This week's frequent flyer wrap for Qantas, Virgin Australia flyers

This week’s frequent flyer news mostly comes for members of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program with points halved on eBay purchases and five retailers departing from the Qantas Points Online Mall altogether.

Also in our final wrap for January, we take a look at the best ways to use Qantas Points once you’ve piled them up, and how your business could be earning double Aquire points on all company travel, with your road warriors also picking up 50% more status credits along the way.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles members also aren't forgotten in the airline's latest frequent flyer deal, requiring 20% fewer miles than usual to book premium economy and business class flights from three Australian cities to Hong Kong.

Finally, we review the ANZ Rewards Black credit card duo, promising a bonus 75,000 ANZ Rewards points for new customers, unlimited airport lounge access and earning rates that deliver up to 1.5 Velocity points per dollar spent on the AMEX and up to 1 Velocity point per $1 on the attached Visa.

Best ways to use your Qantas frequent flyer points

It's easy to build up a stack of Qantas frequent flyer points, especially when you use the right credit cards.

But what are the best ways to spend those points?

From upgrades to flying high, here are five great ways to use Qantas points, to suit all balances and budgets.

Read: Best ways to use your Qantas frequent flyer points

Review: ANZ Rewards Black credit cards

Boasting the bank's highest earning rates for frequent flyer points and top-shelf benefits like unlimited airport lounge access, ANZ Rewards Black pairs an American Express credit card and a Visa to maximise your points and perks.

Whichever card you use, you'll first accrue points in the ANZ Rewards scheme before later converting them into airline frequent flyer points or miles with either Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific or Singapore Airlines, or for a raft of other goodies and gift cards.

Rounding out the deal is a bonus 75,000 ANZ Rewards points for new customers who apply and meet ANZ's spend criteria, detailed below.

Continue reading: ANZ Rewards Black credit card review

eBay halves Qantas Points on purchases

Customers shopping on eBay via the Qantas Points Online Mall will now earn just one Qantas Point per dollar spent with the retailer, down from two Qantas Points for the same.

Launch partners Fortnum and Mason, Neiman Marcus, Pottery Barn, West-Elm and Williams-Sonoma have gone a step further and departed the Qantas Points Online Mall entirely, with Qantas frequent flyers no longer earning points at these retailers.

Virgin Australia’s competing Velocity eStore continues to award two Velocity points for every dollar spent with eBay.

Save 20% on Cathay Pacific award flights

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles members should move quickly to take advantage of the airline’s latest promotion, whereby business class and premium economy flights to Hong Kong from Brisbane, Adelaide and Cairns can be booked for 20% fewer miles than usual.

For example, a return trip from Brisbane to Hong Kong in Cathay Pacific business class would normally need 80,000 Asia Miles to book, but can be had for just 64,000 miles under this deal.

Fly Cathay Pacific business class to Hong Kong, return, for 64,000 Asia Miles...

In premium economy, the usual asking ‘price’ of 54,000 miles from these Australian cities is also cut back to only 43,200 miles, although flights from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth aren’t being discounted.

Simply book by February 7 and fly any time until March 31 2016 to burn your miles at these greatly reduced rates, and for more information, head to the Asia Miles website.

Aquire: double points, 50% bonus status credits

Members of the Qantas Aquire scheme for businesses can earn double Aquire points on business travel over the coming months while travellers can too earn 50% more status credits simply by linking an Aquire number to their bookings.

You’ll need to register for this deal via the Aquire website (login required), with all bookings made after registration and until February 29 2016 eligible for the bonus points and status credits.

Those flights can depart at any time until April 30 2016, so register for the offer now to make sure you and your employees don’t miss out.

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Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.