AMEX Platinum Card benefits - Are there any?

[bigmal]

I am considering of taking up the offer of the AMEX Platinum Charge Card. Are the benefits really worth it? In particular the "2 for 1" business class flights etc. The airline doesn't really bother me (within reason) and will be traveling a bit in the next 12-24 months.
Has anyone had any experience with the fares etc?

 

[medhead]

I remember reading something about this, but I can't find it again. Do you have a link that tells me about this 2 for 1 business fares?

 

[ejb]

I don't think the 2 for 1 J deal is that great. The rate you need to pay for the one ticket is around what you can pay for two tickets anyway.

Platinum cards are good for insurance and MR earn rate.

Concierge can be useful however I use it rarely.

ejb

 

[straitman]

A quick summary which is accurate I believe:

Amex Platinum Credit cards are $395/year and include a free domestic return flight (destination differs based on origin). The Amex Platinum Charge Card is $900/year and includes a complimentary Platinum Credit Card, allowing you to have the free flight benefit.

Both the Credit Card and the Charge Card offer good insurance, although with the Credit Card, travel arrangements have to be paid on the card to activate the policy, whereas that is not required with the charge card. I believe that the travel insurance offered under the Charge Card to be exceptional.

The Charge Card provides complimentary membership to Priority Pass for the primary cardholder. This gives you access to lounges around the world, including Virgin Blue lounges in Australia.

It can take a few weeks to arrange the Priority Pass membership and to receive your card, so make sure you apply with some lead time before your departure.

They also have an ongoing promo whereby they reduce your first year membership fee to $600 for the Platinum charge card. You have to ask the call centre for the relevant form or promo code.

Both of these cards offer 1.5 points per dollar spend which are held in an Amex MR account and can then be transferred to a variety of places including Qantas and Virgin Blue.

 

[medhead]

They also have an ongoing promo whereby they reduce your first year membership fee to $600 for the Platinum charge card. You have to ask the call centre for the relevant form or promo code.

I should ask this in the other thread but is $300 better value than 50,000 points? Given that they are trying to kill off the 50,000 point offer early, maybe the $300 reduction is a safer bet.

 

[simongr]

Both of these cards offer 1.5 points per dollar spend which are held in an Amex MR account and can then be transferred to a variety of places including Qantas and Virgin Blue.

Are you sure that the Credit Card is linked to Ascent Premium - I thought only the charge card could still transfer to QF.

 

[oz_mark]

Are you sure that the Credit Card is linked to Ascent Premium - I thought only the charge card could still transfer to QF.

If you have a charge card and a credit card, they can both link to the same Ascent Premium account. If you only have the credit card, then you cannot access Ascent Premium (outside some special offers that happen from time to time).

 

[straitman]

If you have a charge card and a credit card, they can both link to the same Ascent Premium account. If you only have the credit card, then you cannot access Ascent Premium (outside some special offers that happen from time to time).

Thanks oz_mark.