Hotel/Airline Benefit Extensions

[deanwebb]

I'm getting emails about hotel and airline programs I'm in extending benefits... through the end of 2022/ Q1 2023.

Points not expiring and status levels maintained. That I expected. 15-18 months forward, that I did not expect.

[Dieselboy]

thats good. I have 250,000 qantas airline points and when I checked before I need just 100,000 for a return trip from Perth AU to London UK. The plan was to do this, or get premium economy upgrade for the non-stop 17-hour flight and visit my family more often.

I had the "status" extended for 12 months last year and this year they offered to do the same BUT I had to have a flight booked. Since Australia wont let me leave the country, I had to book a flight somewhere else in Australia. Since Perth is in the middle of knowhere in relation to other places of interest (foreign countries are closer and cheaper to get to from here!) I had to book a flight to over the East side of Australia which was around $700. I used around 60,000 points to bring the price down. Qantas said to me, I only need a flight booked to qualify for the extension (this has worked). I can now change the flight. Because of corona they are being extra flexible with changes/cancellations. I will definitely need to catch a flight in the future, I just do not know when. 

[deanwebb]

Yeah, there are some pretty strict quarantines going on in Australia, got all the footy finals in a twist. But that means if they want to have you stay in their loyalty programs, they have to be the most flexible they've ever been.

Back in December, it seemed like we'd be on full travel by June. Nope.