LIFE059 The true value of frequent flyer points. Are they worth chasing? (653 words)

Are you sitting on a huge pile of frequent flyer points that you are struggling to redeem? How much are they really worth, and is it worth the effort (and cost) of collecting them? Find the answers here.

The average Australian is sitting on a balance of 73,000 frequent flyer points, according to a 2025 survey. About a quarter of those surveyed used their points for travel occasionally, but didn’t keep track of their balance, while 18% said they rarely redeemed them, and 15% didn’t understand how frequent flyer programs worked.

Clearly, there’s a lot of confusion about collecting points, using points and their true value. Let’s remedy that.

Collecting points

Although purchasing flights (and to a lesser extent hotel accommodation) is the traditional way to earn points, this only works well for regular business travellers. Most Australians accumulate points via credit card spending and other shopping, including converting Coles Flybuys and Woolworths Rewards Points into frequent flyer points.