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.

 

[sudoer]

I'd say that even within Asia-Pacific, Accor is the worst of the bunch, both in terms of benefits and also just the general quality of their properties.

Interesting - I find ALL Gold is next to useless (bar a couple of free drinks) but have found ALL Platinum to be the sweet spot.

I have grown quite fond of some brands like Movenpick, Swissotel, and MGallery, and tend to find the status recognition to be pretty good at these brands. Generally speaking I've experienced better status recognition as an Accor Platinum than a Hilton Diamond throughout Asia, but it is very property (and brand) dependent.

Accor of course has a much lower floor when it comes to the quality of properties with the likes of Ibis Budget/Styles, Mercure, etc, but these are easy enough to avoid in major cities. I do appreciate having them as an option in most of regional Australia, where you definitely won't find a Hilton/Marriott!

 

[Berlin]

Accor of course has a much lower floor when it comes to the quality of properties with the likes of Ibis Budget/Styles, Mercure, etc, but these are easy enough to avoid in major cities. I do appreciate having them as an option in most of regional Australia, where you definitely won't find a Hilton/Marriott!

Of course, and as I said, totally dependent on travel patterns. It hardly gets me to regional Australia but definitely twice a year to Europe and a couple of time elsewhere overseas so Hyatt works perfect for me.

Also agree, especially upgrades on mid tier are far and few between but I had some particular memorable experiences in the past. For example, when Starwood still existed, the otherwise really rundown Westin in Key West for example, at least ten years ago- standard room booked and got the sundowner by the pier wedding suite as a free upgrade for our "loyalty": That's something one never forgets!

 

[http_x92]

Do wish the likes of Hilton and Marriott have more midscale properties here in regional areas/suburbs, but I guess Busselton and Albany is a good start.

Accor has it with Ibis/Mercure properties.

Mr and Mrs Smith partnership will also be interesting with Hyatt.

 

[Daver6]

Do wish the likes of Hilton and Marriott have more midscale properties here in regional areas/suburbs, but I guess Busselton and Albany is a good start.

Accor has it with Ibis/Mercure properties.

Mr and Mrs Smith partnership will also be interesting with Hyatt.

Wow. I totally missed the memo that there was a HH hotel in Busselton now!

 

[Cynicor]

Has the HGI there opened finally?

 

[bullerdude]

Interesting - I find ALL Gold is next to useless (bar a couple of free drinks) but have found ALL Platinum to be the sweet spot.

I have grown quite fond of some brands like Movenpick, Swissotel, and MGallery, and tend to find the status recognition to be pretty good at these brands. Generally speaking I've experienced better status recognition as an Accor Platinum than a Hilton Diamond throughout Asia, but it is very property (and brand) dependent.

Accor of course has a much lower floor when it comes to the quality of properties with the likes of Ibis Budget/Styles, Mercure, etc, but these are easy enough to avoid in major cities. I do appreciate having them as an option in most of regional Australia, where you definitely won't find a Hilton/Marriott!

Yep you can't discount Accor in Aus as they have so many more properties than the other major chains.

Sure many are average, but they do have some great properties too.

 

[Ade]

I have a question and I'd like to check once with more experience AMEX Platinum folks here please.

I currently hold AMEX QF ULTIMATE and if I were to sign up for an AMEX Platinum Personal card, I will not get the sign on bonus because I already hold an AMEX product issued in AU. Alternatively, I can cancel the QF ULTIMATE, wait for 18 months and apply for a personal AMEX card.

However, if I were to get an AMEX Platinum Business for my business, assuming that the card will be issued under the business name & not my name, will the business be eligible to get the sign on bonus?

Will I then be able to transfer the sign on bonus points the business gets to me, somehow?

 

[RealtimeY]

I was under the impression that the business cards are still issued in your name, so you don't get the bonus points from it.

Check out this thread Can you hold both a business and personal Amex and receive bonus on both

 

[yangry]

The card timing isn’t an issue as you can get an electronic copy.
My daughter’s card is at our house and she is in Bulgaria and won’t be coming home anytime soon.

Is there a way to get the digital Priority Pass card before receiving the physical copy in the mail?

I understand that you could use the app once you've received the physical copy of the Priority Pass, but there usually is a bit of a wait to get the physical card (Amex/PP quotes 4-6 weeks, but my previous experiences have been much quicker). I'm currently waiting for a new card to be sent out to me, and it's been two weeks.

 

[0x012fd0aa]

Is there a way to get the digital Priority Pass card before receiving the physical copy in the mail?

I understand that you could use the app once you've received the physical copy of the Priority Pass, but there usually is a bit of a wait to get the physical card (Amex/PP quotes 4-6 weeks, but my previous experiences have been much quicker). I'm currently waiting for a new card to be sent out to me, and it's been two weeks.

you can ask Amex for a reference number(or something I don't remember) and then use the number to ask pp customer service

 

[straitman]

Is there a way to get the digital Priority Pass card before receiving the physical copy in the mail?

Yes

My daughter uses Priority Pass as a supplementary card holder. She’s in Bulgaria and the card in in my study at home.

 

[sap1l]

you can ask Amex for a reference number(or something I don't remember) and then use the number to ask pp customer service

Just to expand on this, to receive the digital PP card you need to register with your membership number and a PIN.

When Amex enrols you in PP, they'll give you a reference number.

A few days after Amex has enrolled you in PP, you can give PP (not Amex) a call with your reference number, and ask them for your membership number and PIN. You can then create an account and access your digital PP card.

 

[yangry]

Thanks, @0x012fd0aa and @sap1l , super helpful information.

For additional data point, I contacted Amex via online chat on 19 January to request a change. I contacted Amex today asking for a reference number. To my surprise they straight up just gave me the Priority Pass number, and my secondary card holder was able to register on Priority Pass's website with the Priority Pass number along with the last 4-digit of their Amex card.

I'm thinking that in the time since I contacted Amex (around two weeks) they probably received the membership number from Priority Pass, and was able to therefore give it to me. If I needed the Priority Pass card number earlier next time, I'll be noting down the reference number from Amex and will contact Priority Pass.

 

[sap1l]

Thanks, @0x012fd0aa and @sap1l , super helpful information.

For additional data point, I contacted Amex via online chat on 19 January to request a change. I contacted Amex today asking for a reference number. To my surprise they straight up just gave me the Priority Pass number, and my secondary card holder was able to register on Priority Pass's website with the Priority Pass number along with the last 4-digit of their Amex card.

I'm thinking that in the time since I contacted Amex (around two weeks) they probably received the membership number from Priority Pass, and was able to therefore give it to me. If I needed the Priority Pass card number earlier next time, I'll be noting down the reference number from Amex and will contact Priority Pass.

Great to know! They may have changed their processes since the last time I had to do this. If Amex can give you the membership number without needing to call PP, all the better!

I remember PP only having an overseas number to call, whereas with Amex the local line (in AU) is toll-free.

 

[junking]

I called in just earlier this week to try to register for my priority pass for a incoming travel, had no idea it would take 4-6 weeks for PP to send out details to me.
In any case when the topic of adding a supplementary card holder came up the Amex rep told me I could add someone now and get 5000 bonus points (valid for only once).

 

[PointsDude]

I called in just earlier this week to try to register for my priority pass for a incoming travel, had no idea it would take 4-6 weeks for PP to send out details to me.
In any case when the topic of adding a supplementary card holder came up the Amex rep told me I could add someone now and get 5000 bonus points (valid for only once).

Edit: Someone said the exact same thing above me haha - basically, there's no need to wait the month it takes for the card to come via sea mail from Hong Kong.

 

[cathalm8]

Hey does the AUS amex plat get you unlimited access to centurian lounges worldwide, for example at LAX? thanks

 

[sudoer]

Hey does the AUS amex plat get you unlimited access to centurian lounges worldwide, for example at LAX? thanks

Yes - both primaries and supps.

 

[bernardblack]

I think also the limits that apply to domestic US cardmembers (minimum spend for guest access) are also waived for overseas (including AU) cards, but don't quote me on that.

 

[Ecco]

Does anyone know if you can credit Latam bookings to QFF? I’m looking at akl-syd-bne-syd-akl. It’s a mixture of Latam and Jq flights.
Also can someone tell me once you quality for qf status,how long does that last for. Is it the year of qualification plus the next year? TIA