Cheapest OW club/lounge program to join?
Jan 30, 2005 | 7:48 am
#1
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Join Date: Jul 2001
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Cheapest OW club/lounge program to join?
I am a AA Plat member and wanted to join admirals club. It is $350 year. I remember joining qantas was a cheaper way of doing it and still using AA clubs. Does anyone know the cheapest program OW partner club to join and still have AA club access?
Jan 30, 2005 | 12:25 pm
#2
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Originally Posted by jtmnyc00
I am a AA Plat member and wanted to join admirals club. It is $350 year. I remember joining qantas was a cheaper way of doing it and still using AA clubs. Does anyone know the cheapest program OW partner club to join and still have AA club access?
Jan 30, 2005 | 8:34 pm
#3
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QANATS Club membership has a joining fee unless it's a "Life" membership. This is payable in addition to the annual cost. For Non Australian Residents these costs are:
Access to the lounges is on the following basis. "... You must have onward travel that day on a flight marketed and operated by the partner airline whose lounge you wish to use. ..."
Code:
Membership AUS$ Join.Fee P.A.Cost P.A.US$
(US$232)
1 year $325.00 $300.00 $325.00 US$251
2 year $580.00 $300.00 $290.00 US$224
4 year $1,090.00 $300.00 $275.00 US$213
Life $3,820.00
Senior Life $1,955.00
Feb 1, 2005 | 8:45 am
#4
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Originally Posted by JonNYC
At this juncture it's really only cheaper than Admiral's Club if you buy a 4-year membership. When I bought my 4-year membership 2 years ago it was a much better deal.
Feb 1, 2005 | 3:18 pm
#5
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Originally Posted by eamus
If you buy partner memberships then QC still pays much, much better than AC in renewal periods. Annual AC membership for a primary cardholder plus a partner is US$750, renewal for 2 years in QC for primary cardholder plus a partner is ~US$800. It works out as near enough to a twofer, and as JonNYC says, the four year deal is better again. The joining fee skews things in initial periods, but if you are planning on flying a great deal you may just see that as sunk costs.
I do remember being very pleased I had the membership when flying JNB-DXB on Emirates and the Emirates/SAA lounge really sucked and was very crowded. Right next door was a very nice BA lounge-- much nicer-- and they warmly greeted me w/ my QF club card, on a very long layover, it was great.
Feb 1, 2005 | 5:33 pm
#6
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Obscure Joining fees
Originally Posted by JohnNYC
... and I don't remember paying a joining fee? Is that possible that I didn't? ...
At current rates, a 4 year membership will set a non Australian resident back about US$1080, a subsequent 4 Year renewal will cost US$845.
FWIW, a one year partner membership for a US resident costs US$350 which includes a US$155 joining fee. A renewal next year will cost US$195. For 4 years the figures are respectively US$600 with US$445. (A partner Member must reside at the same address as the primary member.)
Feb 1, 2005 | 8:35 pm
#7
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I just searched back to see what the price was soon after I joined...
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...ht=qantas+club
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...ht=qantas+club
Originally Posted by JonNYC
And if you really like to live dangerously, a 4-year QantasClub membership is $734 U.S. currently. When I first read the discussions of using a Q.C. membership to access ACs I thought it was a real "cheapskate" move. But, at $183 a year, I couldn't resist being a cheapskate. Indeed if the partnership breaks up in those four years it'll be a bummer, but I figured I would take a chance. YMMV, obviously.
Feb 1, 2005 | 9:13 pm
#8
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Changing AUS/US $ exchange rates
In Jul '02, AU$100 would buy about US$56. These days the same AU$100 would by approx US$77, an increase of about 40%.
Thus the AU$1390 4 year membership in July '02 would have been US$780 and the AU$1090 renewal US$610. 1 year US$350 & US$182
In Jan '02 the rate was around .50 so the figures would have been around US$695 & US$545 respectively for 4 years and US$313 & US$156 for 1 year.
Qantas Club Membership fees have risen a little bit in the last two years, but not by nearly as much as the AU$.
Thus the AU$1390 4 year membership in July '02 would have been US$780 and the AU$1090 renewal US$610. 1 year US$350 & US$182
In Jan '02 the rate was around .50 so the figures would have been around US$695 & US$545 respectively for 4 years and US$313 & US$156 for 1 year.
Qantas Club Membership fees have risen a little bit in the last two years, but not by nearly as much as the AU$.