ANZ Frequent Flyer Visa

[lordearl]

Does anybody here use the ANZ Frequent Flyer Visa? Do the benefits outweigh the large annual fees and interest?

 

[aus_flyer]

I signed up for this card before they started eroding the rewards program.

I would not recommend it to anyone anymore.

 

[vt01]

Does anybody here use the ANZ Frequent Flyer Visa? Do the benefits outweigh the large annual fees and interest?

I signed up late last year when they had 16000 FF points for joining.. Used it 3 times and have now cut up the card.

 

[ozmerish]

I signed up for this card before they started eroding the rewards program.

I would not recommend it to anyone anymore.

Ditto. I plan on getting rid of mine in due course.

 

[lordearl]

In terms of actual flights, does anyone really benefit from having the Frequent Flyer Visa Card? eg. 1500 pts per month, is this even anything useful?

 

[tuapekastar]

In terms of actual flights, does anyone really benefit from having the Frequent Flyer Visa Card? eg. 1500 pts per month, is this even anything useful?

It's really a personal choice lordearl. I have an ANZ FF Gold card (from when I was working for them, was on reasonable deal), but will be reviewing (and probably ditching in preference of something else) it soon. I have redeemed J class return award tickets to NZ and Japan that I would not have been able to do without having the card. Being gold, it is 2500 pts per month rather than 1500 (and probably higher fees :shock: ), and was more generous than that in the past.

 

[vt]

This is my combination:

AMEX Rewards Maximiser on all items

Where AMEX not accepted or surcharged, I have the ANZ Frequent Flyer Card.

Also, I use the ANZ FF Card when I can get Bonus points.

As I get the card as part of my homeloan package, the costs of the card are cloudy.

But tell me, where can I get a NON AMEX card that gives me 2.5 points per spend on various items. Especially where the $2500 limit is no problems for me as it fits my travel patterns with QF purchases.

 

[coco50]

I got one when I joined the Qantas FF program and used it regularly until a points cap was imposed. Then I shifted most of my card use to Diners (which I had had since the good ol' AN days). Just moved to Citibank Plat Visa. Cancelled the ANZ card and tried to cancel the Diners but they kept making me better offers to keep it. Can't see any reason to have an ANZ card:!:

 

[Damien]

This is my combination:

AMEX Rewards Maximiser on all items

Where AMEX not accepted or surcharged, I have the ANZ Frequent Flyer Card.

Also, I use the ANZ FF Card when I can get Bonus points.

As I get the card as part of my homeloan package, the costs of the card are cloudy.

This is my circumstance as well. I didn't want the card, but didn't have a choice because it was part of the home loan package. I only use it when I really have to.

 

[acampbel]

I used to have the Qantas/Telstra ANZ Visa card, and for a while it was great. Lots of bonus partners, lots of bonus points .... and then ANZ thought it was time to screw the customers.

First they announced a change in the way the balance was paid off. Instead of having a due date about 3 weeks after the statment date, they proposed shortening this to 1 week. The explanatory letter said that this would benefit those people that didn't pay their card off each month as the interest due would then be reduced. I rang them and asked how it would benefit me, as I paid the full amount of each month but the change of dates would mean that it would now fall due before my wages came in. As I was spending $4-5K per month that could be a problem. The rep said that possibly in my case the change wouldn't be of benefit (no **** Sherlock!), but tried to appeal to my charity for those misguided souls that pay them 18% for the privilege of gaining a 1% benefit. I asked the rep when exactly I should cancel my card.

Strangely enough, ANZ sent another letter out the next week saying they had reconsidered the change and decided it might not be a good idea. A victory for people power, and I gave the bank some credit for listening. I shouldn't have bothered. Shortly after this I received another letter outlining increases in annual card fees, partner card fees (used to be free) and awards program fees. I added them up and it came to a 66% increase. Encouraged by previous success I rang them to enquire whether they thought this was justifiable. They did - so I cancelled both cards and have not been back to ANZ since.


Cheers,


Andrew

 

[chrisb]

I have also recently cancelled my ANZ FF Gold and moved to the Earth+. At roughly half the annual fee, no cap and double points until November, I figured it was worth a shot.

I have a homeloan and the Gold card with ANZ - I gave them 2 chances to stop me cancelling the card - The only thing they said was "yes, there are better value cards out there" and closed my account. No attempt was made to keep me from leaving.

I think it sums up ANZ's complete disregard for this card and its customers.

Chrisb.

 

[lordearl]

yeah I have a homeloan with them too. The card seems to be of reasonable value. Are most of you looking to get enough points for international flights, or is the card really not good value for ppl just wanting to cash in on the odd domestic flight every now and then?

cheers for all the help ppl

 

[chrisb]

yeah I have a homeloan with them too. The card seems to be of reasonable value. Are most of you looking to get enough points for international flights, or is the card really not good value for ppl just wanting to cash in on the odd domestic flight every now and then?

The value is a personal choice - Work out how long it'll take you to earn enough points for the flight you want, look at the annual fee over that timeframe and see if you're better off with a free credit card and using the annual fees to buy the flight.

I use mine to collect about 1000-2000 points/month that i use for upgrades on occasional flights. For me, the value is a bit hit or miss, but it gets me into Business Class across the country every now and then.

Chrisb.

 

[vt]

value for me is I get 2 points for each $1 spent on Qantas...

since I am not a very frequent flyer, this suits me...

it is also my backup when the amex doesnt work for me

 

[serfty]

I used to have a gold one; I downgraded to a blue; I mainly put my Qantas purchases on it, generally getting 2 QFF points per $ for those.

Aside from Qantas, for those that take AMEX I get 1.5 per $.

 

[oz_mark]

I have also recently cancelled my ANZ FF Gold and moved to the Earth+. At roughly half the annual fee, no cap and double points until November, I figured it was worth a shot.

I have a homeloan and the Gold card with ANZ - I gave them 2 chances to stop me cancelling the card - The only thing they said was "yes, there are better value cards out there" and closed my account. No attempt was made to keep me from leaving.

I think it sums up ANZ's complete disregard for this card and its customers.

When I cancelled my ANZ card some time back, they asked why I was closing it, then gave me some advice on negotiating a good deal at Westpac(!) and said bye to me. No attempt at keeping me or anything.

Later on I started getting letters inviting me to apply for an ANZ card again ("We noticed you closed your account...").

Banks are such strange entities.

 

[JohnK]

Later on I started getting letters inviting me to apply for an ANZ card again ("We noticed you closed your account...").

Banks are such strange entities.

ANZ is a strange entity! In March/April I applied for the ANZ visa card (?) when they were offering 15,000 QFF points and my application was rejected.

I am getting at least one letter from them a month inviting me to apply for an ANZ credit card.

 

[serfty]

... I am getting at least one letter from them a month inviting me to apply for an ANZ credit card.

This is normal behavoir for ANZ whenever their marketing does a sweep detects an SG without an ANZ Qantas card.

(or SG, WP, QP for that matter)

 

[JohnK]

This is normal behavoir for ANZ whenever their marketing does a sweep detects an SG without an ANZ Qantas card.

But surely they have some mechanism in place that informs them that said person has already been refused credit in the last x months.

 

[serfty]

But surely they have some mechanism in place that informs them that said person has already been refused credit in the last x months.

The tasls of Marketing and Diligence are generally performed by different departments within a financial institutions.

That sort of cross checking might interfare with privacy laws or, god forbid, Sales.

Note the get out clause in the majority of such unsolicited mail is that all applications are still "subject to further credit approval".