Anyone leverage a Qantas club membership (often discounted via corporate partnership)? Travel a few times a year for work so grabbed it sometime last year.
Just saw their email and new price guide effective 18 April.
Renewal price sees a big jump (eg 1yr via corporate partnership was $360, will be $629)
Basically a 74% price hike which is a crazy jump.
Do you have club membership, will you keep at these prices?
This is true, yet still, your out of pocket cost will be much higher jv
your out of pocket cost will be much higher jv
not mine.
That was too easy.
Debatable, I mean, if you pay taxes..
If it's too expensive you can just bring your own toasted sandwich from home.
and a bottle of Johnnie Walker…
Just churn the credit cards until you get Points club plus.
Simplez
and watch your credit score go ⬇️
Have been taking them out every year and my credit score is extremely stable in the 700's
$629 for corporate membership for a year is ridiculously high, particularly if you're not travelling enough to hit gold.
At those prices, particularly given Qantas' poor reputation, I don't see why you would continue supporting them unless you're flying to a destination that is only serviced by Qantas lounges.
Agreed, if you're flying enough to justify using the lounge then you'd already be gold anyway.
Qantas is trying to increase the value of the lounge for those who've earned it with FF status. Auto renewal will cover most of the people - I'd say about 30% for an increase of this magnitude. Another % will get their membership fee reimbursed.. and another % will travel enough to claim on tax / have high enough income. Some will not renew.
At 74% increase in price you can safely assume about 58% of the people will keep the membership leading to the same revenue, and the lounge will have 42% fewer people fighting for watered down tomato soup and diy toasted sandwiches.
Is the same price, public vs corp membership I think, have to go back and check. Curious decision if so.
So worth it for the luxury and exquisite experience available at Qantas club.
Or you could visit a suburban food court for a 60th of the price with a better selection. Being an airport captive market costs a lot.
So worth it for the luxury and exquisite experience available at Qantas club.
not at that price
Might have missed the implied /s.
The Syd Business domestic lounge is an absolute disgrace.
Filthy plates, ripped carpet, crap bargain bin wines, fountain soda.
Yep the syd biz domestic lounge is a joke
Dont go to the club side its worse
DIY toasties anyone
at least virgin lounge changes it up
Yeah the club is average at best, not sure why people would fork out for the privilege.
Business is somewhat worthwhile.
Sheesh really? Great will check it out first hand in a few months 🫤
Domestic Qantas Club self-funded is only worthwhile if you're a high-functioning alcoholic. Otherwise totally not worth it due to the significant decline in food & beverage offering and the unpleasant overcrowding. These days there's far more serenity in the public areas. But I'm sure Qantas will fix this at some point.
I went to renew last year, after buying a 4 year membership on good discount 6+ years ago that kept getting extended because of Covid. My points:
1) Cheaper to renew ($629) than re-subscribe ($699). There's a joining fee ($129) AND the rates are higher than a renewal. Learnt that the hard way
2) Lounge memberships are Exempt Benefits for FBT purposes so if your employer will reimburse you, you can get it GST free and use pre-tax dollars
3) You can get a discount if you are a Qantas Business Rewards member. You just need an ABN to sign up for that.
4) For my 2 year re-subscription it cost me $979 and under the new pricing it would cost $1,169
5) With the GST and tax discounts (obviously depends on your marginal rate) it came down to around $240/year
6) Even with the new pricing, if I were to renew for 2 years it will still be less than $250/year
7) Living in the NT with a wife and 3 kids (I've never had an issue with them all being admitted), this is still great value to us.
This. Qantas club makes no sense until you realise you can bring a partner and kids.
I gave up on the Qantas lounge when I found a lot of times there was seating available in lounges during the times I was travelling for business. So membership is not worth the $$.
And I gave up on Qantas after being very poorly treated when I had a disability that made it impossible for me to travel in economy seats. Qantas's answer was the only way I could travel with the disability I had (And I had letters from Surgeons etc documenting the disability) was to pay for a business class seat which I could not afford due to the lack of leg room in economy seats.(I could not travel in exit rows due to lack of mobility).
My Surgeon could not believe how badly Qantas treated me when I had the disability …
i mean…. to be fair, they don't have to give you a business class seat for economy pricing?
i'd give it a whole 2secs before they get swamped with requests for business class seats from people with doctors letters…
The Qantas lounges have taken one big nosedive, the food is really bad- I've seen better school lunches. The wine they offer is always very good though, I guess they may have some partnerships with some good Australian vineyards. The spirits are well stocked so there's always people tucking into those! Can't fault the staff there too as they are always polite and helpful, but the lounges always seem really crowded nowadays and the food is not what you'd expect to see in a lounge.
I will never pay for such a high price even for a think.
@sandyjim85 actually has some good points there - not bad at that price point
your clock also pauses when you hit gold or above.
I don't need to worry about renewal, my lifetime membership bought 25+ years ago expires in 2102.
No idea how much it cost me but I can guarantee I've drunk way more than whatever it was.
Qantas Club makes sense when you fly with a partner (free) and a child (also free). Will have to look into the Points Club thing.
Who cares ?
Claim on tax.