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.

 

[sudoer]

Centurion Lounge crowding: Platinum cardholders may pay $50/guest effective 2.1.2023 - FlyerTalk Forums

American Express | Membership Rewards - Centurion Lounge crowding: Platinum cardholders may pay $50/guest effective 2.1.2023 - No more free guests for personal and business platinum card members starting February 1, 2023 unless you spend $75k or more each calendar year on that card. I personally...

www.flyertalk.com

Amex Centurion Lounge guest access policy February 2023 changes - The Points Guy

Going forward, most American Express Centurion Lounge guests are now charged at a rate of $50 each — except for those who spend $75,000 a year on a Platinum card to earn guest privileges. Here are the details.

thepointsguy.com

Amex seems to be flip-flopping on introducing a charge for guests to enter the Centurion lounge if you spend under 75k annually. They updated their T&C, then reverted them, but an Amex spokesperson confirmed the change to TPG.

Unsure if there's a equivalent AUD spend figure.

 

[daft009]

seems fair to stop overcrowding.
can make family member supps anyway

 

[SeaWolf]

I'm wondering if the same rules will apply to card holders everywhere or just to US card holders, given that we pay considerably more for our Platinum cards.
Also here we can add four extra Platinum cardholders to our account for free, presumably giving each of them access. In the USA they charge for that, US$175 for up to three.

 

[Daver6]

In the US I cannot fathom why anyone would pay $50 USD to get into those lounges. They're nothing special. Given US airports usually have some decent restaurants etc, $50 would be much better spent there.

 

[cbourl]

In the US I cannot fathom why anyone would pay $50 USD to get into those lounges. They're nothing special. Given US airports usually have some decent restaurants etc, $50 would be much better spent there.

try the revolting Amex Lounge @ SFO No room no chairs and sit on the ground pre COVID - my multiple experiences of Amex SFO - Amex LGA almost as bad

 

[Bell21]

try the revolting Amex Lounge @ SFO No room no chairs and sit on the ground pre COVID - my multiple experiences of Amex SFO - Amex LGA almost as bad

I also remember the QF lounge at SFO not being particularly special either, but not as bad at that!

 

[cbourl]

Didnt know there was a QF Lounge @ SFO The ones at LAX just passable in C,and F

 

[Bell21]

Maybe my memory is failing me - it may have been a QF partner lounge like KLM. I recall one nice QF lounge in LAX (can't remember which terminal, but in the one that you used to transition when on that quirky flight combo from SYD to NYC where you took the 747 from LAX) - anyway, it would be nice to have to focus on our preferred international lounges again

 

[cbourl]

Maybe my memory is failing me - it may have been a QF partner lounge like KLM. I recall one nice QF lounge in LAX (can't remember which terminal, but in the one that you used to transition when on that quirky flight combo from SYD to NYC where you took the 747 from LAX) - anyway, it would be nice to have to focus on our preferred international lounges again

LAX TBIT QFF/C lounges and star Alliance F/C lounges No other lounges Ive ever been too at LAX esxept UA t7/8 Domestically SFO Amex Lounge in UA Terminal with post secirity connector to Int Terminal

 

[Bell21]

LAX TBIT QFF/C lounges and star Alliance F/C lounges No other lounges Ive ever been too at LAX esxept UA t7/8 Domestically SFO Amex Lounge in UA Terminal with post secirity connector to Int Terminal

ok - I'll avoid the SFO amex lounge then! I thought the LAX TBIT QFF business lounge was reasonably comfortable - we're a bit off thread though aren't we!

 

[drd71]

Has anyone got any suggestions of another AMEX card where you get similar points benefits to the Platinum Charge?

 

[daft009]

Has anyone got any suggestions of another AMEX card where you get similar points benefits to the Platinum Charge?

We're snookered and I think they know that

 

[Plutonus]

How long have concierge been replying with a no reply email address?

Considering the amount of times they mentioned it, they obviously don't want emails anymore.

 

[sudoer]

How long have concierge been replying with a no reply email address?

Considering the amount of times they mentioned it, they obviously don't want emails anymore.

I think it depends which team within Concierge sends the email - the Lifestyle team reply-to address is [email protected] which does accept emails

 

[Chicken]

Has anyone got any suggestions of another AMEX card where you get similar points benefits to the Platinum Charge?

I would say Reserve

 

[Plutonus]

I think it depends which team within Concierge sends the email - the Lifestyle team reply-to address is [email protected] which does accept emails

Hmm okay thanks. That's the email I sent my request to, which they responded. But basically said don't email us back.

The email signature of the individual says 'Travel & Lifestyle Servicing'.

Maybe they just don't like me.

 

[Bell21]

I find the recent devaluations really interesting in terms of what AMEX is trying to do with the AU Plat card. Most of the devaluations have been to tangible, fixed perks (eg, Plat Reserve travel credit, AFR), and new additions appear to require the user to engage with the card more (Eg, grocery credit, double points, even shop small running for 12 months) - I wonder if that's their modus operandi? However, I wouldn't sign up to the card now, with it losing $1,000 in actual tangible value (AFR, travel credit), plus other minor devaluations (Shangri-La Gold, PP restaurants).

But then I'm also reminded of a discussion I had with an ex-AMEX rewards exec who explained that 90%+ of the card's users are not like many of us at AFF, and don't utilise many benefits of the card at all - eg, one of my relatives just uses it for its charge card benefits and doesn't use any of the perks - so I wonder if this is just a 'card re-positioning' process to allow AMEX to introduce a card that bridges the gap between the Plat and Centurion card?

Lastly, even though I value the AFR perk for its full value (as I'd paid for it separately), I still get full value and more from this card, even with the devaluations, BUT the perks are becoming less visible each year I decide to keep the card (eg, I find the Gold hotel status value of the cards has considerable rewards, but it's hard to work out them in any tangible way in advance).

 

[Quattro]

But then I'm also reminded of a discussion I had with an ex-AMEX rewards exec who explained that 90%+ of the card's users are not like many of us at AFF, and don't utilise many benefits of the card at all - eg, one of my relatives just uses it for its charge card benefits and doesn't use any of the perks - so I wonder if this is just a 'card re-positioning' process to allow AMEX to introduce a card that bridges the gap between the Plat and Centurion card?

This has long been rumoured. You might be on to something. It was called a Titanium card, which slotted in between the current PC and Cent.

A quick Google search brings up quite a few articles (U.S based) saying an increase in A/F is coming with revised perks.

 

[Strikes]

Apologies for being a bit clueless with this, but I had a query re the Platinum Reserve card and travel credit. I've had both the Platinum Charge card and Platinum Reserve for a few years. I've seen members here talk of the loss of the $400 reserve travel credit for new members.

Does this mean existing members still retain this benefit or is it being phased out for all? Thanks!

 

[sudoer]

It has been grandfathered (so far) for members who held the card before the credit was scrapped.