A Year in Review: Why My Qantas Points Strategy Shifted This Membership Year

Most “year in review” posts focus on totals.
Big numbers. Screenshots. Highlights.

This one doesn’t.

Qantas measures behaviour by membership year, not calendar year — and with one month still to go, this isn’t about final outcomes. Instead, it’s about something more useful: how my strategy shifted, and why.

The biggest change this membership year wasn’t earning more points.
It was getting clearer on what should count as everyday spend — and building a system that reflects real life, not just promotions.

When points stop reflecting life, the system breaks

One of the easiest traps in points collecting is letting the earning mechanism dictate spending.

That’s when:

• You buy things earlier than you need.

• You buy more than you otherwise would.

• Points stop being a by-product of life and start driving behaviour.

Over time, that creates friction. It also makes the system fragile — because it only works if you keep forcing decisions.

This membership year, I deliberately stepped back from that.

Why I reduced reliance on Qantas Wine

Wine has historically been a strong points earner for me — and it still can be.

But it’s not a significant part of my everyday lifestyle.

That meant any meaningful volume of wine-related points was coming from:

• buying ahead of need;

• buying more than I’d otherwise consume (and doing a lot of cellaring); and

• spending because of points, not because of life.

This year, I reduced that reliance.

Not because wine offers are bad — they’re often excellent — but because earning points should reflect what you already spend, not what you can be encouraged to buy.

Stepping back from wine made the system:

• less capital-intensive;

• less promo-dependent; and

• more honest.

And, importantly, more sustainable.

Dialling up gift cards — deliberately and precisely

At the same time, I deliberately dialled up gift card usage.

Not as a shortcut.
Not to inflate numbers.
But as a precision tool.

Gift cards weren’t about spending more — they were about extracting more value from spend that was already happening.

Used properly, they:

• route everyday purchases through higher-earning channels;

• allow stacking without changing behaviour; and

• turn neutral spend into strategic spend.

This wasn’t blanket buying or speculative stockpiling. It was:

• specific retailers;

• clear use cases; and

• purchased when the numbers made sense.

That distinction matters. Gift cards are powerful because they amplify existing spend — not because they create new spend.

Insurance: timing matters, but it’s not repeatable

Insurance played a role this year, but it’s worth being clear about how.

The points earned here came from timing a policy review to coincide with a promotion. That’s not something you repeat every year, and it’s not something you should force.

Insurance decisions should always be driven by:

• coverage;

• cost; and

• suitability.

Points are secondary.

That said, if you’re already reviewing a policy, aligning timing with a strong Qantas offer can deliver outsized value. It’s not a core system — it’s a lever you pull when the timing is right.

What didn’t change: cards, structure, restraint

One of the quieter shifts this year was actually not changing much.

My card setup remained largely the same. My Qantas Titanium credit card is the workhorse of the points-earning system and changing it for another card wouldn’t make sense at this point.
There was no constant churn.
No weekly adjustments and time-consuming planning.

Once a structure is right, the goal isn’t activity — it’s consistency.

Letting systems run without interference is often the most underrated skill in points earning.

How the earning mix changed

Looking at where points come from — not just how many — tells a much clearer story about strategy.

It highlights whether points are being earned from everyday behaviour, or from discretionary spending driven by promotions.

2024 Membership Year

A meaningful share of points came from categories that were not part of my everyday lifestyle, contributing to a more episodic and promo-driven earning profile.

2025 Membership Year

The profile shifted toward genuinely repeatable earning — Everyday Rewards and shopping-led spend — with reduced reliance on non-everyday categories.

Reducing pressure on a single account

Another important shift this year was adding Qantas Business Rewards as a parallel earn stream.

This didn’t inflate my personal Qantas Frequent Flyer results — but it did reduce the pressure to force outcomes into one account.

Separating business-linked earning from personal lifestyle earning made the system calmer and more accurate. Each account now reflects what it’s meant to reflect.

The real outcome: fewer decisions, less noise

The biggest change this membership year wasn’t numerical.

It was psychological.

• fewer “should I?” moments;

• less urgency around every promotion; and

• more confidence letting good offers pass.

The system became quieter — and that’s usually a sign it’s working.

What comes next

At the end of my membership year, I’ll publish a clean, side-by-side comparison — measured the way Qantas actually tracks behaviour.

Not to prove anything.
But to show what happens when points strategies align with real life instead of competing with it.

For now, this review isn’t about totals.

It’s about building a system you don’t have to fight.

Your Points Balance Isn’t the Goal — The Moments You Create With It Are

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.

Qantas Marketplace Review: Is It Worth Using in 2025?

Qantas Marketplace has become one of the most reliable ways to earn points consistently without changing your lifestyle or chasing complicated “point hacks.” It’s the everyday, predictable backbone of many strong points strategies — mine included.

Below is a calm, straightforward review of what it does well, where you need to be mindful, and how you can use it strategically rather than reactively.

What Qantas Marketplace Does Well

✔ Everyday earn rate: 3 points per dollar

Most Marketplace purchases earn 3 Qantas Points per dollar, which is already higher than what many retail partners offer outside of promotions. This is before the layering effect that comes from using a point-earning credit card, meaning that under the right circumstances, purchases through the Qantas Marketplace can earn up to 6.25 points per dollar - an exceptionally high, consistent figure.

✔ Regular bonus point offers — sometimes huge

Marketplace frequently runs targeted bonuses such as:

• 5,000 bonus points on selected items

• 10,000+ bonus points for higher-value purchases

• 30,000+ bonus points during seasonal or brand-specific promotions

These bonuses can turn an otherwise ordinary purchase into an extremely high-value earn opportunity — if it’s something you were planning to buy anyway and are in addition to the points earned above.

✔ Seamless online shopping experience

The benefit of shopping directly through an official Qantas checkout means:

• No tracking issues (compared to Qantas Shopping)

• Reliable points posting

• Transparent promotion descriptions

• All purchases consolidated under your Qantas account

This takes some of the stress and guesswork out of earning.

The Big One: Gift Cards on Qantas Marketplace

This deserves its own section because it’s genuinely one of the most powerful foundational tools for building a consistent, repeatable Qantas Points system.

✔ Why gift cards matter so much

Gift cards purchased through Qantas Marketplace:

• Earn points immediately (minimum 3 points per dollar)

• Frequently include bonus points per dollar (e.g. 10x points on Apple gift cards at the time of writing)

• Are delivered digitally — zero tampering risk

• Can be stacked with credit-card points

• Can be used for purchases you were already planning to make

✔ Why I use them regularly

In my own strategy, I buy these gift cards:

• Woolworths

• Apple

• TCN Restaurant

• Rebel Sport

• And others when relevant

These are categories most people spend on anyway. Stocking up when a bonus offer drops guarantees a great return if you can afford to pre-spend.

This is not a hack — it’s simply aligning your future spend with the highest earn rate available.

For many people, gift cards alone make Qantas Marketplace worth using.

Where You Should Be Cautious

Marketplace is excellent — but not perfect. Here are the main considerations:

⚠ Sometimes brand sales are replicated… but not always

Many branded products go on sale at the same time across the internet. Often, but not always, Qantas Marketplace matches those sale prices.
It’s always worth cross-checking:

• The brand’s website

• Other major retailers

• Cashback sites (if relevant)

⚠ Avoid buying purely for the points

Points should make a good purchase better.
They shouldn’t justify a purchase you didn’t need.

⚠ Delivery times and returns vary by vendor

Marketplace acts as a storefront for multiple brands.
Return policies and shipping speeds follow the brand, not Qantas.

Is Qantas Marketplace Worth Using?

Yes — for most people, it’s one of the simplest and most consistent ways to grow your Qantas Points balance.

You don’t need to chase obscure hacks or overspend.
You simply need to:

1. Shop for what you already buy

2. Watch for bonus point events

3. Build a smart gift card strategy

4. Avoid impulse purchases

Marketplace supports the philosophy behind The Points Pilot:
Earn more by being strategic, not by spending more.

Want personalised help?

If you’re unsure how Marketplace fits into your broader Qantas Points system — or you want a structured earning plan aligned to your real spending — I can walk you through it. Check out one of our comprehensive guides or if you want a personalised plan, book a consulting session.