Are "Flybys" worth it? What real benefits do you see?

[CairnsInvestor]

I've never had one of these "Flybys" cards simply because I read a while ago that you have to spend around $50 to get around 10 Flyby points. So you might spend $10,000 on your card each year & only get enough to get a $100 gift voucher or something. Is it really worth the effort? What real benefits do you see?

I've also never done the spend up on the credit card to buy all your monthly expenditure & then pay it off consistently at the end of the month. Is it really worth the effort? What real benefits do you see?

 

[Pushka]

As long as you dont buy things just to use the card, then fly buys are fantastic! My NAB credit card is linked to it, which I use for business expenses. In the last six months I have received an Ipod shuffle and last week, I just received an $800 krups Coffee machine! Gotta love that!

I joined fly buys as soon as it started, and while I dont go out of my way to buy things to use it, if I use Coles, as I sometimes do, then I swipe the Fly buys card, same as petrol, the NAB card etc etc. Over the years I have had many mystery flights, about $1000 in various store vouchers, put some credit on to the NAB card, and the two things above. But as I say I only use it when convenient and dont go out of my way to do so!

 

[Tim]

I've never had one of these "Flybys" cards simply because I read a while ago that you have to spend around $50 to get around 10 Flyby points. So you might spend $10,000 on your card each year & only get enough to get a $100 gift voucher or something. Is it really worth the effort? What real benefits do you see?

I've also never done the spend up on the credit card to buy all your monthly expenditure & then pay it off consistently at the end of the month. Is it really worth the effort? What real benefits do you see?

We have been on FlyBUys for several years, have NAB visa linked, mostly shop at Coles and try to buy petrol at Shell - so we don't majorly change habits but it has proven to be extremely worthwhile, we get a few nights accomodation every year at no cost as we don't ever buy anything just for fly buys.

Tim

 

[skater]

I've had a Flybuys card since they came out. I don't spend a lot & don't change my spending to take advantage of the card, however I still get good use out of it. I had enough points at Christmas to get 3 x $50 gift vouchers. I usually get something every year, granted it is not much, but it is better than nothing.

 

[MadMax2]

if not a NAB customer, Flybuy is an absolute waste of wallet space, and annoying questions at the checkout.

Better stick to some fast earning award cards, and get the rewards 10 times faster.

 

[wylie]

We we had the NAB credit card we did quite well from fly buys because of the double-up effect - earning points from, say, Target PLUS earning points on the same transaction with the NAB card.

We now are with Westpac so the fly buys add up slower than a wet week, but our Westpac Altitude awards are very worthwhile, and last two Christmases I had enough points to get $600 worth of vouchers.

 

[Stella]

We now are with Westpac so the fly buys add up slower than a wet week, but our Westpac Altitude awards are very worthwhile, and last two Christmases I had enough points to get $600 worth of vouchers.

So the yearly fee for the card is more than covered in redemptions?

I ask because we are with Westpac but our card doesnt accrue points & we have been thinking about changing to one that does. We use the card for all spending & pay off at months end.

Cheers
Stella

 

[wylie]

Hi Stella.

We have a professional package which is now $395 per year and a free Alttitude card, so no separate fee. I also put everything on the card and pay it off each month, so no interest.

We also have a separate American Express card attached to the mastercard and I use this whenever it is accepted (Coles accept it) as I get two points per dollar. So the points do add up quickly.

I pay all IP espenses, rates, insurance, school fees, etc on the cards. It adds up quickly.

 

[Sunfish]

So the yearly fee for the card is more than covered in redemptions?

It is for me but I do spend a few grand a month. Most of that would be with Woolies but Coles may become competitive now and the Flybys may get busier.

 

[Stella]

Hi Stella.

We have a professional package which is now $395 per year and a free Alttitude card, so no separate fee. I also put everything on the card and pay it off each month, so no interest.

We also have a separate American Express card attached to the mastercard and I use this whenever it is accepted (Coles accept it) as I get two points per dollar. So the points do add up quickly.

I pay all IP espenses, rates, insurance, school fees, etc on the cards. It adds up quickly.

Hi Wylie
Thanks for that - looks like I'll be calling the bank tomorrow - we also have a professional package but have (I think?) a standard Gold Mastercard so I'll have to find out what happened to the Altitude card!!

Cheers
Stella

 

[geoffw]

Personally I'm not into free flights. I don't have enough time to take them.

But I am into rewards. So I've had a lot of reward points which I've converted into shopping vouchers. Without changing the amount I spend on anything- just choosing to pay by credit and survice on minimal cash.

This year has been extremely tight timewise. So we've converted a few years of points into shopping vouchers as gifts.

They have been worth quite a few $$, so have gone down well. And the family get what they really want

 

[marg4000]

We don't bank NAB, shop at Woolies more often than not, so find the flybuys add up rather slowly. In the several years I have had the card we have received approx $80 in store cards.

Better than nothing. I don't go out of my way at all, if flybuys are available I take them.
Marg

 

[lizzie]

we have the westpac altitude amex/mastercard and the rewards are definately worth it - i just bought around $700 worth of christmas presents on the rewards and also junior and i take a flight to nz to visit the family once a year on rewards.

because i supermarket shop at coles, and buy my petrol at shell, the flybuys have been definately worth it. get around $2-300 worth of free stuff every year for nothing - and i keep the card in my wallet behind my amex, so just whip it out at the same time and get points on both cards.

so my question is - why not?

 

[Pushka]

if not a NAB customer, Flybuy is an absolute waste of wallet space, and annoying questions at the checkout.

Maybe, but whether or not you have a card, the question will still get asked!
With the free flights, I gave them to my mother who could never afford to fly! She ended up being upgraded to Business Class to Alice Springs - for free!
And Perth! Long day though!

I also have Westpac Altitude rewards Gold card, and courtesy of this card, my son is going to get a 'Drive a V8 experience' for his 18th birthday next week - again, for free because I put all the new IP furnishings on this card! Cant beat that either!

So i am with you Lizzie! But my hubby - couldnt get him to even put the Fly Buys in his wallet - maybe it is a 'clever girl' thing

 

[buzzlightyear]

The real issue that I have with the FlyBuys, Coles purchases and especially the Shell fuel purchase discount, is that we are effectively by our behaviour strengthening the retail distribution to the major oil companies, and not supporting independents. A few cents saved today (literally) will be at our detriment in the future.

 

[wylie]

I agree with the sentiments Buzz, but I think it is like the masses voting for a government that promises them a $10 a week tax cut (not that they did this time).

I would think most people want to do things for the "greater good" but I think when you have to make those decisions, and one decision means having a few more dollars in our pockets, the decision gets blurred.

Having said that, I do buy from independents a lot because there is a really cheap one that I drive past fairly often. I actually avoid the local Shell because people queue up to save $1.60 using shopper dockets, but I will not wait in line to save $1.60 so I get petrol when it need it, wherever that is.

Sadly, the independents are slowly disappearing anyway.

 

[Pushka]

I do prefer to shop with the Independents also, which is why I dont use Coles all that much. Foodland in SA is SA owned and each store is owned by a family; they have a far greater range of products (as opposed to the generic Coles brands which are taking over the shelves) and their fruit /meat quality is way better. And their staff are friendlier too! In the consumer surveys they always come out cheaper than the Big 2!

 

[The Y-man]

I have shares (either directly or indirectly) in Coles, Woolworths, Caltex, Shell, Metcash...

Cheers,

The Y-man

 

[BayView]

We have a NAB Visa.

The freqent fluer points were a good deal about 10 years ago.

Now, with the ratio of points to dollars, and the restrictions on when you can fly, it is all but a waste of time in my opinion.

What we do instead is use the points as a dollar credit towards flights, or car rental, or motels. We book all our own stuff, and we get a discount off the bill. it's a little win here and there.

We pay our entire balance off every month, so no interest. The benefit I see with this strategy is oh; only about a zillion dollars in saved interest over a lifetime.

 

[steveadl]

My girlfriend asked me to use her FlyBuys card for her a while back (I spend more than her). After seeing the point system (spend required, expiry dates etc), I decided it wasn't worth the 1&1/2 seconds it takes to swipe the damn thing! Especially when compared to my credit card points scheme.

But hey, that's just me!