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]

Anyone here notice that Crown (Melbourne) doesnt appear on FHR anymore?

Does anyone know anything about this? Glitch or intentional? Would be really disappointed if they are not part of the program anymore...

 

[sudoer]

Anyone here notice that Crown (Melbourne) doesnt appear on FHR anymore?

Does anyone know anything about this? Glitch or intentional? Would be really disappointed if they are not part of the program anymore...

There was a similar issue with Shangri-La Sydney a few months ago. It wouldn't appear in the booking engine but was still listed in the FHR directory, as seems to be happening to Crown now.

Luxury Hotels in Australia | American Express Travel

Explore Luxury Resorts & Hotels in Australia and Find the Perfect Luxury Property for Your Trip with American Express Travel.

www.americanexpress.com

I'd suggest calling Platinum Travel Services.

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

Hi folks re: WSJ subscription not sure if it is just me but I can gain access to all articles whilst logged in to the website … but logged in via iPad iOS app or iPhone no luck.. is the subscription offered a ‘Basic’ version?

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Hi folks re: WSJ subscription not sure if it is just me but I can gain access to all articles whilst logged in to the website … but logged in via iPad iOS app or iPhone no luck.. is the subscription offered a ‘Basic’ version?

Mine shows as "Digital" when you go to the subscription tab in WSJ, and no issue reading anything in the app (Android though, not iOS).

I don't suppose you're perhaps logging into the WSJ app using your Oz credentials rather than your separate WSJ account (if you used a different email and password for that)? Just a thought, but don't know if the two are linked...

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

Mine shows as "Digital" when you go to the subscription tab in WSJ, and no issue reading anything in the app (Android though, not iOS).

I don't suppose you're perhaps logging into the WSJ app using your Oz credentials rather than your separate WSJ account (if you used a different email and password for that)? Just a thought, but don't know if the two are linked...

Thanks mate .. it appears I did not go through the entirety of the account set up process .. for some reason this allowed me to view all access via the Web (logged in with WSJ account) but not the apps .. this is now resolved as I redid the process again and it is now worked.

 

[kkl]

Anyone had any luck with a decent upgrade using Hotel collection booking?

“decent” - not just an enhanced view

 

[bernardblack]

Anyone had any luck with a decent upgrade using Hotel collection booking?

“decent” - not just an enhanced view

Specifically Hotel Collection and not FHR? Because I've received some great upgrades on FHR.

 

[Daver6]

In some more program devaluation, COMO The Treasury in Perth is no long part of the FHR program It was only a coupe of months ago. Was hoping to make use of a travel credit and noticed it had disappeared. Rang up and they confirmed.

That leaves just two FHR hotels in Perth. The Ritz Carlton and the IC. IC has been closed for over a year now (perhaps a quarantine hotel) and the Ritz seemed pretty over priced for what it is. Friends who have stayed have all said it's a bit disappointing.

 

[SeaWolf]

That leaves just two FHR hotels in Perth. The Ritz Carlton and the IC. IC has been closed for over a year now (perhaps a quarantine hotel)

The Intercontinental in Perth is really nice, but yes, it's being used as a quarantine hotel at the moment.

 

[Daver6]

The Intercontinental in Perth is really nice, but yes, it's being used as a quarantine hotel at the moment.

I would absolutely book it if it was available too. I don't like the location of the Ritz either. It's too out of the way for my liking.

 

[foggy]

anyone know how to access harvard business review and the economist?

 

[ChrisFlyer]

anyone know how to access harvard business review and the economist?

They're not separate subscriptions that are included, it's just that some of the content from those extra titles is supplied to and reproduced by the Oz/WSJ.

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

anyone know how to access harvard business review and the economist?

See this post for more detail re: HBR Harvard Business Review

Aus. Financial Review benefit gone. (Replaced with The Australian)

Anyone have problems signing up? Keep getting an “Ooops, an error has occurred!” Worked for me in incognito for signing up.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[kevinyhli]

Can I please ask if anyone had any experience booking discounted F/J fare via the International Airline Program that Amex is advertising for the Plat Charge Card?

(Don't judge) I am hopeful of border opening in 2022, and am thinking of potential overseas trip for mid next year, and there is a JAL Europe fare that caught my attention. I think I can probably justify the annual fees if we were able to get some discounts on the airfare and am wondering if anyone had experience on this, or if anyone who has access to this be able to look up for me to help me make my mind up?

 

[sudoer]

if anyone who has access to this be able to look up for me to help me make my mind up?

Happy to look it up for you, feel free to send me a PM or drop the cities and dates in the thread.

 

[bam71]

Can I please ask if anyone had any experience booking discounted F/J fare via the International Airline Program that Amex is advertising for the Plat Charge Card?

(Don't judge) I am hopeful of border opening in 2022, and am thinking of potential overseas trip for mid next year, and there is a JAL Europe fare that caught my attention. I think I can probably justify the annual fees if we were able to get some discounts on the airfare and am wondering if anyone had experience on this, or if anyone who has access to this be able to look up for me to help me make my mind up?

I was of the understanding that it is only full fare ( not discounted deal/sale/promo fares) that applied, so no real tangible benefit - although VERY happy to stand corrected.

 

[sudoer]

I was of the understanding that it is only full fare ( not discounted deal/sale/promo fares) that applied, so no real tangible benefit - although VERY happy to stand corrected.

On the itinerary @kevinyhli was looking at (AU to EU open jaw with a stopover in Japan in one direction, mid next year) the price dropped from $5.6k to $5.1k through Amex IAP.

That was JAL I class which I believe is their usual discount business bucket, with X being the business sale bucket (could be wrong on this)

 

[daft009]

On the itinerary @kevinyhli was looking at (AU to EU open jaw with a stopover in Japan in one direction, mid next year) the price dropped from $5.6k to $5.1k through Amex IAP.

That was JAL I class which I believe is their usual discount business bucket, with X being the business sale bucket (could be wrong on this)

never looked into these discounts.

is it just via the regular amex travel site?
or something special?

 

[sudoer]

Yep, it's similar to FHR - IAP fares will show up in the usual booking engine.

Login to Amex, open the Amex Travel portal and when prompted select your Platinum card. Search for the flights you are after (needs to be in a premium cabin), any IAP fares will show up in the engine with a dark blue banner along the top.

Here's some example pricing for SYD-LHR return:



According to OMAAT here are some of the airlines participating in IAP:

• Aeromexico
• Air China
• Air France
• Air New Zealand
• Alitalia
• All Nippon Airways
• Asiana Airlines
• Austrian Airlines
• British Airways
• Brussels Airlines
• Cathay Pacific
• China Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Etihad Airways
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• KLM Royal Dutch
• Korean Air
• LATAM
• Lufthansa
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Singapore Airlines
• South African Airways
• SWISS
• Virgin Atlantic

 

[Chicken]

the price dropped from $5.6k to $5.1k through Amex IAP.

That was JAL I class

$500 off I class is good. You are saying return when you said open jaw? So you would need to do 2 return trips to get the annual fee back, 2 trips ish.