can transfer points to the loyalty program of choice as required.

Having a usable balance in more than one program allows you to have access to more airline partners, which allows for more flight options and more award seat. Qantas signup bonuses are in abundance in the market so you should have plenty of options. Another thing to be mindful of is the taxes and surcharges that Qantas charge for award bookings.

Good luck.