Point Hacks

Thanks to its partnership with Qatar Airways, Virgin Australia is “back” with international long haul flights. But are these flights actually worth your hard-earned Velocity Points?
In this episode Tobias Venus chats with Chris Chamberlin (Senior News Editor, Point Hacks) who flew the inaugural VA-coded service to Doha on Qatar Airline's Qsuite Business Class.
We cover:
✅Which international Velocity redemptions offer the best value (hint: this flight is one of them)✅How the Virgin Australia flight differs from Qatar's offering✅The quirks of wet-leasing and how it impacts amenities and lounge access✅How to stitch connections to Europe on one ticket.✅How to book VA coded flights between Australia and Doha using points, including alternatives to Velocity Points✅What's next for Virgin Australia international long-haul
💌 Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest reward seat alerts and holiday inspiration - https://www.pointhacks.com.au/emails/?utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=pod_2
📰 Chris Chamberlin's review of the Virgin Australia x Qatar Airways Boeing 777 Qsuite Business Class - https://www.pointhacks.com.au/reviews/virgin-australia-qatar-airways-boeing-777-qsuite-business-class-sydney-doha/?utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=pod_2❓Flying Qsuite: Qatar Airways vs Virgin Australia – what’s the difference? - https://www.pointhacks.com.au/difference-between-qatar-airways-vs-virgin-australia-qsuite/?utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=pod_2🛬 Five reasons to turn a Doha transit into a stopover - https://www.pointhacks.com.au/guides/five-reasons-to-turn-a-doha-transit-into-a-stopover/?utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=pod_2📺 Watch Tobias' experience on Qatar Qsuites - https://youtu.be/7fV-etXtgHw
🎬 Credits:Guest: Chris Chamberlin, Senior News Editor, Point HacksExecutive Producer: Caissie Dillon Vision Mixing: Sean PereiraAudio Recording: Joshua WeckertProduced, edited and hosted by: Tobias Venus
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#pointhacks #frequentflyer #qatar #virginaustralia

In this episode of Point Hacks, Tobias Venus chats with Brandon Loo, fresh from an epic two-week trip around the globe — all booked using Qantas Points! Learn exactly how he visited four continents, multiple world-class cities, and top airline lounges for just 318,000 points + minimal taxes (now 365,800 points).
We cover:✅ How to book a oneworld Classic Flight Reward and maximise the 35,000-mile cap✅ The essential rules & tricks to maximise value✅ Tips for finding rare business class award seats✅ Brandon’s full itinerary: Tokyo, Chicago, New York, Barcelona, London, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Singapore & more✅ The best food, lounges, and airlines from his trip✅ Smart ways to earn points faster for your own round-the-world adventure
Whether you’ve got 300,000 Qantas Points or you’re just starting your points journey, this episode is packed with practical strategies, insider hacks, and inspiration to turn your frequent flyer balance into the trip of a lifetime.
💌 Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest reward seat alerts and holiday inspiration - https://www.pointhacks.com.au/emails/?utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=pod_1
💡 Learn more about the Qantas oneworld 'round-the-world' redemption.More about Brandon's experience -https://www.pointhacks.com.au/experiences/round-the-world-business-class-qantas-points-2025/?utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=pod_1How to book - https://www.pointhacks.com.au/qantas/round-the-world-classic-reward-guide/?utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=pod_1The best ways to earn Qantas Points - https://www.pointhacks.com.au/qantas/best-ways-to-earn-points/?utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=pod_1
🎬 Credits:Guest: Brandon Loo, Point Hacks Senior Content ProducerExecutive Producer: Caissie Dillon Vision Mixing: Sean PereiraAudio Recording: Joshua WeckertProduced, edited and hosted by: Tobias Venus
#pointhacks #frequentflyer #qantas

Travel Pointers is a brand new Australian podcast for frequent flyers, hosted by Point Hacks News Editor Chris Chamberlin and Australian Frequent Flyer Editor Matt Graham. Each month, your hosts will discuss the latest travel news, share their best travel tips and stories, and provide useful tips to help you make the most of your points! Some episodes will also include interviews with leading travel industry figures.

Travelling in India is an amazing adventure, but it pays to plan in advance.
From landing in a security-heavy air force base to finding the right ATM, Chris Chamberlin shares his firsthand experience of incredible India.

Fresh off a Business Class flight, Chris Chamberlin is loving New Caledonia. Noumea is easy to get to, gives you a taste of the Maldives, and there are reward seats available!
David and Chris breakdown the entire experience, and how you can fly there yourself using your Qantas points.

How do the experts find Business and First Class reward seats? What are some routes to look at given current availability? Which points currencies should I be collecting?
There are too many answers to these questions to put on one guest's shoulders. So we got three!
We've gathered some of Australia's leading frequent flyer experts from both Point Hacks and Australian Frequent Flyer to help us get to the bottom of these questions and more.

In this episode, Point Hacks' writer Brandon Loo returns to the podcast to brag about his recent trip to Rome and the sparkling Amalfi Coast. With reward availability at a premium right now, we also dive into some interesting and creative ways to jet to Europe on points. Brandon's top tips? You'll have to listen to find out!

Chris Chamberlin is making up for lost time! Having just completed the world's longest flight between Singapore and New York, we talk about how he fared and the future of ultra long hauls.

Point Hacks CEO, Michael Siwes, just flew return to Barcelona. From start to finish, the entire trip was booked using points in either Business or First Class. The catch? 109 hours of time spent travelling.

Singapore have recently relaxed their COVID restrictions, effectively opening the county to tourism again. Editor-in-Chief of Point Hacks, Daniel Sciberras, joins our host David to talk about what Singapore is currently like on the ground, and some of the best ways to get there on points.