This week's wrap for Qantas, Virgin Australia, Etihad, AA flyers

Frequent flyers looking to boost their balance have great opportunities to do so this week – and indeed, this month – with both Virgin Australia and Etihad offering up to quadruple points on flights to Abu Dhabi, while the major banks are tempting potential customers with generous credit card sign-on deals.

Also in this week’s wrap, how to use your existing Gold or Platinum frequent flyer status to get SkyTeam Elite Plus status and perks across the SkyTeam airline alliance such as lounge access and priority check-in, and how to make use of American Airlines’ own AAdvantage scheme.

We’ll also show you how to swap your frequent flyer points for a ticket in The Residence: Etihad’s exclusive three-room VIP suite, and how to earn Qantas frequent flyer points when jetting to China.

Winding things up for another week, we take a look at the federal government’s plan for frequent flyer points in using them to slash its hefty travel expenditure.

Earn up to 4x points with Virgin Australia, Etihad

Virgin Australia and Etihad are serving up a stack of extra frequent flyer points to Velocity Frequent Flyer and Etihad Guest members bound for Abu Dhabi and beyond over the coming months.

It's double or triple points for Velocity cardholders, with up to 4x the usual miles with Etihad Guest.

Here’s what you need to know: Earn up to 4x points with VA, Etihad

This month's top 10 frequent flyer credit card deals

Many of Australia's major banks are welcoming new customers with generous quantities of frequent flyer points in return for opening a credit card account.

The top 10 offers alone put almost 600,000 frequent flyer points on the table: with as many as 100,000 points to be had from a single application.

And while chasing after every possible credit card isn't necessarily a wise move, it can make sense to choose a credit card with a great sign-on bonus if you were looking to revamp your wallet.

Here’s what’s on offer: The 10 best credit card sign-up deals

How to get a free SkyTeam Elite Plus status match

Already have a Silver, Gold or Platinum frequent flyer card?

Here's an easy way to get VIP perks with the likes of Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Delta, Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, Vietnam Airlines and more.

Among those privileges: access to airport lounges before international flights, priority check-in and boarding and a boosted baggage allowance – even if you're flying in economy on any SkyTeam member airline.

Act now: How to get a free SkyTeam Elite Plus status match

Government wants to use points to save on travel

The federal government is looking to rein in the travel costs of around 100,000 government workers by using airline frequent flyer points to book their travel.

Complementing the already-discounted fares available to government departments, the idea could see any frequent flyer points earned by public servants on official travel pooled to a master government account.

The government would then use these points to book flights for its travellers, rather than paying cash for every journey.

Read more: Australia looks to points to slash travel costs

Earning Qantas Points on flights to China

Through Qantas’ web of codeshare and Oneworld airline partners, it’s incredibly easy for Aussie travellers to earn frequent flyer points when travelling to China, along with status credits in many cases.

Whether you’re visiting Shanghai on business, taking a holiday in Beijing or admiring the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, here’s how you can earn Qantas frequent flyer points along the way.

Read more: Earning Qantas frequent flyer points on flights to China

How to book Etihad’s The Residence using points

With a return ticket price of $87,000 between Sydney and London, The Residence on Etihad’s Airbus A380s is generally off-limits to travellers redeeming their frequent flyer points rather than spending their cold hard cash.

However, if you’ve notched up millions of Etihad Guest miles – 3,719,101 miles to be precise – you’re in with a fighting chance, at least for a one-way fare…

Read more: How to book Etihad’s The Residence using points

American Airlines AAdvantage: the unofficial guide

Offering travellers priority check-in, free international lounge access, priority boarding and more, the American Airlines AAdvantage scheme is a must-know frequent flyer program for travellers both to the USA and those that remain closer to home.

AA’s Oneworld membership also allows members to enjoy many of those perks and privileges across the alliance, including with Qantas, and can act as a replacement to Qantas’ own frequent flyer scheme.

Here’s what you need to know: The unofficial guide to AAdvantage

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Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.