I knew the day was coming when Qantas finally downgraded me from Platinum to Gold. When, I finally noticed that my “status” had taken a hit, I was strangely unmoved.

It was, I imagine, how a recently escaped prisoner might feel if they received the news they were being moved to a smaller cell while they were sipping a cool drink and enjoying their freedom in Rio de Janeiro. See if I care.

It does not make sense why management should get to fly business class while everyday pleb employees are left to languish in economy.Credit: iStock

I quit. Cashed in my chips and spent all my Qantas points so carefully accrued over years of enduring the Friday night commuter flight home, followed by the Sunday evening dash to the airport.

Nearly a million points. I discovered they will get me plus one to the other side of the world but were not enough to get me back again without shelling out serious cold hard cash on top. What’s the point with the points?

Now my points balance has taken a big hit, I feel giddy freedom. I have escaped the token economy of chasing points. I don’t need to pay through the nose for a credit card that........

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