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:



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!

amex-explorer-card-art.pngWhy 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:


AFF members are welcome to discuss this card in this thread.
 
Those who have received poor FX rates, have you said anything to the hotel or Amex? If so, what did they say?
 
Those who have received poor FX rates, have you said anything to the hotel or Amex? If so, what did they say?
I asked the hotel (not Amex yet). They said that there were exchange fees involved and (when I showed them the current rate on the XE app) they said that the rate they can access is never going to be anywhere close to what I can see on the internet.

Somewhat amusingly, when I initially questioned them about why it was $au135, they thought I was pleasantly surprised at why it wasn’t $au100 and said something along the lines of “yeah, it’s a pretty good exchange rate isn’t it?”
 
Interesting experience this week dealing with Platinum travel team. Looking at different options for international business multi-citi airfares, it seems the platinum team doesn't have access to any better deals than what I found via the online site. Perhaps I was too hopeful that the platinum travel team could do better than the online system. Booking made via the team also displayed in Amex travel manage my booking immediately, albeit with no options apart from viewing the trip.
 
Been playing around with hotel booking using the online engine at it seems that Hotel membership numbers can only be added to Fine Hotels + Resorts, and The Hotel Collection bookings. I feel like this has changed recently, but someone else may no with more certainly. Check on Mariott, Accor, Hyatt and Hilton properties in FHR and THC. Be nice if they added the ability to add membership numbers to regular Amex online hotel bookings....
 
So the Accor free night, that should be an annual benefit ?
I forgot to use mine recently but thought you got to use it every year?

Will this require a call to Amex ?
 
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.
 
downgraded to Silver

Silver is the status level included with Accor Plus, so if you didn't requal for Gold this is to be expected.

no free night

I would reach out to Accor Plus support first. They are more likely to be able to clarify what's happened, and if your Accor Plus sub renewed but you didn't get a Stay Plus cert, it's more like to be a problem on Accor's end.
 
Has anyone else notice that Qantas has dropped off from AMEX Frequent Traveller Partners. I just logged on to do a transfer but Qantas is no longer an option!! does anyone know whats going on?
 
A new hotel under Accor just opened recently at Hyde Park, The Porter House Hotel Sydney - MGallery.

Wondering if the Accor dining benefits can be applied there.
 
Looks like another place I could go pretty often, 2 min walking from where I live.

Interested to hear your thoughts once you've been.

I didn't find the menu for Henry's Bread & Wine particularly appealing - a $23 reuben sandwich might fly at the pointy end of town, but around Town Hall/World Square, the Accor Plus 50% discount brings it down to roughly the right price at most decent cafes in the area.

The dinner menu at Dixson's is a little better, but it would still need to be a very good meal to justify the menu prices IMO.
 
Henry’s Bread and Wine gave a flat 25% off the bill during lunch for some reason that wasn’t explained very clearly and standard discount (50%) for dinner.

Dixson & Sons gave the 50% discount and was quite good. Beef Wellington was excellent and the triple cooked chips alone were reason to go again.

Bookings essential. After a quiet first week, it was booked out on Saturday night, to our surprise, given what hotel restaurants are usually like.
 
Henry’s Bread and Wine gave a flat 25% off the bill during lunch for some reason that wasn’t explained very clearly and standard discount (50%) for dinner.

Dixson & Sons gave the 50% discount and was quite good. Beef Wellington was excellent and the triple cooked chips alone were reason to go again.

Bookings essential. After a quiet first week, it was booked out on Saturday night, to our surprise, given what hotel restaurants are usually like.
looking forward to going this saturday night
 
Interested to hear your thoughts once you've been.

I didn't find the menu for Henry's Bread & Wine particularly appealing - a $23 reuben sandwich might fly at the pointy end of town, but around Town Hall/World Square, the Accor Plus 50% discount brings it down to roughly the right price at most decent cafes in the area.

The dinner menu at Dixson's is a little better, but it would still need to be a very good meal to justify the menu prices IMO.
Went there Yesterday night for dinner.

2 people for $97, after the 50% discount.

Honestly, not very recommended. The atmosphere and surroundings are perfect, but the food... Just around 50/100. Beef wellington is very dry for a medium rare. The chips are fantastic, other foods are just normal.

Still prefer the Ternary at darling harbour
 
So the Accor free night, that should be an annual benefit ?
I forgot to use mine recently but thought you got to use it every year?

Will this require a call to Amex ?
Any chance AMEX/Accor will extend unused Stay Plus this year. Or anyone had one extended recently?
 

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