Credit Card Offers 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.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

Can someone provide some insight into how the FHR $100 credit works? Do you have the meals/spas charged to the room and amex sorts it out or how does it work?

I'm aware that it's USD so I'm curious how it works locally. As for "breakfast for two" any experiences what that generally entails when there is no buffet?

 

[RealtimeY]

Charge to room, and the hotel will apply the credit at check out. Make sure you check the bill at check out, in case they forget to apply it! Also, always read the terms of each hotel to see what the credit can be used for.

The USD 100 is converted to whatever the local currency equivalent is. Usually you're advised at check-in on the exact amount.

If it's not buffet, I'd imagine it would be whatever the usual breakfast that the hotel sells with the room is.

 

[wsthong]

Charge to room, and the hotel will apply the credit at check out. Make sure you check the bill at check out, in case they forget to apply it! Also, always read the terms of each hotel to see what the credit can be used for.

The USD 100 is converted to whatever the local currency equivalent is. Usually you're advised at check-in on the exact amount.

If it's not buffet, I'd imagine it would be whatever the usual breakfast that the hotel sells with the room is.

The USD$100 is being converted at a much lower rate by the hotel. My most recent experience is USD$100 = AUD$130

 

[Daver6]

The USD$100 is being converted at a much lower rate by the hotel. My most recent experience is USD$100 = AUD$130

Which hotel? Over the last couple of years I've always received $140 AUD. These days I'd be expecting $150.

At $130 I'd be kicking up a stink.

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Can someone provide some insight into how the FHR $100 credit works? Do you have the meals/spas charged to the room and amex sorts it out or how does it work?

I'm aware that it's USD so I'm curious how it works locally. As for "breakfast for two" any experiences what that generally entails when there is no buffet?

My $100 credit for the Mandarin Oriental in KL last week was converted at pretty close to the spot rate.

 

[wsthong]

Which hotel? Over the last couple of years I've always received $140 AUD. These days I'd be expecting $150.

At $130 I'd be kicking up a stink.

Park Hyatt Melbourne, 2 days ago.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

Thanks all!

 

[Daver6]

Park Hyatt Melbourne, 2 days ago.

Might be worth shooting an email off to Amex travel and questioning why the credit was under $85 USD.

 

[pangwen]

The USD$100 is being converted at a much lower rate by the hotel. My most recent experience is USD$100 = AUD$130

Which hotel? Over the last couple of years I've always received $140 AUD. These days I'd be expecting $150.

At $130 I'd be kicking up a stink.

Might be worth shooting an email off to Amex travel and questioning why the credit was under $85 USD.

Just as another data point - we got advised that $US100 converted to $AU135.21 upon checkout today.

EDIT: This was at The W Brisbane

 

[Pele]

Just as another data point - we got advised that $US100 converted to $AU135.21 upon checkout today.

EDIT: This was at The W Brisbane

That FX rate is outrageous. It equates to .74 when the actual spot rate is .64. An FX fee of somewhere around 14%. Totally unacceptable. I have a FHR stay coming up later in the month and if they do the same to me i will be making a racket at check out, and while i dont expect them to be able to fix it i will be complaining to Amex directly afterwards and asking for a credit to make up the difference.

 

[pangwen]

That FX rate is outrageous. It equates to .74 when the actual spot rate is .64. An FX fee of somewhere around 14%. Totally unacceptable. I have a FHR stay coming up later in the month and if they do the same to me i will be making a racket at check out, and while i dont expect them to be able to fix it i will be complaining to Amex directly afterwards and asking for a credit to make up the difference.

Good point - I had pretty much written it off as there wasn't anything the hotel could do (although I did ask them to 'check again' - I thought there must have been some mistake as the rate was much worse than I was envisioning). Contacting Amex might be the way to go - now to see if I can find some time to wait in another phone queue...

 

[wsthong]

Sh

Just as another data point - we got advised that $US100 converted to $AU135.21 upon checkout today.

EDIT: This was at The W Brisbane

Short changed by AUD$20 at today’s rate

 

[SeaWolf]

Just as another data point - we got advised that $US100 converted to $AU135.21 upon checkout today.

I seem to vaguely remember being told once that some of the hotels set the exchange rate for these things once a year and then it's just stuck at that value for the whole year. How exactly it's determined has always seemed to be a bit of black box to me.

 

[daft009]

I seem to vaguely remember being told once that some of the hotels set the exchange rate for these things once a year and then it's just stuck at that value for the whole year. How exactly it's determined has always seemed to be a bit of black box to me.

Perhaps hedged for a year?

 

[sudoer]

IMO the credit really should be valued in local currency, having it fixed in USD is frustrating because of situations like this.

Presumably it's an annoyance for properties also as they set their FHR room rates in local currency and would need to factor in potential forex swings as part of their pricing.

I'm struggling to think of who benefits from the arrangement other than morons who can't comprehend other currencies.

 

[Fatcat]

I seem to vaguely remember being told once that some of the hotels set the exchange rate for these things once a year and then it's just stuck at that value for the whole year. How exactly it's determined has always seemed to be a bit of black box to me.

I would bet the house that the hotel would find an excuse to alter the exchange rate should it move against them...

 

[ketsuzei]

Crown Towers Melbourne yesterday: USD100=AUD135
Langham Melbourne today: USD100=AUD125

AUD/USD meanwhile hovering around 0.65, or USD100=AUD154

 

[Pele]

That is a joke. And the joke is on us. The more people who complain to Amex the more likely the scam is to be rectified.

 

[wsthong]

Crown Towers Melbourne yesterday: USD100=AUD135
Langham Melbourne today: USD100=AUD125

AUD/USD meanwhile hovering around 0.65, or USD100=AUD154

I thought it will be around the AUD$154 ball park.

 

[muppet]

For the record - Hilton Sydney converts USD$100 to AUD$155 last weekend on the Hotel Collection rate.