Credit Card Offers 50,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles with new HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card

[MEL_Traveller]

It would seem you can only get the star alliance points ‘in lieu of gold’ if you already have gold.

You can’t forego gold to get them.

 

[Kangol]

No probs. I was Star Gold when I first took it, so had no desire to become double Gold (and it's lost if you select SQ when already SQ Gold). There was no specific offer when I signed up, just the "normal" status offer, it was poring through the T&Cs and discovering that points were an option that spurred me on actually!

However, a few things now that I've been having a look:

1. EDIT - but wait, see the bottom of this post - "...to be eligible for 25,000 welcome KrisFlyer bonus miles, you must meet the HSBC eligibility criteria to fast-track to Star Alliance Gold status, activate your Star Alliance rewards account, select Singapore Airlines as your status airline and receive Krisflyer Elite Gold." This indicates to me that you have to actually become Gold to receive the bonus points. Link (SQ Website)
2. "I previously earned Gold status under the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card (“fast-track to Gold”) welcome offer. Can I achieve another Gold status via welcome offer again?...As a KrisFlyer member, if you have previously been granted KrisFlyer Elite Gold status under the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card (“fast-track to Gold”) welcome offer, you will not be eligible for another KrisFlyer Elite Gold status under the welcome offer to the same KrisFlyer account. This includes if you have at any time previously cancelled your HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card, reapplied and been approved for a new HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card." This, to me, indicates that you only get Gold as a SUB with SQ once, ever - I'm banking on the fact I was never granted Gold status here. This is very restrictive, and only applies to SQ (so I would, in future, go with AC, personally). Link (Star Alliance Rewards Website)
3. "...Under the Campaign terms, to be eligible for 20,000 anniversary KrisFlyer bonus miles, you must also have received the 25,000 welcome KrisFlyer bonus miles offer and received anniversary KrisFlyer Elite Gold. Anniversary KrisFlyer bonus miles will be awarded within 6-8 weeks of meeting this criteria..." (EDIT: Following may indeed be possible, save the linked T&Cs below) No taking the 32k points (40k Star Alliance) by skipping Gold then requalifying, taking the second lot of 32k plus the 20k half of the SQ SUB - they've thought of that. Link (SQ Website)

If you're not after status, sounds like it'd be better to just take the 40k Star Alliance points. Personally, I'll take the status and SUB, since I've also lost VA status recently (I also had VA Plat last time I had this card), but don't really need it since I don't fly Y/W on SQ. But I'm willing to "pay" 7k SQ miles for a year of Star Gold, I guess haha.

Either way, SQ have clearly thought about the T&Cs, it seems - whether they enforce them I don't know, but to find out is a gamble. What I think is new is the "once per lifetime" SQ Gold under the signup bonus (assume you can continue renewing it by spending the $48k annually, including in future holdings of the card), which seems a bit stingy, especially as SQ's fixed 12 months is pretty tight to begin with, compared to, say, AC. If ever choosing an airline, def read the T&Cs thoroughly, as a fair few of the airlines have different procedures, not just SQ.

EDIT: Contradictory statements, I would save this, and this changes my strategy https://www.singaporeair.com/conten...cal/au/hsbc-star-alliance-bonus-miles-tcs.pdf

3.1 Welcome Bonus KrisFlyer Miles: To be eligible for the 25,000 welcome bonus KrisFlyer miles, you must:​

a) Apply and be approved for a new HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card during the Campaign period above.​

b) Qualify for KrisFlyer Elite Gold status through the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card by:​

• Meeting the HSBC eligibility criteria to ‘fast-track’ to Star Alliance Gold status, (See Terms & Conditions here which includes spending $4,000 AUD or more on eligible purchases in your first 90 days from credit card account opening and;​

• Activating your Star Alliance Rewards account via the Star Alliance Rewards portal here and selecting Singapore Airlines as your Status Airline (linking your KrisFlyer membership number in the process) within 90 days of credit card account opening.​

c) Issuance of ‘fast-track’ KrisFlyer Elite Gold status (or Star Alliance Points in lieu of Gold status) under the Star Alliance Rewards Program T&Cs available here is a precondition of receiving Welcome bonus KrisFlyer miles.​

That's interesting you see it in the same way I do. Your last edit, with bold emphasis (3.1 c), is also what I included in my first post above but forgot to link the T&Cs - have already saved the PDF.
I've never held KF EG, nor this card before, currently KF status isn't important to me. That's why I'm looking for the points.

Of note the 3.1 (b) linking to the "HSBC eligibility criteria" goes to this page:

Star Alliance Credit Card | Fast-Track Gold Status - HSBC AU

Apply for the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card today to unlock a world of global travel benefits and enjoy additional privileges across the Star Alliance network.

www.hsbc.com.au

Where the relevant clause is:

1. To be eligible for Fast Track to Star Alliance Gold Status, you must apply and be approved for a new HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card and spend $4,000 on eligible purchases within the first 90 days from account opening. Star Alliance Gold status is granted through the corresponding status tier in the Frequent Flyer Program (FFP) of the participating Star Alliance Member Airline you nominate as your Status Airline through the Star Alliance Rewards Program. Refer to the Star Alliance Rewards Terms and Conditions at www.staralliance.com/en/web/rewards/au/tnc for available status tiers and additional terms and conditions. Status will be granted within 30 days after reaching the qualifying spend of $4,000, provided that your account is active and not in arrears. Your status will be granted until the first anniversary of your account opening or earlier, if you qualify for a higher status with your selected Frequent Flyer Program by any means. You may not be able to receive Star Alliance Gold status with a participating Frequent Flyer Program if you already hold, by any means, an equivalent or higher status with that Program or have been previously granted KrisFlyer Elite Gold status via the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card (“fast track to Gold Status”) welcome offer (more information available on the Star Alliance Rewards Terms and Conditions at www.staralliance.com/en/web/rewards/au/tnc). You may only request status with one participating Frequent Flyer Program each time you qualify and may not switch Programs during the duration of that status. Any status granted under the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card is withdrawn immediately if you close your HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card account. Offer is limited to new applicants only. Existing HSBC customers transferring from another HSBC credit card or customers who have held a HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card within the last 18 months are ineligible for this offer.

The underlined part in (1) above is the only component of eligibility criteria that must be met. This also helps.

--
The second box in this link, when extended, clearly shows the "once per account rule" for SQ fast track to Gold using this card:

https://www.staralliance.com/en/web/rewards/au/faqs/?subCategory=87

I currently hold a status tier equivalent to Star Alliance Silver or Gold with one of the participating member airlines. Can I choose this airline as my Status Airline to renew/extend my membership status through spending on my HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card?​

.......
Once I’ve qualified for Star Alliance Silver or Star Alliance Gold status and select my Status Airline, when will the new status take effect?
Singapore Airlines
The KrisFlyer Elite Silver or KrisFlyer Elite Gold status will commence on your next HSBC Star Alliance credit card account opening anniversary date, unless the KrisFlyer Elite Silver or KrisFlyer Elite Gold status is earned from the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card (“fast-track to Gold”) welcome offer, which will commence within 10 business days of Star Alliance's request to Singapore Airlines.

KrisFlyer Elite Gold status awarded via the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card (“fast-track to Gold”) welcome offer, will only be granted once per KrisFlyer member account. Customers who have previously received KrisFlyer Elite Gold status via the HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card (“fast-track to Gold”) welcome offer are not eligible to receive a subsequent KrisFlyer Elite Gold Status from this welcome offer. This includes cardholders who have cancelled their HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card reapplied, and been approved for a new HSBC Star Alliance Credit Card after 18 months.


I suppose there is always AFCA if they don't honour the 40k Star Alliance points.

It would seem you can only get the star alliance points ‘in lieu of gold’ if you already have gold.

You can’t forego gold to get them.

That's what we're discussing, can you point to where it states that in the current promotion?

 

[QF_Flyer]

It would seem you can only get the star alliance points ‘in lieu of gold’ if you already have gold.

You can’t forego gold to get them.

That's not the case in normal circumstances, but I do wonder whether it would affect eligibility for the SUB specifically under this offer (the 25k+20k SQ miles extra). Under normal circumstances you get the option and just need to choose the 40k Star Alliance points.

 

[QF_Flyer]

That's what we're discussing, can you point to where it states that in the current promotion?

It does seem a bit ambiguous the more I read the different sets of terms; there's room for interpretation (especially knowing that, whether you have gold or not, you can say you do in order to get the *A points - this isn't cheating your way to a benefit, it's taking one in lieu of the other, but it may not be the intention that this is an option).

The FAQ "Can I get an alternative benefit if I’m already Star Alliance Gold with one of the participating frequent flyer programs?" in fact makes no reference to the benefit being an option to those who just don't want Gold, and only NZ's details in the tables specifically state that 40k points will be awarded if you already have Gold or higher.

This could be because HSBC/*A Rewards can't see your status to verify it - if that's the case, you'll at least definitely get the 40k points from HSBC/*A Rewards as always. SQ's terms also only refer to you getting the points in lieu of Gold, not that you have to take Gold if you're Silver or less, so while they can definitely see your status, their terms make it clearer that opting for the points is ok (in terms of fulfilling their part of the requirements).

Ultimately, if it's one or the other, the outcomes are (Y1 only) as I see it:

• 25k SQ from SQ (and SQ Gold from Star) (almost guaranteed, if going down that route and meeting the criteria)
• 25k SQ from SQ (and possibly 40k Star Alliance/32k more SQ from Star) (ideal outcome and seems likely to be honoured, since Star permit the points in lieu of Gold and SQ terms are met if points are issued in lieu of gold, I believe)
• 40k Star Alliance = 32k SQ (and nothing from SQ) (least likely, I think/hopefully)

 

[Kangol]

It does seem a bit ambiguous the more I read the different sets of terms; there's room for interpretation (especially knowing that, whether you have gold or not, you can say you do in order to get the *A points - this isn't cheating your way to a benefit, it's taking one in lieu of the other, but it may not be the intention that this is an option).

The FAQ "Can I get an alternative benefit if I’m already Star Alliance Gold with one of the participating frequent flyer programs?" in fact makes no reference to the benefit being an option to those who just don't want Gold, and only NZ's details in the tables specifically state that 40k points will be awarded if you already have Gold or higher.

This could be because HSBC/*A Rewards can't see your status to verify it - if that's the case, you'll at least definitely get the 40k points from HSBC/*A Rewards as always. SQ's terms also only refer to you getting the points in lieu of Gold, not that you have to take Gold if you're Silver or less, so while they can definitely see your status, their terms make it clearer that opting for the points is ok (in terms of fulfilling their part of the requirements).

Ultimately, if it's one or the other, the outcomes are (Y1 only) as I see it:

• 25k SQ from SQ (and SQ Gold from Star) (almost guaranteed, if going down that route and meeting the criteria)
• 25k SQ from SQ (and possibly 40k Star Alliance/32k more SQ from Star) (ideal outcome and seems likely to be honoured, since Star permit the points in lieu of Gold and SQ terms are met if points are issued in lieu of gold, I believe)
• 40k Star Alliance = 32k SQ (and nothing from SQ) (least likely, I think/hopefully)

Ultimately it's a contract between the card holder and the issuer (HSBC).

There is one part though, that may be an issue from here, regarding sharing data:

https://www.singaporeair.com/content/dam/sia/web-assets/pdfs/local/au/hsbc-star-alliance-bonus-miles-tcs.pdf

2) By participating in this Campaign, you consent to Singapore Airlines, HSBC and Star Alliance sharing relevant personal information (including your KrisFlyer membership details) for the purpose of administering this Campaign.

I selected Yes to the earlier question, so let's see how it goes.