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Best ways to use your frequent flyer points

Published on December 1st, 2020
  Written by 
Bill Tsouvalas
Bill Tsouvalas is the managing director and a key company spokesperson at Savvy. As a personal finance expert, he often shares his insights on a range of topics, being featured on leading news outlets including News Corp publications such as the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun, Fairfax Media publications such as the Australian Financial Review, the Seven Network and more. Bill has over 15 years of experience working in the finance industry and founded Savvy in 2010 with a vision to provide affordable and accessible finance options to all Australians. He has built Savvy from a small asset finance brokerage into a financial comparison website which now attracts close to 2 million Aussies per year and was included in the BRW’s Fast 100 in 2015 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. He’s passionate about helping Australians make financially savvy decisions and reviews content across the brand to ensure its accuracy. You can follow Bill on LinkedIn.
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Credit cards today offer good perks on sign up and through loyalty programs that are so good that 9 out of 10 Australians are signed up to one. However, not knowing the power of your swipe can make you lose out on major savings such as a free flight to your dream destination. If you are a frequent swiper who has raked up frequent flyer points, but not too sure how to use them these tips are for you.

The international globe trotter

Aussies have a global mind set when it comes to travel destinations. We are so big on exploring the world through travel that 79% of Australians prefer frequent flyer points as their preferred reward. This is based on recent findings by the Achieving Advocacy and Influence in a changing Loyalty Landscape report. The best way to put your points to great use is to not use them immediately for a cheap local flight, but rake them up to save towards an international flight that has been reduced. Thailand here we come!

Stop in two destinations for the price of one

The beauty of having a credit card that works in your favour is priceless. You might have always wanted to stop in London, but you always wanted to know what Dubai looks like. Once you have raked in the appropriate frequent flyer points and booked a flight in advance for a discount, you can ask if your airline offers a free stop over reward. This perk allows you to see two places for the price of one. Depending on the airline that you use, you can get a 24hr stop or a few days in a locale before you journeying on to your final destination.

Get the right card that works for you

Having the right card that matches the type of swiper you are can play a role in terms of making the most of your frequent flyer points. The mistake you can make is to buy a card purely for the rewards. You will have to look at the overall value of the card in terms of its fees and interest rates.

It is also helpful to understand the amount of time it takes to gather enough points to make use of. If you use the card for family needs and swipe at a frequent rate it will benefit your goal of raking frequent flyer points. To make the most of your credit card you will have to shop around and compare credit cards to get a card that suits the type of shopper you are.

The gift of giving

Credit card with reward programmes usually have a point shop where you can trade in your points for various items. It is advisable not to spend your points at a point shop. If you see no need for your points you can use them towards funding another family members dream of travelling. Your swipe can be beneficial to someone else who will put the to good use.

Swipe your way into first class

Delayed gratification can make anyone sweat, but the rewards are worth it. You can delay using your points until you have managed to gather enough to get you into business class. Economy class can sometimes not be economical when it comes to redeeming your points which can wipe out a sizeable amount of the value of using points for your ticket. Redeeming points for business class by using your points can usually be cheaper when compared with economy class.

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This guide provides general information and does not consider your individual needs, finances or objectives. We do not make any recommendation or suggestion about which product is best for you based on your specific situation and we do not compare all companies in the market, or all products offered by all companies. It’s always important to consider whether professional financial, legal or taxation advice is appropriate for you before choosing or purchasing a financial product.

The content on our website is produced by experts in the field of finance and reviewed as part of our editorial guidelines. We endeavour to keep all information across our site updated with accurate information.

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