HSBC Star Alliance credit card in Australia

[Mr H]

Can one

receive the card in Dec and wait until Jan to activate and use ?

Maybe. Of course it could turn out that airlines just use the date when you meet the spend requirement. Who dares to be the canary down the mine?

 

[ChrisFlyer]

So to summarise:

- A $450 annual fee, while waived in the first year, doesn't get you any additional benefits like flight credits. The complimentary travel insurance and other benefits you can get with fee free HSBC cards like the Premier card.
- 3% foreign transaction fee means it does not make sense to use outside of Australia
- You need to spend at least $60k per annum to get the real benefit of *G
- At best, that spend will get 38,400 points in the program of your choice - although may be of value to anyone wanting their spend to earn Air Canada, Eva, South African or United miles which can't be otherwise earned on Australian cards

If it's of any interest, you can convert from CBA Awards to both EVA and Aeroplan, but the conversion rates aren't great. Really only marginally attractive with a CBA Ultimate card when predominantly spending overseas (3 CBA points per $1 with no forex fee). Otherwise, not even worth a look in for those mainly spending in Oz or with any of CBA's other cards that just have a flat (poor) earn rate.

 

[Www]

That’s what I was alluding to in an earlier post. I missed Aeroplan being that specific. But I suspect UA will operate the same (if you keep the card open).

And choose your airline carefully!

How long will my Star Alliance Silver or Star Alliance Gold status be valid with my selected Status Airline?

Air Canada	Your Aeroplan Elite status will be valid for the remainder of the current calendar year and next calendar year.
EVA Air	Your Star Alliance Silver or Gold status will be valid for 12 months, unless you earn another status through your HSBC Star Alliance credit card or a higher status through direct flight activity with EVA Air (whereby the status and validity you currently have will end, with a new status and validity will be calculated).
Air New Zealand	Airpoints Nominated Silver or Airpoints Nominated Gold requests are normally valid for 12 months with Air New Zealand. There are some situations where a status may end early. For example, if you upgrade to a higher status, or close your HSBC Star Alliance credit card.
Singapore Airlines	Your status will be valid until the end of the current 12-month cycle since the start of your HSBC Star Alliance credit card account opening anniversary date (i.e. a day before the next credit card account opening anniversary date), unless the KrisFlyer Elite Gold status is earned from the welcome offer, the KrisFlyer status will be valid until a day before the next credit card account opening anniversary date.
South African Airways	Your Voyager status will be valid for a minimum of 12 months from the date of receipt of your request from Star Alliance.
Thai Airways	Your Royal Orchid Plus status will be valid for 12 months.
United Airlines	Your status will be valid for a minimum of 12 months from the date United Airlines receives the status upgrade request from Star Alliance.

Thanks for posting this. Really interesting. May I ask where did you get these details? I couldn’t find them easily in T&C’s.
With Aeroplan granting VA lounge and covering 2 years for $450 (if applying in Jan), could be a worthwhile deal.
If the card lasts in a similar form, I wonder if they will have restrictions on getting gold status again on a future sign up bonus after sitting out whatever their exclusion period will be.

 

[Danger]

Thanks for posting this. Really interesting. May I ask where did you get these details? I couldn’t find them easily in T&C’s.
With Aeroplan granting VA lounge and covering 2 years for $450 (if applying in Jan), could be a worthwhile deal.
If the card lasts in a similar form, I wonder if they will have restrictions on getting gold status again on a future sign up bonus after sitting out whatever their exclusion period will be.

My reading of the T&Cs is that provided you don't meet the $4K spend until 2023, applying now should be fine. In fact, it might even be okay to meet the spend no earlier than 14 days before 2023 and it should still be fine (due to s. 4(4) here).

I'm trying to get my head around point 13 here and points 4 and 6 here, which are think are the pertinent points. Point 6 says, "The Status Start Date will begin within 14 days after the expiry of the Selection Period" [my emphasis]. Point 4 says, "The Selection Period, which refers to a 14-day period during which you are entitled to designate or change the Participating Status FFP to upgrade or renew ... The 14-day period starts from the date we send you an email to identify the Participating Status FFP in which you wish to receive your upgraded or renewed status." So it seems to be key not to get that email before 17 December at the very earliest. What prompts that email? It may be that the email is not sent until after the spend requirement is met, but it may also be that it's sent after card approval.

On the application front, I've been told by a Citi agent over the phone that applications are held open for 90 days. Mine has conditionally been approved but HSBC now wants a copy of my bank statement, in addition to a payslip, so I'm holding off on providing the paperwork until I have more clarity. Familyman1, please keep us posted.

 

[blacksultan]

Thanks for posting this. Really interesting. May I ask where did you get these details? I couldn’t find them easily in T&C’s.
With Aeroplan granting VA lounge and covering 2 years for $450 (if applying in Jan), could be a worthwhile deal.
If the card lasts in a similar form, I wonder if they will have restrictions on getting gold status again on a future sign up bonus after sitting out whatever their exclusion period will be.

Only if you keep the card open ?

 

[Mr H]

Only if you keep the card open ?

Yes according to the terms and conditions - but who knows how it will play out in practice?

 

[oz_mark]

Thanks for posting this. Really interesting. May I ask where did you get these details? I couldn’t find them easily in T&C’s.

It's in the FAQs. FAQ | Star Alliance Rewards

 

[Mr H]

The Ts and Cs say:

Temporary Promotions: If, on the basis of a temporary promotion pursuant to the HSBC Card Terms, you qualify for a Star Alliance Premium Status with a reduced spend threshold during a Qualification Period, then the following applies. The Status Start Date will begin within 14 days after the expiry of the Selection Period. The Status End Date will be on the day of first Card Anniversary irrespective of when the Status Start Date begins. ​

but this seems to contradict what some of the airlines (e.g. AC) are saying. The promotional *G status may not be for as long as people think, but given the complexities of different data systems, it may play out in a way that is more advantageous to card holders.

 

[nightelves]

Let me see if I have this correct. If I get gold with Air Canada at the beginning of next year with this offer. I essentially will get Gold Star Alliance till December 2024?

 

[Mr H]

Let me see if I have this correct. If I get gold with Air Canada at the beginning of next year with this offer. I essentially will get Gold Star Alliance till December 2024?

Not according to the terms and conditions, but who knows how AC will apply it.

 

[oz_mark]

Not according to the terms and conditions, but who knows how AC will apply it.

One cannot know for sure, but I expect that Air Canada will work as per the FAQs, which was probably written in consultation with the capabilities of each airlines systems. It seems only SQ follows the T&Cs exactly, the others all give a longer period of time.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

For those playing along at home.... this card launching oz is the nail in the coffin for VA joining Star.

 

[levelnine]

For those playing along at home.... this card launching oz is the nail in the coffin for VA joining Star.

I'd be interested in your thoughts on why that's the case.

Presumably this card will be launching in markets where there are domestic *A carriers, so that can't be the reason.

Judging by this thread (and others where there are savvy points collectors like OzBargain), the card appears to be a flop in Australia. Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if it is gone in a year or two. So I cannot see how the launch of a very niche, low impact card has any bearing on an airline's membership of a global alliance.

I wouldn't take the decision to launch it in Australia as a sign that *A is thumbing its nose at VA. A company has to launch a product somewhere, and Australia is often a test market for new products because it is small yet economically developed. Therefore, it is a safe, semi-reliable test ground for products that corporations hope to launch in the big money-making markets (Europe, North America). To launch in a market where there is no domestic *A carrier simply makes the decision easier — it doesn't necessarily indicate anything about the future trajectory of the alliance because, as mentioned above, this card will eventually exist in markets where it competes against domestic *A carrier cards.

 

[Viridis]

I'd be interested in your thoughts on why that's the case.

As would I ….

Judging by this thread (and others where there are savvy points collectors like OzBargain), the card appears to be a flop in Australia.

The card has only been in the market for a little over a week; probably a little too soon to judge it a flop - especially on the strength of discussions in the echo chamber of AFF.

I have no idea how these things work but I can only assume that Star and HSBC have done their market research

Each to their own but I would rate it as competitive when compared to alternatives at (roughly) the same price point. People see value from their own perspective.

I have an Amex Platinum. Most of my (high earning) friends and colleagues think I’m mad

 

[MARTINE]

I have an Amex Platinum. Most of my (high earning) friends and colleagues think I’m mad

Why?

 

[Viridis]

Why?

They can’t see the value in a card that cost $1500pa. Nearly all have cards in the $200-$400 range

Second cards are often freebies such as the 28Degrees

Most travel widely for business & pleasure

 

[Virgin Bart]

I'm $600 into my $4000 minimum spend. I got it for a *A family holiday to Europe in May next year. I'll stop using the card when I hit $4001, and I'll cancel the card in June next year.

I'm normally a OW flyer, so I'm interested to see the lounges in MEL, SIN, FRA and KRK.

 

[Mr H]

The card has only been in the market for a little over a week; probably a little too soon to judge it a flop - especially on the strength of discussions in the echo chamber of AFF.

I have no idea how these things work but I can only assume that Star and HSBC have done their market research

Each to their own but I would rate it as competitive when compared to alternatives at (roughly) the same price point. People see value from their own perspective.

I agree that it would be too early to tell whether the card is a success or not. But with my sceptic hat on, I would say Star Alliance has over-valued its gold tier. Status is a very difficult thing to price. Some gold members would derive enormous value from frequent lounge visits and extra baggage - but they would already have gold status through flying. The people who might be interested in gold status through a credit card would presumably be the occasional users and they are simply not going to get $450 of value from the card - plus the opportunity cost of not having benefits from a different card.

I do think the card shows an interesting idea, though, in offering a benefit that can apparently be withdrawn the moment a card is cancelled.

 

[oz_mark]

For those playing along at home.... this card launching oz is the nail in the coffin for VA joining Star.

I tend to agree. It's hard to see the card launching here if VA had been intending on joining Star in the near future/

 

[levelnine]

The card has only been in the market for a little over a week; probably a little too soon to judge it a flop - especially on the strength of discussions in the echo chamber of AFF.

Of course it is too early to definitively tell, but consider what this forum, full of people who know a thing or two about ff programs, have discovered in just a week or two:
1. It won't appeal to churners because there's no points sign up bonus.
2. It won't appeal to *A frequent flyers because they will get Gold from flights.
3. It won't appeal to big spenders due to the spend caps and superior earn rate on other products (eg St George).
4. It won't appeal to oneworld frequent flyers because there are easier ways to get *A Gold if they're thinking of trying out the competition (status matches).

Its niche, as Mr H notes, is someone who takes a couple of *A flights per year and wants some extra points from their credit card spend towards redemptions on *A. And they need to be willing to pay $450 pa & divert $60K onto the card at inferior earn rates for the privilege!

I tend to agree. It's hard to see the card launching here if VA had been intending on joining Star in the near future/

On what basis?

As *A has said, its target market is international travellers based in Australia. VA doesn't fly internationally (for the most part) and that wouldn't change if it joined *A.

To my mind, the launch of the card represents a (feeble) attempt to steal customers away from Qantas because oneworld is really the main game in town for international travellers in Australia.

VA isn't joining *A anytime soon, but for reasons unconnected to the launch of this card.