Earning more status credits

So how do I earn more credits, I hear you ask?  Well, quite easy really - spent more money with Qantas!!! Its not just about where you are going, but how you're going to get there - and yes, this can be said about a few things in our lives today.

So how does this apply to earing status credits?  Once you've decided where you want to travel to, then next bit is to arrange your trip to earn maximum status credits.  Remember - a theme of this blog - you have to pay for the trips to earn the credits!  Now that we've got over this hurdle, of course it is a good idea to pay as little for the trip as possible, but still making sure you are earning maximum credits.  For example travelling anything less than a fully flexible Jetstar fare will not earn you any points, nor status credits!  Travelling star class on Jetstar will earn you the equivalent of business class points and credits at a fraction of the cost (but as always, you get what you pay for!).  Another tip - if you are travelling a long distance, is look at the route you are choosing - it may be that for some extra time in the air, you can get heaps more credits, and the fare may actually be less! 

Very important at this stage of the discussion - make sure you have a fabulous travel agent!!  I wouldn't  have discovered this tip if my travel agent hadn't recommended it - it not only saved me dollars, but I also earned way more points than if I had just travelled directly - this was a trip from Australia to USA and we went over via Hong Kong on Cathay, which is also part of the Oneworld Alliance which means earning points and credits. My travel agent books all of my paying overseas trips, and I still use the net to book any domestic trips (as in those I have to pay for, not FF tickets!). (http://www.sporttours.com.au/ - it would be very rude of me not to share my agents details!! - John, Ryan and the team at Premium Sports Tours organise fabulous sporting trips too!!)


If, for example you were travelling to the east coast of the US, then you may have the time to do a trip via London - yes I know a bit more time, but think of the extra credits and points!!!  The first time I paid for a first class ticket, it cost the equivalent of a business class ticket and I got the extra credits/points all because I was prepared to spend an extra 6 hours of flying time! 

A word of warning here - just because you are travelling on a Qantas plane, it doesn't mean you are on a Qantas/Oneworld ticket!  You can't earn points/credits unless you are - and yes, I did find this one out the hard way!!  That little error meant I had to pay for another trip to get the level I was aiming for!!  With the advent of codeshare these days, you have to ensure that the fare you are buying entitles you to the credits/points, if your outcome is to earn such! 

Next time - some of the published and not so published benefits of Platinum Frequent Flyers!!