Not sure what rewards credit card to go with

[daydreamqueen]

hi everyone

I am looking for a credit card with good flight rewards. I put approx $3,500+ across a month and pay off.

I'd prefer a card that wont restrict rewards points to QFF. I live in Darwin and would be looking at redeeming points for flights to any of the following... Brisbane, Melbourne, South East Asia and Europe (mainly Greece) via Singapore. I already travel to each place every one or two years

Can anyone suggest a card?

 

[JohnK]

For SE Asia and Europe (mainly Greece) you would be best off with a card that allows the points to be transferred to SQ KrisFlyer although I don't think SQ flies to DRW. The reason I mention KrisFlyer is that it requires less points for awards than Qantas.

A couple of exaples are for economy SYD/MEL/BNE-SIN/BKK/HKG requires 60,000 QFF points but only 46,750 KrisFlyer miles (actually 55,000 KrisFlyer miles - 15% online booking discount) and SYD/MEL/BNE-ATH requires 128,000 QFF points with transit in SIN/BKK/HKG and LHR but only 80,750 KrisFlyer miles (actually 95,000 KrisFlyer miles - 15% online booking discount) with transit in SIN only.

Taxes and surcharges are roughly the same for both airlines. You may also find that SQ KrisFlyer comes out better for awards in premium cabins.

Which card? Some type of Amex credit card (you choose the colour and obviously Platinum would cost more but also earn more points) with Membership Rewards or a direct sweep Amex like the Westpac KrisFlyer Amex credit card.

If your heart is set on directing points to QFF then you will need some type of co-branded Amex such as CBA, ANZ, Earth etc.

Don't know much about Visa/Mastercard.

 

[MAX_1]

As I am not sure of flight in and out of Darwin, can you tell me how you would fly to Greece and back from Darwin. Can you get to Singapore easily? Maybe you purchase a flight to Singapore , then use Krisflier points to go SIN-ATH-SIN.
Your spend is not high enough to get much more than an Econ flight Aust-Europe once every 3 years.

 

[JohnK]

Your spend is not high enough to get much more than an Econ flight Aust-Europe once every 3 years.

If $3,500/month spend is all on Amex then this is $42,000/year and with a Westpac Platinum KrisFlyer card @ 1.5 points/$1 this would be 63,000 KrisFlyer miles.

More than enough for 2 economy flights SYD/MEL/BNE-ATH every 3 years or enough for 1 economy flight SIN-ATH (59,500 KrisFlyer miles) every year.

 

[MAX_1]

If $3,500/month spend is all on Amex then this is $42,000/year and with a Westpac Platinum KrisFlyer card @ 1.5 points/$1 this would be 63,000 KrisFlyer miles.

More than enough for 2 economy flights SYD/MEL/BNE-ATH every 3 years or enough for 1 economy flight SIN-ATH (59,500 KrisFlyer miles) every year.

Yianaki ( Johnny in Greek) , it was 7.55pm when I posted. The brain cells were exhausted by then and the calculator section was low in power.....lol.

But as the Orig Poster lives in Darwin, we must add the cost of getting to a starting point.

 

[daydreamqueen]

Thanks for the replies!

MAX_1 my boyfriend's name also called Yiannis I haven't heard of Yianaki before though... we go to Greece to visit his dad, would be nice to get some points/miles towards the flights!

I normally fly Jetstar to Singapore and then SIA/Qatar/MAL etc to Greece, I can get two tickets this way for the price on one with Qantas/BA

Will I be able to use miles, say Krisflyer miles, to book a SIN-ATH leg or does the travel have to originate in Australia? I know that I can't pay for flights this way with out a credit card from the country of origin (unless through an Aus website)

The cards I've found that use rewards other then just QF are Westpac Platinum KrisFlyer card (thanks for the tip JohnK!), Westpac Alititude Platinum card (it offers 3/$1), Macquarie Visa Platinum Card, Citibank Platinum and American Express Platinum (although the annual fee is $900!!). Might consider the Gold cards but at the moment I am thinking platinum. Any reasons to cross any of these off the list?

 

[JohnK]

MAX_1 my boyfriend's name also called Yiannis I haven't heard of Yianaki before though... we go to Greece to visit his dad, would be nice to get some points/miles towards the flights!

Yiannis and Yiannaki are one and the same although you would use Yiannaki for a child or when addressing someone younger than yourself.

Will I be able to use miles, say Krisflyer miles, to book a SIN-ATH leg or does the travel have to originate in Australia?

Travel does not have to originate in Australia.

I know that I can't pay for flights this way with out a credit card from the country of origin (unless through an Aus website)

You can pay for flights originating in Singapore (actually most places in the SQ network) with a credit card issued in Australia. I have done this numerous times. Note you may need to present the credit card at check-in.

 

[MAX_1]

The cards I've found that use rewards other then just QF are Westpac Platinum KrisFlyer card (thanks for the tip JohnK!), Westpac Alititude Platinum card (it offers 3/$1), Macquarie Visa Platinum Card, Citibank Platinum and American Express Platinum (although the annual fee is $900!!). Might consider the Gold cards but at the moment I am thinking platinum. Any reasons to cross any of these off the list?

Westpac Plat KF has announced that the earn rate on the Visa card will be $2/1pt from March 15,2011.

To purchase an Amex Platinum for $900 is not justified, imo, unless you have the capacity for a large spend.

Westpac Altitude Plat card may earn 3/$1 , but check how it converts to the airline points, it is probably not at that rate.

I have Citi Emirates card 1.5/$1 capped at $100,000/150,000 pa. Might be possible to fly Singarpore- Dubai - Athens and find your own way to Singapore.

 

[MAX_1]

With a spend of under $60,000 pa , I would check out Citi Gold. This card is capped to earn 60,000 points a year and earns 1/$1. cost $149 a year.

The points can be used to redeem with Singapore Airlines and Virgin ( not sure at what conversion rate).

To look at using an Amex card where surcharges of up to 3% are added would not be cost effective,unless a business payment where the surcharge becomes tax deductable.

 

[Moopere]

Mmm. I'm looking at this question myself right now.

Having a look at:

Woolies Everyday rewards Mastercard which seems to be offering a 1:1 QFF points but also some possibilities for 2:1 or thereabouts if you shop at Woolies and associated stores or petrol outlets (using the everyday rewards barcode on your CC it seems)

Outside of points accrual, there seem to be few frills with this card though.

$89/yr, 55d interest free, seem to be offering 16,000 free QFF points at the moment


A more full service card appears to be the Amex Platinum Edge. Travel insurance, free domestic flight every year (carrier unknown to me, probably DJ?) $1:3 points at 'major' supermarkets, 2 points at major fuel and 1 point for pretty much everything else. Points are in the Amex "Ascent" Program. Can transfer Ascent points to a myriad partner airlines (not QFF though), Krisflyer and Velocity are at 1:1 which is reasonable, others are less favourable like Asia Miles at 4:3

I need to read the full terms and conditions, but this one might be a good replacement for my CBA Gold Visa which is doing nothing and going nowhere.

$149/yr, no stated interest free period that I could find (Amex CC owners .. any comments?). Sniffing the site it appears that if you pay your full balance at each statement you don't pay interest on purchases. This probably translates into the often seen 44d interest free?? Comments pls. Looks like you get punished if you miss a payment (26% interest), currently offering 20,000 ascent points when you join.

 

[cove]

Don't even dream about rewards points on credit cards if you cannot pay the whole account by the due date in full!
I haven't had a shop reject the Woolies Everydayrewards card so I find it quite useful for those personal expenses where Amex is not accepted.
The Platinum Edge card sounds ok too but if it is a choice of one over the other you could look at your expenses and if they are more inclined to take Visa or MasterCard then there is your answer.

 

[MAX_1]

Qantas Amex Discovery card sounds good.
Uncapped, no fee earns 1/$1.
Due to the work load of Christmas , I haven't had time to read the fine print. This combined with a Woolworths card could be a good combination. Not sure if Woolworths card is capped.

 

[Moopere]

Qantas Amex Discovery card sounds good.
Uncapped, no fee earns 1/$1.
Due to the work load of Christmas , I haven't had time to read the fine print. This combined with a Woolworths card could be a good combination. Not sure if Woolworths card is capped.

Yeah, I looked at this as well. Looks like you could pretty much guarantee 7500 free points but the last 2500 rely upon buying QF services or products which I personally couldn't necessarily guarantee.

But the card is free after all which is a big plus over the Everyday rewards card. Everyday rewards seems to offer more opportunity for 1:2 points gathering though as as they are offering 16K points to join this should negate the start up cost of 89$ (even at a bad conversion rate of 0.5c/point it essentially levels the cost of the card)

Provided you can find time to take the 'free' flight and wanted an Amex I'd probably still aim at the Amex Plat Edge at $149 as its points accrual is better, you get 20K points + free flight which really zero's the cost of the card.

I'm going to ring Amex today to find out the deal with interest free periods as I'm not reassured by the lack of statement on this via their website.

{Edit: Gave them a call, its 55d interest free on the Edge CC}