Does Qantas Club work for me [value wise]

[jasonfungsing]

I am thinking of joining the Qantas Club with the discounted joining fee and 1st year fee with my ANZ frequent flyer black card.

Instead of paying relugar $399+$540=$939, I am paying $442. After one year, I will be on an employee rate, which is around $400 per year(can’t remember the exact number).

About my travel, QF bronze status, don’t think will get Sliver. Travel domestic with QF or JQ 3~4 times a year, CX once or twice to HKG a year, JAL once or twice to Japan, all in economy. I don’t have status(Silver or up) with QF, CX or JAL. I am based on SYD.

Will the roughly $400 per annual worh for me? Thanks.

 

[Alyopsis]

Or you could just buy ad hoc passes on ebay for $50 each as needed

 

[RichardMEL]

Go Priority Pass imho. it would cover your various food eating options in a few locations (but check avail at your most used airports).

Also note that at some aiprots like MEL and SYD there is no QC convenient for JQ flights (since JQ moved to T4 at MEL, and is in T2 at SYD) so a membership would make little sense when flying mostly JQ domestic.

 

[JohnK]

Thanks for the questions, this makes me do more calculations.

I normally eat in the airport for around $20-30, sometimes more, no drink though. Based on my annualy travel, I would say around 10-20 times(if I can access overseas/partner lounges at HKG, Japan and New Zealand).

You're not likely to get that much value for food in the lounges especially domestic.

Some quite spicy chicken skewers in SYD business lounge earlier in afternoon and mini sausage rolls in BNE lounge in evening.

Late last month was in BNE international Qantas lounge in morning. That powdered egg with mushrooms is not that great a food option.

 

[juddles]

It is a bit of a catch-22 situation. If you fly often enough for the dollar value to become worth it, you then soon find yourself not actually eating much of the food

 

[samh004]

Late last month was in BNE international Qantas lounge in morning. That powdered egg with mushrooms is not that great a food option.

Last time I flew through there the egg station upstairs used real eggs?!

 

[opusman]

It is a bit of a catch-22 situation. If you fly often enough for the dollar value to become worth it, you then soon find yourself not actually eating much of the food

Never an issue with alcohol though!

 

[smckay]

I get discounted QC through work. I don't fly a lot so I reconcile the cost by having a decent place to wait for the plane, internet, reading and on long haul flights, showers.
QC food is abysmal and not worth the cost. I simply do not know how Qantas believes toasted sandwiches is an acceptable offering. Even Hungry Jacks looks appealing when compared. The international lounges are better and the partner lounges better again, dependant on the city (Santiago is a bit naff)
As with all things Qantas, you are shackled to them so you have to work their system to reap the reward.
In reality, I don't think I'll renew once it expires.

 

[33kft]

I guess the question (and I don't know the answer) is what is the minimum cost to get to gold via the cheapest flights possible? I suspect they would be quite a bit higher than your discounted QC rate in which case it makes sense, although if you did it right at the start of your membership year you'd have gold for the rest of the current year and the next, giving you the same (or greater even) privileges.

You could then potentially halve that amount, compare it to the cost of QC for those 2 years, and if it's either below or near that cost (so you could then leverage it into your flight/travel plans and make it a 2 birds with one stone approach) it might serve as a better option.

This is all academic as I don't have the skills or knowledge to calculate how close the costs would be, but I suspect a travel agent could pretty quickly evaluate the two options and give some feedback. Once you are on the gold train the parameters change a bit (you don't get the benefit spread over 2 years) but the SC target does drop and your holiday travel will be counted/included within that, so it may just end up being economically viable as a replacement to QC.

Also the one variable I know I didn't consider here is time. You need to fly those sectors and that takes time. Hence why again it's academic but if I were a young single man again knowing what I know now, I'd probably have played with a couple of weekend status run itineraries and used the time to watch some movies and have a few drinks. Sadly those days are gone and I don't bring our 12 month old on flights without purpose!

 

[large]

I'm in a similar position as the OP. I'm QC Bronze and unlikely to make silver either. Its borderline cost effective for me monetary wise.
However, I will renew this year as I can get a corporate rate (last time it was $300/year) and I can salary sacrifice the cost. As I can guest i my missus it's just worth it. Mind you, I just dont count the cost aka food and drink, I also take in consideration the travel experience of being in a lounge. beats waiting outside in the real world. Not that I go to europe every year but I do like the QF/EK deal where QF club members regardless of status or fare bucket (as long as QF ticketed) can use the EK buisness lounge in Dubai.

 

[sxc]

For your trips to HK and Japan, one option might be to sign up (and pay) for the CX Marco Polo Club and pay for access through them. If you concentrated your international flights to them, you might even get to their silver and have free access to their lounges.

I don’t think there are options to pay to get into CX lounges except for a handful of them currently trialling the concept.

 

[ric_melb]

We all value Qantas Club differently. Some value the lounge, some the food and drink, some showers, some other benefits such as extra baggage allowance.
Without valuing the other benefits I can quite easily put a value of $30 on each visit. If "large" can get a corporate rate of $300 per year that is ten flights. Should be easy if he also guests his wife.
If using the business lounge in Dubai then lounge visits on flights there and back for 2 people is probably worth $200.
Assuming salary sacrifice means real cost OF Qantas Club is about $200 per year.
I would think its a no brainer to renew this year, and probably the next years also.

 

[CaptJCool]

I guess the question (and I don't know the answer) is what is the minimum cost to get to gold via the cheapest flights possible? I suspect they would be quite a bit higher than your discounted QC rate in which case it makes sense, although if you did it right at the start of your membership year you'd have gold for the rest of the current year and the next, giving you the same (or greater even) privileges.

purpose!

With a double SC deal, it’s gotta be no more than $3,500...... (couple of Gold Coast OOL return flights)

I note to retain Gold, there was a return J fare from ADL to NZ for $2503 that churned 640 SCs

I would imagine others have found prices it even cheaper again but I use these as my markers.

I never joined QANTAS CLUB and don’t plan on starting now. Getting Gold early in a membership years extends you out for 2 years. With any luck, I’d roll over LTG (Lifetime Gold) never needing it.

That said, if all flights are paid for by your business employer $400 is a drop in the ocean of money you’d churn as travel allowances. However, if it’s mixed and you pay your own way on some of the trips, then it’s a no brainer

UNLESS you’re springing for J CLASSIC reward points redemptions (if you’re not booking international tics a year out and so can’t find availability) Amd Some of those J trips round Australia are points-lite and may do the trick.and you may be content to then get in for free!

 

[MsTee]

I don't know it's worth it unless you travel heaps and usually get to the airport well ahead of your flight. Or are often stuck at the airport, having to wait a lot between flights.

I let my membership lapse some years ago when I stopped traveling as much, with some regret at the time. On the other hand, I found over the years the lounges got busier and became less relaxing. It was hit or miss what a lounge would be like on any day.

I'm traveling more again, but haven't re-joined and don't miss it. Airports are much better equipped and more comfortable for the casual traveler than when I first joined QC. The general throng in the airport is a more interesting mix than in the club lounge, too. Doesn't mean I avoid them. If offered for free I'd take it up. On the odd occasion I've been in recently, I've used a pass from a credit card perk, silver status, or traveled with someone who's a club member