Amex “refreshing” Velocity Platinum Card

[Doctore1003]

Amex has stopped taking applications for this card, pending a refresh.
Wondering if they are making significant changes given they’ve taken the card off the market?
Mid-range Virgin Australia -> mid range Amex card?

Velocity Platinum Card | Credit Cards | AMEX AU

Discover the new and upgraded Velocity Platinum Card from AMEX. Enjoy exclusive perks, rewards, and benefits. Launching soon!

www.americanexpress.com

 

[trisreed]

Looking at the picture on the site, it (finally) has the new Velocity logo. Maybe that's all they're doing - seems excessive to take it off the market for that though!

 

[Doctore1003]

The website says there will be “refreshed card benefits”.

 

[andyrb]

The Velocity Escape has disappeared too.

Going to the VE page it redirects to the VP "Coming soon". Not sure if intentional or

 

[trisreed]

The Velocity Escape has disappeared too.

The only Velocity card I can see on the Amex site is the Business one. Hopefully these "refreshments" are not "enhancements" as they so often are. Will be interesting to see what is in it for us existing card holders as well and how long it will take for anything to happen. Must be something happening to both then (or perhaps bigger changes across the range - the Escape page redirects to the Platinum page linked above).

 

[samas]

was just about to refer someone and discovered that the referral was going to the Explorer Card.







Generic Link to explorer:

American Express

Amex - Don’t Live Life Without It

www.americanexpress.com

I wonder if we will see the end of the comp flight on the velocity platinum card like we saw for the platinum edge?

Still the "returning soon" landing page for the velocity amex:

Velocity Platinum Card | Credit Cards | AMEX AU

Discover the new and upgraded Velocity Platinum Card from AMEX. Enjoy exclusive perks, rewards, and benefits. Launching soon!

www.americanexpress.com

 

[beachandsnow]

Keen to see what happens with this "refreshed" card. Does anyone know how long these down time periods are until they advertise the new card? Think it's been about 2 weeks since I saw the page sitting as "returning soon"

 

[kpc]

+1 has this card so would be keen to see what the "refreshed benefits" are.

 

[andyrb]

The Essential card was dropped about 200 days ago, with the revamped Essential Rewards card available about 50 days later.

That was a brand new card; existing holders of the Essential saw no changes.

I've no idea if the Velocity Platinum will simply be refreshed, or will see a new card launched in its place.

 

[SCM]

I hope it will be more like the qantas ultimate.

 

[fab4272]

Any news on this?

 

[blackcat20]

First I've heard of it but will be keeping an eye out as I also have the card.

 

[ols]

OK. This should be sorted soon after Virgin's announcements.
I am really concerned about the changes.
If it's anything like the Virgin "enhancements"

 

[Gummy Venus De Milo]

Spoke to someone on the chat and they shared the below changes were coming on October 23rd

• Annual fee increase for the Velocity Platinum Card from $375.00 to $440.00.
• A new benefit to access Virgin Australia Lounges each time they fly with Virgin Australia domestically. (Requires enrolment and a purchase with the Card.)
• 50 Velocity Status Credits after $25,000.00 in purchases and another 50 Velocity Status Credits after spend reaches $50,000.00.
• Removal of Centurion Lounge

 

[Doctore1003]

The VA lounge access is a good benefit.

I don’t understand the removal of the Centurion passes though, when VA wants to launch flights to Doha next year.

 

[TMP]

Spoke to someone on the chat and they shared the below changes were coming on October 23rd

• Annual fee increase for the Velocity Platinum Card from $375.00 to $440.00.
• A new benefit to access Virgin Australia Lounges each time they fly with Virgin Australia domestically. (Requires enrolment and a purchase with the Card.)
• 50 Velocity Status Credits after $25,000.00 in purchases and another 50 Velocity Status Credits after spend reaches $50,000.00.
• Removal of Centurion Lounge

This is going to be an interesting update, indeed. Lots of food for thought about whether to stick with this card or move to another (maybe Platinum or Explorer).

 

[ChrisFlyer]

If the part about the removal of the Aussie Centurion Lounge passes is accurate, it's an interesting move given last week's announcements, which basically place more focus of Velocity on those who regularly fly with VA (and most of VA's routes are domestic). Already, VA's status/biz class pax have no international lounge access with VA - this further takes away a Velocity-related workaround when departing Australia, while providing greater benefit to those flying domestic routes.

 

[Ceama]

This is going to be an interesting update, indeed. Lots of food for thought about whether to stick with this card or move to another (maybe Platinum or Explorer).

Yeah it looks like some cough changes nothing in the favour of us, the customer. $440 annual fee it’s excessive for what the little benefits this card has.

 

[SeaWolf]

I'm curious to see what the other Velocity card offering will be, replacing the one with no annual fee (Escape I think it was called?).
If you're already an AmEx customer it might be worth having just to get the extra points earn on your flights (under the new scheme) for holding a co-branded card.

 

[Happy Dude]

Spoke to someone on the chat and they shared the below changes were coming on October 23rd

• Annual fee increase for the Velocity Platinum Card from $375.00 to $440.00.
• A new benefit to access Virgin Australia Lounges each time they fly with Virgin Australia domestically. (Requires enrolment and a purchase with the Card.)
• 50 Velocity Status Credits after $25,000.00 in purchases and another 50 Velocity Status Credits after spend reaches $50,000.00.
• Removal of Centurion Lounge

Welcome @Gummy Venus De Milo (excellent nom de plume!)

VA lounge access will be a winner, assuming it applies to rewards too). The other changes are a bit meh.

How does the 50 + 50 SCs work? Does spending on supps count towards those totals too? I'm also wondering if there's any types of spend that doesn't count towards the $25k/$50k totals, eg gov, rates etc.

I assume the SCs will count towards the 50% non-flying earn total under the new changes.