Hi there! I’m Bec – another one of those pesky millennials who likes to travel too much, eats a house- worth of avocado and runs their life on a constant to-do list.

Oh, and I also know the best tips and tricks to make luxury travel the rule, not the exception.

So, what got me into using loyalty and frequent flyer programs for travel?
Up until the mid-2010s, I redeemed my frequent flyer points primarily for domestic, economy-class travel. Free flights? Fantastic! Life was great... I didn’t know any better.

Then I had that travel day. We’ve all had one – whether we’re the one causing misery to ourselves or scoffing at someone else causing the disruption.

I’ll spare you the details but it involved a rainy day in New York City, a broken suitcase, a missed flight, an overweight luggage fee and a migraine that was heading for the gold medal in the "worst I've ever had" awards.

By the time I made it to Los Angeles that evening, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. Then came a 14-hour flight home in Economy, sitting next to a couple who made no attempt to hide the fact they thought their hand luggage was more worthy of my seat than me.

Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, I decided that would be the last long-haul Economy flight I would ever take.

And so far, so good.

How did I say goodbye to long-haul economy?
Despite saying "yes, I’ll join!" to every loyalty program I'd ever been pitched and a wallet full of cards I never used, I really had no idea what a loyalty program offered.

I was giving my valuable personal information and shopping habits to all of these companies, but I wasn’t getting anything back in return. I didn’t know how to.

It usually takes a lot of time upfront to learn about frequent flyer and loyalty programs. Plus, with the industry constantly changing, it's something that requires a great deal of dedication to keep up with.

I understand that a lot of people don’t have the time to gather their own information about the points and miles world in Australia - they just want to make sure they are getting the best deal.

That’s why I created Award Lounge. Think of it as your one-stop-shop for tips and information to plan your life of luxury travel.