Koru Club benefits - still worth it for occasional international travel only?

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#851576 9-Jul-2013 14:20

khull: i got the AMEX CC but then switched to ANZ - better value in my opinion considering the frustration I had with NZ retailers who will not take the card

Blame AMEX for this one. We (cafe) support AMEX but really only for one particular, very high spending customer. I've told my staff to not promote it at all.

The merchant fees are ridiculous - I spose someone has to pay for all the benefits to card holders.

JohnnyDrama

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#851709 9-Jul-2013 16:46

I've found the Koru Lounge to be really handy and has kept me occupied on many occasions, however if I didn't receive this from my credit card I wouldn't bother with purchasing a membership.
Far too many add-on's that you can purchase if you really need them

graemeh

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#851757 9-Jul-2013 17:25

Koru Lounge is really only valuable if you are travelling a lot.

I'm travelling almost every week so Friday night dinner and a drink is in the lounge, so is Sunday night.

If flights are delayed you have somewhere comfortable (if a little crowded) to wait.

The lounge also has clean toilets, unlike the airport public toilets in Auckland and Wellington.

I got the BNZ credit card deal, I wouldn't have paid full price for it.

ajobbins

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#851758 9-Jul-2013 17:25

nate:
khull: i got the AMEX CC but then switched to ANZ - better value in my opinion considering the frustration I had with NZ retailers who will not take the card

Blame AMEX for this one. We (cafe) support AMEX but really only for one particular, very high spending customer. I've told my staff to not promote it at all.

The merchant fees are ridiculous - I spose someone has to pay for all the benefits to card holders.

I have a Mastercard and an AMEX linked to the same account. I get 3x the reward points when I use the AMEX vs. the MC. I assume those extra points are paid for by the higher fees to the merchant.

When I purchase something, I ask what cards they take. Many places will take the AMEX, but put a surcharge on it which cancels out the benefit of extra points.

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steve2222

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#851918 9-Jul-2013 20:14

rayonline: With Asiana club. You can fly AirNZ to Honolulu for eg .. $1600 (?) return 1x per year on average and get Star Gold.

With AirNZ - I am stuck in Jade I just don't travel enof for personal use. At least I get some Airpoint Dollars. More than offsets the $105 GP CC fee over the standard CCs $95 - $10 diff.

So you get Star Gold - does this mean that once achieved you can fly AirNZ and get the same benefits as an AirNZ Gold Member ie increased luggage, priority check in/boarding and use of the Air NZ lounge?

Is this by just showing your Asiana Star Gold card or do you need to have your Star Gold number entered into your Air NZ booking/ticket?

Here is an article about another Star Alliance member where supposedly the loyalty reward is even better

http://www.ausbt.com.au/how-to-get-star-alliance-gold-vip-status-with-just-one-flight

afe66

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#851919 9-Jul-2013 20:16

I'm sticking with Koru club. I have a corporate membership which helps with some of the cost.

I don't live in one of the main centres so most flights a involve a plane change. This year alone I have had at least 4 flight delays and being able to cross into the quiet of Koru lounge helped a lot (90 minutes last time). My other half has a thing about turning up early for flights so it gets used there too. Extra luggage useful for baby junk. Never had any issues with the food. Passes with Kiwibank card used by the other half when she travels alone.

Lounge in Hongkong was nice, the one at Heathrow bit crowded last time.

There might be cheaper options when travelling overseas, but domestically I value the relaxed atmosphere in Koru when I travel. But then again my car is the cheapest of any my friends, we spend our money in different ways.

A.

khull

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#851992 9-Jul-2013 21:24

nate:
khull: i got the AMEX CC but then switched to ANZ - better value in my opinion considering the frustration I had with NZ retailers who will not take the card

Blame AMEX for this one. We (cafe) support AMEX but really only for one particular, very high spending customer. I've told my staff to not promote it at all.

The merchant fees are ridiculous - I spose someone has to pay for all the benefits to card holders.

I know from business owners that I talk to AMEX card holders are more loyal towards retailers that carry the card and they generally spend more as well. Personally I didn't feel much when I had the Airports card - I would load over 3K monthly on it and didn't get much in return given their annual fees

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rayonline

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#851996 9-Jul-2013 21:28

steve2222:

So you get Star Gold - does this mean that once achieved you can fly AirNZ and get the same benefits as an AirNZ Gold Member ie increased luggage, priority check in/boarding and use of the Air NZ lounge?

Is this by just showing your Asiana Star Gold card or do you need to have your Star Gold number entered into your Air NZ booking/ticket?

http://au.flyasiana.com/Global/AU/en/homepage?fid=CLUB14100

You get all the Star Alliance Gold perks like standby, waitlist, international lounge access, extra checked baggage and carry on etc. You may also get a noise reduction ear phones even when you fly AirNZ, bottle of water and a comfort kit (pillow, slippers etc). One lady was approached on a AirNZ flight to Auckland from Tokyo - she was offered that b/c they said she was a ANA Star Alliance Gold member.

But you won't get the AirNZ specific perks like confirmed upgrades, seat priority and what not .....

It's the same if you are a AirNZ Gold member and you used Singapore Airlines or United Airlines overeas.

The NZ programme is very difficult to use for me, as an average Joe. There is also Aegean as well but they do mainly Euro flights but similar ease of qualification. AirNZ was much better in the early 2000s when they used the milage system than the Airpoint Dollar Programme. I got a free NZ-Japan flight return whereas now I have to fly probably 12x return $1800 Asia fares to get one reward and that's a $999 grabaseat special on the day, if I wanted anything more obtainable I prob need to fly 25x to get a $2000 fare. The other carriers are generally fly 4x or 5x to get one back, you may not get to fly on Xmas but at least you can call up and they give you the dates available.

I am only just using the AirNZ card for grabaseat specials b/c they don't accrue points for other airlines anyway, while I get some status points bugger all. Yeah ... going by the domestic formula, sure if I fly like 20x or 50x whatever domestic flights to get Gold, haha. Time if not the money. But ... I heard in the USA, and maybe in others, not really in Aussie nor Asia. You can fly grabaseat type fares and get 100% accrued points, and if you are a Gold or Plat member you may even get 100% bonus mileage too.

But yes AirNZ lounges are Star Alliance lounges. Maybe not all. If they have a Koru Club and a AirNZ Gold lounge you may not get into the Koru club one. But like in Wellington. They only have one Koru/Gold lounge so they (you) can use that one prior to your departure.

rayonline

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#852023 9-Jul-2013 21:52

Re: the above link. Aegean is the approx the same to Asiana but Aegean assesses your entitlement every 12 months while Asiana does it every 24 months so a bit more flexible if you do a bit less flying in one year .... They are both on average every 12 months a single return to Honolulu or 1.5x to Asia generally speaking. As in terms of actual mileage. I fly mainly to Asia I like the dynamics so hence. East is just in your face compared to London or even NYC. Cities that just doesn't sleep. Bright neons, dense population ... woah. Some say Asiana might have higher taxes for reward flights, but I dunno, they say the same to Air Canada too if you are doing domestic flights over there.

But if I can get grabaseat internationals and the dates and everything is fine would I pay $2000 or a $799 fare, no brainer and I skip the points earning with foreign programmes. haha.

Dulouz

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#852038 9-Jul-2013 22:03

I travel once a month and love koru club, it's great for travelling with family as well. Wife can come as a guest and kids tag a long for free. A great way to start a family holiday.

Amanon

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#852077 9-Jul-2013 22:52

rayonline:

Easiest Star Alliance - is Asiana. Get a typical economay fare (not huge discount) 1.5x overseas or 1x (per year) if you head to the USA or further (return) and you get Gold. Asiana assesses your entitlement every 2yr so you can do 2x to the USA in that 24month window - like none this year but 2x next year.

Can't see people queuing up to join this airline right now....

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nathan

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#853280 10-Jul-2013 12:57

just found out my BNZ Gold Amex card isn't earning AirNZ Status Points anymore just APD, not sure when they stopped this, maybe this month?

anyone found another credit card to switch to that does earn status points?

steve2222

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#853285 10-Jul-2013 13:02

nathan: just found out my BNZ Gold Amex card isn't earning AirNZ Status Points anymore just APD, not sure when they stopped this, maybe this month?

anyone found another credit card to switch to that does earn status points?

See this reply earlier in the thread - have you read the thread, there are several cards mentioned.

allan: Airpoints Credit Card Comparison Table

ajobbins

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#853296 10-Jul-2013 13:14

nathan: just found out my BNZ Gold Amex card isn't earning AirNZ Status Points anymore just APD, not sure when they stopped this, maybe this month?

Yeah they sent out a letter a month or two ago.

I already have the limit for Platinum, so the letter said if I changed to Plat I can keep earning status points.

Don't live in NZ currently however, therefore hardly use the card so the Platinum fees aren't worth it. May change it over if/when I move back to NZ at some point in the future.

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onecouch

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#853370 10-Jul-2013 15:07

nathan: just found out my BNZ Gold Amex card isn't earning AirNZ Status Points anymore just APD, not sure when they stopped this, maybe this month?

My last Status Credit earn with the BNZ Gold MC was 31 May, so likely the other Golds stopped at the same time.

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