TIP: Qantas Club Life Membership

[Benny]

Hi All,

Another tip for the punters:

My opinion is that paying for Qantas Club life membership is definitely not worth the expense.

If you're considering paying the $3,500 for the membership you're probably thinking that you'll flying a lot in the next 20 years. But chances are, if you going to travel that much, you'll reach enough status points for at least Gold Membership and hence receive complimentary membership in any case. Do that for enough years and you'll end up with Life Gold.

Just a thought.

Benny

 

[thadocta]

Depends - some people are willing to pay around $350 per annum for normal QP membership - they don't fly enough to get to Gold, and they like their lounge access (particularly the free HP's).

They might only do enough flying to get to Silver each year, 350 SC's to qualify and 300 to retain.

So, over 10 years, they would accrue around 3050 SC's(probably more, but you get the picture).

Now, this isn't even 25% of the way to Lifetime Gold, so at this rate they would have well over 30 years to get to Lifetime Gold status. Not having QP membership over this time would deprive them of lounge access (and free HP's of course, we need to get our priorities right).

Now, given that Lifetime QP is about the same as 10 annual memberships, it starts to become cheaper (on a per annum basis) after the ten years, so in some cases - those who will never be higher than Silver or Bronze - to take out the annual membership.

Of course, all of those Ansett Golden Wing life members will probably disagree with me, also those who have been killed in car accidents or suffered fatal heart attacks months after taking out their lifetime QP memberships, but you get that.

Dave

 

[QF WP]

I agree with thadocta.

From personal experience, in 1997 I looked back on paying for the last 10 years of Flight Deck/QC membership and thought that I had already paid more in fees than the anual membership. At that stage, under the old membership tiers, I was Silver (thus not getting automatic entry on flying, the reason why I bought it like thadocta espoused); which then under the new QFF program became Gold (and all of a sudden, free QC membership).

I rose to Plat in 2002 and now I get F lounge access. Wonderful to be at the top, but enjoy the view while you're there, as there is only one way from her (no, not CL; rather down).

But my time will come when I won't make Plat and (egads) perhaps even Gold (and without expecting that QF will comp me if I'm short - that would be a bonus). But at least I know that when I am flying in the future (assuming the QC is still around, of course), I'll always be able to get into it and the HP's.

Considering that I'm 37, that should be quite a number of years hopefully...more than worth the inital amount expended (which once paid, remains a constant cost and tax deductible to boot).

Now if we are going to get onto the financial side ....that's for another post. Time for me to get some rest as I have a busy flying November ahead of me...

 

[Benny]

Sorry guys, I guess my calculations where based on paying a lot less than $350/year (I'm not giving tips away on this one! and my personal valuation of the Qantas Club.

Oh the other thing I based it on, was the fact that many corporations pay membership for their frequent travellers.... Which significantly changes the equation.

Cheers,
Benn

 

[NM]

Not everyone has simple access to corporate membership rates, and not everyone has their membership paid by their employer. Mine used to pay for it, until we became part of a US-based MNC whose policy was that airline club memberships are only for VP's. Lucky for me I have been at the top status teir with QF every since status tiers were introduced, so my last two-year QC membership has been on hold for many years now.

But if I were in the position of taking early retirement or having the kids off our hands and planning on taking one or two flying vacations each year for the rest of my life, I might well consider the $3500 investment to be worthwhile. In that situation I would not be qualifying for Gold or Plat status each year, but still enjoy the benefits of QC such as business class check-in and lounge access (food, booze, showers, comfort and ODU's for domestic sectors).

 

[straitman]

But if I were in the position of taking early retirement or having the kids off our hands and planning on taking one or two flying vacations each year for the rest of my life, I might well consider the $3500 investment to be worthwhile. In that situation I would not be qualifying for Gold or Plat status each year, but still enjoy the benefits of QC such as business class check-in and lounge access (food, booze, showers, comfort and ODU's for domestic sectors).

I agree completely.

I wonder if there are corporate rates for QC life membership :?:

Any thoughts Benny/thadocta/Lindsay Wilson :?:

 

[QF WP]

Hmmmm, mine was paid out of my own back pocket and for the 1/10th tax deduction each year (from the time I paid for it), I felt it was justified at the time with my moderate level of flying at the time.

When I moved to Gold and then Platinum, then I suppose it's superfluous and the cost irrelevant in the scheme of things.

But there will be a time when I will no doubt drop back to moderate flying levels again and take up the rest of "using" my Lifetime Membership.

 

[NM]

But there will be a time when I will no doubt drop back to moderate flying levels again and take up the rest of "using" my Lifetime Membership.

I am hoping that by the time I am unable to requalify for Plat or Gold FF status, I will have achieved Lifetime Gold and hence have the equiv of Lifetime QC membership. That is, as long as the goalposts are not realligned before then :shock: .

 

[straitman]

I am hoping that by the time I am unable to requalify for Plat or Gold FF status, I will have achieved Lifetime Gold and hence have the equiv of Lifetime QC membership. That is, as long as the goalposts are not realligned before then icon_eek.gif .

At my present rate of accrual I'll be about 99 by the time I reach Lifetime Gold. Might be better to fork out the money (or wait for the goal posts to be realigned and then decide) :!:

 

[swissbignose]

At my present rate of accrual I'll be about 99 by the time I reach Lifetime Gold. Might be better to fork out the money (or wait for the goal posts to be realligned and then decide) :!:

Me thinks that the goal posts won't be re-aligned to make it easier...

 

[NM]

At my present rate of accrual I'll be about 99 by the time I reach Lifetime Gold. Might be better to fork out the money (or wait for the goal posts to be realligned and then decide) :!:

So long as you can retain Gold status level each year, there is no benefit to LTG or LTQC. My flying pattern is very sporadic. I can go months without leaving home, then spend months of more time away that home. So its really hard to estimate when I will reach LTG. Could be this year, might be next or may be 2010.

 

[oz_mark]

So long as you can retain Gold status level each year, there is no benefit to LTG or LTQC. My flying pattern is very sporadic. I can go months without leaving home, then spend months of more time away that home. So its really hard to estimate when I will reach LTG. Could be this year, might be next or may be 2010.

My flying pattern is much like yours platinum one year, didn't even qualify for silver the next (although the FF gods let me stay a plat), then platinum again this year.

I think the issue of whether lifetime gold is worthwhile or not is pretty much up to each individual to work out, depending on their circumstances.

 

[jon]

Qantas Club membership vs getting their via Gold

In my experience the Gold comp QC is domestic only, or QF lounges /QF flights overseas. I do not believe that you can get into partner lounges without an actual paid (or life) Qantas Club membership when the flight is a partner airline, not QF. For example I know that I got into the lounge at Geneva (I think it was a BA lounge with a BA flight number) because I was a QClub member, but they were refusing Australian Domestic comp Gold. I was and still am Platinum with LT silver, and they said they could only let me in by virtue of my (otherwise unnecessary) Qclub membership. I needed to show them the Qantas club card to prove membership before they'd let me in..

 

[NM]

Re: Qantas Club membership vs getting their via Gold

In my experience the Gold comp QC is domestic only, or QF lounges /QF flights overseas. I do not believe that you can get into partner lounges without an actual paid (or life) Qantas Club membership when the flight is a partner airline, not QF. For example I know that I got into the lounge at Geneva (I think it was a BA lounge with a BA flight number) because I was a QClub member, but they were refusing Australian Domestic comp Gold. I was and still am Platinum with LT silver, and they said they could only let me in by virtue of my (otherwise unnecessary) Qclub membership. I needed to show them the Qantas club card to prove membership before they'd let me in..

A Qantas Gold FF member also has OneWorld Sapphire status, and a QF Platinum FF member also has OneWorld Emerald status. Any OneWorld Sapphire status member can access any OneWorld business class lounge when flying on any OneWorld flight, and a OneWorld Emerald status member can access any OneWorld First Class lounge when flying on any OneWorld flight - regardless off of the cabin class for which they hold a ticket.

So OneWorld Sapphire status is better than paid Qantas Club membership when it comes to lounge access. The paid QC membership only gets you into QF, BA and AA lounges when flying with that airline. OneWorld status gets you into all lounges of OneWorld airlines (including CX, AY, IB, LA etc) even if you are not flying on that particular airline - just need to be flying on any OneWorld airline.

For example, if flying on BA out of Hong Kong, a Qantas Gold FF members can use the CX Business Class lounge, and a Qantas Platinum FF member can use the CX First Class lounge.

 

[AlwaysUpThere]

How does inflation factor in?

When Ansett first introduced Lifetime and QF matched (1995-6?), the price was about $1,300. Lifetime! Sounds great value now - unless you bought Ansett

 

[Budley]

Off topic but.........

I'm a lifetime *A Gold member (UA), so where does that leave me?

Please don't answer .

 

[Bob]

Back in the early 80's Flight Deck life membership was offered at $600. Too much for me at the time. Then in 1988 I had to decide between Flight Deck and Golden Wing life at about $1300. Guess which one I chose.

What do you reckon the ROI would be by now on the $600 Flight Deck Membership?

 

[pvd]

QC Lifer

Un like bob I chose Flight deck.

which was quite fortunate or unfortunate as for the last 8 ears I have been able to make use of the BA despite. Ba satff and rod eddingtons view that QC club members are not entitled to access, to the point of being removed by the police. You see The staff and Rod appear in capable of distingushing between a brooze FF and the brown of QC. They seem incapable of distingushing between the words "qantas club" & "frequentlyFlyer". when you point that out to them as politely as posssible(to aviod the false allegation that you were rude(thats how they are trained). they assume you are lying to them (now if that isn't rude I don't know what is)

I have also noticed that Qantas as tried to exclude families from the lounge by counting children as adults. certainly not the spirit if australia.

Now the second round of FF point cuts. Personaly as they have never intended to honour the FF program they should scrap itand pays us long suffering users out

 

[NM]

Re: QC Lifer

I have also noticed that Qantas as tried to exclude families from the lounge by counting children as adults. certainly not the spirit if australia.

I have NEVER experienced this. I have always been welcomed into the Qantas Club lounges with my children, whether flying or not. Last time (a few weeks ago), I was welcome to enter the lounge with Mrs NM and our 4 children, by showing my membership card even though Mrs NM and our 4 week old daughter were the only ones flying. No begging, no questions, just waived straight through.

And on every occasion last year on a RTW holiday, our whole family were welcomed into each and every QF, AA, BA, AY and CX lounge we fronted up to. The only lounge that even asked for any guest passes was the QF lounge at HKG and they only asked for two as we had Mrs NM's parents with us (ie a total of seven - me, Mrs NM, Mrs NM's parents, and our three children). Very good service indeed.