Card Promotions HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card: Fast-Track to Star Alliance Gold Status

Fast track to Star Alliance Gold status with the HSBC Star Alliance credit card!​

Learn more and apply for this card:

HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card Guide

The HSBC Star Alliance credit card is the first of its kind, allowing Australian cardholders to earn Star Alliance Points and Gold status.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

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What are the main benefits of this card?

1. Signup bonus: Fast Track to Star Alliance Gold Status, when you spend $4,000 or more on eligible purchases in the first 90 days from account opening
2. Keep your Star Alliance Gold status each subsequent year that you spend at least $60,000 on your card
3. Earn 1 Star Alliance Point per $1 on eligible purchases, up to $3,000 per statement period and 0.5 Star Alliance Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases thereafter, uncapped
4. No annual fee in the first year and $450 p.a. thereafter

Why we like the HSBC Star Alliance credit card

Launched in 2022, the HSBC Star Alliance credit card is the first of its kind anywhere in the world. You'll earn Star Alliance Points which are transferable to a choice of seven Star Alliance member airlines at a time of your choosing. You can also earn Star Alliance Silver or Gold status just by spending on the card, with no flying required!

Once you qualify for the welcome offer and are fast tracked to Star Alliance Gold status with any of the seven participating carriers, you’ll soon be enjoying perks like airport priority lanes and lounge access when flying across the whole Star Alliance network. It is the largest airline alliance in the world with 25 member airlines, including Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, United and Turkish Airlines.

Please note that the welcome offer is not available to existing HSBC customers transferring from another HSBC credit card, or if you have previously held a HSBC Star Alliance credit card within the last 18 months. Refer to the full T&C’s for more information:

HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card Guide

The HSBC Star Alliance credit card is the first of its kind, allowing Australian cardholders to earn Star Alliance Points and Gold status.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

AFF members are welcome to discuss this card in this thread.

 

[Revenge]

Not sure that's quite correct.

From one of the articles .....

"The HSBC Star Alliance credit card will also include complimentary Star Alliance Gold status – in the case of Singapore Airlines, that’s KrisFlyer Elite Gold – after you spend $4,000 in the first year."

SQ was used as an example, not the only option. But given that the details have not been formally released by HSBC I guess we're all just speculating anyway

I read it as you get the choice of *Gold equivalent status with one of the participating airlines, e.g. KrisFlyer Elite Gold or United Premier Gold.

 

[Viridis]

The FAQ spells out all the status you can pick from. FAQ | Star Alliance RewardsView attachment 306886

Oh, right .... interesting; thanks

Post automatically merged: Nov 9, 2022

My premier RM confirmed same . He was surprised I knew about it . They are just completing their training wrt to it .

Excellent, thanks for the info. I've left myself a reminder to keep an eye out for it

 

[Viridis]

I read it as you get the choice of *Gold equivalent status with one of the participating airlines, e.g. KrisFlyer Elite Gold or United Premier Gold.

Yes, fair enough, I think encryptededdy has just definitively answered that

 

[Mattg]

I wish they would just make 1 Star Alliance point = 1 airline mile. The conversion rate of 1 > 0.8 is confusing. Why can't they just say that you earn 0.8 points per dollar (which is effectively what you're getting up to the monthly spend threshold) and then make it a 1:1 conversion?

Other than that, looks like a very promising product and will be following with interest.

 

[Viridis]

I wish they would just make 1 Star Alliance point = 1 airline mile. The conversion rate of 1 > 0.8 is confusing. Why can't they just say that you earn 0.8 points per dollar (which is effectively what you're getting up to the monthly spend threshold) and then make it a 1:1 conversion?

Other than that, looks like a very promising product and will be following with interest.

my guess would be psychology ..... marketing ..... and economics

 

[Matt_01]

Is there any difference between having krisflyer gold and having krisflyer providing recognition as gold by virtue of being gold With another star alliance member ?

Not as far as I am aware there could possibly be better reward seats but do not know, I am SQ *G and MrsM is TK *G and there seems to be no difference. Most real benefits of KF seem to kick in at the PPS and Solitaire levels, I am not at that level but have several work acquaintances who are.

 

[oz_mark]

I wish they would just make 1 Star Alliance point = 1 airline mile. The conversion rate of 1 > 0.8 is confusing. Why can't they just say that you earn 0.8 points per dollar (which is effectively what you're getting up to the monthly spend threshold) and then make it a 1:1 conversion?

Other than that, looks like a very promising product and will be following with interest.

We've only seen a conversion rate to one of the participating airlines. I can't imagine that Air New Zealand will transfer at the same rate.

I suspect the earn of 1 Star Alliance Point will be fairly constant, and the conversions to airline miles/points will vary.

 

[Thibault]

We've only seen a conversion rate to one of the participating airlines. I can't imagine that Air New Zealand will transfer at the same rate.

I suspect the earn of 1 Star Alliance Point will be fairly constant, and the conversions to airline miles/points will vary.

1250 points for 10 airpoints dollars - pretty low.

 

[Mattg]

We've only seen a conversion rate to one of the participating airlines. I can't imagine that Air New Zealand will transfer at the same rate.

I suspect the earn of 1 Star Alliance Point will be fairly constant, and the conversions to airline miles/points will vary.

Star Alliance Rewards

rewards.staralliance.com

They're all 1=0.8, except Air NZ for obvious reasons.

 

[levelnine]

Is this the best non-Amex card in Australia for ongoing *A earn?

 

[dairyfloss]

Great question - currently the answer is.....yes. VA does recognize *A Gold (incl KF gold)

Not quite true - VA recognises the status of a few *A airlines, as they have partnerships with them, like Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, ANA and recently United Airlines, but VA aren’t a part of *A, and don’t recognise Star Alliance status more broadly than the specific partners (and specific routes for some).

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Is this the best non-Amex card in Australia for ongoing *A earn?

I wouldn’t have thought within cooee of St G Amplify if you can conjure significant spend (.825pts/$ uncapped) - but maybe I have totally misread something

 

[Mattg]

Is this the best non-Amex card in Australia for ongoing *A earn?

Well, the St George Amplify Signature awards the equivalent of 0.75 KrisFlyer miles per $1 spent, uncapped. Edit: You also get a 10% birthday bonus.

The Star Alliance card will award the equivalent of 0.8 KrisFlyer miles per dollar, or 0.8 miles with another *A airline of your choice, but only up to the first $3,000 spent per month.

So, the HSBC Star Alliance credit card will be the best card for someone spending $3,000/month or less (in terms of earning points).

Another factor is the Star Alliance status that you can get with this card. To earn Star Alliance Gold, you'd need to spend $60,000/year - that's $5,000/month. So, if you're going for status, you're in a way sacrificing a better earn rate on any amounts spent above $3,000 in a month.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I won’t be taking this up right now as I have *A Gold until end of 2023 with SQ.

The status is invaluable traveling in Y in Europe. Senator Lounges for LH etc.
If it’s still available when my SQ status is dropping then I would definitely take it up.

 

[encryptededdy]

Well, the St George Amplify Signature awards the equivalent of 0.75 KrisFlyer miles per $1 spent, uncapped.

Don't forget the birthday 10% bonus though!

 

[levelnine]

Well, the St George Amplify Signature awards the equivalent of 0.75 KrisFlyer miles per $1 spent, uncapped.

The Star Alliance card will award the equivalent of 0.8 KrisFlyer miles per dollar, or 0.8 miles with another *A airline of your choice, but only up to the first $3,000 spent per month.

Thanks!

So let's say you can miraculously divide your $60K annual spend evenly across all 12 months.

If my maths is correct ...

With the birthday bonus, St George earns 49,500 KF per year.

This card earns 40,800 KF per year ($3K*.8 + $2K*.5).

The St George annual fee is $279 ongoing and this card is $450 ongoing.

Assuming you value KF at 2c per point, you're buying *A Gold for about $345 per year vis-a-vis St George.

Fairly cheap, though I consider the bigger opportunity cost to be the lost sign up bonuses (unless one has credit card spend large enough to meet the $60K here and other sign up bonuses).

 

[http_x92]

Also wondering what would be the exclusion period if the card gets cancelled and if the SUB is going to be 12-month *A gold again. Might change to *A bonus points only in 18 months time.

 

[djtech]

Interesting card. Maybe launching here because of a lack of star alliance airlines based here so there isn't so much 'infighting' of who gets the points?
I'd join first year but it's a tough sell after.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

Good find, interesting info.
Also interesting that there is an exhaustive list of participating *A airlines (AC, NZ, Eva Air, SQ, South African, Thai, UA), not all *A airlines.

How are you accessing this site? It's asking for a username and password, with a 401 error if that is skipped.

 

[encryptededdy]

How are you accessing this site? It's asking for a username and password, with a 401 error if that is skipped.

Sounds like someone at Star Alliance realised this shouldn't be online yet.