The Ultimate Guide to Qantas Club

Qantas Club is the lounge membership program of Qantas, which gives you access to lounges, priority check-in, domestic upgrades, and an additional checked baggage allowance.

In this guide, we outline the benefits of membership, pricing, the ability to earn Qantas points on joining and renewal, and alternative ways to access these privileges.

Want to enjoy two complimentary Qantas Club lounge passes with your next credit card? Don’t miss a great deal below.

April 2022 Sale: 50% off individual memberships

Until 11 April 2022, Qantas is offering a sale on new Qantas Club memberships.

• 1 year for $399 ($300 discounted annual fee + $99 join fee), or
• 1 year for 62,500 points (46,500 points discounted annual fee + 16,000 points join fee)

Of course, we recommend paying with cash and saving your 62,500 points for flights – that’s nearly enough for a Sydney to Singapore flight in Business!

We value a visit to a domestic Qantas Club at roughly $25, so divide the membership cost by $25 to work out approximately how many visits you’d need within one year to ‘break even’. (For example, for a discounted 1-year membership, you’d need about 18 visits – perhaps 9 return flights – to break even).

But if you access Qantas International lounges as well, then your membership will be even more worth it.

How much does Qantas Club membership cost?

All new Qantas Club memberships have a one-off joining fee, and a choice of signing up for either one, two or four years. In May 2021, Qantas decreased the joining fee but increased the yearly membership costs. Overall, new members will initially be better off with the new pricing, but existing members will be paying more each year.

The last time fees were increased was in August 2017 and, prior to that, in 2014.

Redeeming your points for a Qantas Club membership generally represents poor value. For example, you’ll only get 0.62 cents per point value from using 16,000 Qantas Points for your $99 joining fee. We value 16,000 Qantas Points at $304.00 with our current proprietary valuations.

Qantas Business Rewards members can receive 20% off individual membership fees. Though it should be noted that the 4-year membership option is not available for Qantas Business Rewards memberships. You’ll receive your membership pack within three weeks or you can pay an extra $30 to get it delivered in 2-5 business days.

COVID updates to Qantas Club memberships [2022]

What extensions do Qantas Club members get?

Active members as of 30 June 2021 have already been granted an automatic 7-month extension. This is likely to be the last extension, as most Qantas Club lounges are open and travel is back.

This applies to anyone who purchased their Individual, Corporate, Partner, or Group membership or an Annual Guest Card, using a credit or debit card, or Qantas Points. It does not apply to those who received a complimentary membership.

Once your membership has been extended, your updated membership year-end date can be viewed at qantas.com in My Account or the Qantas App. Qantas will not be re-issuing new physical Qantas Club membership cards — it will all be digital.

How do I join the Qantas Club?

You can join the Qantas Club through this link. It’s easy to set up your new membership.

1. Enter your membership details on the sign-up form.
2. Enter your address and personal details over the next two sections.
3. Choose the type of membership you’re after.
4. Review the terms and make payment to become a member.

What are the Qantas Club benefits?

As a Qantas Club member, you’ll get access to the following lounges when your next onward flight that day is on a Qantas or Jetstar flight number. The lounges you could access include:

• Qantas Club lounges in major cities when travelling within Australia, like in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra and Cairns.
• Qantas Club lounges in regional areas, such as Launceston, Rockhampton, Hobart and Mackay.
• International Business Lounges, like in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Singapore, Auckland or the Qantas/oneworld International Business Lounge Los Angeles.
• Qantas International Lounges, such as Brisbane and London Heathrow.
• American Airlines Admirals Club lounges.
• Emirates Business Lounge in Dubai.
• Alaska Airlines Club Lounges in Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, New York JFK and Anchorage when travelling on an Alaska Airlines flight, or connecting to or from a Qantas-operated international flight.
• Associated lounges in most international ports to which Qantas flies, but where there are no Qantas or partner airline lounges available.

Your increased luggage allowance applies to Qantas-operated flights:

• 1x 32 kg bag for domestic flights in Economy (up from 23 kg)
• Extra 12kg for international flights excluding the Americas (for all cabin classes)
• Extra 1x 23 kg bag for international flights to the Americas (for Economy and Premium Economy)

You can also call 13 11 31 for priority phone service as a Qantas Club member.

Guest and child benefits

You can bring a guest when travelling domestically on Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar-operated flights within Australia or New Zealand. Your guest does not need to be flying with you (or at all). When travelling internationally, your guest needs to be travelling with you on the same day on the same flight.

You’re also allowed to invite your children into the lounge. However, children gaining access is subject to a variety of factors, including the lounge policies, the number of children, and their respective ages. Read the Qantas Club website for information on bringing your children into a Qantas lounge.

If you have more than one guest that you’d like to accompany you in a Qantas Club lounge on a regular basis, you can purchase an Annual Guest Card that allows you to bring an additional guest into the Qantas Club every time you visit. An Annual Guest Card is valid for 12 months and costs AU$350.

To understand the differences between the six types of lounges Qantas runs, including Qantas Clubs and International Business Lounges, check out the definitive Point Hacks guide to Qantas lounges.

In addition to lounge access, Qantas Club membership also grants you other benefits, including:

• Complimentary membership of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program.
• Priority check-in on Qantas flights.
• Priority waitlist and airport standby on a paid ticket and where waitlisting is possible.
• Access to On Departure upgrade requests on Qantas domestic flights within Australia using frequent flyer points.
• Dedicated service desks.
• Additional checked baggage allowance when travelling in Economy or Premium Economy.
• Discounts on Qantas meeting rooms in Australia.
• Personalised service based on your Qantas frequent flyer profile.
• Priority phone service.

Is there a Qantas Club membership card?

Qantas Club members with the Qantas mobile app can use their digital membership card to enter domestic lounges. A physical card is also sent out to the member’s registered address.

However, in most cases, your Qantas Club membership will be printed on your boarding pass when flying on Qantas-operated flights. This is sufficient to gain entry into lounges without the card.

Can you earn Qantas Points on Qantas Club fees?

You’ll earn three Qantas Points for every dollar you spend on your joining and annual Qantas Club membership fees. That means you’d earn 3,597 Qantas Points on a regular joining fee and two-year membership. However, you can also pair that with a credit card that offers bonus points for spend with Qantas if you use that card to pay your dues.

For example, if you use your Qantas Ultimate American Express card to make your purchase, you’ll earn an extra 2.25 Qantas Points per dollar spent on Qantas products and services, bringing that total to 6,294 Qantas Points.

To compare with other options, check out our guide to the highest Qantas Points-earning credit cards.

Other ways to access Qantas lounges

Through a credit card

There is a handful of credit cards that offer lounge passes that can be used at Qantas Club domestic lounges in Australia and most Qantas International Business Class lounges too. Most cards offer two lounge passes each year you keep the card.

Through elite status

If you have Qantas Gold status or above, or the equivalent status with a partner airline like Royal Jordanian (the easiest to reach Gold status with), then you’ll enjoy the above privileges not only on Qantas flights but when travelling with any oneworld airline.

Through paying for access

Qantas periodically runs trials to give lower-tier frequent flyers the opportunity to buy a day pass for Qantas lounges in Australia and overseas.

You may receive an email invitation to purchase a lounge access pass a couple of days before your next flight. So make sure to keep an eye out, as this is a great opportunity to check out what the Qantas Club lounges have to offer.

What are digital complimentary lounge invitations?

Qantas has changed its paper lounge passes to digital, so you can now redeem your lounge passes online by logging into your Qantas frequent flyer account or using the complimentary invitations portal. 

The digital process makes it easier for customers to manage their lounge passes, as well as to transfer them to any other Qantas frequent flyers instantaneously. The recipients can then link the lounge pass to one of their flights, or gift it onwards to someone else.

All Qantas complimentary lounge invitations are valid at lounges operated by Qantas, and you must be travelling on a QF or JQ flight number. You can also link your invitation to a Jetstar booking by filling out a form in the bottom of the page, and you must make sure to link your invitation to an eligible flight at least 24 hours before departure.

You can read more in our guide to Qantas complimentary lounge passes.

What’s the difference between Qantas Club and Points Club?

Qantas Club is the lounge membership program of Qantas Frequent Flyer. It gives you access to lounges as well as priority benefits when you fly.

Points Club, on the other hand, launched in March 2020 and is a tiered program to reward members who are more frequent buyers than flyers.

Members of Points Club get two complimentary digital lounge passes. But Points Club Plus members get a complimentary digital Qantas Club membership for themselves instead!

Summing up

A Qantas Club membership doesn’t come cheap, even with the occasional discount. This option is best suited to those who fly frequently and quite exclusively on Qantas and/or Jetstar, but just not enough to reach Gold status or higher under their own steam.

For those with other travel patterns, it may be best to get hold of a credit card that offers access to Qantas lounges or work your way to obtaining elite status, which will give you benefits across a wider range of airlines and airports.

This article was originally written by Elina Kalavus.