Card Promotions Amex Platinum Card Benefits, Offers & Discussion

Enjoy a world of travel benefits and 150,000 bonus Amex Membership Rewards Premium Ascent points...​

Learn more and apply for this card:

American Express® Platinum Card

The American Express (Amex) Platinum charge card is one of the best publicly-available cards in Australia for travel benefits.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

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What are the main benefits of this card?

1. Signup bonus: 150,000 Amex Membership Rewards Points (worth 75,000 Qantas Points, Velocity Points, Avios or Asia Miles, among other options) when you apply by 28 January 2025 and spend at least $5,000 within 3 months
2. Earn 2.25 Amex Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on everyday purchases, uncapped. You can transfer these points to 12 airline & 2 hotel programs, including Qantas Frequent Flyer.
3. Enjoy unlimited access to many airport lounges, including Virgin Australia and Priority Pass lounges
4. Gift Priority Pass membership to one additional cardholder
5. Receive complimentary elite status with hotel loyalty programs including Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, Radisson Rewards & Accor Live Limitless
6. Complimentary international travel insurance
7. Receive a $450 annual travel credit, plus airfare discounts, $400 worth of annual dining credits, subscriptions to The Australian & Wall Street Journal, plus many more exclusive benefits!

Why we like the American Express Platinum Card

Packed full of travel perks, the American Express Platinum Card is one of the best publicly-available cards in Australia for frequent flyers.

With a $1,450 annual fee, this metal card is not for everyone. But the return on investment for the high annual fee is strong, as it comes with a lot of useful benefits! This includes an annual travel credit, dining credits and unlimited access to Virgin Australia, Delta, Lufthansa, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium and Amex Centurion airport lounges.

There are also some great hotel perks including a free annual hotel night, Accor Plus membership, Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits and complimentary elite status with Hilton, Marriott and Radisson.

For points collectors, this is one of the most lucrative cards available in Australia. You’ll earn 2.25 Amex Membership Rewards Ascent Premium points per $1 spent on eligible transactions. Points transfer to most frequent flyer programs at a 2:1 rate, although there are some exceptions (e.g. it's 3:1 to KrisFlyer and Emirates).

You can convert your Amex points to around 12 airlines including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Etihad! Plus, you can transfer points to two hotel loyalty programs for even more redemption possibilities.

To sweeten the deal, new cardholders who apply by 28 January 2025 can also earn 150,000 bonus Amex Membership Rewards points when spending at least $5,000 on the card within 3 months of approval. See our card guide for the full details:

American Express® Platinum Card

The American Express (Amex) Platinum charge card is one of the best publicly-available cards in Australia for travel benefits.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

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

 

[andye]

Does Amex cancel SPG gold memberships as at Platinum Charge closure? I'm considering closing mine too.

No experience but understand you keep it until end-February

Note that SPG Gold now gives you Marriott Gold too

 

[nightelves]

Cancelling your credit card early does not affect you elite status. The only thing that gets affected is the Priority Pass. Best to get elite status at the start of the year because it last for that year and the year after.

 

[albyd]

As it turns out I called SPG this arvo when stuck in traffic. They said that I lose gold status immediately when I cancel my charge card even if I wait until after my membership anniversary.
She did explain there essentially wasn't much difference between gold and 'preferred' benefits when I 'soft land' (just a bit of sugar coating) to base level.

 

[mlob]

just arranged my marriot gold staus courtesy of the spg marriot merger. a new benefit by association.

 

[Mr_Orange]

just arranged my marriot gold staus courtesy of the spg marriot merger. a new benefit by association.

Same. I wonder whether I'll get to use of the perks though.

 

[mlob]

I'm actually tempted with the $150 cash back offer at the moment.

 

[adelee]

As it turns out I called SPG this arvo when stuck in traffic. They said that I lose gold status immediately when I cancel my charge card even if I wait until after my membership anniversary.
She did explain there essentially wasn't much difference between gold and 'preferred' benefits when I 'soft land' (just a bit of sugar coating) to base level.

Just checked my SPG status, and I am still showing as Gold even though my charge card was cancelled 6 weeks back. No other elite statuses (Accor, Shangri-la, Club Carlsson) impacted as yet either.

 

[albyd]

Thanks adelee for the data point. I'm assuming my Accor will disappear shortly but I've got HH Diamond until March 2018 and currently planning a trip to Conrad Maldives so will be a happy camper.

 

[adelee]

Thanks adelee for the data point. I'm assuming my Accor will disappear shortly but I've got HH Diamond until March 2018 and currently planning a trip to Conrad Maldives so will be a happy camper.

No worries. Quick query - is your Accor up for expiry shortly, or are you thinking that it will be revoked for some reason?

 

[albyd]

I'm coming up to my platinum charge anniversary so am assuming it's terminating with that anniversary.

 

[opusman]

I notice in the US they are increasing points earn to 5pts / $ for airline spend: American Express upping rewards program for Platinum Card

I'm assuming we won't get this here, despite the card costing over double what it does in the US :evil:

 

[Haplo]

I doubt we will get 5x points because there is so little competition for credit card in Australia. We only have one hotel branded (Hilton) card.

 

[Pleb Status]

As a point for future reference, it took less than 16 hours after I applied on the Amex website for the Gold upgrade to be applied to my HHonors account.

As I read the T&C, it appears that you will remain Gold as long as you hold the Charge (possible multi year comp). Is this interpretation correct?

 

[andye]

As a point for future reference, it took less than 16 hours after I applied on the Amex website for the Gold upgrade to be applied to my HHonors account.

As I read the T&C, it appears that you will remain Gold as long as you hold the Charge (possible multi year comp). Is this interpretation correct?

My understanding is that all the hotel benefits are ongoing (well, until Amex stop the association). I believe that all except Priority Pass persist until the end of that membership year if you cancel (despite T&Cs) but not been in that position

 

[albyd]

I've not asked about HH but did ask SPG a couple of months ago and they said it was a monthly proposition with Amex. Would lose your gold status (unless qualified under your own steam) once Amex card was cancelled so couldn't time your cancellation to game another membership year at gold for instance.

 

[mlob]

we recently got advised that our supplementary card will be replaced, early. our card has another year before it was to actually expire. apparently it is getting a new chip. did anyone else get ? im wondering what its about. maybe new swipe entry into velocity lounge?

 

[M@rcoPolo]

we recently got advised that our supplementary card will be replaced, early. our card has another year before it was to actually expire. apparently it is getting a new chip. did anyone else get ? im wondering what its about. maybe new swipe entry into velocity lounge?

Same here for both AMEX Charge Platinum and AMEX Platinum Reserve cards - Reserve does not provide entry to Velocity Lounge so unlikely this is related.
Yet to receive the new cards so unsure of any visible design changes either..

 

[kaktusdigital]

got an interesting phone call from Accor today. They were noting that my account was going to expire due to the amex/accor relationship ending. They offered the reduced rate of $260 for another year AND I get to keep platinum status. Seemed like a good deal, as I thought normally you'd get sent back to silver.
now we can status match with Hilton!

 

[M@rcoPolo]

got an interesting phone call from Accor today. They were noting that my account was going to expire due to the amex/accor relationship ending. They offered the reduced rate of $260 for another year AND I get to keep platinum status. Seemed like a good deal, as I thought normally you'd get sent back to silver.
now we can status match with Hilton!

When was your Accor Plus membership due to expire? Mine is expiring at the end of November 2016 and I'm also waiting for their call

Details of the "soft landing" offer are here: https://www.accorplus.com/platinumaustralia

There's no mention about retaining Platinum status... did you actually re-qualify based on points / stays during the previous 12 months or was Platinum offered as a "sweetener"?

 

[kaktusdigital]

When was your Accor Plus membership due to expire? Mine is expiring at the end of November 2016 and I'm also waiting for their call

Details of the "soft landing" offer are here: https://www.accorplus.com/platinumaustralia

There's no mention about retaining Platinum status... did you actually re-qualify based on points / stays during the previous 12 months or was Platinum offered as a "sweetener"?

expiring 31st of Oct. And no, I wasn't anywhere near re-qualifying for Plat. So I think they're just getting ahead of the game and trying to offer a good deal. As another sweetener they offered a free breakfast buffet voucher (for 2) if I could give them the contact of a friend who might be interested in joining...