Flights to the LoS and reward miles

[danny99]

I have noticed recently that airlines must be competing with travel agents (well certainly in the UK), it may have always been the case, I'm not sure.

For example, on the Thai airlines site, a Lon-BKK flight leaving and returning on "specific dates" I'm travelling which I plugged in are the same price and in actual fact a little cheaper than the travel agents, and probably even cheaper because booking direct with airlines may not mean credit card charges.

I'm not sure if this has always been the case or what. The advantage also being you can choose your seat etc there and then.

Secondly, at one time, I thought collecting reward miles were a rubbish idea, it would take forever to save up for a flight. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this is not the case - in some cases 4-5 return flights will suffice for a free trip to Thailand (long journeys such as Lon-BKK I'm on about).

There are many secrets to accumulating frequent flyer points, and unless you are an international executive flying all around the world at someone else's expense and preferably in business class, flying is not the optimum way to collect them. The quickest way is to have a credit card that earns you points for usage, and then use it for virtually all of your daily expenses. Double or even treble dipping can also be possible in some countries, For example Qantas offer bonus points for using the QANTAS ANZ card to purchase tickets [and duty free expense on board] so you earn them plus the mileage points. Some bonus partners also offer double/triple points, which is great if you are going to use them anyway [and then use the card as well, and get more points], Unfortunately QANTAS has just about the worse FF program of any airline, almost impossible to get an awards flight [unless you want to fly to Siberia in winter], and then you pay $$$ for surcharges on what was supposed to be a FREE flight. Thai is one of the best programs, if there is a spare seat on the plane, then you can have it. If you are wait listed for a flight, even an award one, you get prioirity. You do not have to be a member of your own national airline program as points are transferable between Star Alliance airlines programs and the same with the QANTAS British Airways group. So check out the best program amongst the airlines in your group and join that one. ou can still book an award flight on any airline within that group.The better ones are also FREE, like Thai, not $100 like QANTAS!

[krobbie]

Air New Zealand is also on the list.

Someone has to win the booby prize, I guess

Homintern ... play nice. We kiwi's are proud of our airline, even if we do bitch about it constently then fly Thai.

It's the only DIRECT flight from here. We could go with Emirates but that would mean having to go through Australia ... God-forbid. All sorts of undesirables get on the pane there.

Cheers :blackeye:
Keith

It's the only DIRECT flight from here. We could go with Emirates

You could also fly with Singapore Airlines, as I shall be doing on my next trip to the Land of the Long White Shroud. Comrade Helen needs my advice after APEC