high fees!

[waltervp]

Ai, what a huge fee increase! If my partner and I both have a credit card it is almost cheaper to buy the flights for the money we save by not having the ANZ Qantas visa card! $215 for two Gold cards.... and lets say you manage to get 30 000 points out of it per year - a good effort for most families - then I can get a return to Cairns from Canberra.... Almost not worth it is it!

When Qantas had the 30 000 point multiple destination redemption flights it may still have been worth it, but now that they started adding 10 000 per stopover....

I am looking for a better credit card option... any suggestions for a good alternative to ANZ so i can still collect my points???


Walter----

[Gordon]

I'm just an ordinary guy.... I've got a GOLD Qantas ANZ card, and I have given my wife and mother a card on my account (yes, I can JUST trust them)......
I have averaged about 60,000 - 80,000 points a year over the last three. We've had a few flights on points during the last three years, and I really can't complain too much.
I do think it's a bit rich, this lastest fee rise by ANZ...... it's not as if they're broke!!!
I think the trick to success with 'racking up' the points, is putting EVERYTHING on your card..... and even getting your relatives to put their expenses on YOUR card. (provided you trust them).
For example, a friend of mine recently wanted to travel to the East coast of the USA. Airfare from Qantas = $2,060. He gave me the cash; I made a deposit into my Qantas ANZ card, then I paid the airfare for him. I got 4,120 points for the exercise! My mother puts all her bills and petrol etc. on my card..... I get about 2,000 points a month just from my mother!!! I hope you see my point...... (pardon the pun)
We all have to be 'on the lookout' for ways of 'racking up' our personal point levels......... just think about all those LOST opportunities????

[waltervp]

That sounds good, and worth investigating with the fam...

But the fact remains that we do not have to use the ANZ Qantas Gold visa card, we could use the Citibank Qantas Gold Visa card for half the price! And there are other options too. I always thought that the only way to get Qantas points was with the ANZ option. This is not true, but it is convenient as they are accredited automatically... the others you need to manually transfer like we used to do with ANZ as well....

I like to know who uses another bank for the Qantas credit card, which one and why!

W.

[krispy]

I've just been through looking at this also.

$215, no thanks ANZ. Try looking at the AMP card. They give points per dollar, and fee free for $10k spend. Also you can transfer points from your existing CC and get another point per dollar (though you have to pay interest from day 1, but they have a special rate for transfers of 4.95%, so its cheaper than a mortgage). This way if you keep your existing card until the fees are due, you can get 2 points per dollar.

[arun]

Please also see my post under Qantas.

Gordon:
I appreciate the way you have racked up points. But the main point is that you can do that with other cards at less or no cost. My Westpac gold with additional card is free as I got a home loan, and has similar bonus partners. While Telstra was a serious partner, I loved Qantas Telstra card. Now, at this cost, it does not stand anywhere close to Westpac (free if you got a homeloan), AMP Amex (free if you spend around $10K every year, Citibank Visa (much lower fee than Qantas ANZ).
The bonus points are just not worth the extra money you pay.

[Gordon]

You guys sound like you know your facts.... I'll take a close look at those other card deals.
I was just about to transfer over to the ANZ Telstra Visa card..... apparantly, they offer more 'bonus points' than the Qantas Visa card.
Thanks for the tips guys.... I'll look closer at my options.

[arun]

Westpac Altitude has waived its annual fee for the first year - usually $45 for a standard and $90 for a gold. I do not think they charge any fee for additional card holder. Their rewards program allows you to transfer 1 for 1 point to QF and Air New Zealand among many other benefits. And no additional rewards program fee. This is saving of more than $200.00 savings for any Qantas ANZ gold card holder with additional card. The waiver is only up to 31 December.
PS: I do not work for Westpac. But I am definitely unhappy with ANZ!

[Lindsay Wilson]

So why doesn't everybody switch to whatever card you think gets you the best benefits. That's what choice is all about.

Surprised nobody has mentioned Qantas/Diners Club offer..of course, the biggest problem is probably the lack of acceptance of DC around the traps.

[krispy]

When ANZ introduced these new fees, starting from the 4th December, I called and checked. I was told my anual rollover date was 2nd December, and so I would only be subject to the old fee. Anyway, the c??ts put the date back to the 27th December and charged the new fees of $215. How outrageous is that?

[oz_mark]

When ANZ introduced these new fees, starting from the 4th December, I called and checked. I was told my anual rollover date was 2nd December, and so I would only be subject to the old fee. Anyway, the c??ts put the date back to the 27th December and charged the new fees of $215. How outrageous is that?

You should start reading your t+c's, but essentially the fee should be charged on the same date each year, with the initial starting date defined in your terms and conditions.