Frequent Flyer Miles Earning Credit Cards – Australian Edition 1

Posted on December 2, 2012 by Tara

I am sure that many Aussies have looked with envy at the huge credit card signing bonuses available to Americans and the free trips they brag about in forums such as Flyertalk, Milepoint and some blogs. Amex Bluebird, Vanilla Reloads, Green Dots, Chase Sapphire Preferred and similar are out of reach for most Aussies but cheer up! While Australia doesn’t have nearly the amount of affiliate cards as the USA, there are still a few good options. Disclaimer: I do not have any affiliate relationships with any of these banks. The links below take you directly to the bank’s website or the airline’s website. I am not a qualified financial advisor and the links are only to let you know what is available. It is up to you to analyze your own financial situation. I personally RARELY carry a balance on my credit cards and if I do, it’s only for a month. Interest charges can be very high, please be aware of these charges on the bank’s website. The invitation I offer in the red text below is available to most people once they have a similar American Express card.

AMERICAN EXPRESS

These come in various types with different mileage earning partners. Click HERE and let’s compare the options, scroll through the different options and take some time to read the T&Cs of each card. There are two types of cards that will get you miles. Travel cards are affiliated with a particular airline such as Qantas or Virgin Australia and will automatically sweep into the airline’s program each month. Rewards cards will earn Membership Rewards points which you can transfer manually to your choice of programs.

When you click on each card in turn, the details of that particular card will show on the right. For example we can see that the Velocity card has no annual fee and a 7500 sign up bonus. You have to apply and be approved by 28 February 2013 and spend $300 on your Card within the first 3 months. The Qantas version of this card is much the same so you would choose which program you want to earn points in first.

Now let’s look at the Rewards card which comes in several varieties. The most expensive one, the Platinum Card has a $900 annual fee and you receive 45,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $500 on your Card within the first 2 months of receiving it. While the fee may seem high, it does come with other benefits, so have a read through and see if they appeal to you.

Much cheaper is the Platinum Edge card with a $149 annual fee, a free flight on Virgin to your choice of several selected destinations. These are short haul domestic trips. The sign up bonus is 10,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points when you spend $500 on your Card within the first 2 months.

And then there is the Platinum Reserve card with a $395 annual fee. Some Aussies got grandfathered into this card when Amex discontinued the Gold Rewards Maximizer so we have a lower annual fee but no free domestic flight. This is the currently offered version of the card. There is no publicly available sign up bonus at present but I can refer you for a limited time special until 31 Dec. You will get a large bonus and I will get a smaller bonus for referring you. These bonuses come up throughout the year so once you have a card, you can then refer your friends and family and get bonuses for yourself! The included flight with this card is much more generous and depending on your city of origin, you can even go to Bali or New Zealand! For example if you live in Brisbane, you can go to Perth, Darwin, several cities in New Zealand- all flights which compensate for the annual fee. Plus you get other benefits such as free lounge access via Priority Pass, travel insurance and more-you really need to read the whole description on the Amex site.

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The special offer is:

You will receive 40,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $500 within the first two months of Cardmembership. If you have already applied for The Platinum Reserve Credit Card without using this recommendation, you will not be eligible for the bonus Membership Rewards points. If you already have an American Express Card, you will not be eligible for the bonus Membership Rewards points as this offer is not valid for upgrading Cardmembers. Please allow 8 to 10 weeks for the Bonus Points to be awarded once approval is made. Offer expires 31 December 2013. Subject to the Terms & Conditions of the Membership Rewards Program. The email invitation you get will have the T&Cs and more details.

UPDATE FOR 2013: I can give referrals for the following American Express products:

PLATINUM CARD – You get 60,000 points

PLATINUM RESERVE CREDIT CARD – You get 40,000 points

PLATINUM EDGE CREDIT CARD – You get 15,000 points

GOLD CARD – You get 30,000 points

AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD – You get 10,000 points

If you would like a referral, please use this contact form. I will need you email address to send you an invitation.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS OFFER, PLEASE USE THE CONTACT FORM AND GIVE ME YOUR EMAIL AND I WILL SEND YOU AN INVITATION!

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WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS?

You can either spend them directly with online shops or transfer them to airline partners. Obviously, the biggest value is in transferring them to airline partners for free or greatly reduced flights. In most cases, you will have to pay some taxes but if you transfer to Virgin Velocity there are options for using points to pay the taxes and even the checked bag fees! Here is an overview of the Membership Rewards Program. The participating airlines and transfer ratios are HERE and the participating hotel programs and transfer ratios are HERE.

OK, I AM CONFUSED! HOW DO I MAXIMIZE THIS FOR ECOTOURISM?

I will tell you how I use my Membership Rewards points to best advantage having been a member for 7 years. I use 3 transfer partners. Virgin Velocity (usually to top off what I get from my NAB card), Singapore Krisflyer for cheap awards to Pacific Islands and SPG to use on either hotels or transfer to airlines in blocks of 20,000 to get a free bonus of 5000 miles. Transferring SPG to American AAdvantage works best for me. If you have a 40,000 sign up bonus and you use the card for your everyday expenses like groceries, phone bills, fuel, etc; you should have 50,000 within 6 months to a year. Here’s some ideas!

Keas, Kakarikis, Kakas and maybe Kakapo if Sirocco is doing one of his tours in New Zealand. Remember, you get one trip included with the card so use the points to take a friend! 45,400 with no additional taxes! Here is an example.

Or how about the Pacific Islands? Rimatara Lorikeets and Tahitian Blue Lorikeets in the Cook Islands? Ultramarine Lorikeets in French Polynesia? Shining Parrots in Fiji? Although you will need some domestic flights at additional cost, you can get from Australia to the main airports of Rarotonga, Papeete or Nadi using a Star Alliance award with Singapore’s Krisflyer. Awards within South West Pacific are the greatest bargains in this region!

I think I’ve probably overloaded you now with information and lots of studying to do, so I will continue next week with other mileage earning credit cards in Australia. I have seen on Flyertalk how most people dislike seeing credit card posts all the time so I am not going to do that. I will do one edition each week until I have most of the world covered, then just link them all on a master list. If you have any specific questions, please ask in the comments.

***** PART 2 IS AVAILABLE HERE *****

Choosing An Eco-Lodge

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Tara

This will be a reference post I use often when analyzing the lodges in any particular area. While I will only do a REVIEW of a lodge I have actually been to, I will use other resources found online to determine the lodging options in any avian eco-tourism adventure.

There are several things to consider when choosing an eco-lodge. In some cases, you will be choosing a location because of a bird species you want to see which may have only a small range. An example of this is Crimson-bellied Conures (Pyrrhura perlata), which are only found in the central and south Amazon basin. The only eco-lodge in their habitat is Cristalino Jungle Lodge based in Alta Foresta, Brazil. So in this case, the lodge is chosen for you by the species.

Crimson-Bellied Conures

In other cases such as Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao), they can be found all over South and Central America so you have many choices. Even in cases such as Tambopata National Reserve, the Pantanal, Carara National Park you will have many different lodges to choose from in the same area. So how should you choose?

CONTRIBUTION TO CONSERVATION

Is the lodge affiliated with a conservation project? Do they sponsor scientific research? Do they have an education program for foreign volunteers and local employees? Do they make an effort to be sustainable and “Green”? Do they have a program to protect wildlife from poachers? Do they train former poachers to be guides? Do they financially support any conservation causes?

LOCATION

Are they in the reserve or park, or in a town nearby? How do you get there? Can you drive in yourself? Do you have to use their transport if it is a remote location? Can you afford the transportation to get there? Are the local people actively involved with the lodge?

SPECIES OF BIRDS AND ANIMALS

Is there a bird list and animal list on their website? Which lodge reports more sightings of the species that interest you? Are the species easily found?

SIZE, ROOMS AND CLIENTELE

How large is the lodge? Is it so big that it will feel crowded? Is it too small that you worry about the level of service? Do they prepare their own meals or do you have to self-cater? Do they accept children as guests? Are you looking for opportunities to socialize or to get away from people and be with nature? Do they have separate bungalows or motel-style accommodation? Does the lodge blend in with the environment?

IN-HOUSE GUIDES

If you are not part of a pre-organized group, you will be using the in-house guides and probably put into small groups with other guests. Where do the guides come from? Who trains them? How well do they know the bird calls? Do they know the habitat well and likely places to find birds?

COST

What options of accommodation do they offer? Do they have a dorm for backpackers? Do they have family accommodation? Do they include meals? What other extras are included in the package (guided walks, boat trips, photography instruction, etc)? Are there seasonal rates? Group discounts? How do you pay? How much in advance? Do they take credit card on a secure serve? Paypal? Is the only way to pay via bank transfer (which has fees involved)? Can you use a portal such as Expedia, Hotels.com, Booking.com? What is the cancellation or rebooking policy if your plans change? Do they take credit cards for incidentals or will you have to bring cash along?

ONLINE REVIEWS

What do other people say about them on Trip Advisor, Lonely Planet, Facebook and birding sites such as Surfbirds, Fat Birder, etc? What do people like? What do they not like? Does the lodge manager communicate on social media and seems like they want people to be happy?

YOUR PRIORITIES

You are unlikely to find one lodge that has everything you want so you will have to know what is most important to you. The species you want may only be found at a small, remote lodge that is expensive to get to and stay at. You may have to take a long trip down the river in a small boat which some people may find uncomfortable. The menu may be limited at remote lodges and you may end up being the only ones there in the off-season. One lodge may be in your budget but it may be a larger one and more crowded. A lodge that accepts families may have you waking to screaming kids instead of warbling birds. You can never do too much research when it comes to choosing an eco-lodge!

Hotel Chains

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Tara

These are the main hotel chains you will find at the typical gateway city. In some cases, the parent company has several brands and they all use the same loyalty program. I have provided links to the loyalty program on their website. When you have a layover at a gateway city traveling to or from your destination, be sure to check if you can use your hotel points for a free night. I generally try to stay as close to the airport as possible and get an early flight onwards but if the city interests you, you may want to layover a few days.

Accor: Ibis, Mercure, All Seasons, Novotel, Sofitel
Best Western
Carlson Rezidor: Country Inns & Suites, Park Inn, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotels & Resorts Tara’s Tips
Choice Hotels: Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay,, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and Ascend Collection
Hilton Worldwide: Conrad® Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by HiltonTM, Embassy SuitesTM, Hampton Inn & Suites®, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Garden Inn®, Homewood Suites by Hilton®, Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts
Hyatt: AmeriSuites, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Place, Hyatt Summerfield Suites
Intercontinental Hotels Group: Candlewood Suites, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Staybridge Suites
La Quinta Inns & Suites
Marriott: Autograph Collection®, Courtyard by Marriott® , EDITIONSM, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott® , JW Marriott® , Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance® Hotels, Residence Inn by Marriott®, SpringHill Suites by Marriott®, TownePlace Suites by Marriott®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club® (mileage-earning stay) Tara’s Tips
Starwood Hotels: Aloft, Element, Four Points, Le Meridien, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, St. Regis, W Hotels, Westin Hotels & Resorts
Wyndham: Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®, Wingate® by Wyndham, Hawthorn Suites® by Wyndham, Ramada®, Days Inn®, Super 8®, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Microtel Inns & Suites®, Howard Johnson®, Travelodge® Knights Inn®, Tryp by Wyndham

Airline Alliance References – Sky Team

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Tara

SKY TEAM

Aeroflot (SU)

Aerolíneas Argentinas (AR)

Middle East Airline (ME)

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV)

TAROM (RO)

Vietnam Airlines(VN)

Xiamen Airlines (MF)

FUTURE AIRLINE PARTNERS

Garuda Indonesia (GA)

Sky Team is the youngest of the 3 alliances but the second largest. They are very strong in Europe and Asia but weaker in the Americas and they have no member at all in Australia or New Zealand. Most people who are interested in Sky Team join Delta Airlines but some people who get Ultimate Rewards via their Chase credit cards will join Korean to transfer their points to. I am not a member of any of the Sky Team partners because they don’t serve the places I want to go very well. Since I expect people from all over the world to be reading this blog, I would recommend you check out the program of the Sky Team member in your country or join Delta as they do have promos from time to time.

These links are also good if you want to check out an airline’s route map to see where they fly, join their frequent flyer program and see what you can do to earn miles by flying on partners, staying in hotel partners and patronizing their other partners such as credit cards, shopping malls, phone companies and survey companies.

This is a just a very brief overview of Sky Team and there is so much more to learn. The best source of information is on FlyerTalk where each airline has its own forum, most forums have wikis or “read this first” posts to get you started. I will be going into some programs more in depth as the subject relates to building your ecotourism dream trip

Airline Alliance References – Star Alliance

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Tara

Star Alliance

Avianca and TACA (AV), (TA) My analysis of Avianca-Taca LifeMiles

Blue1 (KF)

Copa (CM)

Croatia Airlines (OU)

EgyptAir (MS)

Ethiopian Airlines (ET)

EVA Air (BR)

LOT Polish Airlines (LO)

Lufthansa (LH)

Scandinavian Airlines (SK)

Singapore Airlines (SQ)

South African Airways (SA)

Swiss (LX)

TAP (TP)

Thai (TG)

Turkish Airlines (TK)

United (UA)

As you can see, Star Alliance is the largest of the 3 alliances and is very strong in the Americas, Europe and Asia but has no domestic service in Australia. Most people are members of several Star Alliance programs so they can take advantage of local credit cards and promos and also the more lucrative promos with United. Avianca/Taca has several 100% buy miles bonuses throughout the year and less frequently an even more lucrative share miles promo. I am a member of United, Singapore and Avianca/Taca. The main reason for joining Singapore Krisflyer is because my Aussie Amex MR points can transfer 1:1 and they are good for redemptions on NZ, but on most of their Asian and European partners will attract a very high fuel surcharge. Buying miles on Avianca/Taca is a great way to get cheap business class or economy awards when they have a double miles bonus promo. United is a partner for Chase’s Ultimate Rewards programs with several credit cards that can accrue miles for sign up bonuses.

This is a just a very brief overview of Star Alliance and there is so much more to learn. The best source of information is on FlyerTalk where each airline has its own forum, most forums have wikis or “read this first” posts to get you started. I will be going into some programs more in depth as the subject relates to building your ecotourism dream trip

Airline Alliance References – One World

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Tara

ONE WORLD

Air Berlin (AB)

American Airlines (AA)

Malaysia Airlines (MH)

SriLankan Airlines (UL) – 1 May 2014

TAM (JJ)

US Airways (US)

If you are new to miles and points, the best thing is to figure out which one of these programs will offer the best redemptions at the lowest cost in both miles and taxes. Some airlines have fuel surcharges which can add a substantial cost to your award ticket. From the One World airlines, I use American Airlines, Qantas, British Airways and Iberia. No matter where you live in the world, it will probably work out best for you to use American’s AAdvantage program to accumulate your miles unless you are seeking status with an airline you frequently fly on. I am expecting that people attracted to this blog will be the sort who travel for leisure and are saving up for an aspirational trip to one of the great ecotourism spots in the world. If you are based in the USA (or even an expat American like me) it’s pretty easy to get huge credit card sign up bonuses and if you are based elsewhere, you can use American Express Membership Rewards to transfer to AA via Starwood’s SPG program.

Since I live in Australia, I also have Qantas because I get points simply for shopping at Woolworths and linking my phone and internet with Optus to them. Gotta love free points that just come from day to day living!

British Airways and Iberia both use Avios which can be excellent value for short hop awards such as domestic awards in the USA on American and Alaska Airways, Australia on Qantas and South America on LAN.

This is a just a very brief overview of the One World alliance and there is so much more to learn. The best source of information is on FlyerTalk where each airline has its own forum, most forums have wikis or “read this first” posts to get you started. I will be going into some programs more in depth as the subject relates to building your ecotourism dream trip.

Guidebooks Can Help You Plan

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Tara

The first thing you need to start your eco-adventure is the right destination. Since I especially want to see parrots in the wild, I need to know where they naturally occur. Most wild parrots will be in South America, Central America, Australia, Africa and Asia. They like warmer climates. You do see wild parrots in North America and Europe but these are generally escaped pet birds who somehow found each other and formed a flock.

So let’s say you have a Scarlet Macaw at home and you want to see his wild cousins. You have a lot of options, they can be seen in Peru, Brazil, Costa Rica and other countries in this area. I use a variety of resources to locate a parrot species. There is an excellent guide book called “Parrots of the World” by Joseph M. Forshaw which has maps and names localities you can use to plan a trip. Amazon.com has a Kindle version, but in the field where electricity may be limited or non-existant, you really need the actual book. Take a look at the sample pages and get familiar with the layout. Use the “search inside this book” function and type in “Scarlet Macaw”. It will show you a preview of page 178 which has the map of where this species is found. You will also find in the text the names of some of the places you can specifically visit in the localities section.

Does anyone have any specific birds they either have at home or would just like to see in the wild? Tell me in the comments!

Miles To The Wild

Create unforgettable eco-tourism and birding adventures using miles & points!

Category Archives: Resources

Frequent Flyer Miles Earning Credit Cards – Australian Edition 1

Choosing An Eco-Lodge

Hotel Chains

Airline Alliance References – Sky Team

Airline Alliance References – Star Alliance

Airline Alliance References – One World

Guidebooks Can Help You Plan