Credit Card Offers Amex Explorer: 50,000 bonus Amex points

Earn uncapped Amex Points and enjoy a $400 travel credit every year!​

Learn more and apply for this card:

American Express® Explorer Credit Card

With the American Express Explorer credit card, earn uncapped Amex Membership Rewards points and offset the annual fee with a travel credit.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

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What are the main benefits of this card?

1. Signup bonus: 50,000 bonus Amex Membership Rewards Points, when you spend at least $4,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of approval
2. Earn 2 Membership Rewards Points per $1 on eligible purchases, uncapped, which you can transfer to 13 different airline & hotel programs
3. $400 annual travel credit fully offsets the $395 annual fee

Why we like the American Express Explorer credit card

This card lets you earn Amex Membership Rewards points at a solid rate of 2 points per dollar, uncapped, without the higher annual fee of the Amex Platinum card.

You can transfer Amex points to 11 airline frequent flyer programs and 2 hotel loyalty programs, generally at a 2:1 rate. For example, this means you’re effectively earning 1 Velocity Point, Qatar Avios or Cathay Asia Mile per $1 spent on the card.

The $395 annual fee is offset by a $400 annual travel credit that you can spend on eligible flights, car rentals or hotels when booking through American Express Travel.

You'll also receive two free annual visits to the Amex Centurion Lounges in Sydney or Melbourne Airport, plus complimentary travel insurance. See our card guide for the full details:

American Express® Explorer Credit Card

With the American Express Explorer credit card, earn uncapped Amex Membership Rewards points and offset the annual fee with a travel credit.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

AFF members are welcome to discuss this card in this thread.

 

[Plutonus]

But you expect to get the bonus points?

I wouldn't say I expect the bonus points in the context of entitlement. Previous posts in the thread show that many people with existing cards still got the bonus points, so I was hopeful the same would happen to me. If it doesn't, so be it - AMEX have provided exactly what they said they will.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I wouldn't say I expect the bonus points in the context of entitlement. Previous posts in the thread show that many people with existing cards still got the bonus points, so I was hopeful the same would happen to me. If it doesn't, so be it - AMEX have provided exactly what they said they will.

Please keep us updated. I'd find it strange though that someone who already has an Explorer card and applied for another Explorer card would get the bonus points.

 

[JessicaTam]

Please keep us updated. I'd find it strange though that someone who already has an Explorer card and applied for another Explorer card would get the bonus points.

I read it as an existing Amex card holder, not Explorer specifically.

 

[Plutonus]

I read it as an existing Amex card holder, not Explorer specifically.

Yes - sorry for any confusion. I have other AMEX personal products, but not another Explorer.

 

[SOPOOR]

Hmmmm is anyone else experiencing this or am I seeing things

My Explorer card on my app is now changed to a Qantas discovery Amex card.....

 

[SOPOOR]

Just called Amex and they said they accidentally must have changed my card by accident and will change it back but new cards will be issued to me.

I sincerely hope it doesn't affect my linked accounts

So when you link the accounts.
Doesthe gateway disappear and if you cancel the Explorer everything stays the same.
What happens if you cancel the plat edge?
Does it revert back to gateway.
Or are the programs totally separate

 

[Pointy Bird]

Just called Amex and they said they accidentally must have changed my card by accident and will change it back but new cards will be issued to me.

I sincerely hope it doesn't affect my linked accounts

So when you link the accounts.
Doesthe gateway disappear and if you cancel the Explorer everything stays the same.
What happens if you cancel the plat edge?
Does it revert back to gateway.
Or are the programs totally separate

When I linked my accounts, the gateway no longer existed - only ascent visible.
No point cancelling Explorer as this is what will get you the 2 points per $ - the edge will not.
I have not risked cancelling Edge in fear of undoing this perfect combination...

 

[SOPOOR]

When I linked my accounts, the gateway no longer existed - only ascent visible.
No point cancelling Explorer as this is what will get you the 2 points per $ - the edge will not.
I have not risked cancelling Edge in fear of undoing this perfect combination...

im happy wth both my cards and would like to keep them.
The Explorer fee is steep even if you get the travel credit

I would just like to know whether cancelling either would Lose my linked accounts, for future reference and which account is required to keep them

 

[daft009]

the PE & explorer combo is a win/win imho!
~$600 in travel credit to totally cover the annual fee and 2FF ppd

pretty sure if you cancel one you would revert to the other

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The Explorer fee is steep even if you get the travel credit

Well each to their own I guess but given can use for accommodation or flights one should be able to get at least 75 cents in the dollar.

So far I have been able to use all of my Travel Credits for at least full value (ie compared to same hotel via booking.com, Agoda etc and about half on bookings that were cheaper than elsewhere (ie double dipped with one of the Amex free night offers)

PS: With all the Amex cashback deals even without the TC I would earn many multiples of the fee back each year. Dollarwise these cards make me money!!!

I would just like to know whether cancelling either would Lose my linked accounts, for future reference and which account is required to keep them

If you cancel a card you will of course lose the ability to link them as you will only have one account. If you cancel the Edge, then your linked Explorer Card will revert to the Gateway Program.

Having said that my Ascent Premium lasted for many years after I cancelled my Amex Charge Card. But then the Edge is in the same program (ie redeeming rates were the same and only real benefit that I did not use was that points could be transferred to QFF) whereas the Gateway is separate.

 

[SOPOOR]

Well each to their own I guess but given can use for accommodation or flights one should be able to get at least 75 cents in the dollar.

So far I have been able to use all of my Travel Credits for at least full value (ie compared to same hotel via booking.com, Agoda etc and about half on bookings that were cheaper than elsewhere (ie double dipped with one of the Amex free night offers)

PS: With all the Amex cashback deals even without the TC I would earn many multiples of the fee back each year. Dollarwise these cards make me money!!!
.

I hear ya!!! the small shop covered my annual fee so that was good
unfortunately, I havent been able to use my travel creidt with all that conviction, as I dont stay in 200 per night rooms,
i usually stay in 100 rooms, but the rooms I stay in on the amex travel site are about 160plus
if you know of a better way, im all ears

If you cancel a card you will of course lose the ability to link them as you will only have one account. If you cancel the Edge, then your linked Explorer Card will revert to the Gateway Program.

ok, i get so the explorer program disappeared when I linked, so as long asI dont cancel my edge, will I not lose my 1:1 ability?

 

[Lemon_Party]

Anyone have any success in getting a retention bonus from Amex? I've called 3 times over last few weeks threatening to leave but all they'll offer is a different card with no annual fee. Was hoping for some bonus MR points.

 

[nightelves]

Nope called 6 times in the last few months. They wouldn't budge.

 

[SOPOOR]

I must have been lucky
Got offered on both cards when I called twice in 24 hours

 

[SOPOOR]

Anyone know if cards get unlinked on annual fee being charged ?

My points before said blank
Now the annual fee has been charged.

Its come up as zero

 

[daft009]

Got charged my annual fee last September and no such thing happened

 

[SOPOOR]

Got charged my annual fee last September and no such thing happened

Certainly hope not
Will keep updated

 

[JFi]

Certainly hope not
Will keep updated

I got charged annual fee last month and it doesn't unlink. Also, the travel credit got credited into the account automatically without the need to call up when it first got linked.

 

[SOPOOR]

I got charged annual fee last month and it doesn't unlink. Also, the travel credit got credited into the account automatically without the need to call up when it first got linked.

yes, im just sorting through the travel credit too,

my accounts may have unlinked, because I now have a gateway program appear on my list
unforutantely, I havent made any transactions yet to check if the points will credit which account, but I suspect theyve been unlinked, as the GW program has appeared, plus my points balance has gone from N/A to 0

 

[firstclasser]

yes, im just sorting through the travel credit too,

my accounts may have unlinked, because I now have a gateway program appear on my list
unforutantely, I havent made any transactions yet to check if the points will credit which account, but I suspect theyve been unlinked, as the GW program has appeared, plus my points balance has gone from N/A to 0

My Explorer got unlinked when I cancelled the charge card. Originally all the points from ascent premium got transferred to ascent (under my reserve card) and the explorer was linked to that. But shortly after my explorer got unlinked from that for whatever reason and wasn’t enrolled in any MR program whatsoever (not even coughty gateway)!!
A couple of phone calls fixed that, and now my explorer is linked with my reserve card again (all under ascent), and any points I didn’t earn from spending I did on the explorer whilst is was unenrolled from MR got re-instated as a manual credit. They were quite generous with the way they calculated it, as I was given about 15k more points than what I was entitled to, but I wasn’t gonna call them to correct their mistake