louie

Just a heads up for those with AAdvantage miles (or Etihad ones!), that Etihad will be using an A380 (thus access to First Apartments) on one of their daily Melbourne flights from June 2016. Availability is currently good as it's only just been announced; I've just booked to come back from London on A380s in First all the way next August. My first time on Etihad.

spouse of scouse

Louie that sounds fantastic! You'll enjoy that

I'm flying to the UK with Etihad next week, I'll give you a review. Only business class though, I didn't have any luck using my AA miles so had to put my hand in my pocket. Ouch.

Amazulu

Now that Woolworths have dumped QFF and Coles have signed up with Etihad, I think it's time for me to dump QFF (and Woolworths)

What's the best source(s) to collect Etihad? What's a good credit card to get? How do they integrate with other carriers?

astera

If you fly with family often then I'd sign up with Virgin Australia and credit your Etihad flights there. You can then pool all your miles, and what's even better - and something that no other FFP in the world will allow - you can pool all status credits as well.

Amazulu

Sounds good

What's a decent credit card to accumulate Virgin/Etihad points?

louie

You just missed a 100k sign up bonus for this card. Currently (to 9 Nov), if you are referred (I'd be happy to oblige; I'd get 20k miles, send me a PM if you want one) you could get 80k points after $500 spend. Card fee is $349 pa but you get 2 domestic Virgin flights per annum and 2 lounge passes and the card earns 3 miles per $ on Virgin or restaurant spend, 2 miles on most other travel and 1 on everything else except utilities, insurance and govt spend (0.5 pts per $). The T&Cs say this offer is only for those who have not had an Amex Australia card in the last 12 months but I've recently applied for a second Amex and got the bonus on that and a quick Google says I am not alone in that, but YMMV.

bcworld

There's also currently an NAB credit card offer with 60k Velocity Points / $150pa.

Amazulu

Thanks bc

What's a good card that's good for accumulating points apart from signing up offers?

Amazulu

That's interesting

It is a pain with QFF that I can't combine my wife's points with mine

Can I use Etihad points for Virgin flights and vice versa?

louie

You can use Etihad points for Virgin ECONOMY flights - see more here. You can also do the reverse, without the economy only restriction - see here. There are several helpful posts about this from an Australian perspective on the Pointshack website.

I'd say the Amex one is good if you travel and/or eat out a lot (and can make good use of the free flights) as you'd be getting 2 or 3 miles per $ but the NAB one does give 1.5 miles per $ of ordinary spend rather than the Amex's 1. Shopsmall is coming up now so that could effectively be $100 off the fee if you have Shopsmall merchants near you.

TakenThePlunge

Every time I try to book one of these reward flights I can't seem to find anything.

I have 240000 miles in AA miles (were dividend miles), and my daughter is getting married next October, so I'd like to get flights leaving the 1st coming back the 28th. I've tried the BA site, Qantas and I can't seem to find anything.

So where do I search?

And am I allowed a stopover as I'd quite like to spend a night in Singapore (or wherever my routing takes me)

Thanks
james

bcworld

https://awardnexus.com/ ...is still around as a search option. I searched for SYD-LHR on 1 Oct and it offered me direct routing on BA in business. AA website showed it too. I only checked for 1 seat though...are you looking for 2?

Bear in mind BA awards attract large fuel surcharges.

Nope, no stopovers on AA awards.

TakenThePlunge

Thanks, as ever bcworld for the useful link. I'm looking for 2 seats, I think if I left the wife here while I swanned over for the wedding I may have some painful bits for a while :-)

Cheers
James

louie

Plenty of availability on Etihad in business around the first and you could stay over in Abu Dhabi as you'd be using two AA awards in any case. Would be 150k for two one way. It's too early for the return though as seats are not yet released. Have a look at the Etihad Guest website, you don't need to be a member. Cash payment is much much lower than BA, less than $100 pp ew.

TakenThePlunge

Thanks louie, unfortunately any savings would be swallowed by me having to stump up to buy 60000 miles ....