-
Interesting. I haven’t thought much about it until now, as you basically say it’s all relative. Using QF points (as that’s my “main” currency, speaking from an Aussie POV) in place of Avios here, I’d say as long as I’ve got enough for 3/4 J returns to Asia (so around 600k) on hand I’m happy, because I can replenish that fairly easily (that would be a combo of me alone or me and my OH, so 2/3/4 trips depending on her appetite to travel).
In terms of Avios, I used to try to keep ~200k on hand for mid-haul flights (such as MEL/SYD-NZ, which comes in around 20k Avios vs 40k QF points each way J), but with QR entering the fold they’ve become a lot more interesting to me again. Until recently they didn’t really get a look in for long haul redemptions, because they were harder to earn and had more value on shorter flights.
I also try to keep a few hundred thousand SQ miles (and similar with VA points, which can be used to topup SQ if necessary, but can also book UA/AC/SQ/QR and others directly) to diversify. They’re also a good backup for domestic flights when QF have no availability. SQ miles are the ones I find hardest to accrue a large amount of, so Amex now almost exclusively get directed there (but I’m acutely aware of the 3 year clock ticking as soon as they’re transferred into SQ, so never keep more than I will expect to use).
Would say points for 3x LH and a few SH to cover the mandated school holidays per year, with contingency of about 400-500k. However, would not define this as rich, or even nouveau riche by any stretch of the aspiration. It’s just the unfortunate tale of how families with kids survive.
Would say points for 3x LH and a few SH to cover the mandated school holidays per year, with contingency of about 400-500k. However, would not define this as rich, or even nouveau riche by any stretch of the aspiration. It’s just the unfortunate tale of how families with kids survive.
Not sure if this is meant to be tongue in cheek, but having 3+ holidays abroad a year sounds like a lot more than just surviving.
Me and Mrs DJP try and get away 4 times a year, and each earn a 2-4-1 and a Bcys upgrade voucher. I consider myself Avios rich if I have a years flights booked and enough for next years travel.
I’ve recently gone for the Virgin Points + c/card to take up the slack when I’ve more Avios than I need or want to try and spread out the expiry dates of the vouchers. I’m not 100% sure that strategy is going to work given Virgin’s long haul routes – also the eye watering surcharges are pretty unfreindly.
I’d qualify for Avios rich, but that’s mainly through business spend and the sadly departed AmEx FX Premium Rewards service which enabled me to accumulate significant amounts of points per year. I think our current balance in Avios is approx 4m as we decided to send some AmEx rewards into Bonvoy, Delta, Virgin, Eurostar etc.
Earning rates are lower now but we’ll still clear probably 1m this year.
We transfer out the maximum to Nectar but are focussing on getting BA Gold as then we’ll use double Avios to book flights during the school holidays.
This is a really interesting thread and good to hear everyone’s different perspectives.
Genuinely interested to know how some people are able to get to such balances. I fly BA regularly for work (though only in economy) and have the paid-for Avios card and qualified for the upgrade voucher. I take two or three holidays a year. I’ve managed to get to around 120,000 plus around the same amount in MR points. So seeing balances of 1-4m blows my mind a little!
Steering slightly back on-topi – I’m not cash rich so do see myself as Avios rich, although have yet to find a good use for them. I can onlyy fly economy with work so will wait for a couple of long-haul trips later in the year and probably use to upgrade to PE.
I started avios collecting in 2017. Managed to do 1 First Class New York, and 1 Manchester to London return with them so far. Hit 1.6 Million Avios during lockdown, decided to play it safe and use some of them whilst still collecting, so been converting 50,000 a month to Nectar for about 1.5 years for fuel and food. I’ve just dropped below the £1 million avios mark which made me feel avios poor, will likely keep converting until around 800,000. Hoping to go back New York this summer so will use best part of 200,000 avios then. Sitting on 3 Amex 2 for 1 Vouchers and 3 Barclays vouchers, so I really need to start using them and fly again.
Would say points for 3x LH and a few SH to cover the mandated school holidays per year, with contingency of about 400-500k. However, would not define this as rich, or even nouveau riche by any stretch of the aspiration. It’s just the unfortunate tale of how families with kids survive.
Not sure if this is meant to be tongue in cheek, but having 3+ holidays abroad a year sounds like a lot more than just surviving.
Given UK pricing I’d be more impressed by anyone who had 3 UK holidays per year!
This is a really interesting thread and good to hear everyone’s different perspectives.
Genuinely interested to know how some people are able to get to such balances. I fly BA regularly for work (though only in economy) and have the paid-for Avios card and qualified for the upgrade voucher. I take two or three holidays a year. I’ve managed to get to around 120,000 plus around the same amount in MR points. So seeing balances of 1-4m blows my mind a little!
Steering slightly back on-topi – I’m not cash rich so do see myself as Avios rich, although have yet to find a good use for them. I can onlyy fly economy with work so will wait for a couple of long-haul trips later in the year and probably use to upgrade to PE.
On your question of large balances, as many people have stated the lack of redemption during Covid years is a factor. Over the years of reading the blog, mixture of:
– lots of business class flights for work
– business spending on avios cards (Robs frequently mentions facebook ads will accept amex)
– large personal spending
– several players in the game so lots of sign up bonuses, referral bonuses, retention bonus
– good at making use of offers that comes up
– putting all spending onto credit cards, using estore etc – people have put large spends such as car deposits, university feesI would also add that sign up bonuses seems to be getting larger in the last few years (recent 70k BAPP comes to mind). Barclays recent offer resulted in 150k avios, a couple would land 300k, you already passed a quarter of a million right there!
Now lets be real and honest here folks, some folk have just rinsed and manufactured points overtime to class themselves as Avios “rich”.
I’d consider myself avios rich for the first time in 11 years at the moment, two long haul trips booked already for 2024 and enough points and vouchers due to book the first 2025 trip
I think there’s been some points flooded on the market of late I cant imagine my lifestyle will keep me this buoyant in points beyond 2025
I’m just shy of 2m, having recently booked a business class trip for 2 to Barbados/NYC. Got a few HSBC and Amex MR points knocking around too. I’ve probably spent on average circa 500K per year other than in a covid times.
A friend has 5m which were inadvertently allocated to his account by a fat-fingered employee of a credit card company!
If you go to do an Avios booking by default without even thinking if you have enough is a pretty good indicator in my view. It also depends how you use them; a savvy collector who knows how best to maximise the value of a 241 will be a lot “richer” with a smaller pot of avios than someone who has a balance twice as large but thinks redeeming them for hotels is good value.
Having 1m Avios per seat in your household.
I feel avios “rich” when I book a reward flight and it posts as qualifying and I earn avios and tier points on it lol
I have about 1.5M myself alone, with hubby we get to almost 2M if I include MR stashed in a couple of different pots and Nectar points too. I consider myself Avios rich so much so that I now book Avios flights and pay the min amount of tax (short haul £0,50 one way so I turn those flights into “flexible” ones).
I feel avios “rich” when I book a reward flight and it posts as qualifying and I earn avios and tier points on it lol
LOL. Happened to me the other day 🙂
I’ve been able to accumulate probably less than 500k in a few years and I had to work pretty hard at that. Having a balance of 1M+ boggles the mind.
Although we’ve banked about 130k since a baseline of almost exactly zero in January, of which only 70k was BAPP SUB so perhaps this will be a strong year.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Popular articles this week:
