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.

 

[ninja-tim]

I know the Plat card is allowed complimentary Virgin lounge access domestically, but can you us it in the international lounge? e.g. flying out of Aus on Virgin.

 

[Beta4Me]

Oh, so if you have one, you may as well get the other? Is there a link or anything that confirms this?

When I enquired, the Amex rep that called me back (who is know my account manager) straight up said that was a benefit when trying to sell me on the product. I don't know if it's a written benefit though.

 

[benhadi]

I have always wondered, why the business Plat Charge was more expensive than the personal one yet listed far fewer benefits. Almost no travel benefits above and beyond a lowly card.

Unless the benefits of the Business Plat listed is above and beyond the personal one? As a Business Plat Charge, do you get all the benefits of the Personal Plat Charge, plus a few more specific to the Business Plat Charge?

 

[Beta4Me]

I have always wondered, why the business Plat Charge was more expensive than the personal one yet listed far fewer benefits. Almost no travel benefits above and beyond a lowly card.

Unless the benefits of the Business Plat listed is above and beyond the personal one? As a Business Plat Charge, do you get all the benefits of the Personal Plat Charge, plus a few more specific to the Business Plat Charge?

To he honest, I'm not really sure. I just needed a corporate card scheme for more than 4 cards but I don't need dozens. So the Amex Business Platinum was the only one that fitted the bill. I didn't consider 'perks' when I got it. If the CitiBusiness Gold still existed, I'd have applied for that.

 

[ninja-tim]

I have always wondered, why the business Plat Charge was more expensive than the personal one yet listed far fewer benefits. Almost no travel benefits above and beyond a lowly card.

Unless the benefits of the Business Plat listed is above and beyond the personal one? As a Business Plat Charge, do you get all the benefits of the Personal Plat Charge, plus a few more specific to the Business Plat Charge?

Well, I was able to access the whole range of benefits (e.g. SPG, LeClub/Accor Plus, Shangri-La, IHG, Club Carlson, hertz/Avis, Golf) but now access to it has been changed and can't seem to access it anymore. I assume the benefits listed on the Amex website is a brief summary not listing everything, hence why Bus. Plat looks cough compared to the personal one, in terms of benefits.

 

[netaddict]

Was on the phone today to AMEX Platinum Travel. Seems some additions to the FHR is coming. Apparently Crown Towers Melbourne is due to be added soon. Consultant thought it already was but I'd say it's coming from 2016. Not everyone's style but good to see the program expanding. More options the better.

 

[YNWA]

So, the supp cardholder (to the bus. plat. card) gets more benefits than the primary bus. plat. cardholder? Weird! Yeah, I've activated most of what I wanted, and the Shangri-la only a couple months ago. The guy on the phone kept asking why I wanted to look through the benefits directory as he could apply for me, kept trying to tell him in different ways I was just curious and just wanted to have a look through it, as browsing online is faster and simpler than him going through it one by one. He still didn't understand.

I had always thought the Bus. Plat. would have more, or atleast the same, benefits than personal, since the annual fee is $300 more.



How long did you wait before you called them back?

I waited a week for a call back. The supplementary card I was referring to is a bit different to regular cards. The primary card is tied to a single wholesaler and doesn't allow other expenses to be charged to it. To get around that, I apply for a "supplementary" card which allows other business expenses to be charged to it. It's a little confusing.

 

[mitwg]

How early did you book Sepia/Quay before dining?

I don't know if I'm just lucky, but I was able to get confirmed reservations for the likes of Quay and etc. with maybe a month notice upfront.

This year, I've actually requested for a reservation at the Quay just after Christmas just this week and they rang back straight away and said the table was confirmed for the date & time I wanted.

 

[Ben6]

I used the concierge to get a table for 2 for Per Se in New York with about 3 months notice. It's notoriously tough to get into but was confirmed back almost straight away.

 

[ninja-tim]

I waited a week for a call back. The supplementary card I was referring to is a bit different to regular cards. The primary card is tied to a single wholesaler and doesn't allow other expenses to be charged to it. To get around that, I apply for a "supplementary" card which allows other business expenses to be charged to it. It's a little confusing.

Wholesaler being API/symbion/sigma?

 

[YNWA]

Wholesaler being API/symbion/sigma?

That's the one. API branded card in my case. The actual API branded card has limited benefits attached to it (possibly due to the reduced fee) but the supplementary card got the full plat benefits......well it used to anyway. Any luck with a call back?

 

[kenny_ngcw]

HHonors Gold is now a benefit for AMEX Platinum Card holders in the US. Does anyone know if this will be a benefit for Australian Card Holders? Has anyone tried to ring AMEX to see if they can honour us HHonors Gold?

I am not able to post links yet, but you can google it quite easily.

 

[Foreigner]

HHonors Gold is now a benefit for AMEX Platinum Card holders in the US. Does anyone know if this will be a benefit for Australian Card Holders? Has anyone tried to ring AMEX to see if they can honour us HHonors Gold?

I am not able to post links yet, but you can google it quite easily.

I doubt it whilst HHonors Gold remains a benefit of Citi Prestige in Australia. See this link:

https://www.citibank.com.au/citiprestige/benefits-luxury-travel-and-hotel.html

 

[ninja-tim]

That's the one. API branded card in my case. The actual API branded card has limited benefits attached to it (possibly due to the reduced fee) but the supplementary card got the full plat benefits......well it used to anyway. Any luck with a call back?

Nah, no call back yet. In no rush to access the benefits directory at the moment. So might call customer service again later in the week.

Yeah the physical API card is useless, especially with the Bus. Plat card attached.

 

[noviceFF]

My Plat card is due for renewal Nov/Dec, not sure. I notice there's a new $200 Plat travel credit, presumedly for next year. I'm thinking of not renewing my membership, can't quite get value out of $1200/yr. If I were to use that $200 credit, am I committed to renewing my membership or even pay back the $200?? Thx in advance.

 

[mitwg]

I doubt it whilst HHonors Gold remains a benefit of Citi Prestige in Australia. See this link:

https://www.citibank.com.au/citiprestige/benefits-luxury-travel-and-hotel.html

This this a concrete rule?

AFAIK, Hilton Gold has been a 'general' Visa Infinity card benefit which isn't an exclusive agreement to Citi (i.e. if there was another Visa Infinite offered in Australia, you could get this. It is just that Citi is the only one with an Visa Infinite at the time)

Hilton - Credit Card Privileges - Visa Infinite

There is also a Shangri-La Jade benefit which was previously on Citi Prestige, something Amex Platinum also recently started including. So I would say the probabilities are slim but definitely not impossible.

 

[avante]

Has anyone used the Table Plus benefit associated with the Accor Plus membership? It says up to 50% off, but I'd like to know the specifics. Thanks in advance!

 

[M@rcoPolo]

Has anyone used the Table Plus benefit associated with the Accor Plus membership? It says up to 50% off, but I'd like to know the specifics. Thanks in advance!

Normal up to 50% discount you get for Accor Plus members, Table Plus is simply an online booking system AFAIK

 

[avante]

Normal up to 50% discount you get for Accor Plus membersK

Thanks - have you used this benefit before? I just get a little nervous when I see the words "up to"... I can't find the terms and conditions associated with this discount anywhere.

 

[M@rcoPolo]

Thanks - have you used this benefit before? I just get a little nervous when I see the words "up to"... I can't find the terms and conditions associated with this discount anywhere.

I use it all the time!

It's 50% off the food bill (drinks are excluded in Australia or 15% off in Asia) if 2 people are dining, 33% off for 3 people, 25% for 4 people... Basically the Accor Plus member eats for free. Clearly stated as a benefit at Accor Plus website.