To name 44-year previous Barry Collins a “factors nerd” feels woefully insufficient given his degree of devotion to the craft. Extra precisely, he’s a factors millionaire after finishing a problem set within the closing months of 2024 by Scandinavian airline SAS — to fly around the globe utilizing routes operated by 15 members of the SkyTeam Alliance.
Describing the expertise as being like TV’s Race Throughout the World with out the cameras, Barry’s point-collecting odyssey price him £3,950 and concerned 21 financial system flights, a lot of them lengthy haul. This has netted him 1mn EuroBonus factors which — if spent properly — might be price £10,000.
Barry says: “Each single bloke I’ve informed about this says: ‘That sounds so cool’ however each single lady asks: ‘And who is taking care of your youngsters?’”
The SAS promotion has attracted big curiosity from factors fanatics around the globe, in addition to intense criticism from environmentalists.
SAS declined to disclose the variety of passengers who’ve accomplished the million factors problem, however some journey bloggers estimate it might be tons of. Many, like Barry, had been doing it for the joys of the chase. On one flight, from Guangzhou to Nairobi, he found that 10 of his fellow passengers — 9 males, and one lady — had been all on the identical quest.
I discover this darkly fascinating. What’s it that makes so many males potty about factors? What lengths will they go to to maximise their level assortment and redemption method — and in the event you’re tempted to have a go your self, is it ever actually price it?
Client outrage this week about British Airways’ resolution to shake up its Govt Membership loyalty scheme from April reveals you the way a lot this stuff matter to a sure kind of traveller.
The gamification of the factors trade creates the addictive attract, says Rob Burgess, a former funding banker behind Head for Points, a journey web site dedicated to frequent flyer and resort factors schemes.
We met up for lunch within the Sq. Mile, however the day earlier than he had taken his teenage son to Paris (on factors) and so they ate in a swanky Sushi place for nearly nothing utilizing his £150 Amex Platinum international eating credit score.
“It’s human nature to take enjoyment of beating the system,” he grins. The 40,000 individuals who subscribe to his Saturday publication absolutely agree. However to beat the system, you have to make investments time in understanding it.
There’s free cash available — however there may be additionally cash to be misplaced in the event you take your eye off the ball. Most playing cards have annual charges; ludicrously excessive rates of interest are charged in the event you don’t clear your steadiness in full every month and the temptation to overspend in pursuit of factors is ever current.
And if too many individuals develop into too good at taking part in the system, the airways can transfer the goalposts. Rob thinks BA’s modifications will make it “very tough, bordering on not possible” for leisure travellers to earn the coveted ‘gold’ standing in future.
However, January is the height time of yr for level assortment newbies to get began. The American Specific Most well-liked Rewards Gold card provides an indication on bonus of 30,000 Membership Rewards factors if you apply earlier than January 14 (these could be exchanged for Avios, plus myriad different airline and resort factors schemes).
Spend £25,000 in your card in your first yr, and also you’ll get one other 12,500 factors. There’s double factors on international spending and airline transactions. See how simple it’s to be sucked down this rabbit gap?
But only some handle to get superb worth from factors schemes, he notes. As a former banker, he’s skilled in doing the factors maths. The important thing lesson? Buying and selling your factors for enterprise or first-class flights provides you the utmost redemption worth.
When paying in factors, a first-class fare prices three to 4 occasions as a lot as an financial system one. However in the event you paid in money, it might price 10 to twenty occasions as a lot — in order that flat mattress premium cabin is (surprisingly) significantly better worth.
“In case you are the form of one that would pay £3,000 to fly first-class, this implies you might have actually saved £3,000 of your individual cash,” he says. Understanding that this quest is about getting higher worth, slightly than decrease costs, explains why so many rich folks obsess over factors assortment. Plus, in the event you journey an excellent deal for work, the factors you gather from flights and lodges are successfully free.
Barry, a property developer and kitchen designer, was turned on to level amassing 10 years in the past by a fellow enterprise proprietor who routed numerous work-related spending by way of factors playing cards. He has by no means paid for a complicated flight in his life, however prior to now decade, his pastime has flown his household first or enterprise class to Orlando, Cancún, the Caribbean and lots of different locations for not more than the tax and airline prices on their seats.
He’s unhappy to study that I’ve by no means flown something apart from financial system. I hardly ever fly, and I’d slightly forgo lounges and flat beds to spend the cash on first-class experiences at my chosen vacation spot. You may’t miss what you’ve by no means had.
But one hidden advantage of paying for air fares on factors is the flexibleness. Give 24 hours discover, and most airways will solely cost a nominal payment of £30 for altering your flight. Boards are stacked with flight reserving ideas, equivalent to utilizing SeatSpy to inform you the moment new seats seem or SeatGuru to view airline seating plans.
Double or triple stacking is Barry’s high tip to max out your factors assortment in 2025. Use the British Airways’ Avios shopping site as a portal to different retailers’ web sites, and you’ll gather further factors. On the time of writing, you possibly can get 16 Avios per £1 spent at Harvey Nicks, and 18 at Diptyque. Nice information in the event you’re the form of one that doesn’t thoughts blowing £85 on a complicated candle. However there are all the time provides on resort reserving websites, journey insurance coverage and different necessities you’d arguably want to purchase anyway.
Subsequent, Barry selects one in all his 10 playing cards from a cellular pockets app referred to as Curve, which provides one other potential layer of level or cashback assortment — then lastly, there are the factors on the cardboard transaction itself.
Nectar card points could be transformed into Avios; you can too earn them on Uber journeys. Get pleasure from a tipple? The Wine Flyer all the time has good Avios offers. Vitality corporations together with Octopus will allow you to pay your invoice on Amex (boards advise to arrange a low-value direct debit, then high it up). You may even pay council tax payments utilizing a Visa or Mastercard factors card.
But Barry warns: “To gather an honest quantity of factors, you must do it for all the pieces, each time. It’s all in or don’t hassle.”
There are fairly a couple of of my FT colleagues — all of them male — who’re ferociously on this matter. Dare I say it, I feel it has even made Christmas buying pleasurable for a few of them!
This brings me again to Barry’s spouse, Cheryl. She was glad to take care of the youngsters so Barry might jet off, and has a solo sea-swimming vacation in Turkey booked — plus she now will get to share the million factors with him.
Claer Barrett is the FT’s shopper editor and the creator of ‘What They Don’t Teach You About Money’. claer.barrett@ft.com Instagram @Claerb
