We’ve been talking about the new flybuys loyalty scheme quite a bit here at Lifehacker, but I realise that coverage has skipped one relatively central point: whether points are easier to earn under the new scheme than the old one. It turns out that the new flybuys is marginally more generous, but neither offers anything like the level of savings you’ll get from shopping around and finding the best specials.
When we recently looked at how the new flybuys isn’t particularly good value, a few readers argued that it was unfair to claim that Coles would “aggressively bombard you with offers”. Having received three emails from flybuys in the course of a week, I’d say that the marketing is well and truly on. What can you do about it?
Coles has revamped its flybuys loyalty scheme, changing the way you can earn points and redeem them. But the most important feature of the scheme remains the same: you will have to spend a massive amount of money to reap any long-term benefits, and you’ll be sacrificing a lot of personal information to do so. We’ll tell you how to make the most of flybuys if you do sign up, but you really need to examine whether it’s worth it.
After a long absence, Telstra is rejoining the Flybuys loyalty scheme; since September last year, Optus has offered its customers the ability to earn Qantas frequent flyer points. Which telco offers a better deal in terms of loyalty points?
Coles’ FlyBuys has recently joined Woolworths’ Everyday Rewards in offering “activated rewards”: deals which only apply if you click on a link to activate them and then spend a specified amount of money within a specified time frame. Lifehacker’s advice on these remains unchanged: they’re a good idea if they offer you a saving on something you actually needed to buy anyway, but not otherwise.
Earning a free flight with FlyBuys can take a long time, but you can accelerate the process slightly this weekend: purchases at Coles will attract triple the normal points total. Time for some bulk winter food shopping? [via OzBargain]
