Your Points Balance Isn’t the Goal — The Moments You Create With It Are
A high Qantas Points balance looks impressive, but it’s not the goal. The real reward is the moments points create — not the number in your app. Here’s why.
The High of Watching Your Balance Rise
There’s a reason Instagram is full of screenshots showing off 250,000… 400,000… 1,000,000 points.
It looks like an achievement.
It feels like progress.
It gives you the dopamine hit of “I’m getting somewhere” or “I’m winning”.
And I get it — I used to chase that feeling too.
I’d refresh the Qantas app after a big Marketplace haul or a wine bonus kicking in, just to see that counter jump. For a moment, you feel clever. You feel like your system is paying off.
But the truth is this:
The high is temporary.
A day later — sometimes an hour later — you’re already looking for the next offer, the next bonus, the next jump in points.
In that cycle, something gets lost:
The actual reason you started earning points.
The Moment That Actually Matters
The most valuable points moments I’ve had in 10+ years of earning points have nothing to do with the number in my app.
They happened when I was:
sitting in business class on a long-haul flight next to someone I love
booking a trip I never would’ve paid cash for
surprising someone with an upgrade
turning a standard holiday into something unforgettable
flying somewhere incredible for almost nothing out of pocket
In those moments, my points balance never crossed my mind.
Because the joy doesn’t come from having points — it comes from using them.
It comes from the experience points unlock, not the balance itself.
Why a Points Balance Can Become a Distraction
1. You Start Thinking Like a Collector, Not a Traveller
Instead of planning meaningful redemptions, you start planning ways to make the number bigger.
You chase promotions that don’t align with your goals.
You focus on accumulation instead of value.
The balance becomes the mission, not the travel.
2. You Become More Comfortable Wasting Points
This is the part nearly every points-earner learns the hard way — I certainly did.
A large balance tempts you to say things like:
“It’s fine, I’ve got heaps.”
“I’ll just use points for this item.”
“That flight isn’t great value, but whatever — I can afford it.”
The more points you have, the easier it becomes to throw them around.
But when you’re closer to your goal — when you have just enough for a dream redemption — your behaviour changes:
you’re more deliberate
you protect your points
you focus on high-value outcomes
you avoid unnecessary spending
Ironically, having fewer points often makes you a smarter points user than having many.
3. You Miss Out on the High-Value Redemptions
The redemptions worth thousands of dollars — the big wins — come from intentional planning, not hoarding.
But when your balance is huge, you’re less motivated to:
track availability
look for sweet spots
time your redemptions
align points with real travel goals
A large balance can create complacency, and complacency is expensive.
4. You Lose Connection to Your ‘Why’
You started earning points to travel better.
To unlock experiences.
To create moments with meaning.
Not to watch a number climb endlessly for its own sake.
So let’s call it what it is:
More points. More casual spending. More drift.
Less purpose, less planning, less joy.
When the pursuit becomes the number, everything else fades.
Systems > Hoarding
The most effective points strategies aren’t built on hacks or Instagram-worthy balances.
They’re built on:
predictable earning
smart use of Qantas partners and their offers
stacking where it makes sense
intentional, goal-aligned redemptions
A system gives you clarity and direction.
A balance alone gives you noise.
A system gets you onto flights.
A balance just sits there.
So Here’s Your Reminder
If you’re deep in the points world, it’s normal to think the goal is “more.”
More earning.
More offers.
More Qantas partners to switch your spending to.
But the real goal is the experience — the moment points unlock.
Because:
Your points balance isn’t the achievement.
The memories you create with it are.
Want a System That Actually Gets You Flying?
If you want a simple, structured approach that earns consistently and moves you closer to the moments that matter:
Download my free Qantas Points Starter Kit, or
Choose the Points Guide that matches your level, or
Book in a personalised consultation to build a unique system around your life.
Qantas Points. Made simple.