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

---

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]

Ahh. Ok thanks . What if my wife has her card and I have my supp card . Can we then bring in our 2 kids to VA lounge (1 kid as guest each ). We are actually flying soon with VA to melb so would love to use this

That would be fine. It's one of the good perks of multiple supps for non-priority pass lounge access

 

[SeaWolf]

Just got this email about a change in the $450 travel credit. From now on it's going to work like a statement credit does, charge the travel to the card then the credit will be applied afterwards.
I'm fine with this change, but I am wondering if it's going to apply to the $400 credit I also get on my Platinum Reserve as well, or if we're about to see a negative change on that, for those of us who are still grandfathered in on the old deal.

 

[mikedesign]

Also means you'll earn points on the $450.
Yes, wonder how it will work with the Reserve card – will you have to use the Reserve card to pay?

 

[sudoer]

Also means you'll earn points on the $450.

And may also make it possible to convert the $450 into cash (minus Amex cancellation fee) by refunding the booking...

 

[mikedesign]

And may also make it possible to convert the $450 into cash (minus Amex cancellation fee) by refunding the booking...

True, it worked with the $75 Mr Porter credit, when I returned a pair of shoes.

 

[sudoer]

True, it worked with the $75 Mr Porter credit, when I returned a pair of shoes.

That's good to know, I have enough Aesop as it stands. Did Mr Porter cover the return shipping?

 

[mikedesign]

That's good to know, I have enough Aesop as it stands. Did Mr Porter cover the return shipping?

I believe so, I don't recall paying for return shipping.

 

[SeaWolf]

I'll be curious to see if other cards that come with a travel credit (Explorer, Edge) get this change notification over the coming days. I'm assuming there's some sort of platform change that makes the voucher not practical anymore, or they're just wanting everything to work the same way (statement credits) for consistency.

 

[knagelli]

New to the charge - can I clarify. So we xfer MR to KF and book flights - we are covered?
cheers

You are covered provided , the tax component of the rewards ticket is paid with your Amex charge card.

Technically once the MR points are converted to KF , Amex does not have any liability unless you pay the revenue component using the charge card.

Happy to be corrected otherwise.

 

[knagelli]

Just got this email about a change in the $450 travel credit. From now on it's going to work like a statement credit does, charge the travel to the card then the credit will be applied afterwards.
I'm fine with this change, but I am wondering if it's going to apply to the $400 credit I also get on my Platinum Reserve as well, or if we're about to see a negative change on that, for those of us who are still grandfathered in on the old deal.

View attachment 315488

I can confirm that I also receive this only for the charge card and nothing yet for the reserve card.

 

[Pele]

It's part of the Accor Plus membership, provided your membership has renewed, you should have a 'Stay Plus' certificate available for use in your ALL account.

Does anyone know how soon after your membership year renews the free stay plus night is visible on my account. I joined accor on 1 Feb 2022. My app says membership is valid until 28/02/2023. So fartoday i cant see any new free night to use so i am assuming i have to wait until 1 March 2023 for my year to be renewed and the free night along with it?

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Sneaky change to the wording of this, saying you have to make "a booking of $450 or more". Under the current system, you have the option of booking something less than $450 and just forfeiting the difference (which isn't a great way to go, but if you have a $449 booking, you'd previously get that covered), whereas now, it seems the booking needs to be $450.00 in one transaction before the benefit is applied.

 

[Viridis]

Just got the email ... no real objection. Could be worse .....

 

[neeyuese]

Another thing is if you hold charge/reserve or exp/edge , normally you will have $450/400/200 every year and can choose which card for payment when make booking (sometime for amex travel offer like 500-100 ? ) . After 01May only can use the card come with the TC. Also you can't book FHR rate if you want to use edge or exp TC.

 

[PointsDude]

Can’t see why’d they would do this if they’re not going to do it to all the cards that have a travel credit eventually.

The days are probably numbered for those with a Platinum Reserve TC.

 

[sudoer]

The days are probably numbered for those with a Platinum Reserve TC.

I suspect you are right. I also wonder if they would eventually drop the Plat Reserve altogether, I can't imagine many new Plat Charge holders would have requested one since the TC was scrapped

 

[asterix]

I suspect you are right. I also wonder if they would eventually drop the Plat Reserve altogether, I can't imagine many new Plat Charge holders would have requested one since the TC was scrapped

I only got the Platinum Charge last year and got the Reserve. Most of my spend goes on the Reserve as the interest free period is longer and I can take advantage of Plan It instalments when they have few free promotions.

 

[oz_mark]

Sneaky change to the wording of this, saying you have to make "a booking of $450 or more". Under the current system, you have the option of booking something less than $450 and just forfeiting the difference (which isn't a great way to go, but if you have a $449 booking, you'd previously get that covered), whereas now, it seems the booking needs to be $450.00 in one transaction before the benefit is applied.

Swings and roundabouts, but overall I think it is a positive change. The benefits seem to outweigh the cons.

 

[oz_mark]

Received the email about the change to platinum reserve this morning

 

[SeaWolf]

Just got the email as well, basically exactly the same as the one for the Platinum Charge, so they aren't taking away the credit on the Reserve just yet (for those of us who are grandfathered in).
I'm guessing they'll roll this change out for all the cards shortly. Wonder if it's an indicator of impending changes to the AmEx Travel system (either visibly or at the back end).