KEY POINTS:
It seems every airline has a frequent flyer programme. But with so many to choose from, how do you know which is tops?
The list seems endless: Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Virgin Blue Velocity, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus, American AAdvantage, United Mileage Plus ...
Talk to the experts - the frequent flyer themselves - and they'll tell you quite simply that there is no number one.
Each programme has its good points and bad and what works best depends on individual travel patterns and, more specifically, what you're looking for from a programme. There's more to it than just stacking up
miles (or dollars) to get those "free" flights. Upgrades and faster
preferential treatment are also critical.
For most Kiwis, first port of call is Air New Zealand's Airpoints scheme or Qantas' Frequent Flyer programme. But it's not easy establishing how they measure up against each other.
Both programmes impose a $50 joining fee and Air New Zealand may
charge an annual account if there is no activity. Both airlines are part of a wider network of airline partners - Air New Zealand with the
Star Alliance, Qantas with OneWorld.
Qantas' programme is based on points and distance flown, while Air
New Zealand works on Airpoints dollars and money spent. Qantas allows
for point accumulation on every flight at any fare, Air New Zealand does not offer accumulation on certain short-haul and domestic fares. Both programmes award points when using partner credit cards.
Redemption on Air New Zealand is available on any flight at any fare as long as you have the Airpoints dollars to pay for it. Redemption on Qantas is determined in two ways: "Classic Award" seats are limited on a per flight basis but require less mileage; "Any Seat" awards have no
limits but cost more, depending on the flight (the amount is not always the same).
Airpoints dollars must be used within four years. As long as you earn or use Qantas points every three years they do not expire.
The new kid on the block is the Virgin Blue Velocity programme. There is no joining fee. Members receive at least five points for every fare dollar spent and, like Qantas, can redeem on two levels - restricted and non-restricted availability. A disadvantage is its small number of partners but this should improve as it becomes more established
in Australasia.
Special status is key to any programme. Though most of us would think it's all about points, frequent travellers will tell you it's not. It's about stress-reduction, added comfort and saving time. Travel once or twice a year and the whole madhouse airport experience may not seem
such a big deal. Travel every week and you quickly catch on that it is.
The more you fly in a year, the higher your "status points" towards Air
New Zealand Silver, Gold or Gold Elite membership, or "status credits" towards Qantas Silver, Gold or Platinum membership that provide benefits that make airline travel less chaotic - lounge access, upgrades, extra luggage allowances and priority waitlisting, check-in, boarding and baggage tagging.
Air New Zealand's top customers now also qualify for the state-of-the-art ePass electronic tag which allows smoother, faster check-in at new self-service kiosks at Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington airports, and dependent on aircraft, enables one to book
"Space+" seats which offer more leg room than standard economy seats at
no extra cost.
A Gold Elite member with Air New Zealand and Platinum at Qantas - who
has taken a keen interest in programmes around the world - says
Qantas and Air New Zealand offer similar benefits to loyal customers
and are geared towards making it easier for those who travel regularly in premium cabins to earn status.
If you only sit in the back of the bus, your account will be slow to grow unless you fly regularly or spend big on a partner credit card. It used to be easier to earn status on Qantas, but Air New Zealand has levelled the playing field by allowing points to be accumulated on
all its flights from this month.
This frequent flier feels earning free travel is easier with US-based programmes, and members who don't fly much are better off on home
turf.
"For someone based in Australia, Qantas is better because no domestic flights can be credited to Air New Zealand and with Qantas you earn more points on short, cheap flights.
"For someone based in New Zealand, Air New Zealand is probably better
depending on where you travel. While the programme is a bit meaner
than Qantas, there are more benefits as they offer one free upgrade for silver status and two for Gold and Gold Elite.
How many times must you fly before you get a free ticket? Again, it's not simple. Because Air New Zealand does not give Airpoints dollars on cheap transtasman "smart saver" seats you have to buy the higher "flexi-saver" seat to earn 30 Airpoint dollars.
This means that to redeem on the recently advertised one-way $192
fare (excluding $54 in taxes), you need to fly at least seven times. Qantas gives out 1341 points on all fares. To redeem one-way to Sydney
on a "classic" award, you need 18,000 points. With special status bonuses, that could take as little as seven flights to earn, and without, as many as 14.
But "classic award" redemptions with their restricted availability can
be difficult to obtain. Throw in an "any seat" award instead and you'll use more points.
With current advertised all-inclusive fares to Sydney as low as $245 one-way, it may not seem worth it. And because Air New Zealand
allows you to pay with Airpoints dollars, it could seem the better option.
The Qantas programme adds fuel surcharges to the quoted Classic Award
redemption points requirement. A one-way award ticket across the
Tasman can draw extra costs of $135 as well as points. For the $90 cash
difference, why bother?
This does not happen at Air New Zealand, where fares are all-inclusive
(except for airport and government taxes). But most foreign programmes,
except American ones, also add fuel surcharges to award tickets.
It makes you wonder: is there no such thing as a free ride anymore?
