With temperatures plummeting across the country, it is no wonder more and more Australians are deciding to jet off for a blissful European summer.Now that the travel advice for Middle Eastern destinations that serve as the primary flight route to European countries has downgraded - Aussies have wasted no time resuming or booking their long-awaited trips.But what if you don’t have to drop thousands of dollars on flights?While basking in the Santorini sunshine and enjoying a gelato on the Amalfi Coast may just feel like a figment of every sniffily office worker’s imagination right now, it actually could be more in reach than you think. Sydney traveller Julian Ludekeans revealed he saved around $500,000 on plane tickets over the years simply by tapping into the Australian frequent flyer points market — and now he is sharing his best tips and tricks.Simply from earning airline points, he has managed to fly around the globe in some of the world’s most luxurious business and first class seats – all for a fraction of the cost. The 43-year-old recently went viral after uncovering what he believes is the best way to score a flight from Australia to London just in time for a heavenly European summer. Surprisingly, from his research, Virgin’s Velocity program appeared to be the best way to get to Europe, both in terms of availability and costs. “There is no such thing as the perfect frequent flyer program, it really just depends on what kind of trip you want to take,” Julian explained to news.com.au.“Velocity has become particularly strong for going to Europe in business class. “I think that comes down to their partnership with Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, and both of them are releasing quite consistent availability. “They are the top two airlines in the world, not only overall but for their business class product.“The quality is there, there is also a lot of consistent availability to use velocity points. Velocity’s taxes and fees are really reasonable too.”In his most recent clip, Julian explained how many Australians are using the “wrong points” when planning their European summer holidays. “As a Platinum One member, Qantas treats me incredibly well, but when it comes to Europe, they have a dirty little secret,” he shared. “Searching today, I couldn't find one single business class classic reward seat on a Qantas operated flight to Europe for the entire year ahead.”A Qantas spokesperson said while popular routes sell out quickly, availability is dynamic and new seats are released daily across a rolling 12-month window.“Classic Reward seats offer incredible value and are highly sought after, particularly in premium cabins,” the spokesperson told news.com.au.“Around 14,000 reward seats are booked daily on Qantas and partner airlines, including 1,000 Classic rewards in premium cabins to international destinations including Europe.”Julian said with Velocity - through partnerships with Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways - “there are fantastic opportunities to fly the world’s best business class products from Australia to Europe”.But only if you’re prepared to plan ahead.Julian said that while a lot of Australians are focused solely on Qantas Frequent Flyer points, he urges keen travellers to consider also having a Virgin Velocity membership, especially if they are wanting to go to Europe.A spokesperson for Virgin told news.com.au there had been an uptick in this trend, stating that there had been a “notable increase in Reward Seat redemptions and bookings on its flights to Doha in recent weeks, with a majority of those bookings continuing on to Europe”.However, Julian notes that there are many things that Qantas Frequent Flyer does better than Virgin Velocity and highlighted that it is especially good for trips to the United States and Asia. “Their biggest strength is being with OneWorld, it works very well for particular destinations, especially Asia and the USA,” he said. “Looking at it purely on paper, you can do a lot more with your Qantas points, there are a lot more destinations, you can do round the world tickets and great shopping opportunities. “The points are more versatile, and Qantas also has a great lounge network.”He added: “If you’re going after status, Qantas is great for that, but if you just want to earn points, Virgin Velocity is a great option”.Qantas also has over 30 partner airlines that Frequent Flyers can book reward seats with, including Emirates, Cathay Pacific and American Airlines – more than double the partner network of Virgin Velocity. Julian founded his business, Flight IQ, just three months ago in a bid to help other Australians collect and spend their airline points in the best possible ways. He explained that he enjoys being in both Qantas and Virgin’s programs, with each having their own pros and cons. Julian has earned the majority of his points through credit cards, both via signup bonuses and day-to-day spending, as well as on both health and car insurance.Julian also earns points through flights and hotel stays, which he said can really add up over time. “I always really had a passion for planes and over the last decade, I’ve really had a passion for points,” he revealed.“It is one of the few ways that I think basically anyone can experience business class without paying an arm and a leg for it.“There is a lot of complexity to it, but I’ve been able to travel a lot just by collecting points in many different ways, mostly through my travels I have easily saved over $500,000 over the last decade.“There is really not one program to pick over the other, I think people need to diversify and I wouldn’t put all my eggs in one basket.”While there are tons of ways Australians can collect airline points, Julian warned that it is important to weigh up the cost of earning points to what they are actually worth in the long run.“Credit cards are a big one for point earners and probably the easiest way to collect points,” he said.“There are a lot of other ways, such as health insurance, and everyday shopping.“What I would caution people though is what is the true cost of that points? “If you’re paying a fortune to try and earn them and spending more than you normally would, it might not be worth it.”Read related topics:Qantas