Your choice: free business class flights or one million points?
Hmmm... unlimited business class flights for one year, or a million frequent flyer points...
By David Flynn, August 5 2024
Maybe this is an easy choice, or perhaps it calls for a bit of careful pondering. But if you were offered free business class flights for one year, or one million frequent flyer points, which would you choose?
That’s the decision facing Hong Kong’s handful of medal winners at the Paris Olympics, with Cathay Pacific offering a year of “unlimited business class travel to any Cathay Pacific destination” or a million Asia Miles.
(The same offer is also being extended to medal winners at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, which begin on August 28.)
At the time of writing. Hong Kong has picked up four medals – including double Gold in fencing and two Bronze medals in women’s freestyle swimming.
We’re not suggesting Qantas should make any similar offer to Australia’s 31 (and counting) Olympians – but if you happened to be on the receiving end of such a bounty, would you choose a year of business class trips or one million points?
20 Oct 2015
Total posts 243
Interesting conundrum. If I had the time in my schedule, then absolutely free business class flights for a whole year, although these would just be for me, not my partner, so she'd have to sulk at home. But the reality is that I would probably actually settle for one million points, as that is more flexible even if it means fewer actual trips. Either way it'd be a nice problem to have!
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Aug 2020
Total posts 11
I'd take the free business class flights for a year.
06 Sep 2019
Total posts 27
The year of free business travel sounds great but I think an elite athlete would be less elite after all that wining and dining. I'd take the points.
03 Jun 2019
Total posts 33
Award redemption is subject to space availability and is vulnerable to unannounced devaluation. (Confirmed) business class pass it is.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 464
I imagine the business class tickets would be for a generally available fare 'bucket', not some type of seat that's very hard to come by, if that was the case I would definitely go for a year of free business class flights. Even if this was on Qantas for example you'd have all those domestic legs, quick hops to NZ or Bali or even Singapore or HK for a long weekend. I'd take it!!
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1203
If it was Qantas, you'd definitely take the year's free Business Class flights. QF FF points are rapidly becoming worthless particularly since they released the dodgy Class Plus scheme. Having 1,000,000 points is no better than having 20,000 points if you can't use them.
08 May 2020
Total posts 46
With my limited holiday allowance i’d probably take the points, otherwise defo the tickets
04 Sep 2019
Total posts 64
I would take a 1 year holiday and fly in style
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Jun 2017
Total posts 69
Hmm. Tough one. Do I take a couple of economy tickets to the UK and a new vacuum cleaner or do I sit back in J for 12 months and go anywhere I like?
I really like that 440,000 point Dyson Robot Vacuum!
Jetstar Airways - Qantas Frequent Flyer
24 Aug 2018
Total posts 112
That is an easy question to answer as my spouse and I have recently booked Qantas hotel reservations in Trieste and Slovenia and expended 600.000 FF points for essentially two weeks of accommodation. One million points would thus provided one months accommodation ( 5 star),:whilst a year's flights in the pointy end would give us weeks of flights to all the places Qantas flies. No conundrum what's soever.
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