Review: Westpac Altitude Qantas Black Mastercard credit card

Introduction

Does earning up to 120,000 bonus Qantas Points, the ability to collect Frequent Flyer points on every purchase you make, and free Qantas Club lounge access sound like a high-flying deal to you?

These are just a few of the lofty perks you can unlock when using the Westpac Altitude Qantas Black Mastercard. You can also enjoy global travel insurance and take advantage of a 24/7 personal concierge service.

Linked directly with your Qantas Frequent Flyer account, meaning no need to convert or transfer points, the Altitude Qantas Black card allows you to instantly earn 0.75 Qantas Points for every dollar spent – up to a maximum of $250,000 per membership year.

As a sweetener, there’s also a bonus offer of 120,000 Qantas Points on the table: 90,000 when you apply and spend $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first four months from approval, and a further 30,000 when you make your first eligible purchase in the second year of holding the card.

That could be enough to travel in style on a Qantas business class reward flight on the A380 from Sydney to Los Angeles, excluding any applicable taxes on redemptions.

Executive Traveller puts Westpac Altitude Qantas Black Mastercard under the microscope to see how its value stacks up in 2023.

Westpac Altitude Qantas Black Mastercard Fast Facts

• Annual fee: $250 (Existing Westpac customers can enjoy a discounted $150 card fee for the first year)
• Qantas Rewards fee: $50/year (charged in addition to the base card fee)
• Additional cardholder fee: $0
• Interest rate on purchases: 19.99% p.a.
• Interest-free days on purchases^: Up to 45
• Interest rate on cash advances: 21.49% p.a. (0% p.a. for 24 months on Balance Transfers for new card holders)
• International transaction fee: 3.0%
• Minimum income to apply: $75,000 p.a.
• Minimum credit limit: $15,000

Earn now, travel sooner

Thanks to its connection to the Flying Kangaroo, the Altitude Qantas Black gives you the ability to pick up a swathe of Qantas Points every time you make a purchase. Although attracting an extra $50 fee per year for the privilege, it’s worth it.

To get your points balance off to a flying start, those previously-mentioned bonus Qantas Points can be yours simply by spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first four months from approval. You’ll receive 90,000 Qantas Points initially, followed by a further 30,000 when you make an eligible purchase in year two.

If you mostly concentrate on Qantas Classic Flight Rewards, then those 120,000 points could prove to be very handy when booking your next flight, whether it’s locally or off on some glamorous O/S getaway.

For example, on popular east coast routes Sydney-Melbourne or Sydney-Brisbane, those bonus Qantas Points could deliver three business class return trips at Classic Flight Reward rates.

And on a day-to-day basis, spending on eligible purchases with the Altitude Qantas Black Card earns you 0.75 Qantas Points per $1 spent (all the way to $250,000 annual cap, or 187,500 Qantas Points).

Comparing it to other Westpac Rewards credit cards, such as the Altitude Rewards Black, the number of actual frequent flyer points earned per dollar spent is more generous when choosing Qantas.

Altitude Qantas Black travel insurance

Overseas travels of six months or less may be covered by Westpac’s complimentary insurance offering – underwritten by Allianz – provided you hold a return ticket and charge at least AUD$500 of eligible travel costs to your Altitude Black card before departing Australia.

That amount could include your flights, any airport and departure taxes, pre-paid accommodation, or any ‘overseas itinerary items’ such as an arranged tour, so it may be possible to book your flights using points and simply pre pay a night or two of accommodation, to qualify for coverage.

Other insurance cover

On the home front, a generous array of insurance covers come packaged with the card, including transit accident insurance; interstate flight inconvenience insurance; purchase security, extended warranty and ‘price guarantee’ covers; and even rental car excess cover of up to $5,500 when hiring in Australia.

Additional benefits

Airport lounge access

Westpac Altitude Qantas Black card holders are treated to two Qantas Club lounge passes per year; these are valid in all domestic Qantas Clubs and Qantas international business class lounges (with the exception of Los Angeles).

Relax before you fly with 2 complimentary Qantas Club airport lounge passes each year.

Personal concierge service

With a complimentary 24/7 concierge service, you’ll be just one call away from booking a table at your favourite restaurant, organising flight tickets or locking in accommodation for your next getaway.

Payments

All Westpac reward credit cards are compatible with Google Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, so you can install your Westpac Altitude Qantas Black credit card on your smartphone for easy tap-and-go payments.

Westpac Altitude Black credit card: the verdict

With a $250 annual fee, the Westpac Altitude Qantas Black Mastercard appeals to higher spenders and frequent travellers, and may quickly pay for itself for those poised to take full advantage of its benefits.

Included on that roster are two complimentary airport lounge visits, a $250k annual cap on frequent flyer points, and the long list of insurance covers, which may help you wind up ahead.

You can apply for the Westpac Altitude Black credit card here.

Westpac Altitude Black credit card: FAQs

How do I receive the complimentary airport lounge passes of my Westpac Altitude Qantas Black credit card?

To receive your complimentary lounge passes you must first provide Westpac with your Qantas Frequent Flyer number. Once you meet the eligible spend, you’ll receive your Qantas Club complimentary invitations via the Qantas Complimentary Invitations Portal.

What’s the missed payment charge of the Westpac Altitude Qantas Black credit card?

You’ll be charged $15 each statement cycle that the minimum monthly payment is not paid on time.

Bank disclaimers: ^The interest free period is the maximum number of days during which interest is not charged on new purchases. If your account has an interest free period for purchases, to be entitled to that interest free period, you need to pay off the “monthly payment balance” listed on your statement of account (not the full closing balance) by the relevant payment due date.

reeves35

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reeves35

24 Aug 2011

Total posts 1206

Interesting that Westpac are rewarding the final 30,000 points only after the card is renewed for a second year and the second $250 annual fee charged.  

It seems some of the banks are starting to crack down on new cardholders who only hold the cards until the eligibility criteria for the bonus points has been met.  What has been done in this case by Westpac doesn't stop this but this but does make the criteria that little bit harder and more expensive.

 

Wednesday, 16 Nov 2022, 11:33:11 am

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