With QC benefits about to change, can QC members cancel and get a refund?

[Austman]

From the QC terms and conditions

4.4 If Qantas closes a Qantas operated airport lounge in a Member's registered city of residence without replacing it, or amends these Terms and Conditions or the Club Rules in a way that deprives the Member substantially of the intended use of the membership, the Member will have the option of cancelling their membership and receiving a pro rata refund of the membership fee for the remaining period of membership.

Would removing the domestic priority check-in areas and changes in luggage allowance and handling be considered a substantial depriving of the QC membership benefit? If so, I might try cancelling mine. It seems that for some here they were a major reason for joining the QC.

As Gold then Platinum for many years, my QC life membership has been pretty useless (except for the first year) and I'll probably make LTG eventally.

I guess it's up to Qantas to decide on what is considered substantial?

 

[medhead]

The specific wording is "deprives the member substantially of the intended use of the membership". Breaking that down there are 3 elements firstly intended use; your intended use would have to include priority check in. In my case, priority check in would have contribute 40% to 60% to my decision to purchase the membership.
Then there is deprives substantially; they have removed the priority check in certainly a case of being deprived. If you intended use included a substantial amount of priority check in, then IMO it is worth a try. I don't see how qantas can argue about your intended use of the membership.

 

[opusman]

It'd be interesting to know how, if they did refund, Qantas would pro-rate a life membership. I wouldn't be too surprised if, rather than looking at your expected lifespan mrgreen they decided to treat it as if your membership to this point had been paid at the normal annual rate, and refunded the balance.

 

[samh004]

Personally, I wouldn’t be asking for a refund as I know they’ll inevitably raise the fees again, and then the money I get back will be worth even less, and lets face it, I’ll still want a drink after waiting around with all the other nobodies, wont I?

 

[blueflamenco]

Fair point though. I'm sure those who have just recently bought into the membership for one or more years would be cranky indeed.

 

[Flashback]

I think that NGCI is in a way a form of priority check-in. Most NB's etc. will still be lining up meanwhile you can bypass them by checking yourself in along with any other PS, SG, WP.

While you might not like that, it's true. Think of the check-in kiosks also if traveling hand luggage only. That's priority check-in, in a way ; as you never have to wait long to use one.

 

[hollydavid69]

I think most QP & PS people would prefer to have the choice though between NGCI & priorty check in with a person .

 

[samh004]

I think most QP & PS people would prefer to have the choice though between NGCI & priorty check in with a person .

With time, if the lines aren’t very busy, they might be given the privilege back, but for now I think they want to focus on their elites.

 

[thewinchester]

I think most QP & PS people would prefer to have the choice though between NGCI & priorty check in with a person .

Correct, the humans who can fix things like seating allocations when Altea has, despite its black box 'magic', given you something coughpy or you'd like to ask for the exit row.

 

[antycbr]

Correct, the humans who can fix things like seating allocations when Altea has, despite its black box 'magic', given you something coughpy or you'd like to ask for the exit row.

Or Altea has given you an exit row in the first place, and a human needs to check you're capable of operating the exit...