Loyalty programs - are they worth it.

[Sieg]

I have a Kulula credit card. They give one "moolah" redeemable on flights. The problem is that these "moolah" thingies expire at a rate faster than politician's promises.

I wrote to them last week after receiving another one of those statements telling me how many "moolahs' have expired or are about to expire.

This is what I wrote to them:

"9th May 2009

Kulula.com
Jetsetters section
P O Box 7015
Bonaero Park
1622

Per fax: 011 388 24 63

Dear Sirs / Ladies

Profile: Siegfried Heiriss

I keep receiving stupid e mails like the attached one from you.

Your “rewards� program is a foefie. That, in case you don’t understand the word, means “gimmick� or just a plain “racket�. You “give� these rewards but take them away. I have other credit cards where my rewards are not taken away. In fact, I have just received a voucher on the one card which is being migrated to another bank, and did not lose any points even after many years. Your “scheme� is like that other well known con-show, Voyager.

So, keep your points, take them back: I do not want them. And please stop irritating me with those pesky and annoying e mails from Jetsetters. Please delete my details and unsubscribe me from this trash.

I will use my Nedbank Greenbacks credit cards where my rewards are for “real� and have some lasting value. I will over time also phase out my use of the kulula credit card.

Yours faithfully,
S.K. Heiriss"

No reply received as yet.

Sieg

[Dave A]

It'll be interesting to hear their response, if any.

I confess I've got that rip-off feeling about Voyager too right now. At least they haven't been "bugging" me with regular statements to add insult to injury, although I suspect it might be less to do with keeping me uninformed and more to do with saving on postage costs.

[sterne.law@gmail.com]

It'll be interesting to hear their response, if any.

I confess I've got that rip-off feeling about Voyager too right now. At least they haven't been "bugging" me with regular statements to add insult to injury, although I suspect it might be less to do with keeping me uninformed and more to do with saving on postage costs.

Well Done if you managed to get a free ticket with your voyagers. An even better well done if you manage to redeem it!!! i tried for 2 weeks to purchase a ticket with Voyager miles. I was on hold for hours, sent faxes, sent emails, phoned the airport to see if they could put me through. No luck. Eventually i contacted the Managing Director - who then got my ticket sorted. Quite frankly it was not worth it.

[Marq]

Wow - Makes you drink.....doesn't it? They give you this minuscule return, that the merchants pay for anyway and then make you beg for it on top of that.

[Dave A]

Well Done if you managed to get a free ticket with your voyagers.

Booking it online is a breeze - unless you want the miles saver rate. The miles saver seats are as rare as hens teeth, just like with most airline loyalty programs. At least there's a miles rate for "ordinary" seats.

While I'm about it, about the best way to deploy your voyager miles if you do longhaul flights is to use them for upgrades from economy to business class. You cannot believe how much easier it is to sleep on a business class seat compared to economy.

[BBBEE_CompSpec]

Due to the fact my Driver's License has been suspended, medical reasons (Bi Polar Sleeping Disorder), I make use of transport available to me in the form of Greyhound. Every fifth trip is free regardless of where I go. I also get a special discounted fare when booking.

I book through the Lodger Club and usually the fifth stay at the City Lodge Group is free as well.

I have not used my Voyager Card in four years.

I have a Nedbank Credit card that was originally linked to Pick n Pay. I get back app 10% of my purchases at Pick n Pay, paid directly into my bank account, monthly.

And, Finally, Due to my high pre paid usage on the net, app 8gb per month, Vodacom gives me back 10% of my spending in the form of airtime. This assists in the purchase of more data bundles.

You may have heard of UASA. An affiliate union of FEDUSA. It pays, as an employer, to join them. They have a linked Discounted Lifestyle that gives you discounts on many programmes, one included is hotel accommodation and travel. You complain about the catch of Voyager. When I was frequently travelling between Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg, about twice a week, I used my Discounted Lifestyle to book my flights. I would receive a 25% reduction in the price but I would gain the total pointage for the voyager miles.

[HR Solutions]

This is quite an old thread, but one that I found while searching. If you fly different airlines, would you say at this point in time that booking and paying for flights with an American Express card or a Nedbank Credit card is the best way to go now to earn greenbacks ?
Would this still be better than voyager miles ?

Thanks