As our season of long term travel abroad concludes, we’ve been reflecting on the questions we’ve had during that time. How we manage to fly in premium cabins comes up regularly. At times, it seems this is of more interest than the destinations we visit! This prompted us to pull together this beginner’s guide to Business Class travel.
We’ve shared our enjoyment of various Business and First Class experiences on the blog and social media regularly. Our first trip in the Emirates First Class cabin was a bucket list travel experience. Unlike most bucket lists though, we plan to keep ticking these experiences off again and again. So do we drop the $10-$15k on these flights that you might see advertised?
Of course not! We’re valuer seekers at heart, and there are better value options to spend your money on in this world. Sure, it’s a comfortable experience, but that amount of money can buy us many months worth of travel. That sort of cash would get you nearly a year in somewhere like Romania! And a lot of gelato in Bologna. We know where we’d rather spend that money.
Our Passion For Travel contains affiliate links which may provide a commission. Our reviews and commentary remain independent and commission comes at no cost to you. Income derived help us create more content to help travellers like you make the most of your travel experiences. Read more here.
This is the way to fly!
So how do you travel in Business Class so often?
Spending the bulk of my career in banking and a good chunk of that in the credit cards industry, I’ve been privy to some of the tricks of the trade. And the biggest trick of all is learning to navigate frequent flyer programs. It is these airline loyalty programs make travel in premium cabins a reality.
Once we share this, we usually get met with some hesitation. We’ve even had conversations stop right there. We’ve had many people tell us what we’re doing is a scam. And that hurts when you read about the sort of scams out there in this world! But friends, I can promise this is no scam. In fact, the only people being scammed are those that don’t take advantage of these programs. Because they’re missing out.
Picture this. You’re boarding your economy class flight. You got a great deal, the ticket was on sale. The airline makes you walk through Business Class to your seat. It makes you just a little envious as the folks in their comfortable recliners sip champagne. You shuffle off to your seat. Fight to secure some overhead luggage space. And settle into your seat which reclines around 10-20cm. And it also needs to come up for meal service.
We all know that premium travel is a comfortable, quality way to fly. But here’s the rub. The people in the pointy end likely paid almost nothing compared to that economy seat. Ouch.
I see how that may seem unfair. And potentially too good to be true. And this is where understanding the system and stacking it in your favour is your imperative. It’s like playing cards, except you get to start each hand with a couple of guaranteed aces.
So in this beginner’s guide to Business Class travel, I’ll break down how we’ve achieved regular premium cabin travel. Importantly, how it is achievable for most individuals. There are nuances to navigate, but I’ll try and keep it high level. Many sites exist who do some incredibly granular analysis around maximising points earn. I’ll steer clear of those, but if you want deeper reading, check out Point Hacks for incredibly detailed analysis.
The examples below are Australian based. The principles however, stand in most major markets. Some markets are even more generous than Australia making it even more possible.
What flights have you taken in Business Class during your sabbatical?
To whet your appetite, these are the flights we’ve taken over the last 18 months. I’ve detailed how much they cost per person in points and cash.
Our favourite flight was the Dubai to Zurich leg in First Class. You can read more about that flight here. All of these flights were an amazing way to travel, and as you can see, a lot easier on the wallet.
Those numbers you see are accurate too. For example, we did manage to fly from Abu Dhabi to Sydney for just $345. That’s 14 hours in a lie flat bed. With on demand champagne, excellent meals, large screens and more than enough places to put all of your carry on. How does that compare with a discounted economy ticket?
Before we get started, it’s important at this point to share that the following is an insight into what we’ve done. It shouldn’t be considered advice, and from our own experience sharing with friends, it may not be suitable for everyone. We’ll leave it to your best judgment to decide what to do with the information, but the important point is that it is you who should decide that. Let’s get started on how we make this a reality.
Join a Frequent Flyer program
The first step in seeking to fly in Business Class is to sign up for a Frequent Flyer program. These are the two leading airline loyalty programs in Australia. I’d encourage people to sign up for both programs. This will enable you to take advantage of both programs.
Many Australians are already members. There are 10 million+ Qantas Frequent Flyers and over 7 million Velocity (Virgin Australia) members.
If you’re not already a member, joining is easy. Visit Qantas or Virgin’s website and sign up. Qantas often state there is a cost, but this is typically waived making both programs free.
Earning points
The next step is to seek out ways to earn points. Thankfully, earning points couldn’t be easier. There are a plethora of ways to earn, so let’s explore them.
Earn points for flying
The obvious way to earn points is from flying. So for every flight you take, you can earn points. Points earned on a flight vary by distance. From time to time there are promotions run by the airlines offering bonus points.
Whilst flying is the most obvious points earner, it’s actually one of the slowest ways to accumulate. Unless you’re flying for work or long distances regularly, it will take an age to accrue any meaningful level of points.
Earn points with Credit Cards
Say hello to your biggest friend when it comes to points accumulation. Having worked in credit cards for many years, I can tell you this is your ticket to travelling in Business Class more often.
New card promotions are run regularly. They will vary in size and their conditions. It is not unusual to find offers in the vicinity of 80,000 – 150,000 Frequent Flyer/Velocity points.
The card I most recently took out that I deemed the best deal for me at the time was the Qantas Platinum card. The offer had 120,000 Qantas points and comes with a reduced annual fee of $199 for the first year. This goes up to $299 in the second year. It requires $1500 spend every month for 6 months. The points are provided in 20,000 allotments each month.
This offer alone is almost enough for us to complete the Sydney to Munich trip in Business Class above. Top the bonus points up with some credit card spending, and you’ve got yourself a one way ticket already lined up.
Keep an eye on the hurdles and the annual fees. Even with an annual fee, a card may be worth applying for. If a fee is $200 for instance, you may wish to pay that given the cost still discounts premium business class travel.
Check your credit score
Applying for credit causes some alarm amongst friends. Won’t it affect my credit rating? The short answer is yes, it will. And applying for credit is a deeply personal decision which I’m aware many shy away from. If this isn’t for you, that’s totally your call.
I apply for as many cards as I can to take advantage of points offers whilst balancing my credit rating. I keep an eye on my credit rating via Credit Savvy. I ensure it doesn’t slip below ‘good’.
The other factor in applying for cards is ensuring that I can meet the spend hurdles. It’s no use applying for 3 cards at once if I can’t fulfil the offer.
I have found my sweet spot being around 3-4 applications per year. Some credit card providers don’t allow you to take out another offer for 12-18 months, so that needs to be kept in mind. I keep a detailed spreadsheet of when I took the card out, what the spend hurdle is, the annual fee and when it is next due. It is a rare card that I keep beyond 12 months which is when a new annual fee will apply.
Once the maximum points on offer have been collected, I close the card and move onto the next card.
Use your credit card to pay for everything
We use our cards for all purchases. Not recklessly. We prioritise the card and wherever credit cards are accepted, we use it. Groceries, fuel spending, bills, travel and day to day expenses are all put on our credit card. We pay it off at the end of the month. This point is critical. Any incurred interest is an additional cost that we simply do not need.
The key here is to not change your overall spending habit, only the card with which you pay.
Spending at supermarkets
Supermarket spending represents an opportunity to multiply your points balance. The ability to double dip if you will. It will come as no surprise that the two major supermarkets are aligned to the two major airlines. Woolworths are partnered with Qantas. Coles with Velocity.
You need to make sure you’re enrolled in the supermarket loyalty program and your airline loyalty program is linked.
Woolworths Rewards
Woolworths Rewards allows you to transfer your points directly to Qantas. You need to be a member and elect to have your points transfer to Qantas. If this is option is not selected, you will receive discounts off your groceries. This is a poor value exchange in my opinion.
The base earn rate is 1 Woolworths Rewards point for $1 spent. 2000 Woolworths Rewards points equates to 1000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points. When you hit 2000 Woolworths Rewards points, these will transfer directly to your Qantas points balance.
On top of the usual points earn, Woolworths may provide targeted points offers. I’ve received the following offers in recent times:
10500 points when I spend $140 each week for 2 weeks.
4000 Woolworths Rewards points when I spend $80 on online shopping.
5x points on soft drinks.
2000 points when I spend $50 in store.
There are a range of offers, and these will typically be based off your own purchase behaviour. If you don’t shop at Woolworths for a while, you can expect a more generous ‘win back’ offer to come your way.
In store, there may also be a range of promotions. These might be for particular products and Gift Cards seem to be a key category for bonus points as well.
Big W and BWS purchases also earn Woolworths Rewards.
Coles Fly Buys
Coles is aligned with Velocity and their program works a little differently. 2000 Fly Buys points equates to 870 Velocity points. This is the same exchange as Woolworths and Qantas had until recently. I imagine this may be realigned shortly in the future.
You will similarly receive special offers on products, minimum spend or win back offers just like Woolworths. My personal experience has been that these are more frequent, but less generous. They are targeted offers, so it could be a reflection of my own purchase behaviour.
You can earn points at Kmart and Liquorland as well.
Where the program differs is in the redemption. Your points will build up, and you’ll have the option to choose when you want to redeem them. You can redeem via Fly Buys for a range of options. The logical redemption item for this article is Velocity points.
The freedom to choose where and when to redeem these points is very useful. Typically Velocity runs a bonus promotion twice a year. This has meant being able to convert your points from Fly Buys to Velocity with a 15-25% bonus. I don’t transfer my points outside of this window, the promotions run like clockwork.
Purchasing alcohol
I’ve mentioned BWS and Liquorland participating in the respective supermarket schemes. There are also opportunities to earn points with wine merchants.
Qantas Wines from Qantas Frequent Flyer have a good quality range of wines. Often, bulk purchases attract bonus points. Sometimes 5000 or 10000 points might be earned on a six pack or dozen.
Similarly, Virgin Wines or Laithwaite’s Wine earn Velocity points. They too offer up bonus points for bulk purchases and special offers.
Wine drinkers will find these a very quick way to earn extra points.
Filling up your car
In a country where people fall head over heels for a 4c per litre fuel discount, it’s unsurprising points can be earned at the bowser.
Coles Express attracts additional Velocity points per litre. They will also run promotions enabling bonus points to be earned. This could be multipliers of points, a flat bonus points offer or points incentives to purchase items in store.
Caltex purchases are eligible for Woolworths Rewards points.
At some point in 2020, BP purchases will start earning Qantas points. This will replace the current program with Velocity.
Find the best credit card offers
There are many websites that detail the various offers of the moment. Qantas Frequent Flyer and Velocity will host offers on their sites. Canstar and Finder will also have the latest offers.
Buying online
Both Qantas Frequent Flyer and Velocity have their own ‘online shopping mall’. You can see the merchants at Qantas Shopping here or the Velocity e-store here. There are some good quality merchants available. You can earn extra points simply for activating your purchase through these portals. Like the previously mentioned categories, these too run bonus offers from time to time.
Where else can you earn points?
It makes sense to check online before you make any purchase. There may be a way to earn additional points. Mobile phone deals, electricity and health insurance all attract bonus points with certain providers. The opportunities to top up your points balance really are endless.
I’ve got the points, now what?
We’ve got the points earn component out of the way. That’s one half of the beginner’s guide to business class travel. At this point, you’ve done the hard yards. After a couple of credit card applications and some considered shopping, you should now be in a position where you’ve got a couple of hundred thousand points.
It’s at this point that you can commence dreaming about where you might head. For the two of us, we wait until we’ve got 200-300 thousand points each available. Let’s revisit that points table again.
You can start by logging in to your Qantas or Velocity portal. You’ll now have to decide where you want to fly and importantly when. Searching is similar to the interface when booking with cash. There are some caveats when booking flights using points.
You’ll also notice there is a hard dollar cost. This is to pay for taxes. You can choose to use points for this component, but we feel like this is a poor value exchange. If you do choose to redeem for taxes too, this effectively makes your flight free. We always opt to pay the taxes however, as it still keeps the overall cost down and keeps points available for future bookings.
Choose your timing wisely
Want to fly next week? You’ll be unlikely to secure a seat. Want to fly next school holidays? Good luck with that search. Want to fly in 10 months time out of school holidays? You’ll likely have more luck.
There are seats available at these times. It gets more competitive as time goes on and giving yourself the biggest window will help increase your chances of nailing a seat. Look for periods of lower overall demand.
Seats are released earlier for frequent flyers
The seats available for redemption are released on a preferred customer basis. Customers with a higher tier of travel get priority over available seats. So if you’re a new flyer, and don’t have status (earned by flying regularly with one airline or their partners) you’ll be on the bottom rung of availability. Fly a lot and achieve a higher status? You’ll get better and quicker access to premium seating.
Think about less popular destinations
Looking to fly to London, Paris or Rome? Expect that these flights will be competitive given the popularity of the destination. There will be limited availability. When we flew to Munich in April 2019, we were open to getting to anywhere in Europe and building our trip around that. I’d encourage the same level of flexibility. For this trip, when we wanted to leave, we had the option of Munich or Manchester. We needed to move a few days either side to open up other cities.
We were keen on visiting Germany and Austria anyhow, so Munich made sense for us. To maximise your chances of availability, think about other destinations with good connections (which could be by bus or rail too).
Get creative with your route
Flying two legs from Australia to Europe or vice versa means additional complexity. The booking portal might suggest there is no availability in the premium cabins. This was the case when we were searching last year to head home from Europe. However, we could see that there was availability from Abu Dhabi. We ended up taking an economy flight from Belarus to Abu Dhabi. We stayed a couple of days there and then secured Business Class from Abu Dhabi home.
Try, try and try again
One of the keys to our beginner’s guide to Business Class travel is perseverance. Searching for availability can be painstaking. Keep at it though, and you’ll be rewarded in time. Be flexible, and keep on trying.
Our beginner’s guide to flying Business Class on a page
The final question – should I prioritise Qantas or Velocity?
This is perhaps the most common question we are asked. There is a theory that suggests being a part of both programs dilutes your ability to redeem. We have both been mid tier with both programs, when we may have been able to be in a higher tier with one program. With that said, we like the flexibility it affords. And our two flights on Etihad were a result of there being no availability on Emirates via the UAE.
For us, keeping an eye on both programs has served us better. Having a points balance in both has meant we’ve been able to travel in premium cabins where we may otherwise have not been able to.
We haven’t had the luxury of booking months in advance, so flexibility has been much needed on our travels.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our beginner’s guide to Business Class. Hopefully it helps you on your journey to your own premium cabin experiences. If you’ve any questions, we’re always happy to assist – throw them in the comments below!
