Westpac Altitude rewards is offering cashback with 30% reduction in points required.
Cardholders will need to log in to their account and navigate to rewards redemption page.
It doesn't appear to be targeted offer (I have not received any email regarding the promotion). Says the offer is for limited time.
Please see the attached PDF for terms and conditions and the redemption points.
Thanks.
What's the cash value you get per altitude point including the bonus?
Smallest is $50 CB for 9850 points = 0.5cpp.
Best case, all your spend is on the Altitude Black Amex earning 2.25 p/$ so you're getting at best a 1.125% cashback.
If you fly, you can move the points to Velocity at a 2:1 rate, so if you can get a 2cpp redemption of velocity points, then you're getting about 1cpp out of your altitude points.
Think I'll pass on this one.
What if u dont fly? And just sell the points?
Thanks, better than gift cards.
Good deal but they only just increased the points required for gift card. I am looking to move to CitiBank as annual fees are alot cheaper and with rewards.
All the banks have changed the point structure to the detriment of the card holder. There's no win in this.
Citibank don't give points any more for anything government related and have reduced points for everything else and raised points for rewards.
You have for a long time been able to unofficially get a cash back by using the "annual fee rebate" option. There has been no rules or limits on usage of this option.
This works out marginally cheaper than using that option, ie 19700 for $100 instead of 20000 for $100.
So you're saying you can receive a credit in your account when you claim the annual fee rebate. Even if you paid no annual fee in the first place?
Yep I don't pay an annual fee as I have a staff card and have done it several times.
OP, can you pls elaborate further on how to use this annual fee rebate option? Iam paying the fees annually.
You call the rewards redemption call centre and ask for annual fee rebate. Points required are based on the amount you wish to be rebated. I think the suggestion is that they don't check if you have been charged any annual fee or not, they would just give you an annual fee rebate. This would mean that they will credit the fee to your account. I have never tried asking for rebate of fees, if I have not paid fees. But I guess it is possible.
…works now.
Is it me or is virgin velocity points way worse than Qantas points in terms of flight availability and amount of points required
Depends if you're flying domestically or internationally and in which class. Domestically I've always found Virgin cheaper both in terms of points required and surcharges. Internationally, as Virgin have so few destinations on their own planes, it's a bit of a lottery. If you're not flying to the US, NZ, HK or a handful of Asian/pacific islands, you're going to be on a partner airline. Booking Singapore Airlines through Virgin, for example, is at a real premium over booking directly through KrisFlyer.
100% agree with you there. Even to HK I was struggling to find decent point flights
I would have said the opposite was true.
Even as a Platinum, I struggle to find flights to redeem my QFF points on at vaguely reasonable rates, ESPECIALLY as Classic Rewards. And there's near zero chance of finding more than a couple of seats free together on most routes in premium cabins (important now we have a couple of kids).
OTOH, I'm only a Velocity Red but have used points for several domestic and cross-Tasman holidays over the last few years, including the Queenstown trip we're going on next week - five return tickets, together, in J, booked with points. Anybody below a QFF P1 would have a snowball's chance of doing that on QANTAS.
Hence the reason I've directed nearly all my spend and credit card churn for the last few years into Velocity points. Meanwhile my ~750k QFF points languish.
This commment isn’t necessarily directed at you drsmithy, but some might argue that it’s a bit of a waste using points for children to fly in premium cabins.
I guess it depends a lot on their age and how well behaved they are, but they certainly wouldn’t be taking advantage of the improved drinks selection or extra leg room.
Paying customers may rightly be frustrated with small, noisy children/babies running/crying/screaming in the business lounge and/or cabin.
I know when I fly long-haul J, I can get quietly annoyed with children are in the cabin. Even the sweetest and best behaved kid has their limit.
What’s your take on this?
I have witnessed probably close to as many obnoxious adults in J as I have children, and I judge the adults far more harshly because they don't have the excuse of being children.
You can't put your kids in the back if you want to ride up the front at least until they're over 12 (ours are only 18 months, so will be on our laps, probably for the last time). Even then, I suspect, the airline wouldn't knowingly let you do it (what are you going to do in an emergency - look after yourself and trust your kid(s) will be fine, or fight your way back to help them?).
So, since my wife and I have no intention of curbing our travel habits, and at 6' and 6'2 most assuredly do enjoy the extra legroom (neither here nor there on the better food and drinks), we don't really have a lot of choice as to whether or not the sprogs are riding up front as well. And I can hardly criticise anyone else for behaviour I am engaging in.
TL;DR: children have to sit with their parents, and their parents might want to sit at the pointy end. Stick in some earplugs and put the NR headphones on.
cheers op
Cheers Op, just claimed cashback!
Awesome $1,500 payout.
Been looking for a way of getting my points out.
Is this the best usage of points or is it still airline stuff?
I was wondering the same thing. So I did some research…
BUSINESS CLASS
Perth to Singapore on Business with SQ
$3,483
= 65,000 Krisflyer miles + $132.89
= 162,500 Altitude points + $132.89
If you cashback, that amount would equal
162,500 Altitude points + $132.89
= $824.87 + $132.89
= $957.76
ECONOMY CLASS
Perth to Singapore on Economy with SQ
$532 (low season) $1050 (high season)
= 40,000 Krisflyer miles + $132.89
= 100,000 Altitude points + $132.89
If you cashback, that amount would equal
100,000 Altitude points + $132.89
= $500 + $132.89
= $632.89
(Some rounding involved, based on flights in Nov & Dec 2017 for 1 adult, Krisflyer comparison only. I also tried comparing child ticket, you save marginally less using points, but still not enough to make cashback more beneficial for Business class or Economy on high season)
TLDR; Still better to transfer points to Krisflyer to book Business class flights OR Economy on High Season. Not worth it if used to book Economy on Low Season
Ok I have never used FF points as I fly so irregularly… but from what you are saying I can fly Perth to Singapore BUSINESS class for only 162,500 points + $132 or equivalent to $957 if you took the cashback??
Yep. Try and do a search yourself. Make sure you tick the "redeem points" box. In some peak dates you may have to be on the waitlist for the cheaper points, but if you book way ahead you can probably score it easily. Haven't tried claiming myself though so don't hold me to this.
Thank you. I will hang on to my points. I could nearly get $4K, but business class upgrade sounds better.
Does anyone know if Westpac rewards have mastercard giftcards redemptions?
Afaik, only commbank does and its by far the most useful thing you can redeem without having to go down specific shop giftcards but wihh the recent Amex point changes, its making point accumulation much harder and longer.
I wish I knew about this last week, I just redeemed a $250 Westfield gift card, could have gotten $75 more. Oh well, redeemed my remaining points for $50 cashback, better than nothing. Cheers, OP.
Awesome I did the deal. Funny how you still have to put in your delivery address… like they're gonna post the cash to you lol
Thanks! Just redeemed 9850 points for 50 bucks.
Altitude Black AMEX now receive 2.5 points per dollar spent, not 3 any more…
Thanks. Just redeemed 1.1k.
Gotta love banks and their T&C's;
"This offer is limited and may be varied or withdrawn at anytime"
Wish I could offer the same terms with regards to my home loan;
"My mortgage payments are limited and may be varied or withdrawn at anytime"
Problem is we mortgage our home to them, so don't really have any choice.
If i have just over 300000 points that i have been trying to collect over about 20 years and never yet made a points redemption due to the constantly changing options available …( I know that the value of what i have been sitting on has eroded over time ) Should I just do this and put it out of my mind ? I can see that it looks better than store gift card purchases value for money . I also know with the likes of skyscanner, iwtf, and adioso that flights can often be had for much less now than in the bad old days so thinking maybe smart to just pay off credit card now and search for a flight later if and when required and pay cash on the day.
I dont care which airline if the price is right !
I just cashed all mine in, I think you are better having the money in your wallet and purchasing cheap flights yourself instead of using points for booking travel.
When single, totally flexible on date availability to grab flights to pay by frequent flyer points, and plenty of time to escape from reality, the "dream aspect" was valuable . Once children , responsibility and life changes to level where you can't just drop everything and run away this ( seemingly boring waste ) seems to make more sense.
Cash it out. Earn points again buying cheap flights on the same card :D
300,000 over 20 years, wow you must be a casual user of it. I racked up 130,000 in 5 months. But that was when it was doing 3 points for amex and also I pay for every item under the sun that has no surcharge using amex.
Thanks for posting. Just converted all my points!
Do you pay tax on cashback?
Good question. I would say it is more of a discount on your spending rather than an income. As we need to spend to be able to get the points, which can then be redeemed for cash or any other reward.
you're spending points which you accumulated by spending cash on purchases. Therefore the cashback cannot be counted as income. While obviously interest from leaving your money in a bank account is taxable because it's income.
"Altitude Points will be deducted immediately from your Altitude Rewards account and you should allow up to 10 business days for the funds to be credited to your card account."
Typical Banks take from you today and give it back 10 days later..should be immediate sheesh
for comparison sake as I only ever redeem points for gift cards, this is a good offer, albeit marginally.
cash back = 197 points per $1
woolworths = 235 points per $1
annual fee rebate = 200 points per $1
also FYI, with this cash back deal, it's better cashing it out and if you have any means to buy WISH giftcard with ~5% discount all time (for me via RAC membership) it'll work out even better than compared to 235points per $1
Hmm tempting.. I've got 400k points so if I cash them all using this deal I can get 2000..
I was/am planning to use them in the future to travel during school holidays (high season?).
Which one better value?
What do you think I should do guys?
Is this kind of deal rare and this is the best yet?
Scroll up and read my post above. I reckon better to use for flights if its on high season.
Thanks John for your analysis! I read that post, but I am wondering if the prices you use to compare are the "official" fares straight from the airline's website or the cheapest you can find?
Also, I noticed you used SQ to compare, but potentially one can choose to travel with cheaper airline, e.g. budget airlines like Scoot/Jetstar, which will not be as expensive as SQ, and that will make this cashback deal appears to be a better value (?)
I don't really mind travelling with budget airlines (in economy class) myself.
I guess in that scenario (flying to SG in high season), is it possible to fly to SG in high season for $632 with budget airline + discount… Probably not?
It's fares straight from the website. I personally haven't been booking budget airline for a while due to travelling with kid, and I'm willing to pay more for comfort and reliability.
But I did a quick search and find its $622 return to Singapore using TigerAir on Christmas/NY - and I doubt there'll be any sale. The cashback will cover that, but if you use the points, you'd be flying with SQ. So you don't necessarily lose money.. but you are flying with lower class airline with not much left in your pocket.
I did my research initially to check the business class ticket, because its hardly on sale and no budget airline would able to offer. And worth more in value in comparison.
Sweet deal! Thanks OP!
Cashed in my 320000 points ive had for ever. Wanting to close my rewrds account now but they dont make that easy via online.
The $150/year membership is not worth it.
I'm a little slow.. like Gump. I have mortgages with Westpac. Does an Altitude account offer anything as good as a 100k ff sign up bonus like the Amex Velocity ones do? Or benefit my mortgage at all? Not the biggest fan of Aus banks.. :-/
If you have the Premier Advantage package (a home loan package with an annual package fee of $395), you pay no annual fee on any Westpac credit card:
https://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/home-loans/home-…
80,000 sign up bonus Qantas or Altitude Points on the Altitude Black credit card:
https://www.westpac.com.au/personal-banking/credit-cards/rew…
Thanks Junfila.. I just followed this up on Westpac's Live Chat and they confirmed everything you said, so I can get two black cards (wife and I) for free owing to our Premier Advantage thing (rather than paying $395), so happy days.. 160,000 ff points - thanks very much!
No worries, enjoy :)
You should confirm if you'll get the bonus points, when I got my Earth black a few years ago they said I wouldn't get them because I wasn't paying an annual fee.
Thanx OP, have redeemed for cashback. Cant be bothered studying all the various redeem options. End up spending hours analysing and getting distracted…..
One thing I loathe is Westpac dont have Secure Email system, and they require us to ring all the time. Not good! Especially after paying those hefty fees….
Wow what a deal, usually save up for westfield gift cards and spend in apple store, last time got imac.
Just cashed out and will get $1700. Tempted to get an iPad pro now.
Surprised to see sale on cashback, has this happened before?
Wow, $1.7k in cashback! How much the purchases would be, and can I ask how to make that level of purchase?
Does it worth it in the end?
Put as much as possible thru credit card and on amex at 3pts/$, but only if no fee. But I travel for work and put work expenses through on Amex even if a fee ;-)
Average spend probably $5k per month on credit card.
Have Westpac mortgage, so card is included in the package.
Happy with ipad pro I got, and just before going on cruise last week so got to claim the GST back on TRS at the port.
Winner! Good job Plowry!
Thanks OP! Just got $850 back :)
Thanx OP, have redeemed the cashback. OP you are guys rocks
Thanks OP, cashed in half of my points :)
has this offer ever been on before? Hoping they do it again, but not for about a year so can save up the points
Thanks, it is cheaper than buying a Bunning gift card by points.