Friday, May 24, 2013

Credit Card and Airport Lounge

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One of the reasons I have a credit card is free airport lounge access. A few years ago, gold card could get you a free airport lounge access. Nowadays you need to have at least a platinum card or higher (titanium, privilege, emerald or whatever they want to call it) to have a free access. If you have a gold card, then you may be able to use your reward points to get access. 

Is it really free? No! 

If you are paying a yearly fee for your platinum card at about Rp 600,000 to 750,000, then it is not really free. 

If you carry a balance on your credit card and you are paying interest, then it is definitely not free. You are actually giving subsidies to those people who pay their balance in full every month. 

If you are offered to apply for a new credit card just to get an airport lounge access, be smart! Ask yourself how often you are going to use the facility. If you travel less than 10 times a year, then you'd be better off just paying cash Rp 50,000 for one time access. If you only want some 'free' food available in the airport lounge, it is better to get a proper and more delicious food somewhere else. 

If you have a credit card that give you free access to airport lounge, then use it and enjoy yourself! If you have access for two, then get acquainted with someone new and use it to make friend.

Learn and Grow

Inge Santoso, B Com, CFP®

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