QANTAS to launch their own credit card in tie-up with Citibank

[Jack_OC]

For a one-way flight from Canberra to Sydney in Economy:

GST - $9.91
Passenger Service Charge - Dom - $22.47
Passenger Service Charge - Dom - $7.64
Safety and Security Charge - $5.53

So a total of $45.55, for a flight which regularly retails for around $150 and is currently on sale for $109.

Thanks - useful to know. Where do you find this info, by the way? It doesn't seem to be stated on QF e-tickets, unless I'm being blind. Anyway, I'm guessing that all of those charges are fixed except for GST, is that right? If so, the benefit is not as good as I thought, but still not worthless.

For example, the most recent QF flight I booked was MEL-BNE return, which cost $465.98, and included GST of $42.36 and a $5.45 credit card charge. If the other charges were as above, that would be another $71.28 in charges for the round trip, but that would still leave a total of $347 excluding charges, so still a potential saving of $34 per person on a flight like that, or $136 for my family of 4. The saving would be greater if we went to WA, for example, or if the fares were just really expensive. As I said previously, this is not Earth shattering, but probably enough to more or less cancel out the annual fee.

 

[Jack_OC]

Fully aware of big data, I work in big data. It's not about staying off the grid, for me it's about minimising the amount of data QF have about me to drive dynamic pricing of the fares I book with them. They can work out how much I spend on other credit cards but not on what, or how much I spend at Woolworths but not on what (I don't believe Woolworths shares that data with QF).

Although mind you, QF pricing they serve up to me already means I generally don't book with them because it's usually leagues more expensive than other options.

Is it not fairly easy to conceal your identity from QF while searching for fares?

 

[docjames]

5pp$ --> 1.5pp$.

The card has been "enhanced" before it's even available!

 

[Kangol]

Thanks - useful to know. Where do you find this info, by the way? It doesn't seem to be stated on QF e-tickets, unless I'm being blind. Anyway, I'm guessing that all of those charges are fixed except for GST, is that right? If so, the benefit is not as good as I thought, but still not worthless.

For example, the most recent QF flight I booked was MEL-BNE return, which cost $465.98, and included GST of $42.36 and a $5.45 credit card charge. If the other charges were as above, that would be another $71.28 in charges for the round trip, but that would still leave a total of $347 excluding charges, so still a potential saving of $34 per person on a flight like that, or $136 for my family of 4. The saving would be greater if we went to WA, for example, or if the fares were just really expensive. As I said previously, this is not Earth shattering, but probably enough to more or less cancel out the annual fee.

Try here:
http://matrix.itasoftware.com/

 

[ajd]

Thanks - useful to know. Where do you find this info, by the way? It doesn't seem to be stated on QF e-tickets, unless I'm being blind. Anyway, I'm guessing that all of those charges are fixed except for GST, is that right? If so, the benefit is not as good as I thought, but still not worthless.

Did a dummy booking on the QF site, there's a price breakdown option on the right hand side of the page. But as Kangol mentioned, ITA Matrix is also great for this stuff.

For example, the most recent QF flight I booked was MEL-BNE return, which cost $465.98, and included GST of $42.36 and a $5.45 credit card charge. If the other charges were as above, that would be another $71.28 in charges for the round trip, but that would still leave a total of $347 excluding charges, so still a potential saving of $34 per person on a flight like that, or $136 for my family of 4. The saving would be greater if we went to WA, for example, or if the fares were just really expensive. As I said previously, this is not Earth shattering, but probably enough to more or less cancel out the annual fee.

I may have been a bit hyperbolic in saying worthless For myself, I almost exclusively fly alone, almost always in the lowest fare buckets and mostly within NSW/ACT/VIC, so the benefit's only marginal.

 

[Jack_OC]

Try here:
Matrix - ITA Software by Google

Thanks! So it looks like the taxes and charges for MEL-BNE-MEL are quite a bit lower than SYD-CBR - $33.56 + GST for a return fare. So presumably it depends on what specific airports you're travelling through.

 

[ajd]

Thanks! So it looks like the taxes and charges for MEL-BNE-MEL are quite a bit lower than SYD-CBR - $33.56 + GST for a return fare. So presumably it depends on what specific airports you're travelling through.

CBR is a bit nasty for airport fees Though in their defence, it's certainly one of the nicer airports I pass through!

 

[coyote25]

You'd think there would be an option to reduce the annual fee for SG and WP members who don't need the Lounge passes.

Seems like they are targeting non frequent flyers with this card where you'd think getting the bigger spenders would be what they would really want to get those fees going.

 

[coriander]

Huge fail.
ANZ Black beats it hands down in the first year.

Only if you haven't had an ANZ Black for more than a year.......

I don't think I'm going to shell out $149 to switch away from my HSBC Qantas card just yet.

I've given up on HSBC - they've now lost TWO 100-point checks (each done at different post offices, both of which photocopied my passport, licence and Medicare card to send off to HSBC - not happy about two copies of my personal info being "lost in the mail").

Applied for QF card (I'm with CE - $149 for 60k is cheap, $10k spend/month is better than my Mac Black at $4k/month), they want past two tax assessments as well as company ABN statement < 30 days old.

 

[ajd]

I've given up on HSBC - they've now lost TWO 100-point checks (each done at different post offices, both of which photocopied my passport, licence and Medicare card to send off to HSBC - not happy about two copies of my personal info being "lost in the mail").

Huh, that's irritating.

I didn't have to post any documentation or visit the branch, my ID check was entirely online.

 

[Jack_OC]

Does anyone know if Citi's involvement will complicate matters for those of us with existing Citibank cards? For example, I remember being rejected for a Virgin Money credit card because I had recently taken out a Citibank-issued card, and also when I took out my Citi Prestige card they insisted on cutting my Signature credit limit.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Disappointing. Moving right along...

 

[levelnine]

As someone astutely pointed out on another forum, given how disappointing this card is, it is likely that sign-up rates are going to be slow after the initial batch of true believer early adopters.

As a result, Qantas will probably come along with a better sign-up offer (eg 80 or 100K points) in 3 to 6 months.

Thus, it is probably best to hold off and see if they make a better offer. Early adopters are likely to be lose out with a smaller bonus.

 

[cove]

Ok I have circulated this to work colleagues. Getting 120,000 Qantas points for $298 per couple is a cheap way of doing a holiday for families.

 

[Jack_OC]

Ok I have circulated this to work colleagues. Getting 120,000 Qantas points for $298 per couple is a cheap way of doing a holiday for families.

Indeed. And I've just realised that the minimum salary required is just $35k, compared to $75k for ANZ Black. That being the case, I think I might sign my wife up too.

 

[mviy]

Looks like I'll be getting the ANZ Black rather than this, then once I have the bonus points from the ANZ card consider whether this card is a good option.

 

[fairbasa]

Loving the fact I can now churn between Westpac, ANZ, HSBC, St George, NAB, Qantas Premium. It makes the 12-18mth wait per card easier and means we should be able to yield around 250-300k QF points per year with minimal effort.

 

[samh004]

Having had some time to read up on the card, I'm not all that bothered. I need a Visa/MasterCard that will earn at 1 point/$, but probably only to a low cap as my primary spend will always be on AMEX while they continue to look after me. So while the lower first year fee is enticing, I have to look at the broader picture of what I will get ongoing... and as a Platinum FF 2 electronic guest passes are useless to me, as is a discount for up to 8 travellers once a year, as the only way to extract that value is to travel with 8 others, and my parents live overseas and my sister in another city, so we don't fly together, we fly to the same destination from different points.

I think they missed a real opportunity to waive transaction fees on Qantas bookings and I think the advertising is shoddy given their emphasis on up to 2 points per dollar earn only applies to Qantas purchases and could be less than what others are offering anyway, or at least what I'd call standard.

That said, as Jack3193 has pointed out, the low minimum salary makes it attractive, at least for the first year. Something to consider when I get back from my holidays.

 

[dairyfloss]

Hardly a 'Premium' card offering from Qantas, is it. Maybe they will add a higher grade of card and offer/inclusions with a World or World Elite MC product at a later date.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Yes a little disappointing.

But for those of us who already have the ANZ Black there is no sign-up bonus from ANZ, a limit of 7,500 points per month, a similar earn rate and a fee of $425 per annum ($490 if you have an additional card:shock; and as others have pointed out a minimum income of $75k. While others will be lining up for the ANZ Black, I will be cancelling mine come Annual fee time.

And for those of us who already have a direct AMEX then there are limited, if any, sign-on opportunities there.

So I will take the QF card if they will approve my application, cancel some other cards and reassess at a later date.