Diner's Club just for Lounge Access

[Katalyze]

Is there any way to get a no-annual fee/charges etc. Diners Club card just for lounge access?

 

[LR09WA]

I have the Qantas Diners Card for this reason, but you will pay in some form or another.

I only use my Diners for

Paypal transactions
Wednesday night dining 3 point per dollar
Lounge access
other than that it everything goes on the Amex and then if they don't take Amex I put it on the visa..

When its comes around for renewal I will ask to cancel the card for I don't see the cost benefit to see if I can reduce the annual fee!!

 

[kpc]

I have a fee free Diners (through my professional association) and keep it as:
1) Free airport lounge access (not in Australia tho) and have 3 supplementary card holders
2) 1.5 DC pts per $ spent (if Diners is accepted )
3) Good transfer ratio to Starwood and Hyatt. (better than AMEX for the former, and not possible with AMEX for the latter)

I stoped using my Diners 2-3 years back (apart from a monthly direct debit bill) went their computer update when hay wire for months and I had to fight for my points but might start using it again to build up some Hyatt and SPG pts

 

[bazza]

I have a fee free Diners (through my professional association)

Which professional association is that?

 

[drron]

It would be 1 of the medical societies or colleges.However they have all switched to Amex now.I still have a fee free AMA DC.
Again I stopped using it at the same time as KPC because they really stuffed up the giving of points even though I had all my statements with earning.Never did get all the points I had earned so they no longer get my business.

 

[kpc]

Which professional association is that?

It would be 1 of the medical societies or colleges.However they have all switched to Amex now.I still have a fee free AMA DC.

AMA (Australian Medical Association). Unlike drron, after months of fighting with Diners and faxing in my statements, I got all my points (+ maybe 20K+ more due to their computer glitch which I saw as compensation for all my wasted time dealing with them!!) so I guess time heals, so to speak. Unfortunately, AMEX does not TF to Hyatt (and have no intention of doing so ), so the only way I can get Hyatt Gold Passport pts without staying at a Hyatt is via Diners...

 

[Isochronous]

You could always keep it for a year then try to cancel. I know someone who tried to cancel twice and both times they just waived the fee. Quite keen to inflate cardmember numbers probably.

 

[k3nnis]

Is there a link where it shows the point conversions for diners club points to frequent flyer programs and hotel programs?

 

[kpc]

Is there a link where it shows the point conversions for diners club points to frequent flyer programs and hotel programs?

Welcome to Diners Club Australia
Go to online catalogue, select "travel" catalogue, then click "go".

PS: the transfer can (and does) take up to 4 weeks.

Not the best program out there and IMHO, TF to either Hyatt or Starwood seems the best bet (for my needs anyway). I think TF to Starwood is best, and then you can TF to various airlines with 5K bonus if you TF in multiples of 20K Starwood pts.

 

[k3nnis]

Thanks. I have a plat edge amex now. Is it worth getting a diners just for spg? And maybe even transfer to airline programs? I see that we can get 3 bonus points per dollar on some purchases which makes it 4 points per dollar. What is the annual fee? $77?

 

[NM]

PS: the transfer can (and does) take up to 4 weeks.

I have transferred to SPG on several occasions and none has taken anywhere near 4 weeks. I think the longest I have had to wait for the points to appear in SPG account was 1 week.

 

[kpc]

AMEx TF to SPG is now also 2:1, the same as Diners. Diners is not widely accepted and often has the highest surcharge of all the cards. My card is fee free and earns 1.5 pts per dollar spent, hence why I have kept it. Also free airport lounge access (including supplementary card holders - I have 4) around the world, none in Australia tho. Do a search on the Diners threads and you see why a lot of us have stopped using Diners (or use it minimally - I have only started using it again this year after a hiatus of 2 years). Diners is the only card that I am aware of in Australia that allows TFs to Hyatt - I want to top up my Hyatt account for some Hyatt stays as I love their hotels!

 

[k3nnis]

Thanks. I guess it comes down to the annual fee for me. Need to check how much it is for a personal card..

 

[smit0847]

I just stumbled across this lounge access feature last night - I didn't even realise Diners Club still operated in Australia!

I'm travelling to Europe with my partner in September in discount Y going MEL-SIN-CDG-ORY-HEL-ARL-LCY-LHR-ATH-MYK-ATH-BCN-IBZ-ORY-CDG-SIN-MEL over 5 weeks. Lots of waiting around in airports. I hold no status with any of the airlines, and because of the great deals we found, almost every flight is with a different airlines.

Because many of the hops are 1-2 hours on budget airlines I suspect we will often spend more time waiting around at the airport than we will on the actual plane.

I had a look at the Diners list of airport lounges and noticed that they had them in most airports we were flying through. I then went and checked whether they would be in the same terminal we would be flying through. Sure enough, where they offer a DC lounge in the airport we are travelling through, there is at least 1 in that terminal for every airport (it was quite spooky that every single one I checked, there was a lounge!). This means for the 13 times we are either departing from, or transiting through a terminal, 9 of the 13 have DC lounge access (including the key ones of SIN and ATH where we have long-ish transits).

I rang DC last night (straight through to a scripted Indian call centre) and they assured me that if I took out a card, and a supplementary card (for my partner), we would both have access. I assume from the DC site I can either opt for a QFF DC + sup card ($85 + $50) or a personal DC + sup card ($135 + $50). I would not pay for the rewards program enrolment as I would cancel the card as soon as I got home. If we got access to all 9 for free (i.e. only the card fees), that would make each visit a whole $7.50 per person. We would likely spend more than this on a drink and a snack on the flight.

I've read numerous reports on FT of people have issues with access depending on where their card is from, or the DC lounge list is very out of date (admittedly DC AU cardholders seem to have no problem). I plan to email each of the lounges to check that I would have access with a DC AU at the approx time of my flight.

I don't expect to hear from all of them, I don't expect to necessarily get access to every lounge on my list and I don't expect all of them to be amazing lounges (the reviews of the ATH one look a bit grim!), however this seems to be like the magic bullet in my search to make our cheap trip a bit more comfortable because I've been so lucky that most airports I'm travelling through have a DC lounge. I think the access in SIN each way will make the card pay for itself with shower access!

Is there anything I'm missing here? Surely $7.50 pp for a basic lounge with wi-fi, basic food and drink and a comfy chair when you have an hour to kill in an airport is a no-brainer?

 

[kpc]

....discount Y going MEL-SIN-CDG-ORY-HEL-ARL-LCY-LHR-ATH-MYK-ATH-BCN-IBZ-ORY-CDG-SIN-MEL over 5 weeks. ...This means for the 13 times we are either departing from, or transiting through a terminal, 9 of the 13 have DC lounge access (including the key ones of SIN and ATH where we have long-ish transits).


Is there anything I'm missing here? Surely $7.50 pp for a basic lounge with wi-fi, basic food and drink and a comfy chair when you have an hour to kill in an airport is a no-brainer?

I have never had a problem with lounge access using my AU issued DC, except the lounge in LAX (TBIT) where they refused access stating lounge overcrowding. I would expect you to get into most, if not all, of them. Yes, no brainer for your trip

 

[smit0847]

I have never had a problem with lounge access using my AU issued DC, except the lounge in LAX (TBIT) where they refused access stating lounge overcrowding. I would expect you to get into most, if not all, of them. Yes, no brainer for your trip

Thanks - I'm going to do a bit more investigation and try and email the lounges where possible to check I'll be okay but I'll probably apply. If the DC website list is current I'm very impressed with their amount of lounges!

Just a few more questions:

We have two 3 - 4 hour stopovers in Singapore (T3 to T3 SQ transfer). There is at least 1 DC lounge in each terminal of SIN, apparently the T2 one is the best. Presumably if we have time we can go to the T2 one if we can get into that terminal? Surely they wouldn't send us back to T3 just because our flight leaves from there? (I believe only some lounges ask for a boarding pass anyway - if you are airside in SIN you are obviously coming on or off a flight!)

I also read somewhere that you get 4 hours in each lounge and if you try to enter another lounge within that 4 hour period you will be charged the guest fee for the 2nd one. Does this mean lounge hopping in SIN is out? I dont plan to visit all of them but if the first one we go to is rubbish we would want to find one that is decent.

Has anyone checked out Green Market in T3? I have found varying reports of what DC actually get (it's on the DC lounge list but is apparently more a restaurant than a lounge). Some reports say DC get a free drink and soup and salad bar and have to pay for everything else, other reports say that PP and DC get more than that - i.e. also a set main course menu?

Finally, a lot of the DC lounge reviews (especially in Europe) seem to be pretty negative, with lots of reports that they are small with very limited food. I assume this is in comparison to a proper airline business class lounge? Are they that bad? All I will want is wi-fi, a comfy chair, soft-drink or juice and a snack (decent sandwich, make a salad, continental breakfast etc). Im not expecting spirits, barista service, hot food, showers (except in SIN) etc!

 

[NM]

I have used the Singapore Terminal 1 SATS lounge many times. Entry via swipe of a valid Diners Club card (no charge, just verifying its valid). I prefer this lounge to the QF Business Class lounge next door. I have never seen it crowded, food options and bar are good. WiFi and Showers are available.

 

[ricee007]

Am I the only one who can't find a WORKING link to Diners Lounges?

 

[kpc]

Am I the only one who can't find a WORKING link to Diners Lounges?

Diners Club International: Airport Lounges

 

[smit0847]

Diners Club International: Airport Lounges

??