Our Velocity guides updated with new June 2016 changes: a summary

This month, two significant changes were made to the Velocity program, namely the first revaluation of their award chart in five years and the introduction of an ‘Etihad Airways Reward Seat Carrier Charge’.

Many readers are still likely to want to redeem Velocity points as they are some of the most accessible for travellers in Australia and New Zealand, and good value can still be found on Virgin Australia, Singapore Airlines and Virgin America flights, amongst others.
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New Point Hacks guides ‘index’ should make it easier to work your way through the points resources we have on offer

The key mission for Point Hacks is to give you the knowledge to earn the most points, and to use them the most effectively.

We put a LOT of information out there to help you achieve your travel goals from earning and using points, and I’ll admit it’s hard to keep track of – firstly to know what you should read, and then to know what you’ve read already.

Hopefully we’ve started fixing that with the new guides index page that I just added today – you can check it out here and it’s also linked to from the top navigation in every page. Continue reading…

New ways we’ll be covering and reviewing key lounges, flights and cabins

You guys (and I!) love reading reviews of different experiences here on Point Hacks, that’s clear.

They take an age to write but hopefully provide you with both info about experiences you might want to redeem your points for (or use your hard-earned cash), as well some travel inspiration.

With that in mind, I wanted to let you know what I’m thinking when it comes to flight and lounge reviews. Continue reading…

AAdvantage guides updated with new pricing post AA-devaluation

A few weeks back the new, increased pricing from American Airlines for AAdvantage redemptions came into force.

Many readers are still likely to want to redeem AAdvantage miles from miles purchased from promos in the past, or to keep earning them given that the pricing is still usable for good value Business Class (and not so much, First) for a range of destination.

Given how many guides I’ve published on AAdvantage over the last couple of years relied on the old pricing, it was worth going back and updating them. Continue reading…

Our next big trip – we’re off for 7 weeks around the world with kids in tow

I’m in the final throes of packing up our family, house and gear for a lengthy trip – the best kind, of course.

So I figured I should tell you a little more about it, given that upcoming reviews and guides are going to be influenced heavily by what we’re up to over the next couple of months.

It’s not like we haven’t done this before. In fact, other than a couple of road trips and holidays here in Australia, it seems to be what our family does – mostly local travel, and once every few years ‘a big one’ to catch up with family and friends around the world. But this one is a bit extra special.

This kind of trip was actually the catalyst for launching Point Hacks in the first place – I wanted to share what I’d learned during the planning and the execution of our first big round the world trip in 2011.

Here’s what we’ve got planned this time around…
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Meet Kellie – our third new Point Hacks editor

So, we’re at three out of four of the new folks who will be helping out at Point Hacks –
Kellie is a fun loving workaholic who adores her two children, travel, wine, spreadsheets and combining all of these things. Based in Central Queensland, she works in tourism, but not in a role you’d expect.

She seems to take collecting points to fund her family travels pretty seriously, and I can’t wait to have her share her tips and experiences with you.

Here’s her Q&A! Continue reading…

New, free email service launching soon – Impulse Points will help match people with points to burn to possible weekend breaks

Today we opened signups for Impulse Points (you can join here) – a new email service created by Point Hacks and iFLYflat.

The concept is pretty simple – people with points might need some help with finding some of the better ways to use them – and late-booked travel is also one of the best ways to use your points, and an exciting way to travel spontaneously.

So Impulse Points subscribers will receive an email which outlines…
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Over $1,000 in airline credits up for grabs by telling us what you think about loyalty, airlines, credit cards & points in the ‘State of Points 2015’ survey

We’re approaching the end of the year, which is always a good time to take stock before moving into the next one.

For me, this means understanding what you all think about the points and rewards program landscape – what banks, airlines and Point Hacks are doing well, and could do better.

So, I’m launching the ‘State of Points 2015’ – a survey and competition, where I’ve chipped in a prize pool of airline / travel credits of over $1,000 to hopefully make it worth your time and let me know what’s important to you. Continue reading…