Frequent flyer program recommendation for trips between Scotland and Australia

Hi there

I’ve recently moved from Sydney to Scotland (Highlands, Inverness) with my husband and daughter and am starting to do quite a bit of business travel back to Sydney, so am wondering which airline to hook up with to get the best points deals (ideally so I can fly the family back to Sydney for holidays on points).  I’ve used Emirates for first two trips but am not sure if they are giving me the best options.

If it helps, I also have an Amex charge card (the old fashioned gold one which used to be linked to Qantas FF but is no longer allowed), and both an Australian bank Visa and a UK bank Visa, neither of which is hooked up to a FF programme.

What’s your preference for flying 2 stops instead of 1? I would imagine you would prefer travelling with Qatar / Etihad / Emirates to be able to fly one-stop for such a long trip. Or maybe through the US, not sure what options there are for Scotland -> LAX -> SYD/MEL.\r\n\r\nAnd are you flying Business Class, and who is paying - you/your employer?

Will your work allow you to book your own travel and expense it? If so, you could have some fun with airline branded cards. A quick google tells me that there’s an Emirates card that gives you cheap companion fares when you buy a full price ticket on Emirates on their card. So you could possibly combine a business trip with a family trip (one family member would essentially travel for the cost of the taxes). And you’d rack points faster by running the spend through your card.