Anybody get waiver of annual fee for second year on Qantas AMEX?

[Sheriff]

You can generally get a cancelled account reactivated within 6 months without having to go through the application process again.

I reactivated my Rewards Maximiser card 12 months after I closed the account without having to reapply during which time I was operating a QF Amex

Cheers
Sheriff

 

[lovetravellingoz]

My objective in keeping this card is to get enough points by just everyday living, annual trips and big ticket items like the car so in 2009, we will have enough PC or Starwood points for a few free days in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora-value is over $1000 USD a night.

So (and I don't really know the SPG scheme that well so please corrct where I am wrong...but I am always interested to see if there is a good deal going and so like to understand things..)

$1000 AMEX points = 333 SPG Points (???)

The Bora Bora Hotel..if I have the right one cost 20,000 to 30,000 points to redeem per night (i am also assuming that they ONLY have overwater rooms and so they will not give youa land room...)


This is then say then 60,000 to 90,000 AMEX points


Which at an earn rate of 1.5 is $AUS40,000 to $60,000 spend per night.

Now if I have the right hotel in either the St Regis or Le Meridien the rack night rate is about 72000 to 78000 XPF with the echange rate being about 87 /$US =say $900 US per night.

Which is say an earn of about 2 per cent. Which is say better than flight redemtion to Thailand , but not as good asa RTW redemption.

However if you have to spend $195 AUS membership fee per year...you would need to take this into account (I currently just keep taking up free cards....with point bonuses if I can get them).

Without the yearly fee the redemption is a healthy one.....but pay too many $195 and it becomes less so...




PS..though I fully understand the allure of your targetted reward....beautiful views

 

[Kendall Roy]

I just went thru the drills and got my fee waived by a bloke named Joe (after being transferred 2 times from India). This is with the QF Premium Card which has served me well over the past 12 months.

Although my personal expediture is probably only 15-20K p/a, I've run approximately 30K in work expenses thru it which helped my case.

Thanks AMEX

 

[kelfly]

So how do you guys get the fee waived? Phone & say what? I want to close my account?

 

[kelpie]

I got mine waived but I'd put about $50K of spending through it, including my wedding.

You have to threaten to cancel first.

 

[Febs]

So how do you guys get the fee waived? Phone & say what? I want to close my account?

Yes, but say why:
"I really like the card. I'd like to keep it, but I just don't feel the $195 fee represents good value."

 

[Tiki]

So (and I don't really know the SPG scheme that well so please corrct where I am wrong...but I am always interested to see if there is a good deal going and so like to understand things..)

$1000 AMEX points = 333 SPG Points (???)

The Bora Bora Hotel..if I have the right one cost 20,000 to 30,000 points to redeem per night (i am also assuming that they ONLY have overwater rooms and so they will not give youa land room...)


This is then say then 60,000 to 90,000 AMEX points


Which at an earn rate of 1.5 is $AUS40,000 to $60,000 spend per night.

Now if I have the right hotel in either the St Regis or Le Meridien the rack night rate is about 72000 to 78000 XPF with the echange rate being about 87 /$US =say $900 US per night.

Which is say an earn of about 2 per cent. Which is say better than flight redemtion to Thailand , but not as good asa RTW redemption.

However if you have to spend $195 AUS membership fee per year...you would need to take this into account (I currently just keep taking up free cards....with point bonuses if I can get them).

Without the yearly fee the redemption is a healthy one.....but pay too many $195 and it becomes less so...




PS..though I fully understand the allure of your targetted reward....beautiful views

Pretty close! I was looking at the Thalasso IC Resort which is all OWBs and goes for 40,000 PC points a night so 66,666 MR points. I also use the PC links to send flowers to my family for birthdays, anniversaires, etc so get a few extra points that way. In my first year of owning this Amex, I got 58,000 points by putting all travel and everyday living costs possible on the card. Next year, I will be buying a small car-Hyundai Getz or Toyota Yaris, that's about $15,000 plus I have the US trip so next year there will be large expenditures that have to be paid SOMEHOW.

If I use SPG, it would be in PPT for the Sheraton which is only 10,000 points. Provided I can keep the bloody account active with no SPG property in Brisbane and they don't count "flower" points as activity.

I figure in two more years, I should be able to do 3 nights in Bora Bora and 2 nights in PPT (first night at the cheap hotel across the street from the airport since TN flight from SYD gets in at 8pm). The tickets will be free too, courtesy of AAdvantage!!

OK, I got the statement for Sept and the $192 charge is on it. This is NOT the QF card, it is a normal Gold Amex Membership Rewards card. If the QF card is a different product, I don't want to try anything that would jeopardise the card I do have. If I lose it, my current income isn't enough to qualify me to get another one, I am a temp and this year will have 2 months unpaid time off-travel and public holidays so that will keep me under the 40K minimum income this year.

 

[Dave Noble]

Pretty close! I was looking at the Thalasso IC Resort which is all OWBs and goes for 40,000 PC points a night so 66,666 MR points.

Not any more. The Award rooms now seem to be the 2 bedroom family suite which is not a bungalow

ROOM DESCRIPTION:

2 BEDROOMS FAMILY SUITE CORAL
VILLA WITH GARDEN VIEW 2 BEDROOMS WITH A KING BED AND 2 SINGLE BEDS LIVING ROOM TERRACE HIGH SPEED INTERNET 100 SQM FLAT SCREEN TV DVD PLAYER CEILING FAN AIRCON ESPRESSO MACHINE MINIBAR DIRECT DIAL PHONES SAFE BOX ROLLAWAY BED AVAILABLE AT CHARGE

Dave

 

[Tiki]

I checked a sample date and they are the same price as the Emerald OWB. It's highly unlikely they would put a couple in a room they could put 4 people in. And yes, families DO travel to Tahiti.

---------------------

Back to topic, no one has managed to get the $192 waived on the normal Gold Amex Membership Rewards card? As opposed to the Qantas card which people have had success with?

 

[Dave Noble]

I checked a sample date and they are the same price as the Emerald OWB. It's highly unlikely they would put a couple in a room they could put 4 people in. And yes, families DO travel to Tahiti.

They may sell at the same price, but for reward nights , they do seem to be the only option offered ; check some reward night stay checks n see if you can find any Emerald rooms; if you can then cool, but otherwise do be prepared to not have a bungalow

Dave

 

[Tiki]

They may sell at the same price, but for reward nights , they do seem to be the only option offered ; check some reward night stay checks n see if you can find any Emerald rooms; if you can then cool, but otherwise do be prepared to not have a bungalow

Dave

Dave, I don't have to cross that bridge until 2009.

Can we please get this thread back on topic so maybe I can get an answer about the $192 that is due THIS MONTH?

 

[Shano]

Can we please get this thread back on topic so maybe I can get an answer about the $192 that is due THIS MONTH?

Tiki, I currently have a standard Gold AMEX CC which I had planned on cancelling because of the annual fee. Note this is not the Rewards Maximiser card, just the standard gold CC.

When I rang AMEX to do this they told me that it is currently fee-free for life. Embarrassingly for me I had no recollection of them waving the fee. What I do recall is receiving an offer of increased credit limit and a reduction in interest rate, but nothing about the total removal of the fee.

The card validity is 09/xx and I have checked last year's statements and there certainly is no annual fee charged for the card. There is a charge of $80 for the membership rewards program.

So I apologies for not being able to give more specifics, but offers like this do / can present themselves.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

When I rang AMEX to do this they told me that it is currently fee-free for life. Embarrassingly for me I had no recollection of them waving the fee. What I do recall is receiving an offer of increased credit limit and a reduction in interest rate, but nothing about the total removal of the fee.

.

The critical thing here is what you earn rate is? Is it at 1.5 or 1.0 point per $


The free for life Gold Amex where you pay the $80 for the FF program is astandard deal BUT the earn rate is only at 1.0 as opposed to the Maximiser which is at 1.5.

So do you have an Amex Gold...ora the maximiser with the 1.5?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

ie

A quick google search gives you...
Compare Platinum - Gold and Silver Credit Cards

American Express Gold Credit Card

• Interest rate of 12.99% p.a. on purchases
• 6.99% p.a. on balance transfers for 6 months
• No Annual Card Fee in the first year – saving you $70. The fee will be waived each year if you spend over $18,000 pa
  Ø
• Up to 55 days interest free on retail purchases
• Credit Limit of up to $50,000 - subject to credit approval criteria (minimum income $40,000)
• Enrol in the membership rewards program and $1 spent = 1 membership rewards points.
• Points are uncapped and do not expire as long as you account is current
  [*]more info about this credit card

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I think that the above may give you an idea of when they may willing to start discounting the fee....

At a spend of $18000 pa...they waive the $70.

So if you are spend say double that you may have success on a say the Maximiser...but then again as it earns 1.5 per $ they may be less willing to deal.

 

[Shano]

The critical thing here is what you earn rate is? Is it at 1.5 or 1.0 point per $


The free for life Gold Amex where you pay the $80 for the FF program is astandard deal BUT the earn rate is only at 1.0 as opposed to the Maximiser which is at 1.5.

So do you have an Amex Gold...ora the maximiser with the 1.5?

The card mentioned above is the standard gold creidt card earning 1.0.

I did have a Rewards Maximiser, but then had this cancelled when I applied for the QF Ultimate card (40k points offer). As I only had the RM card for about 6 months there was no opportunity to test if I could get the annual fee waived / reduced on that card.

 

[sparoy]

I too managed to get waiver without having to threaten to cancel, but by simply ask whether they'll consider waiving it.

They looked at my spending in the last 12 months (65K) and said OK straight away without any questions. They also waived the supplementary card as well. They also said that provided I'll maintain that sort of spending level, they'll waive it again in the future.

So it seems they'll happily waive for anyone with certain level of spending. The question is what would be the minimum amount?

In the last couple of months I've acquired Amex Reward Max as well and obviously I like to use this one more that the Amex Qantas Premium due to the higher earning capability. So knowing what would be the minimum spending to get fee waiver would be great.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Well I was not after a waiver as I do not even have this card yet:!: :!: BUT with the 12 months nearing on my Premium Card and with the new rules now preventing getting more sign on points (I had done this twice ina row ) I thought it was now time get the Maximiser with its free free first 12 months PLUS the higher earn rate of 1.5 compared to 1.25 and hence why I thought I would go this way rather than just seek to get the fee waved on the QANTAS Premium Card.


Now unfortunately there have been no bonus point offers for the Maximiser since the Cricket Promtion sometime back......so time to act anyway.

On seeinga 17500 point offer for the QANTAS Premium card in todays (Tuesday) Herald Sun I thought that I would usea bit of initiative....so I rang the number and said I had seen the deal, but siad that I wnated the Maximiser and not the Premium Card and so what bonus points could they offer.

The very friendly girl said that she could not over me points......but that she could give mea DeLoghi coffee machine

So a done deal...fee free for a year with no bonus points but with a De Longhi coffee machine....



Moral: it pays to ask...and to be very friendly.

When the 12 months is up on the Premium I will still look to have the fee waived as I have had good spend on the card this year....and the 2.25 earn rate will be useful for any QANTAS spend.

 

[Sheriff]

So I wonder if anyone has managed to get AMEX to waiver the fee completely?

Likewise, I don't believe in paying fees for credit cards.

I managed to convince Amex to completely waive both the Qantas Premium and Ultimate card fees while still pocketing the bonus points, QC passes and free flight.

Cheers
Sheriff

 

[FL360]

I had two Qantas Amex cards and this is my story, now they
are all cancelled. I don't want to pay for cards and I am
a 100% transactor.

1. [Time:0mth] I applied and got the normal Qantas Amex cards, first year fee free + 15,000 pts, so far so good,

2. [Time:10mth], upgrade to the Qantas Premium card, first year fee free + 15,000 pts, they helped me cancel the normal card. Note that they only give me the 15,000 pts after my follow up with them, and I got
the pts at [Time:14 mths]

3. [Time:20mth], I know I need to pay for the Premium so I call them up, to cancel. They ask me to think about it because I still have time and they offer me a $100 Harvey Norman voucher, so I accept the offer and wait.
The voucher NEVER arrive, I did not bother to chase up.

4.[Time:22mth], I call them up to cancel, the rep offer me fee free waiver when the fee is due, I refuse the offer because he will not credit me straight away and he will just put a note on my file. When means this "promise" is off the record and I can still be charged if he choose to do nothing (I don't think the system will generate an action reminder for reps ??) and I can do nothing about it.

I am still waiting for the next offer, and before I apply/activate I will
call them up and ask them to spell the benefit first.

For my current spendings I use the citibank fee free Gold... 1:1 but
that's Ok.