American Express 

&

Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer Program

Click on the card >> << To apply today

This is my referral link

.....

Updated 21 September 2015

Firstly - The 4 things that makes it a great deal for me 

- 110,000 Velocity points :  Apply by and be approved by 30 September 2015, spend $1000 on the card in the first 3 months of card membership. (applying directly to american express gets you 100K, apply by a referral link gets you the 110K and the referrer gets a referral bonus) 

- 1 free return domestic flight with Virgin each year
list of routes here: AMXACQ1994_FlightMap_v4

- 2 single entry passes to Virgin Domestic lounges per year
lounges listed are Brisbane,Sydney,Melbourne,Perth, Adelaide and Canberra

- Ability to convert your points to (SQ) Singapore Airlines Kris Flyer Miles

(converts at 1.35 VA to 1 SQ mile)

110K will get you 81,481 SQ Kris Flyer Miles once converted – VA points don’t expire, SQ do expire after 3 years so transfer when you are going to travel. 

To fly from Brisbane to either London or Barcelona one way with SQ in Business Class will cost 80,750 miles (booking online discount applies) + $502 in taxes

So effectively if you absorb the application fee ($349) into this flight it will cost $851
** not bad at all I say **

There is the usual other benefits you get with the card like spend and earn Velocity points, complimentary insurances for overseas travel and purchase protection.

.....

I have been following the application of a college as well as my application to verify that all that is offered is received and in a timely manner.

The Timeline to date 

- Colleges application in 28 July 2015 and approved. 

- Card received 06 August 2015, activated, 1st item charged to the card.

- Complimentary domestic flight loaded into Velocity account on American Express system   06 August 2015.

- 2 lounge passes loaded and backdated to 28 July 2015 into Velocity account on American Express system and verified on Velocity program.

- My application in 08 August 2015 and confirmed 10 August 2015.

- Referral bonus loaded into colleges Velocity account on american Express system.
- Received referral bonus in Velocity account 18 August 2015
- 110,000 loaded onto Amex system 16 August 2015
- I have now received my card 28 August 2015, with a letter arriving 4 days earlier saying that there was a delay with sending out cards and 10 days have been added to the 3 month minimum spend period.
-110,000 loaded  onto my account in Amex system 02 September 2015
-My 1st referral activated there card 09 September 20

-Amex system seems to us a 4 day period to load passes, flights & points. This has been the case until the most recent applicant which I referred. neither of us have received points allocation at 4 days but have received passes and flights.
-I contacted Amex at 5 days to ask what was there system of allocation and all they said is they would check it out and manually force the points allocation. At 7 days and neither account has been adjusted.
-Colleges Velocity account credited with 110,000 19 September 2015
-My 1st referral account loaded with 110,000 18 September 2015 

As the process moves I will edit the page . 

If you use my referral link please let me know as deals like this get both you and me closer to our next redemption flight. I'd also like to say thanks for the help.

The start of the referral link looks like this www316.americanexpress.com The www316 looks weird but this is how American Express generates the link. I was unsure of it's validity at the time and I checked it out to be 100% safe and correct, then I proceeded.

As part of the application process you are asked if you have a American Express card. This is a card that originated from American Express direct

If you wanted to do a quick trip to 
New Zealand from Australia 

Which airline would you think to travel with?

I didn't know this until recently ....

China airlines ( CI ) fly between Australia and New Zealand several times a week.

Having flown with China Southern ( CZ ) several times over the past few years and being a member of there frequent flyer program Sky Pearl I accumulated enough KM's to redeem a flight one way between Oz and NZ in Business Class with CI paying the taxes which were just on AUD$100. Getting back : a one-way business class seat Auckland - Brisbane with CI for AUD$382 purchased through the CI website. Love that price!! Cant wait to see what the CI A330 is like to travel on.

  I have just joined CI's frequent flyer program Dynasty Flyer to see were they might take me next. Being a member of SkyTeam it gives you a great list of airlines you could accumulate and then redeem you miles on.

Velocity Platinum Card

This is the Card I have just applied for

It may have a higher than normal annual fee than I would normally accept when applying for a credit card but the benefits outweigh this expense 

Click on the card above will take you to the application page

(This referral link gives you 110K, you can apply directly without using the referral link for 10K less)

Some highlights of this card:

- 110,000 velocity points upon spending $1000 within the first 3 months using a referral link

- A free return domestic flight with Virgin each year - list of routes here: AMXACQ1994_FlightMap_v4

- 2 free passes to a domestic Virgin lounge per year

- Points can be converted to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles

- 3 points per $ at a range of restaurants and with Virgin Australia

- 2 points per $ for airlines, accommodation, cruise and tour operators

- Supplementary cards for no additional cost

- Discounted international companion business class fares

- Usual travel insurance / purchase protection etc

The annual fee is $349

Is a BIG winner for me 

To make an offer good for me:

If you calculate A$15 per 1,000 points (miles) you receive with a card is greater than the annual fee then it's a goer and deserves a look at.

I'm prepared to buy points (mile) at up to A$19 per 1,000 depending on the program

Frequent Flyer Talk

going overdrive today

Just been watching sunrise 7 and saw that they were interviewing Ben Schlappig from One Mile at a Time. He will be back on tomorrow.

There is a great offer to earn Velocity Point with Virgin Australia

Click the banner and it will take you to further info about the offer

the card's annual fee is $349

personal gross annual income of $65,000 required

only require to spend $1000 in the 1st 3 months

To make an offer good for me:

If  the calculation of A$15 per 1,000 points (miles) is greater than the annual fee then it's a goer.

I'm prepared to buy points (mile) at up to A$19 per 1,000 depending on the program

Vietnam Airlines business class Australia to Europe

I was just doing a random search for flights out of Australia into Europe (as you do) on a cool winters day in #cairns #fnq 

picked random days departing  15 September 2015 returning 30 days later

flying business class 

The search came up with AUD $4062

WOW

Hey : better do a search to see if I can get a few days in Ho Chi Minh on the way over to break the journey. The fare moved to $4219 - a little increase of $157 

Break the journey on the way back as well - add another $158 to $4377

WOW

If you are going to travel these distances travel business class. It's not just the comfort in flight its the access to lounges along the way. This makes spending time at airports a lot more civilised

For those who are interested 

You land at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh

The aircraft type you most likely be travelling on are the Airbus 330 on one sector over and the other a Boeing 777

If you discover some great finds in the FBP world please let me know

tweet me at @ascns

Newmans Horseradish & Rusticana Wines

We here we are again : A trip to South Australia and a little time spent on the  Fleurieu Peninsula. 

This time I write a little about my experience that is not so savory or pleasant

I will not allowing my first experience be the only one I accept, particularly when the products are so good.  Namely the Newmans HorseRadish and other product that they have available at their cellar door, like Franck Food which is absolutely fantastic.

A return visit within the same year and wanting, needing and expecting a much better experience

but no

A customer experience that had none of these : welcoming, warmness, friendliness, conversation

no

It was an experience that made me want to leave rather quickly 

Which I did 

without a purchase 

Franck Food lost out because I had my eye on several of there products as well as a couple of bottles of wines and a large jar of there own flagship product.

I know who was representing the business on the day and I am extremely disappointed with that attitude.

There product is so good and this person is not, this type of attitude damages the image of the area and other peoples business. Think about the people around you, not just yourself.

IF YOU WANT A FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE 

GO TO

 The WineHouse

Great Staff, Great Wine Selection, Great Service

and most importantly

Great Fun !!

And yes I bought loads to take home 

Life Miles 

Have done it again

LifeMiles is the frequent flyer program for Avianca and TACA

Condition : you must be a member prior to 19th December 2014

If you were a member you would got an email on 1st December offering a sweetener, for that day only if you purchased you would receive a bonus 25% on top of the 100% offered

A purchase of 66,000 miles netted 128,500 miles

Now that's getting in a nice position for 2015 

Here is what LifeMiles has done for me so far

The past year I have redeemed equivalent to 255,000 miles using miles (150,000) and pay (105,000) method allowing me to travel the following flights in business class

(taking a companion on one flight)

1 seat : Singapore (Singapore Airlines)  Shanghai (Air china) Sydney

2 seats : Tokyo (Lufthansa) Frankfurt (SAS) Oslo (SAS) Tromsø

1 seat : Copenhagen (Swiss) Zurich (Swiss) Tokyo