The new year is in full swing and it’s time for me to share with you my points earning strategy plans for the year ahead.

Airline programmes

I’m spreading my focus across two programmes primarily this year. British Airways Avios is the default one, thanks to being based in their home country of the UK and their cheap pricing on European travel using their points. Even though the cost of long haul premium travel using points is not particularly attractive due to high fuel surcharges that sometimes make the points awards as expensive as cash bookings.

My other focus, recently, has been on Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer which isn’t the most obvious or immediate choice for UK-based travellers like myself. Early in 2021, Singapore Airlines announced that for 12 months you could transfer 250,000 points from credit cards to your KrisFlyer account you also get KrisFlyer/Star Alliance Gold status. This should be useful as I plan to do some European travel in basic Economy later in 2022, where I can make use of this benefit. And clearly, some very aspirational premium travel experiences with Singapore Airlines that are simply unavailable with partner programmes.

I’ll be demoting actively accruing Virgin Points via Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. I just don’t really have much use for them and I can get far more flexibility with other programmes, although I may consider one day taking the famous sweet spot of All Nippon Airlines in First Class using Virgin Points. I will probably also completely dump my TAP Air Portugal status in February 2022 after my status match from British Airways, which happened just at the beginning of the pandemic, ends. I just have no other use for the scheme. I’ll also be hoping to finally use some of my speculative purchases from Alaska MileagePlan, American AAdvantage and Finnair Plus throughout the pandemic on travel over the next year.

Credit, debit and charge cards

I will focus almost exclusively on using cards that have flexible point currencies, these being my American Express and HSBC cards. I have access to both US and UK AMEX cards alongside the different sets of partners the programmes have in the respective countries - which includes BA, Singapore and Virgin but others who may be useful such as Air Canada (who have award ticket access to airlines like Oman Air and Etihad). My HSBC Premier World Elite MasterCard has a far more limited range of partners but has my two preferred programmes, BA and Singapore, as transfer partners. This is now my go to card when I, often, cannot use an American Express card or some shops say they do not accept (despite having an acceptance sign outside).

I’ll probably close down my paid Virgin Atlantic credit card because of getting a more flexible points earning MasterCard with HSBC and not really wanting any more Virgin Points than I currently have. I will keep my free Virgin Atlantic credit card, just because it may come in handy for any special offers on these cards or for MasterCard fee-free spending in the European Economic Area.

Special mentions

Chase Bank will stay part of my travel wallet, as explained in this article here, and thanks to their fantastic application. Curve will remain also as a better way for me to spend abroad whilst earning points - but I do have some concerns about the future of the proposition of a debit card fronting a credit card. This is due to some providers, such as Virgin Atlantic, changing their terms & conditions to make services like Curve a grey area that could be penalised.

Soon I’ll disclose my travel plans or aspirations for 2022 - which will be funded in part by the credit card points earned. What’s your strategy for points earning over the next year?