For most travellers, Business Class feels like something reserved for executives, celebrities, or people who casually drop five figures on flights without flinching.

That belief is understandable and retail prices back up this theory, but it’s wildly inaccurate.

Many premium cabin seats are not paid for with cash at all. They’re booked using Frequent Flyer points, often by travellers who simply have a deep understanding how the system works.

At Points Advisor, we see this each day. Travellers who once assumed Business Class was “not for people like me” suddenly find themselves flying flat-bed seats to Europe, Asia, or the US, paying little more than taxes.

The gap between those two outcomes is not wealth. It’s knowledge.

Why most people struggle with points (and think they don’t work)

Frequent flyer programs aren’t designed to be intuitive. They’re complex by design, full of fine print, moving parts, and incentives that reward the airlines shareholders far more than the average member.

As a result, majority of people redeem points poorly or just give up, common mistake we see regularly are points being cashed out for gift cards or use to by treadmills or even worse point balances sit unused for years and expire.

People conclude that points “aren’t worth it”.

When points are earned strategically and redeemed deliberately, the value difference is dramatic. The same points that buy a $500 gift card can often unlock a $4,000 to $8,000 Business Class seat.

The hidden power of everyday spending

One of the biggest misconceptions about points is that you need to be a frequent flyer to earn meaningful balances. You don’t.

Everyday expenses do the heavy lifting. Think groceries, utilities & insurance bills , school fees, council rates, online purchases, even business expenses and tax payments for some.

With the right pairing of cards, partners, and timing, these household expense quietly generate points in the background. There are several ways to stack points and optimise your point earning on every purchase, this is the key to building up your point balances fast.

This is where most travellers leave enormous value on the table. Not because they aren’t spending enough. Because no one ever showed them the foundations to structure their points earning properly.

Earning points is just the start

Once your have optimised point earning strategy in place, using your points for high-value redemptions require a deep understanding to extract the most value from:-

• Which programs offer the best value for long-haul Business and First Class?
• How airline partner networks actually work with points?
• When award seats are released (and when they’re not)?
• Why flexibility matters more than people realise
• How to avoid common redemption traps that waste points

This is also where frustration usually sets in. People have points, but can’t find flights. Or they find flights that require absurd amounts of points. Or they discover availability after they’ve already booked cash tickets.

None of this is random. It’s systemic.

Once you understand the logic behind award availability and airline behaviours, the chaos starts to look… more predictable.

What we teach at Points Advisor

Points Advisor remove guesswork from points travel.

We’ve spent years helping real clients turn points into premium travel. Our training courses funnels our vast experience into practical, Australian-focused, educational courses designed for all travellers, no matter what stage your at in your points journey we have you covered.

Whether you’re starting from zero or already earning points but unsure how to use them properly, the goal is the same: turn everyday spending into premium travel, without paying retail prices.

All our Points Advisor courses include

No ongoing commitments — Purchase all three courses together or buy them individually, just a one time payment.

Complimentary Expert Support — our team has completed hundreds of successful points redemptions and is available to answer your questions via email. Points Booster and Points Mastery courses include a complimentary call with our team.

Australian-focused strategies — tailored earning and redemption strategies for Business and First Class long-haul flights to and from Australia.

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Good news for Qantas Frequent Flyers: you can now climb the status ladder without even booking a flight.

For a limited time, Qantas is giving members the chance to unlock up to 110 Status Credits just by earning Qantas Points on the ground. All you need to do is register by 31 October 2025 to take part.

Once registered, it’s simple:

• Earn 1,000 Qantas Points in any of eight categories — from shopping and credit cards to hotel stays and more — before 31 December 2025.
• Each category you complete unlocks Status Credits.
• Credits will land in your account within six to eight weeks.

And here’s the best part: if you’re already earning Qantas Points on the ground, those will count too — as long as you register for the offer. The more categories you complete, the closer you get to the maximum 110 Status Credits.

After registering, you’ll get a confirmation email, and your journey to higher status is underway.

Image credit: Qantas

The post Boost Your Qantas Status Without Flying – Here’s How appeared first on Points Advisor.

Gerhard Girkinger, Oneworld’s Head of Customer Experience provided insights about this much-anticipated initiative. According to Girkinger, the alliance is currently finalising the program’s launch details. Girkinger emphasised technology integration among member airlines is a critical aspect of this rollout and that the program will initially start on a smaller scale, gradually expanding its scope.

Significant Impact with Wide-Reaching Effect

The introduction of this program is expected to have a significant impact, especially if it includes major players like British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, and Qatar Airways using the Avios currency, along with American Airlines and Cathay Pacific. This would ensure a wide-reaching effect even in its early stages.

One notable example of the program’s potential benefits is the ability to use Qantas Points for upgrades on flights like Qatar Airways. However, Girkinger clarified that there are no plans to create a unified Oneworld currency like ‘Oneworld Miles’ or ‘Oneworld Points.’ Instead, the alliance will provide the necessary framework, while each airline will determine its own exchange rates for upgrades, similar to current practices for redemption.

The integration of different frequent flyer programs and the determination of eligible fare types for upgrades present complex challenges. Policies vary among airlines, with some offering instant upgrade confirmations and others requiring waitlisting. Additionally, there’s the issue of balancing available reward seats between an airline’s own customers and those from other airlines in the alliance.

Another aspect under consideration is the eligibility criteria for fare types for alliance-based upgrades. For instance, Star Alliance, a competitor network, requires bookings in a full-fare flexible economy for business class upgrades. Qantas has previously explored options like setting a minimum points threshold for upgrades, focusing on standard and flexible economy fares.

More Thrilling Developments in the Pipeline

The pandemic has impacted the pace of development of this program, which is part of Oneworld’s broader initiative, including the opening of a second branded lounge. As Oneworld approaches its 25th anniversary, Girkinger hints at more exciting developments in the pipeline, suggesting that the alliance’s upgrade program could surpass those offered by other alliances.

As other alliance programs scramble to keep pace with these incredible changes it has become clear that, more than ever, keeping up-to-date with industry trends is paramount for the frequent flyer.  For those that would like to stay updated with industry news as it happens click on the “keep me posted” button below.

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