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.

 

[andye]

So if i have a FHR booking through Amex Australia and want to add my Hilton Honors number is it possible?

Thanks

There is a "request to hotel" field when you book online but no dedicated field. Think the Amex agents can do it but understand it's harder to get hold of them on the phone than in days gone by

 

[muppet]

So if i have a FHR booking through Amex Australia and want to add my Hilton Honors number is it possible?

Thanks

I continue to have success by calling the hotel direct if I booked online. I think if you call to make your booking, Amex will correctly enter the number - but the hold times are long i believe.

 

[Daver6]

So if i have a FHR booking through Amex Australia and want to add my Hilton Honors number is it possible?

Thanks

There is a "request to hotel" field when you book online but no dedicated field. Think the Amex agents can do it but understand it's harder to get hold of them on the phone than in days gone by

You don't need to call. Just email the Platinum Travel email folks with your booking and ask them to add your loyalty number. Otherwise follow what @sudoer suggested and us the US FHR site to make the booking.

 

[TheRealTMA]

So if i have a FHR booking through Amex Australia and want to add my Hilton Honors number is it possible?

Thanks

I think no. Only can use hotel points if you book direct. But contact amex or hotel and ask.

 

[RealtimeY]

Does anyone know if the Virgin lounge entitlement extends to the premium exit/entry?

 

[Daver6]

Does anyone know if the Virgin lounge entitlement extends to the premium exit/entry?

I just assumed it would. Lounge entry is lounge entry, isn't it?

 

[andye]

I'm almost certain it doesn't allow access

Terms say specifically for J, Y+, Gold or Plat travelling without checked baggage.
(Having said that I have taken through accompanying non-status family before)

For that matter, I don't think Amex even gives you priority check-in

 

[fantastikforce]

Whilst on the topic of Virgin Australia and lounge access, do we know if use of the lounge on arrival is part of the Amex Plat benefit?

 

[andye]

Whilst on the topic of Virgin Australia and lounge access, do we know if use of the lounge on arrival is part of the Amex Plat benefit?

Seems to be J, status or lounge members only

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Currently ensconced in VA Lounge MEL and sought clarification from entry staff - arr access afforded only to J pax, Plat ot Gold Velocity Members.

 

[cbourl]

Does anyone know if the Virgin lounge entitlement extends to the premium exit/entry?

They are part of the Lounge, but still, sadly, are closed

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Premium exit MEL still closed - line for security at 16:20 MEL T3 was out to 50mtrs T4 side of Lounge entry door

 

[fantastikforce]

Currently ensconced in VA Lounge MEL and sought clarification from entry staff - arr access afforded only to J pax, Plat ot Gold Velocity Members.

Great timing, thanks for the on the ground update. Disappointing it's not part of the benefits.

 

[RealtimeY]

Premium exit MEL still closed - line for security at 16:20 MEL T3 was out to 50mtrs T4 side of Lounge entry door

I just happened to take this photo at 4pm. Looked pretty awful

 

[ChrisFlyer]

To answer the Qs above - confirming access for Amex Plat/Cent is on departure only, and does not permit Premium Entry... if that ever reopens!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I just happened to take this photo at 4pm. Looked pretty awful

Yep that’s it - awful is a gross understatement

 

[sudoer]

Has anyone had any issues with their Accor Plus membership not auto renewing following their AMEX anniversary?

Amex is still not auto-renewing Accor Plus memberships - mine lapsed on 1 May.

I contacted Amex on 2 May via live chat and linked them to some of the other posts in this thread reporting the same issue. They told me to wait 5-7 business days. I need to make some bookings through Accor Plus so I followed up with them this morning and was told:



I contacted Accor Plus membership services today, they told me to wait 7 days, I asked if they could expedite it as I needed to use the membership to book some stays... renewal email came through 10 minutes after the call

I am quietly hoping this unenrol/re-enrol process has refreshed my Accor Plus Fast Track eligibility so I can earn another 20 nights

 

[tlspambait]

Anyone have any idea if the online chat customer support is based in Australia or overseas? Are you likely to get better service by phoning?

I recently applied for a Platinum card a couple of weeks ago (I used to hold this card in Canada and have a few other Amex cards in Oz). I was approved right away (applied on a Tuesday) I followed up with their online chat on the Friday to see if there was a tracking number having seen some posts about people missing the DHL delivery so I wanted to make sure somone would be home to receive it. They advised it would be delivered the following Tuesday but were not able to provide a tracking number.

On the Wednesday when it hadn't arrived, I followed up with their online chat who provided a DHL Tracking number and assured me it would be delivered on Friday (a week after originally promised).

When I checked the tracking number it showed it had just been shipped that day from Sydney (I'm 1 1/2 hours out of Brisbane) and DHL were estimating delivery today (so 6 days to get it here from Sydney). (I was a bit disappointed that despite being told the week before it had shipped, it hadn't and it took them a week to hand it to DHL.)

Long story short, it arrived in Brisbane on Thursday morning and hasn't moved since. I followed up with DHL on Friday who indicated the scan appeared to show that it hasn't been unloaded or processed and they would email the depot, but since their system said Monday delivery they couldn't escalate.

Sure enough today no change with the DHL tracking site. I followed up with DHL directly, their customer service rep indicated that it should have had a few more scans to indicate it had been processed and transferred out for delivery and that this would seem to indicate no one has processed it since it arrived from Sydney last week. She offered to send another email to the Brisbane Depot. She said that that since it was from Amex, they would have a DHL account rep. She suggested I ask Amex to contact their DHL rep, as if they follow up it should result in it being escalated, which should get the package found and delivered.

Sure enough, a DHL package arrived today, but instead of my card arriving it had my wife's supplemental card on the account (they hadn't given me the tracking number previously for her card). Sure enough when I put the tracking number in online it shows that her card arrived the same time as mine in Brisbane, but then proceeded to get processed and delivered.

I followed up with the Amex online chat, and explained that DHL suggested they follow up with their account rep, as DHL had advised this would cause it to be escalated (resulting it someone looking for it in Brisbane and getting it delivered).

The only solution they could offer was to cancel the card and ship me a new one (which they advised wouldn't arrive until the end of next week).

They refused to do any follow up with DHL (indicating it was impossible for any follow up by them with DHL) and also advised if they re-issue the card, and DHL manages to deliver the original card in the meantime it won't work and can't be activated as they will have canceled it prior to re-issuing a replacement card. (I asked if instead they add the card to my existing online account, which would allow me to enable apple pay, but they said they can't do that either).

My previous experience as a Platinum card holder (with Amex Canada) is they would have solved this same day. For example, when I originally upgraded to Platinum with Amex Canada, I happened to be overseas in Korea and wasn't going to back in Canada for a month, I asked if they could ship my card there. Instead, they arranged for me to go in (same day) and pick up a card that had been printed off that day for me in Seoul.

I'm keen to get it sooner than later as I need to rent a car and want the benefits of the insurance (though now at least my wife can rent it instead), plus I want the card added to my account so I can generate a referral, as I have two friends who also want to get the card as they've got a fair amount of upcoming international travel.

Any idea if the phone reps are any better and can get my card delivered any sooner (given the apparent long wait for a replacement card) or should I just keep bugging DHL until they find it...

 

[tlspambait]

Anyone have any idea if the online chat customer support is based in Australia or overseas? Are you likely to get better service by phoning?

I recently applied for a Platinum card a couple of weeks ago (I used to hold this card in Canada and have a few other Amex cards in Oz). I was approved right away (applied on a Tuesday) I followed up with their online chat on the Friday to see if there was a tracking number having seen some posts about people missing the DHL delivery so I wanted to make sure somone would be home to receive it. They advised it would be delivered the following Tuesday but were not able to provide a tracking number.

On the Wednesday when it hadn't arrived, I followed up with their online chat who provided a DHL Tracking number and assured me it would be delivered on Friday (a week after originally promised).

When I checked the tracking number it showed it had just been shipped that day from Sydney (I'm 1 1/2 hours out of Brisbane) and DHL were estimating delivery today (so 6 days to get it here from Sydney). (I was a bit disappointed that despite being told the week before it had shipped, it hadn't and it took them a week to hand it to DHL.)

Long story short, it arrived in Brisbane on Thursday morning and hasn't moved since. I followed up with DHL on Friday who indicated the scan appeared to show that it hasn't been unloaded or processed and they would email the depot, but since their system said Monday delivery they couldn't escalate.

Sure enough today no change with the DHL tracking site. I followed up with DHL directly, their customer service rep indicated that it should have had a few more scans to indicate it had been processed and transferred out for delivery and that this would seem to indicate no one has processed it since it arrived from Sydney last week. She offered to send another email to the Brisbane Depot. She said that that since it was from Amex, they would have a DHL account rep. She suggested I ask Amex to contact their DHL rep, as if they follow up it should result in it being escalated, which should get the package found and delivered.

Sure enough, a DHL package arrived today, but instead of my card arriving it had my wife's supplemental card on the account (they hadn't given me the tracking number previously for her card). Sure enough when I put the tracking number in online it shows that her card arrived the same time as mine in Brisbane, but then proceeded to get processed and delivered.

I followed up with the Amex online chat, and explained that DHL suggested they follow up with their account rep, as DHL had advised this would cause it to be escalated (resulting it someone looking for it in Brisbane and getting it delivered).

The only solution they could offer was to cancel the card and ship me a new one (which they advised wouldn't arrive until the end of next week).

They refused to do any follow up with DHL (indicating it was impossible for any follow up by them with DHL) and also advised if they re-issue the card, and DHL manages to deliver the original card in the meantime it won't work and can't be activated as they will have canceled it prior to re-issuing a replacement card. (I asked if instead they add the card to my existing online account, which would allow me to enable apple pay, but they said they can't do that either).

My previous experience as a Platinum card holder (with Amex Canada) is they would have solved this same day. For example, when I originally upgraded to Platinum with Amex Canada, I happened to be overseas in Korea and wasn't going to back in Canada for a month, I asked if they could ship my card there. Instead, they arranged for me to go in (same day) and pick up a card that had been printed off that day for me in Seoul.

I'm keen to get it sooner than later as I need to rent a car and want the benefits of the insurance (though now at least my wife can rent it instead), plus I want the card added to my account so I can generate a referral, as I have two friends who also want to get the card as they've got a fair amount of upcoming international travel.

Any idea if the phone reps are any better and can get my card delivered any sooner (given the apparent long wait for a replacement card) or should I just keep bugging DHL until they find it...

Just in case someone else has a similar issue, what resolved it was using the link on the DHL website to "Go straight to the top and tell Gary Edstein, Senior Vice President Oceania.". I sent them an email last night, they responded within an hour and managed to get the package located and delivered this morning.

 

[Daver6]

Just in case someone else has a similar issue, what resolved it was using the link on the DHL website to "Go straight to the top and tell Gary Edstein, Senior Vice President Oceania.". I sent them an email last night, they responded within an hour and managed to get the package located and delivered this morning.

Would you mind sharing his contact details? I might contact him directly if I don't receive a timely or informative response to this New Amex statement credits