AMEX Platinum Charge Benefits - Q&A

[M@rcoPolo]

Whats the turn around on the Accor applications? our current paid accor membership expires end of Dec. I have bookings coming up late January. It had slipped my mind and have made the the new application via Amex this morning.

They are hopeless, mine was expiring at the end of November and got renewed a couple of days before month-end.
You can call the Accor Plus number and ask to talk to Chris - he takes care of Amex renews - for an update.

 

[mlob]

They are hopeless, mine was expiring at the end of November and got renewed a couple of days before month-end.
You can call the Accor Plus number and ask to talk to Chris - he takes care of Amex renews - for an update.

Did you have an existing membership or were you starting afresh?

 

[M@rcoPolo]

Did you have an existing membership or were you starting afresh?

Existing (paid) Accor Plus membership

 

[foggy]

First time they are offering vouchers for qantas transfers?

 

[Mr_Orange]

First time they are offering vouchers for qantas transfers?

I was going to mention this offer but wasn't sure which thread to post in. A bit different but no use to me since I just emptied my MR account to QFF and am now waiting on the 25% bonus from QF.

 

[andye]

Its an interesting offer structure but much less valuable than the recent points bonus for QF transfers (up to 45% for 1M+ QF IIRC)

 

[turtlemichael]

Its an interesting offer structure but much less valuable than the recent points bonus for QF transfers (up to 45% for 1M+ QF IIRC)

Phhhh. A quote. I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day. Linda Evangelista

 

[foggy]

New FHR 3rd/4th night free for stays up until 31 March 2019. I'm so bummed this wasn't released earlier. I could really have stacked the AMEX Statement credit along with this with my Conrad stays.
Remember, FHR doesn't charge your card until at the hotel, and I've had success splitting payment when I used it previously with Shangrila's statement credit.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

just booked two return domestic business flights on Virgin and there was a significant discount. even more once i used some of my travel credit.

Yeah yeah yeah - I experienced this too - booked 2 x VA J flts MEL-MCY Sun Dec 23 - flts cost was somehow ~$400 cheaper than VA direct - then used $400 Amex voucher to get end price to about 55% of what VA site pricing was - totally confused but booking made and confirmed by both Amex and VA.

 

[mlob]

They are hopeless, mine was expiring at the end of November and got renewed a couple of days before month-end.
You can call the Accor Plus number and ask to talk to Chris - he takes care of Amex renews - for an update.

thanks for the Chris contact. took a few phone calls to amex and Accor but all sorted. Chris kindly went manually searching for our application from Amex.

 

[bernardblack]

I'm considering referring my wife for the Platinum Charge before an upcoming overseas trip and the April deval, so we can earn the bonuses at current value and then use the Platinum in place of the Explorer (held in my name) going forward. I would let the Explorer go and hold onto the Platinum Edge for supermarket/fuel stuff.

I'd have a supp and we'd probably get a couple of others for family members. So, given that most of our existing points are in accounts with my name, I'd like to know what's available to the primary holder only, what applies to the primary and a single specified supplementary, and what's available to all supplementaries?

Priority Pass: seems to be primary plus one specified supp? How is this managed? Is it controlled when you try to enrol at Priority Pass?

How about Amex/Centurion lounges?
Plaza Premium?
Virgin Australia?
Delta?
Lufthansa (FRA/MUC only)?
Do these all work off the Amex card itself (and thus probably fine for any/all supps)?

Hilton, Shangri-La, Radisson, Starwood status for supps?

Does the Starwood status work now for consolidated Marriott accounts? (I had legacy memberships in both which are now merged, so this would be an attempt to apply status upgrade now to a basic consolidated Marriott account.)

What about Accorplus? Is it available to supps and/or can it be used for rates or dining booked by the primary and then accrued to a supp's Le Club Accor account?

And does anyone have experience in what sort of properties the free night is actually usable in? Like, could we get a one-night booking in a major city Novotel (or even Sofitel) with the free night?

 

[Bell21]

Pretty much my approach too - keep the Charge and Edge and let go of the Explorer.

I'll do my best to answer your other questions! I think there's already answers to most of these either in this thread or another AMEX plat benefits thread, so it might be worthwhile doing a search for specific questions you might have.

PP - correct - 1 primary + 1 supp get unlimited access (and each gets to bring in one complimentary guest - refer the AMEX Plat + PP thread for more info). From memory, I think the primary needs to enrol both themselves and their supp, and then you each get a card, and then the most important thing is the number of swipes per card at each lounge (ie, no more than 2 swipes per card to avoid extra charges) - you need PP cards

Plaza - as per PP, although there's some variation, as I think it's primary that gets 2 guests, and supp gets in (I haven't used Plaza yet, but think the card gets you access?)

Virgin - only primary is 'supposed' to get access, plus 1 guest (card gets you access)

AMEX lounges - it depends on the lounge, but say in Sydney, it's currently either 2 guests or 1 spouse & kids (although it's unclear to me currently whether a supp counts as 1 of the guests)

Delta / Luthhansa - do a point hacks search of plat card for info

Hotels - you can go online and request gold status for both primary and 1 supp card holder (via your typical login)

SPG - there's a whole thread on this under either Marriot forum, but yes, status transfers - eg, SPG Gold becomes Marriott Gold Elite - status should be updated accordingly with Plat card

Accor Plus - I think it only applies to primary card holder

Accor Plus day stay - yes, you can get free night in major hotels - BUT there are mixed reviews - you need to be flexible with dates (I think Sat nights are very difficult for top Accor brands) and you need to book well in advance - eg, I used it to book for Sofitel Darling Harbour, but it was mid-Nov, Sunday night and booked well in advance

 

[Bell21]

sorry - meant Accor Plus stay-plus

 

[potm]

The hotel status, car hire status etc is given to all sup holders. You create a separate login for each and can sign up online.

Accor plus being the exception, only the main cardholder gets that.

 

[bernardblack]

Can anyone point me to somewhere that it confirms what's "restaurant" spend for Amex Platinum purposes (for the three remaining months until the earning structure becomes flat)? Like, the "supermarket" spend for the Platinum Edge works at most places owned by Woolworths or Coles (Big W, Target, Kmart, Dan Murphy's, Everyday Gift Cards).

So, I would expect:

• restaurants (from McDonald's all the way to Vue de Monde)
• coffee shops

But how about...

• bars/pubs? (pubs, or dining in hotels, may code as "hotel" and then earn 2ppd anyway)
• online/app ordering for takeaways (McDonald's, GYG, Boost Juice)?
• online food aggregators (Menulog, Deliveroo, coffee apps like Hey You or Skip)?

Obviously you'd need to pay the merchant direct and not through PayPal.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Can anyone point me to somewhere that it confirms what's "restaurant" spend for Amex Platinum purposes (for the three remaining months until the earning structure becomes flat)? Like, the "supermarket" spend for the Platinum Edge works at most places owned by Woolworths or Coles (Big W, Target, Kmart, Dan Murphy's, Everyday Gift Cards).

So, I would expect:

• restaurants (from McDonald's all the way to Vue de Monde)
• coffee shops

But how about...

• bars/pubs? (pubs, or dining in hotels, may code as "hotel" and then earn 2ppd anyway)
• online/app ordering for takeaways (McDonald's, GYG, Boost Juice)?
• online food aggregators (Menulog, Deliveroo, coffee apps like Hey You or Skip)?

Obviously you'd need to pay the merchant direct and not through PayPal.

Nothing confirms it. Generally pubs and bars don't qualify. Crust Pizza doesn't either. Some places you think wouldn't, do. It's all to do with what the merchant ticks on their application form, I think.

One bar I frequent has 2 EFTPOS machines. One of them gives me 3ppd, the other only 1ppd. Go figure!!

 

[Bell21]

Nothing confirms it. Generally pubs and bars don't qualify. Crust Pizza doesn't either. Some places you think wouldn't, do. It's all to do with what the merchant ticks on their application form, I think.

One bar I frequent has 2 EFTPOS machines. One of them gives me 3ppd, the other only 1ppd. Go figure!!

Thats consistent with my experience - basically if I'm confident the food outlet will be defined as a 'restaurant', then I use platinum - for all else, I use a 2 pp/$ card such as explorer or Plat edge if one of the grocery outlets

 

[DC3]

... and some hotel restaurants give 3 points, whereas the bar gives 1 point ... or the restaurant and bar both give 3 points ... or they both give 1 point .... and some Clubs (dining/bar) are similar to the hotels ...

Edit: A restaurant that I like going to only gives 1 point. It trades as some other business that is not associated with food.

 

[albyd]

I’ve found most ‘food’ businesses like the outlets at most food courts qualify as ‘restaurants’ for 3 ppd. In addition to McDonalds, most fast food chains like GYG are paying 3 ppd too.
When paying at a pub, I always use Explorer as the outcome for restaurant spend in variable. I’d rather get 2 points where I could’ve got 3 rather than 1 point where I could’ve got 2 easily.

 

[kaktusdigital]

I’ve found most ‘food’ businesses like the outlets at most food courts qualify as ‘restaurants’ for 3 ppd. In addition to McDonalds, most fast food chains like GYG are paying 3 ppd too.
When paying at a pub, I always use Explorer as the outcome for restaurant spend in variable. I’d rather get 2 points where I could’ve got 3 rather than 1 point where I could’ve got 2 easily.

In the past ive copied and pasted all the items on my bill where i believe the $ per point has be incorrect. This was done via the online email, not sure that exists anymore, I think you can do this via chat now. either way, amex always corrected the points with an adjustment.
They seemed to be pretty happy to do , but as Mr_Orange has mentioned, it comes down to what category the merchant has ticked.

I love that my local fish monger is a 'Restaurant' ....