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.

 

[Daver6]

Correct about PP.

 

[andye]

The restrictions are:
VA and Amex lounges: primary +allowed guests (in theory anyway, many have benefited beyond this)
Priority Pass: primary + 1 nominated supp (each entitled to a guest)
HH SPG ShangriLa and other hotel/car: primary + all supps
Marriott: primary + supps via SPG

 

[mlob]

thanks for the clarification. they have updated the site and the way you enrol into benefits. can anyone see where i can enrol the supplementary card? when i click on hilton enrollment it just goes to a page saying enrolled, as the primary card holder has enrolled for this benefit already and i cant find any more options.

 

[Daver6]

The supplementary card holder does this on their own account. You can't do it for them.

 

[mlob]

Thanks! Worked it out. Had to create an online account for the sup card. I had rung them earlier and they had said it wasn't available for the sup card.....

 

[mlob]

As a point of reference. I just rented out Accor Plus membership. They honoured the platinum status for one more year, but she did make the point that this would be the last time.

 

[tinkybelle]

Rented? i think you meant renewed.
they just called me. i still have the free night to use I am booked into the sofitel but dont really want to use it. they will roll it over if I renew
I asked about plat again she said of course.I said are you really sure i did not re qualify. yes yes you get plat I said you really need to be sure. im not renewing if not plat
oh she said i will have to check
the other thing is they are telling people they are saying the "same as last year" 329
duh thats not right i paid $265 last year.no no she said 329
she knows NOTHING!!!!
they just tell you what you want to hear. so slack

 

[foggy]

just got off the phone with an amex rep that said companion cards could be the following;
- reserve
- qantas ultimate
- velocity platinum
As I am waiting for a snail mail application form from them, could anyone who already has a companion card reserve confirm that they could have the card switch to either the qantas ultimate or velocity platinum?
I think the qantas ultimate with the $450 annual fee would be the winner. If what the rep says its true, I might keep this card for another year.

 

[potm]

Would be great if the explorer could be the campanion card or they relax the 2 credit card limit.

 

[Daver6]

I'll believe it when it happens. That's quite different to what I was told about 8 months ago. However, things do change.

 

[foggy]

Would be great if the explorer could be the campanion card or they relax the 2 credit card limit.

I tried asking them if the explorer card could be the companion card and after a long time on hold, the information posted above is what they came back with..

 

[albyd]

I was able to convert my velocity platinum to reserve as companion to platinum charge about 18 months ago. They told me was a goodwill gesture as they’d tried to post the reserve application to me about 3 times and I hadn’t yet received it. Was told would otherwise need to go through a new credit check, etc even though all I wanted was a product change. Good to see product change without a new application is becoming more common now. This has always been a big bear for me with Amex.

 

[tizey]

FYI - if you 're-enrol' into SPG, you'll trigger a re-qualification of Gold Status and it will remain on your account to Feb 2020. Not sure of the benefits yet, but I'm hoping it gets me something using up a few Marriott 7 night certificates over the next few years.

Also had 2 Amex customer service reps tell me the Platinum Reserve wasnt able to be companion card any more (for new applicants), but neither really seemed convincing. We lodged a copy of the paper platinum reserve form via Document Upload a week ago, and just hit brick walls last night - going to try again during Aus business hours to find out whats going on.

They told me that I could have an American Express Platinum Rewards card - but I've never heard of that card.

I really want the Platinum Reserve as we have a large (wedding) bill coming up that we can pay with amex, and collect 3 pts per dollar. Really want to avoid having to hold on to Platinum Charge to avoid the $1200 annual fee.

 

[glasszon]

FYI - if you 're-enrol' into SPG, you'll trigger a re-qualification of Gold Status and it will remain on your account to Feb 2020. Not sure of the benefits yet, but I'm hoping it gets me something using up a few Marriott 7 night certificates over the next few years.

Also had 2 Amex customer service reps tell me the Platinum Reserve wasnt able to be companion card any more (for new applicants), but neither really seemed convincing. We lodged a copy of the paper platinum reserve form via Document Upload a week ago, and just hit brick walls last night - going to try again during Aus business hours to find out whats going on.

They told me that I could have an American Express Platinum Rewards card - but I've never heard of that card.

I really want the Platinum Reserve as we have a large (wedding) bill coming up that we can pay with amex, and collect 3 pts per dollar. Really want to avoid having to hold on to Platinum Charge to avoid the $1200 annual fee.

So you just got Amex Platinum Charge and they said Platinum Reserve isn't available to new applicants? That would be quite a big stealth devaluation of the Platinum Charge card, as this means people no longer have access to the $400 travel credit.

 

[tizey]

So you just got Amex Platinum Charge and they said Platinum Reserve isn't available to new applicants? That would be quite a big stealth devaluation of the Platinum Charge card, as this means people no longer have access to the $400 travel credit.

Mrs Tizey has had it for 11months - and I held off the Plat Reserve application because I wanted to have that for CY2018 (even if it meant $400 annual fee to keep it - still worthwhile due to the spend we have coming up).

The agent said I could have velocity/qantas/edge (which seemed really wrong based on past reading of this thread) or a "Platinum Rewards' Card... which doesnt exist? I'm guessing the agent just had no idea.

Will report back once I know more - might be a few days as have to get Mrs Tizey to call up and authorise me to speak on her behalf.

 

[glasszon]

Mrs Tizey has had it for 11months - and I held off the Plat Reserve application because I wanted to have that for CY2018 (even if it meant $400 annual fee to keep it - still worthwhile due to the spend we have coming up).

The agent said I could have velocity/qantas/edge (which seemed really wrong based on past reading of this thread) or a "Platinum Rewards' Card... which doesnt exist? I'm guessing the agent just had no idea.

Will report back once I know more - might be a few days as have to get Mrs Tizey to call up and authorise me to speak on her behalf.

Good luck, as you said the agent has clearly got the first part wrong, the only allowed companion card for Platinum Charge is the Platinum Reserve card. Let us know how you go, if they end up not allowing Platinum Reserve to new applicants, then chances are they will revoke the annual fee waiver for existing user and/or removing that product type completely, which would be a large devaluation to the Platinum Charge card holders.

 

[foggy]

Good luck, as you said the agent has clearly got the first part wrong, the only allowed companion card for Platinum Charge is the Platinum Reserve card. Let us know how you go, if they end up not allowing Platinum Reserve to new applicants, then chances are they will revoke the annual fee waiver for existing user and/or removing that product type completely, which would be a large devaluation to the Platinum Charge card holders.

actually what tizey has reported is in-line with what I was told.. sorta

 

[Eh520]

I got my Platinum Reserve companion card application sent 14 days ago via email, approved after 1 business day. I haven't heard about the Platinum Reserve NOT being eligible to new card holders anymore. Would be sad though if that's the case.

 

[davem]

Can someone please share the application form?

When i called i was told no we dont do companion cards anymore.

 

[Daver6]

Can someone please share the application form?

When i called i was told no we dont do companion cards anymore.

PM me your email address and I'm happy to send it.