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]

5. It's a charge card so I don't have 50k+ credit card limits plastered all over my credit file

This reminds me. I recently applied for a NAB Visa card. They could see on my credit file that I had a charge card and they wanted to see the amount owing on the last three charge card statements. I'd never had that requested before.

 

[glasszon]

The Australian subscription in place of AFR is disappointing, a case of Amex wanting to save some costs and found Australian to be cheaper than AFR; there is a reason why The Australian subscription is cheaper!

Back to my case, I am in two minds about keeping the card. I am still on the $1200 annual fee version with the grandfathered $400 Reserve travel credit, if I let this card go now, I won't be getting those benefits if I sign up again in the future.

On the other hand, clearly travel will not be the same post-covid, and it is uncertain whether I can take advantage of the travel benefits for the foreseeable future, decisions decisions....

 

[daft009]

I'm keeping mine, easy decision.

Great points earner
No credit limits
My RM at the bank loves it too
I'm also on the $1200AF version but somehow I have 2 reserve cards so $1250 in travel credits every year
Free hotel status
Free groceries last year
List of positives goes on and on but yes I'll miss AFR and Shangrila

 

[DC3]

I'm keeping mine, easy decision.

Great points earner
No credit limits
My RM at the bank loves it too
I'm also on the $1200AF version but somehow I have 2 reserve cards so $1250 in travel credits every year
Free hotel status
Free groceries last year
List of positives goes on and on but yes I'll miss AFR and Shangrila

Yes. Not exactly a level playing field.

 

[samh004]

I'm also on the $1200AF version but somehow I have 2 reserve cards so $1250 in travel credits every year

I'd love to know how you managed that, but wouldn't go shouting it too loudly the double reserves that is!

And for the record, I am also unlikely to cancel, as there's still enough value.

 

[daft009]

I'd love to know how you managed that, but wouldn't go shouting it too loudly the double reserves that is!

And for the record, I am also unlikely to cancel, as there's still enough value.

Pure luck/fluke

 

[Bell21]

Pure luck/fluke

Classic! I figured you'd keep it

 

[TravellingSquid]

I just received an AC card yesterday.

Long story short, I've requested one 3 times over the last year, each time they said a form will show up in the post within the next two weeks. After the 3rd time of it not arriving I lodged a complaint and they e-mailed me the form within an hour.

Attached is a copy of the form (I'm not sure if any of the codes below are account specific, but can't hurt to give it a try.
Once completed upload through the online services section by going to the account tab and then selecting document upload.

Good luck!

Looks like submitting the A/C form still works! Thanks @sjf The separate card is now showing in my account but still waiting to get it in the mail.

To upload it I had to go here: Document Center

 

[Daver6]

AFR benefit was available to all supp card holders. That's suspiciously missing from this announcement.

 

[qtrungmai]

I'm keeping mine, easy decision.

Great points earner
No credit limits
My RM at the bank loves it too
I'm also on the $1200AF version but somehow I have 2 reserve cards so $1250 in travel credits every year
Free hotel status
Free groceries last year
List of positives goes on and on but yes I'll miss AFR and Shangrila

how did you stay on the $1200AF version? I thought no one had a choice on this matter

 

[daft009]

how did you stay on the $1200AF version? I thought no one had a choice on this matter

not sure, signed upto to the $1200 version in 2018 (i think) and been charged $1200 every year so far

 

[Infrequent traveller]

not sure, signed upto to the $1200 version in 2018 (i think) and been charged $1200 every year so far

Would this be "via" a professional association, eg CPA Australia?

 

[daft009]

Would this be "via" a professional association, eg CPA Australia?

yep sure is

EDIT: aah yes, the normal AF used to be $1200 then went to $1450...its coming back to me.
when i signed up it was 1450 for normal people, $1200 for the professional institutions.

 

[Daver6]

Just in case you missed this like I did Travel credit now usable for FHR bookings

 

[QF029]

I called up to threaten to cancel in order to get 30k points. I almost fell over when I was offered 150k. Of course I said yes!

 

[drd71]

Is it possible to talk to a local customer service agent or is it all call centre people overseas now?

Also I remember when we had our own dedicated customer service line, now we're dumped in with all the other AMEX cards I believe.

 

[edman]

Registration for The Australian benefit is now open, email received today and sub is now active on my account. There is also an activation code for Wall Street Journal provided with the rego.

 

[SeaWolf]

I received the invite to sign up as well.
It's of no interest to me so I deleted the email unread.

 

[drd71]

I received the invite to sign up as well.
It's of no interest to me so I deleted the email unread.

Me too. It's a slap in the face to replace AFR with this. They can stick it where the sun don't shine. Also you can get The Australian access for just $25 a year with a student email address (high school or tertiary)

 

[ChrisFlyer]

For anyone who didn't receive the email and wants to sign up, here's the link: The Australian | American Express

After you register for The Oz, you can also then register for WSJ via the Account section of the Oz website - it gives you a personal code and a link to use it (WSJ account is separate to Oz, but also free).