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.

 

[Human]

Another devaluation. Looks like the Net-a-Porter offer is coming to an end. This was on my latest statement

View attachment 351263

AmEx made it clear (well, clear in the fine print) from the very start of the Net-a-Porter offer that it would expire at the end of 2023, so I don't think it's fair to call this a "devaluation". Rather, it was an offer which from the very beginning had an expiry date (like just about all of their other offers).

 

[bernardblack]

Likewise the domestic and international dining benefits have always said they are $200/year each, concluding end 2024.

 

[zultan]

Has anyone every thought of cancelling their Amex, just to escape The Australian subscription?

 

[Viridis]

Has anyone every thought of cancelling their Amex, just to escape The Australian subscription?

Yes, it is a massive step down from the AFR. With so many alternatives around you do wonder why they settled for the Aus.

 

[djkelly69]

just to escape The Australian subscription?

Or Motley Fool

 

[PointsDude]

Yes, it is a massive step down from the AFR. With so many alternatives around you do wonder why they settled for the Aus.

I realise I’m probably in the minority, but because I get AFR access through work anyway, I actually like they switched to The Australian which also provides access to WSJ.

 

[daft009]

Yes, it is a massive step down from the AFR. With so many alternatives around you do wonder why they settled for the Aus.

read AFR to your heart's content... Financial Review - Business, Finance and Investment News | afr.com

 

[Viridis]

I realise I’m probably in the minority, but because I get AFR access through work anyway, I actually like they switched to The Australian which also provides access to WSJ.

Yes, the WSJ is okay but I had to personally re-subscribe to the AFR which, as you know, is quite exey. It was a benefit that I valued and its loss did make me reconsider the Plat but there is just nothing in the Australian market that comes close to competing …. sadly

 

[Viridis]

read AFR to your heart's content... Financial Review - Business, Finance and Investment News | afr.com

Always considered myself reasonably comfortable & competent with the interweb …. given my advancing years …. but you’ve just demonstrated how horribly wrong I am

 

[Franko Costa]

Always considered myself reasonably comfortable & competent with the interweb …. given my advancing years …. but you’ve just demonstrated how horribly wrong I am

It's a great website for any paywall (90% of the time)

 

[Mr_Orange]

read AFR to your heart's content... Financial Review - Business, Finance and Investment News | afr.com

It's a great website for any paywall (90% of the time)

Well, you learn something new every day. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[KingHuang]

If my parents get a charge card, and add me and wife as additional card holder, aside from insurance is there any other benefits I will also receive?

 

[Human]

If my parents get a charge card, and add me and wife as additional card holder, aside from insurance is there any other benefits I will also receive?

A couple. I can think of the following (there may be more):

• Lounge access. Your parents may choose to give the card’s second Priority Pass membership to you. Even if they don’t, you’ll still have access to the airport lounges that are separate from the Priority Pass programme (Virgin Australia, Plaza Premium, AmEx Centurion, etc).
• The satisfaction of knowing that whatever you spend on the card will mean that your parents pocket the points so they can keep flying and travelling in the manner to which they are accustomed.

 

[farstar]

No, new applications for Reserve card no longer come with a travel credit (existing Reserve cardholders still have that benefit grandfathered)

I am not sure about the grandfathered part, I just had my platinum card renewal and the platinum credit shows but not the platinum reserve one. Don't they usually post at the same time?

 

[Viridis]

I am not sure about the grandfathered part, I just had my platinum card renewal and the platinum credit shows but not the platinum reserve one. Don't they usually post at the same time?

Not unless you got them at the same time. My Plat posts in January, my Reserve in March

 

[Daver6]

What's the general consensus on receiving hotel elite benefits for bookings made using The Hotel Collection? Specifically Hilton Melb in Australia.

I know booking with FHR you get elite benefits without issue but never used The Hotel Collection before.

 

[http_x92]

What's the general consensus on receiving hotel elite benefits for bookings made using The Hotel Collection? Specifically Hilton Melb in Australia.

I know booking with FHR you get elite benefits without issue but never used The Hotel Collection before.

Worked for both Hilton Melbourne & Sydney and worked at the Park Hyatt in Canberra. No manual intervention required.

Nights & points posted at the usual time (1-2 days).

 

[Daver6]

Worked for both Hilton Melbourne & Sydney and also worked at the Park Hyatt in Canberra. No manual intervention required.

Nights & points posted at the usual time (1-2 days).

And no issues with diamond benefits like lounge access?

 

[http_x92]

And no issues with diamond benefits like lounge access?

Yep, since the reservation was also on the app I was able to use my digital key to get into the executive lounge.

 

[bullerdude]

Interesting, last time I was looking at booking THC there was no option to add hotel membership number to link to the booking - has this changed? Or perhaps it’s only for some hotels in THC.