New Diners/Master Card

[LR09WA]

Thought I would post the new Diners/Master Card combo

Welcome to Diners Club Australia

2 points per $1 isn't bad, but at $458 PA seems a little steep for me, seeing I only use my Diners for Wednesday night dining, Paypal transactions and have no use for a .75 earn Master Card.

It may suit some people...

 

[Moopere]

I was going to start a new thread, but I can probably plonk my questions here.

Firstly, I have to ask, am I just thick or does the .au Diners site really only gives hints but not actual detail of how their program works and what costs might (or might not) be involved?

For example:

- Their international airport lounge program looks almost exactly the same the Priority Pass as far as the lounges available goes. There is a mention on the diners lounge page of a potential fee for entry (Fees - Cardmembers please check with your issuer for terms and conditions of lounge access. Children under 6 years are admitted free. Guest fee - $25 USD.) but nothing on the site to confirm or deny any entry cost (nothing in the various T&C either).

- What is the Wednesday night dining? I see only one fleeting mention of this on the .au site, but not what it is, or how to use it.

- Seems you can forward points earned to 10 airlines FF programs, but mentions only about 4 directly. What are the others? where are they listed? Whats the transfer rate?


I usually view such a lack of information as pretty suspicious, but I want to pursue this one because I'd potentially go for the Diners to gain lounge access (nothing in Australia I know) in lieu of PriorityPass. As with LR0WA above, I've got no use for a 0.75:1$ earning mastercard, but the straight diners at $95 + 55 (FF) = $150 could be of interest if I only had more info.

Might give them a ring if no-one knows anything and see if they'll send me an enticement package/brochure.

 

[wafliron]

Just had a quick look out of interest, and it appears that one of the airline partners listed is AA @ 2 Diners points to one Advantage mile (effective $1 to 1 Advantage point on the Diners card).

Im only just starting to educate myself on AA Advantage, but given how highly some people seem to value that program + the fact that I don't think there's any other cards in Australia which let you earn AA points directly, maybe this would be an attractive card for some?

What are Diners surcharges typically like? Closer to Amex or Visa/MC.

 

[Moopere]

Hmm. The more I look at this the more suspicious it all seems. There appears to be significant vague or inconsistent information on the .au website.

For example, on the frequent flyer tab (the QF card): Welcome to Diners Club Australia is this telling me that if I get the DC + MC combo that every dollar spent on the DC will earn me 2x QFF points??

The main table says its a 51d interest free card. Yet the small print says that after your statement you have 14 days ... which sounds a lot more like 44d to me ... which is right?


Anyway, its not the QFF version that interests me, but similar smelling things are on the personal cards web page too: Welcome to Diners Club Australia

So, if I can transfer to velocity at 2:1, and if, as is suggested in the main table, I can earn 3:1$ on the DC part of the DC/MC bundle, then this would make it one of the highest earning DJ cards out there. 1$ = 3 DC points = 1.5 VFF

The fact that the card appears to be issued by Citi sort of explains, to me, the overall inconsistency and lack of important detail on the website .... given previous aborted dealings with Citi I've cooled considerably on the prospects this card might allow me.

 

[Flashback]

drron can probably provide some input on Diners and AA ...

 

[Captain Paul]

I called Diners but was told this offer is not available to current QFF Diners Club members only new DC members...
Website says $389 plus $69 for additional card. This seems expensive.
Website also says up to 51 days to pay. I currently have 44 which is an industry low. 51 days will be more competitive.
It is good to see Diners Club improving their points offering and features. I have been using the DC card less and less as competitors improve their offerings. If Diners Club provide a better product at the right price then I have no hesitation in using Diners a lot more.
They just need to send me the information and treat existing long serving loyal customers with some respect instead of focusing on new customers.

 

[Flight777]

I just had at the Dinars Website and it appears that one can transfer points to Velocity at a rate of 3 points per $1 spend. this seams to good to be true, can anyone who has the card confirm this?

 

[Moopere]

Last time I checked it was 2:1 ... have you got a link to the 3:1 page? As I understood is a while back (see my post #4 above), the website leads me to believe that you can earn 3:1$ but this is Diners Rewards points. The points can then be transferred to various FF programs including Velocity - velocity is 2:1 therefore giving you 1.5VFF : 1$ spent.

Still pretty good if it can be believed. There are so many inconsistencies on the site though that I'd have to see their printed T&C before going ahead myself. At $389 for the Diners + MC offer I am struggling to see the value ... mainly because they don't go into much detail at all as to what the value of this card might actually be.

One day I'll not be so lazy and I'll contact them for some decent info.

 

[Flight777]

Last time I checked it was 2:1 ... have you got a link to the 3:1 page? As I understood is a while back (see my post #4 above), the website leads me to believe that you can earn 3:1$ but this is Diners Rewards points. The points can then be transferred to various FF programs including Velocity - velocity is 2:1 therefore giving you 1.5VFF : 1$ spent.

Still pretty good if it can be believed. There are so many inconsistencies on the site though that I'd have to see their printed T&C before going ahead myself. At $389 for the Diners + MC offer I am struggling to see the value ... mainly because they don't go into much detail at all as to what the value of this card might actually be.

One day I'll not be so lazy and I'll contact them for some decent info.

Under the rewards section it says Velocity is 1:1. Since the card offers 3:1$ then that makes it 3 velocity points per dollar.

Welcome to Diners Club Australia

 

[Moopere]

Under the rewards section it says Velocity is 1:1. Since the card offers 3:1$ then that makes it 3 velocity points per dollar.

Welcome to Diners Club Australia

Yep - looks to be true:

Velocity Frequent Flyer Transfer - You must be a member of the airline's Reward Program to redeem Diners Club Reward points for points in that airline's program. Membership of the airline's Reward Program is subject to their Rules and Terms and Conditions. Your redemption must be in blocks of 5,000 Diners Club Reward points. Diners Club Reward Points may only be redeemed for the airline's Reward Program points by a Primary Cardholder and credited to their airline Reward Program account. It may take up to 28 days for points to appear in the Primary Cardholder's airline Reward Program account. Points once redeemed cannot be reversed. 1 Diners Club Reward points = 1 Airline point.

This must be a recent adjustment. I'll have to re-visit my lethargy in relation to Diners based on this.

Mind that everyone else, even HH is 2:1 ... I'd want to see the 1:1 VFF written somewhere else, preferably on paper before I believed it given the rest of the DC website is a bit ambiguous.

 

[Isochronous]

What's the DC income requirement these days?

 

[Newk]

The web site is terrible. If nothing the apostrophe malfunctions drive one away

 

[Newk]

What's the DC income requirement these days?

it says 35k a year

https://citibank.com.au/Dinerskanaform/qantas_flyer.htm?S=XB000005&S1=AADD0000

 

[Newk]

here is the points for the card(s) not linked to Qantas

Welcome to Diners Club Australia

it does seem a very good way to filter points back to Velocity for example

 

[Newk]

And here is the Qantas linked card(s)

Welcome to Diners Club Australia

2 points per dollar seems the best going around?
More hunting may confirm that they transfer to QFF at 1:1

as said before the web site is a dog's breakfast

 

[drron]

Sorry I only just saw this thread.For most airlines the best way to redeem for most airlines is via SPG.I did transfer a lot of points this way to get LTP in Aadvantage.You could transfer to AA direct at 2:1 but also to SPG at 2:1.So when transferring to AA from SPG transfer in multiples of 20000 you get a 5000 mile bonus so that 1 DC point=0.625 AA miles.
But there are drawbacks-keep an eye on points awarded.Their website is not the only thing that is hopeless with their IT.Points not awarded,triple points for wednesday dining can go missing etc.
Then their is their customer disservice section.Twice now I have preauthorised payments(travel related) that were quoted to me in USD but the request for payment is submitted to DC with the conversion amount in $A so Diners have knocked it back.This week rang about the second incident-the agent who I got first could see the declined payment on my account but he was not allowed to do anything about it so transferred to the section who could.It took me another 30 minutes to get things sorted asking me the $A amount(which I hadn't seen) to questions such as what the payment was for and when I said a cruise then needed to give the list of countries I am going to etc.They really outdo Citibank in their ability to frustrate their customers.
As to surcharges it is usually as for Amex,occasionally higher and a couple of times less.Accepted at less places than Amex but have found places that accept it but not Amex.More importantly cant pay your ATO bills with it.But as Amex will be cutting down points earn for utilities there are a few places that now will have better earn for DC so I have started using it again.

 

[kpc]

... as Amex will be cutting down points earn for utilities there are a few places that now will have better earn for DC so I have started using it again.

So have I drron....already had the frustration of dealing with the call centre to do a simple transaction i.e. transfer some Diners points to Hyatt Gold Passport......took 20 minutes of agonising dialogue with multiple holds

 

[Flight777]

Can anyone confirm that it is 3 points per dollar spend?

 

[Newk]

Can anyone confirm that it is 3 points per dollar spend?

click on the link from one of my posts June 28, and yes, it seems so

 

[Newk]

Anyone who has done this and wants the offered Starwood Gold needs to read the fine print. First you have to register. Then you have to stay one night at a Starwood property and pay by the Mastercard attached to the Diners Card. And THEN you get the SPG upgrade.