30mpg

Hi guys and gals, I'm considering getting membership into the Admirals Club via the Citi Executive card.

However, I plan to spend a good part of the year (e.g. most of it) in Sydney with some mostly domestic travel.

It appears as though Admirals membership will allow me into most of the Aussie Qantas lounges so long as I'm flying on a QF or AA flight. I did find some threads that talk about specific rules, and some cases where the agents were not sure of the rules.

Paying for membership in the Qantas club would cost me more out of pocket (about an additional $500 per year over the cost of Admirals club via the Citi AA Executive Elite card).

Curious if anyone can comment on the advantages of going the Qantas club route, versus relying solely on Admirals club, while spending some time down under.

Cheers,
Albs

Blackcloud

If you have an Admirals Club card and flying QF (not Jetstar JQ) then there is no reason to purchase Qantas Club.

jmj9905

What If it is a QF flight # on a jet star flight?

30mpg

JMJ, those are some of the quirky rules I was reading about on other threads even within other partners (e.g. marketed by vs. operated by vs. codeshare etc). I suspect some QF agents will not know the rules and be too restrictive while others may allow it even if they're not supposed to....so pot luck I guess.

I'm typically not the confrontational type, especially when I have my family with me, hence my asking whether Admirals club really "works" for those that spend time in Oz, or does the $500 premium to join Qantas club really open doors that would otherwise be closed with Admirals?

cheers
Albs

number_6

Actually the AC rule for QF lounge access is very simple and crystal clear: "To access a Qantas Club lounge, please present a valid Admirals Club membership card along with a ticket valid for departure on that day on Qantas" -- that means a QF flight number on your ticket/boarding pass. This includes QF marketed flights on any metal (ie. the operating carrier is irrelevant). Buying QC does give you somewhat more lounge access, but not a significant difference (mostly things like EK lounge access at DXB when flying QF and BA lounge access at LHR T3 when flying QF) so you'd have to decide whether it is worth the cost.

og

(Deleted)

Tyrolean

The BA-Lounge in LHR T3 is a thing of the past. QP-Members are now shunted to the AA-Club. So the difference is only DXB and Jetstar-Flightnumbers.

jmj9905

Thanks number_6, I will assume then that I have access.

deeruck

I think the complication in the OP's case is that you do not receive an Admirals Club card with the Citi exec card. There's an Admirals Club logo on the back, which AAngels recognize. I haven't tested it in QP.

SeriouslyLost

I used the card in Oz twice in the last month and it's been fine. I've never yet been admitted when flying on JetStar even with a QF flight number. Granted, I haven't bothered trying in the last ~2 years.

JAGMAP

Presented QF SYD/PER BP and Citi AA Exec card @ T3 QF Club and the lounge queen hadn't the slightest clue what to do but welcomed me in anyway. My hotness probably had something to do with it (he was a nice looking guy too)

JAGMAP

Another point of reference: QF Club in Perth looked confused when presented with QF BP and Citi Exec AA card, but immediately reprinted my boarding pass, wrote "CITI" on the front, kept it and welcomed me in ^

number_6

Obviously QF gets paid by Citi for each lounge visit ... wonder how much? Ages ago it was circa USD 20 for regular AC so probably profitable for QF.

number_6

BA lounge still exists in T3 (both F and J) so I suppose you mean that QP access is prohibited -- a casualty of the JSA ending and a liability of these paid-for lounge accesses. Much better to just be Emerald and have unlimited access

JAGMAP

Thought AA/AC paid, but Citi could too. The SYD QF Club agent only scanned my BP, causing a green light to flash on the machine. What does that mean?