This card has officially launched, and the transfer ratios are now out as well: transfers to UA, AC, and Singapore Airlines are all at a rate of 1,000 points to 800 miles. The rest of the details are largely the same as what was leaked earlier, so I won’t repeat everything here. That said, the Australian version doesn’t look especially compelling. If this were launched in the US, I doubt many people would care, since Chase already lets you transfer to AC and UA.

According to OMMAAT, this card will launch in Australia and be issued by HSBC, with the ability to transfer points to all Star Alliance mileage programs. Here are the details.

  • The card will launch by the end of 2022
  • Points can be transferred to 26 airline mileage programs
  • It will debut in Australia first, and if it performs well, it may expand to other countries

The Australian card will be issued by HSBC and can only be applied for by Australian residents.

  • Spend $4,000 to earn Star Alliance Gold status, and spend $60,000 per year to keep it
  • No annual fee in the first year, then $450 starting in year two
  • Earn 1 point per $1 spent, capped at $3,000 per statement, then 0.5/$ thereafter
  • 1 point can be redeemed for 0.8 Singapore Airlines miles

The welcome bonus on Australian credit cards is usually pretty weak, so hopefully they’ll offer more once this eventually comes to the US.

According to Bloomberg, Star Alliance plans to launch a co-branded airline credit card, with points redeemable for award tickets through all 26 partner mileage programs. Star Alliance includes carriers such as UA, AC, ANA, and Air China, so the coverage is very broad. That said, miles from UA or AC can already be used to book award tickets on nearly all alliance airlines, though each program has its own award chart.

Based on the description in the article, this card would likely let you transfer points into the mileage programs of all alliance members, which actually sounds pretty interesting...

The card, to be launched later this year, will allow users to earn points via their spending, like a regular credit card, and then redeem those points via the frequent-flyer programs of any of the airlines

The card was expected to launch later in 2022, though at the time it was still unclear which bank would issue it. My guess was Chase, since Chase already issues co-branded cards with UA and AC.