Qantas Business Rewards to introduce annual fees?

[Austman]

There always was a one-off joining fee. But it was often free to join.

But AFAIK, there never been a annual fee. That seems to be confirmed even here:

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/qantas-business-rewards-free-join/

So what's all this?

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/the-qantas-club/membership-types.html#qantas-business-rewards

There's been annual fees before 18th April? And new ones after that?

I'm confused!

 

[encryptededdy]

That's obviously the cost of discounted Qantas Club membership for QBR members

 

[Austman]

That's obviously the cost of discounted Qantas Club membership for QBR members

Right!

Still, it's a pretty poor way to present those fees under the heading:

"Qantas Business Rewards membership: new members"​

It seems to have fooled Executive Traveller too:

"As for the Qantas Business Rewards program, joining fees go from $99 to $129, with annual membership fees rising from $600 and $1100 (depending on your QBR tier) to $699 and $1299, although the usual QBR discounts of 20-30% on Qantas Club membership and up to 10% off Qantas airfares still apply."

 

[elanshin]

Right!

Still, it's a pretty poor way to present those fees under the heading:

"Qantas Business Rewards membership: new members"​

It seems to have fooled Executive Traveller too:

"As for the Qantas Business Rewards program, joining fees go from $99 to $129, with annual membership fees rising from $600 and $1100 (depending on your QBR tier) to $699 and $1299, although the usual QBR discounts of 20-30% on Qantas Club membership and up to 10% off Qantas airfares still apply."

I think thats just slightly poor wording from both. Add in "Qantas Club" here and it's fixed on ET.

with annual Qantas Club membership fees rising from $600 and $1100

Random aside but raising the price of QBR? Whats QF smoking, who pays for QBR signup. There's a dozen ways to get it for free.

 

[Austman]

Add in "Qantas Club" here and it's fixed on ET.

Yep. And that's where I first read about it!

 

[SYD]

Oh, is that what that was about. SYD+1 was trying to tell me my QBR fees were going up!

X% of $0 is still $0 fortunately!

I’d forgotten they had discounted QP (we’re both WP/LTG)….

 

[encryptededdy]

Still, it's a pretty poor way to present those fees under the heading

True, but it's on the Qantas Club page so

 

[oz_mark]

True, but it's on the Qantas Club page so

I agree..in the context of that page, it seemed fairly clear. If they were going to introduce a fee for QBR it would be a strange place to announce it.

 

[Austman]

It's all because I first read it here:

Qantas hikes airport lounge membership by 17% to 80%

The price increases will make it harder for travellers to justify Qantas Club membership.

www.executivetraveller.com

The bits about Qantas Business Rewards seemed to be an add-on to the main story about Qantas Club fee increases. As a LTG, I don't need Qantas Club. But I do have Qantas Business Rewards. I read this paragraph about 4 times:

"As for the Qantas Business Rewards program, joining fees go from $99 to $129, with annual membership fees rising from $600 and $1100 (depending on your QBR tier) to $699 and $1299, although the usual QBR discounts of 20-30% on Qantas Club membership and up to 10% off Qantas airfares still apply."

Could a (new) annual fee for QBR be true? So I googled "Qantas Business Rewards fees increase" (for the past week) and got this direct link:

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/the-qantas-club/membership-types.html#qantas-business-rewards

And even there it's covering the one-off Qantas Business Rewards join fee increase. A fee increase that is separate to the Qantas Club fee increases! And after that comes the Qantas Business Rewards membership: new members and renewing tables with yearly costs.

All wonderfully clear! A bit of mixing Qantas Business Rewards fee increases into the main Qantas Club fee increases.