Airport Lounge Luxury for Less

Enjoy the serenity of airport lounges before every flight, even if you’re an infrequent flyer!

1 November 2015

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© Australian Frequent Flyer, 2015. All rights reserved. November 2015.

Executive Summary Airport lounges are like sanctuaries that take the stress out of flying. They offer a comfortable place to have a meal and a few drinks, get some work done or simply relax before your flight. Business & First class passengers, and very frequent flyers often have complimentary lounge access available to them. But the majority of us don’t have this luxury. And even the most frequent of flyers may find themselves without access to a lounge occasionally. So, what other options are out there? There are a plenitude of different ways for you and your family to enjoy the comfort of airport lounges, and many of these methods cost less than you may think. For example, international flyers can take advantage of programs that, for a fee, offer unlimited access to hundreds of lounges worldwide. Some credit cards even offer complimentary lounge access as a standard benefit. One such card comes with unlimited global access to over 500 airport lounges - for an affordable annual fee of just $150! It’s also possible to buy unlimited access to Star Alliance lounges all over the world. For Australian domestic flyers there are also a range of methods to gain access to Qantas Club lounges without paying full price for a membership. One method offers unlimited Qantas Club access for you and a guest for 30 days, for just over $100! (Plus, AFF GOLD and PLATINUM members have access to discounts of up to $235 on annual Qantas Club membership!) This Guide explains how you can enjoy the luxury of the lounge before every flight, even if you don’t fly often. We’ll show you where to find the best value, helping you to travel in style for less!

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© Australian Frequent Flyer, 2015. All rights reserved. November 2015.

Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 4

Free lounge access with elite status & premium cabin travel ............................................... 4

What about everyone else? ................................................................................................... 4

Things to consider when choosing a lounge membership .................................................... 5

Paid Airline Lounge Memberships ............................................................................................. 6

The Qantas Club ..................................................................................................................... 6

Virgin Australia Lounges ........................................................................................................ 8

American Airlines Admirals Club (for Qantas Club access) .................................................. 10

United Club & Air Canada Maple Leaf Club (for Star Alliance) ............................................ 11

Rex Lounge ........................................................................................................................... 12

Priority Pass .............................................................................................................................. 13

Lounge network ............................................................................................................... 13

Guests .............................................................................................................................. 13

Membership options ........................................................................................................ 14

Free Lounge Access with Credit Cards ..................................................................................... 15

Cards offering single-use lounge passes .............................................................................. 15

Qantas Club Passes .......................................................................................................... 15

Virgin Australia Lounge Passes ........................................................................................ 16

Emirates Lounge Passes ................................................................................................... 16

Cards offering complimentary Priority Pass membership ................................................... 16

Cards offering unlimited global lounge network access ...................................................... 17

Credit card lounge networks ................................................................................................ 18

Sydney’s Amex Lounge ........................................................................................................ 19

Amex Centurion Lounges ................................................................................................. 19

Pay-Per-Use Lounges ............................................................................................................... 19

AFF can help! ............................................................................................................................ 20

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 21

Appendix .................................................................................................................................. 22

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© Australian Frequent Flyer, 2015. All rights reserved. November 2015.

Introduction Airport lounges offer a comfortable place to relax ahead of your flight. Away from the crowded airport terminal you can enjoy a meal, grab a drink, do some work, freshen up or simply relax in peaceful surroundings.

Free lounge access with elite status & premium cabin travel Depending on the airline, lounge access is generally complimentary to frequent flyers holding elite status, as well as Business and First Class passengers. Qantas Gold, Platinum and Platinum One members have access to Qantas lounges, as well as any oneworld airline lounge in the world when flying on Qantas or a partner airline. Lounge access is also extended to all Business and First Class passengers. Virgin Australia is not a member of any major global airline alliance, but Velocity Gold and Platinum members can enjoy Virgin’s lounges and partner lounges when flying with partner airlines like Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways. It’s a similar story with most frequent flyer programs.

What about everyone else? If you’re not flying in Business or First Class, and don’t have elite status with the airline, then you probably won’t qualify for complimentary lounge access. And even if you do hold status with an airline, you may sometimes have to fly with other airlines that don’t offer lounges. But don’t worry! There are many other ways to gain lounge access, including:

Buying an annual airline lounge membership

Buying an annual Priority Pass membership

Signing up for a credit card that offers complimentary lounge access

Acquiring lounge passes

Purchasing one-time lounge access

And more! The best option for you will depend on your individual circumstances. An annual lounge membership may be an ideal solution, but it’s not the only possibility.

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© Australian Frequent Flyer, 2015. All rights reserved. November 2015.

Things to consider when choosing a lounge membership When deciding on a lounge membership option, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Locations - How many lounges will you have access to? Where are they? Are they in airports you regularly visit, and are they in the same terminal/s that you’ll be using? There is no point in purchasing a lounge membership, only to find that there are no lounges in the places you travel to.

Guests - How many guests will you be allowed to bring into the lounge with you? Do guests receive complimentary access or will they cost extra? Do children count as guests? This is a particularly important consideration if you plan to travel as a family. In many cases, one guest and up to two children are allowed into the lounge with you. So, a single lounge membership may be all you need for the whole family.

Lounge quality - The quality and product offering of lounges can vary considerably. Some lounges may be excellent, while others are barely worth the effort. You may wish to do some research on the lounges you’ll be visiting before paying to use them. An easy way to do this is to simply have a look online for reviews, or to consider the advertised amenities on offer.

Lounge access rules - Do you need to be flying on a certain airline or in a certain cabin class in order to use the lounge? Or can you use it regardless of the airline you’re flying? Third-party lounges that don’t require you to be flying on a particular airline can be great if you are not loyal to one airline, or your company has a “best fare of the day” policy.