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.

 

[Brooksnk]

Does anyone know if supplementary cardholders can make use of the Virgin Domestic Lounge access?

T&C's say this: 2. Virgin Australia Lounge Access. Access is complimentary for Primary Platinum Card Member and one complimentary guest only. The Primary Platinum Card Member and guest must be travelling with Virgin Australia domestically. Access is to Virgin Australia-branded lounges in Australia only. Name on boarding pass must match the name on the Platinum Card.

Does anyone have experience with supplementary cardholders getting in on their own? (or trying and getting rejected?

Thanks

 

[daft009]

Does anyone know if supplementary cardholders can make use of the Virgin Domestic Lounge access?

T&C's say this: 2. Virgin Australia Lounge Access. Access is complimentary for Primary Platinum Card Member and one complimentary guest only. The Primary Platinum Card Member and guest must be travelling with Virgin Australia domestically. Access is to Virgin Australia-branded lounges in Australia only. Name on boarding pass must match the name on the Platinum Card.

Does anyone have experience with supplementary cardholders getting in on their own? (or trying and getting rejected?

Thanks

No issues with supps getting in solo

 

[DC3]

Does anyone know if supplementary cardholders can make use of the Virgin Domestic Lounge access?

How does the Lounge determine that the card is issued to a supplementary card holder?

 

[Infrequent traveller]

No issues with supps getting in solo

No issues with supps getting in solo

I never tried but am also aware of additional card members being admitted with no issue. However, please keep this low profile as in the eyes of Virgin and Amex, this is a loophole to be closed.

 

[Infrequent traveller]

How does the Lounge determine that the card is issued to a supplementary card holder?

The last 5 digits of the card can tell, if they really want to enforce the rule

 

[Bell21]

I never tried but am also aware of additional card members being admitted with no issue. However, please keep this low profile as in the eyes of Virgin and Amex, this is a loophole to be closed.

I agree - why don't we revert to PM for further queries - happy to provide input via PM

 

[DC3]

The last 5 digits of the card can tell, if they really want to enforce the rule

When I held the Platinum charge card, until a couple of years ago, my card and my supp holder had only a one digit difference in the numbers, i.e., consecutive numbering. Maybe the numbering system has changed?

 

[Infrequent traveller]

When I held the Platinum charge card, until a couple of years ago, my card and my supp holder had only a one digit difference in the numbers, i.e., consecutive numbering. Maybe the numbering system has changed?

Definitely not insider information but on the cards I hold (Charge, Reserve, Edge, Gold), the primary card is always x1xx_, and additional cards are x2aaa, z3bbb and so on. However, it would be even better if that’s not definitive at all (in view of the Virgin lounge discussion)

 

[sudoer]

However, it would be even better if that’s not definitive at all

Not sure it is definitive, my primary plat is x1x03 and supp is x1x11

 

[Infrequent traveller]

Not sure it is definitive, my primary plat is x1x03 and supp is x1x11

Oh my dear. So embarrassing for me - you are right. That’s the same pattern I have on my cards. No excuse- I should just have checked before I wrote. Sorry, sorry, sorry

 

[DC3]

Definitely not insider information but on the cards I hold (Charge, Reserve, Edge, Gold), the primary card is always x1xx_, and additional cards are x2aaa, z3bbb and so on. However, it would be even better if that’s not definitive at all (in view of the Virgin lounge discussion)

Maybe things have tightened at the Lounge desk, but in my experience, the person checking the Amex Platinum cards didn’t show any reaction to the additional card that was presented along with the primary card.

 

[Bell21]

I have a few supps with my card and there's no real relationship between card numbers (ie the last 3 or 4 digits differ between the cards). I'd really prefer we PM further details re this topic and I'm happy to PM.

 

[equus]

Definitely not insider information but on the cards I hold (Charge, Reserve, Edge, Gold), the primary card is always x1xx_, and additional cards are x2aaa, z3bbb and so on. However, it would be even better if that’s not definitive at all (in view of the Virgin lounge discussion)

That doesn't hold true.

I think the sequence you are seeing is something to do with the order in which the cards were generate - with your primary being generated first (so getting the 1 sequence).

If the primary card is lost/stolen, and a new card generated, the sequence numbers are all different. (Have this scenario).

As a result, those sequences numbers cannot be used, The only way to tell is to connect to the Amex system. Unless the card number is sent to Amex to determine the status, there is no way for VA to tell if a card is a primary or a supplementary (the exception being the A/C additional card, which has that as part of the name - but since that is only issued to the primary cardholder anyway, it is irrelevant to this discussion).

 

[ole nimeton]

I never tried but am also aware of additional card members being admitted with no issue. However, please keep this low profile as in the eyes of Virgin and Amex, this is a loophole to be closed.

I didn’t think this was a loophole as one supp cardholder gets access to rest of the lounge perks and priority pass etc anyway. Seriously, if Amex were ever stingy enough to limit this benefit to primary cardholders only I would reconsider the value in keeping the card.

 

[Bell21]

I didn’t think this was a loophole as one supp cardholder gets access to rest of the lounge perks and priority pass etc anyway. Seriously, if Amex were ever stingy enough to limit this benefit to primary cardholders only I would reconsider the value in keeping the card.

Well if this thread continues as is, who knows

 

[TRS123]

This is probably me being really silly, but is anyone able to book the Shangri La Sydney under FHR?
I've tried multiple dates and combinations but I'm coming up empty... has it been removed, or have I missed something, somewhere?

Yes I've experienced the same thing an was wondering that as well. It would seem it has been removed. Would be great to find out from others if its the same for them?!

 

[Actos]

Yes I've experienced the same thing an was wondering that as well. It would seem it has been removed. Would be great to find out from others if its the same for them?!

Very bizarre.

Called the concierge team and they've confirmed it's still a bookable FHR property. Together, we both looked up a date and I couldn't see the Shangri-La at all (only Park Hyatt, Langham, Four Seasons & Sofitel), whereas the concierge could see it perfectly under their FHR banner. I have no idea why this is the case, but they've recommended just booking through them (for this property) for now.

 

[mswindells]

Very bizarre.

Called the concierge team and they've confirmed it's still a bookable FHR property. Together, we both looked up a date and I couldn't see the Shangri-La at all (only Park Hyatt, Langham, Four Seasons & Sofitel), whereas the concierge could see it perfectly under their FHR banner. I have no idea why this is the case, but they've recommended just booking through them (for this property) for now.

Just to add, I booked the Shangri-La in Sydney via the FHR amex booking system, earlier this month for a stay on the 13th of May, and it worked fine. Weird that it has changed since then!

 

[fantastikforce]

What do you guys think about having a free Uber Pass yearly subscription as a new benefit?

I think I'd pretty happy with that although Amex will definitely need to add better benefits value wise.

 

[Bell21]

Just to add, I booked the Shangri-La in Sydney via the FHR amex booking system, earlier this month for a stay on the 13th of May, and it worked fine. Weird that it has changed since then!

btw, the last 2 times I've stayed at the Shangri-La Sydney, I've booked rooms with lounge access, and thought the additional cost was well worthwhile given breakfast, afternoon tea and a fairly decent dinner and especially those views!