Aus. Financial Review benefit gone. (Replaced with The Australian)

[Mr_Orange]

Not a huge issue for me but this may have been a valuable perk for some. Hope the "exciting news" coming soon is something decent..

Not that I am a holder these days but losing the AFR subscription would have been eough for me to cancel the card.

What do you actually get these days for $1450pa?

 

[daft009]

Not that I am a holder these days but losing the AFR subscription would have been eough for me to cancel the card.

What do you actually get these days for $1450pa?

without the high spend & no travel there is no value.

I am ashamed but I have found a way to read AFR without a sub

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

without the high spend & no travel there is no value.

I am ashamed but I have found a way to read AFR without a sub

That is simply economics @daft009 haha

Wow reading that email was a kick in the gut i have really grown to enjoy that paper because of the perk in the card. Shockers! I thought they could have given a longer horizon before it expired .. what If you renewed a month ago factoring that savings in? Perhaps Accor Plus will be next to go!

 

[aus_flyer]

Anyone called up to complain yet re AFR?

 

[Jousams]

Anyone called up to complain yet re AFR?

Left on hold for 20 minutes then hung up on.

 

[fantastikforce]

That is simply economics @daft009 haha

Wow reading that email was a kick in the gut i have really grown to enjoy that paper because of the perk in the card. Shockers! I thought they could have given a longer horizon before it expired .. what If you renewed a month ago factoring that savings in? Perhaps Accor Plus will be next to go!

I hope that isn't the case, the Accor Plus is one of the benefits I use the most. They've already gotten rid of the Shangri-La Golden Circle benefit last month.

 

[bam71]

without the high spend & no travel there is no value.

I am ashamed but I have found a way to read AFR without a sub

Good for you!

 

[henrus]

Check your local council library. They may offer AFR access for free.

If you live in Brisbane, Redland, Logan, Ipswich, Scenic Rim or the Gold Coast council areas you can sign up for a free digital membership at Logan City Council Libraries (basically it's Logan and any surrounding council areas).

Once you've got an account you can log in to view the full print version for today (and the past 4 years), click on eNewspapers at the link below:

eLibrary - Logan City Council Libraries

loganlibraries.org

It looks like this to read the full paper but you can also search for stories or click on the text or go to dynamic view to read articles similar to how you would online.


Edit: The City Mellville in Western Australia has similar access and any resident of WA can join their library for free. https://www.melvillecity.com.au/things-to-do/libraries/elibrary/eresources

 

[drd71]

Left on hold for 20 minutes then hung up on.

I'm guessing they've been overwhelmed with calls with people complaining about yet another perk going.

Good!

 

[SeaWolf]

The AFR subscription wasn't something that really factored into my thinking when I got this card, I wouldn't have paid for it so to me the value was $0. However, gradually the benefits of the card are getting scaled back (Shangri-La status, $400 Reserve travel credit for new applicants, Priority Pass restaruants) and the fee isn't being reduced and the only benefit that has been added is the Net-A-Porter credit, which I think is probably worthless to most people.

Some of these things have been global changes for Amex (Shangri-La, Priority Pass) but the local Amex needs to step up and start finding ways to make the card more attractive or its going to lose customers to the churn-and-burn cycle. I hope the 'exciting' announcment that's upcoming is better than the Net-A-Porter offering.

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

Left on hold for 20 minutes then hung up on.

Next call may be a 'cancel my card' one and shunted over to the 'Retention Team'

 

[fantastikforce]

The AFR subscription wasn't something that really factored into my thinking when I got this card, I wouldn't have paid for it so to me the value was $0. However, gradually the benefits of the card are getting scaled back (Shangri-La status, $400 Reserve travel credit for new applicants, Priority Pass restaruants) and the fee isn't being reduced and the only benefit that has been added is the Net-A-Porter credit, which I think is probably worthless to most people.

Some of these things have been global changes for Amex (Shangri-La, Priority Pass) but the local Amex needs to step up and start finding ways to make the card more attractive or its going to lose customers to the churn-and-burn cycle. I hope the 'exciting' announcment that's upcoming is better than the Net-A-Porter offering.

The Net A Porter one isn't really good value especially for us guys when the Mr Porter site charges in British Pounds which means we'll incur a foreign transaction fee too.

 

[sudoer]

I called just to have a rant about general devaluations without any replacement benefits. The person I spoke to said there were several other complaints this morning and they are collating complaints to send to management, so it's worth calling if you haven't already. There was no wait time when I called.

 

[Jousams]

Did you get a local agent? My overseas agent didn’t even know what the afr was...

I called just to have a rant about general devaluations without any replacement benefits. The person I spoke to said there were several other complaints this morning and they are collating complaints to send to management, so it's worth calling if you haven't already. There was no wait time when I called.

 

[sudoer]

Did you get a local agent? My overseas agent didn’t even know what the afr was...

They didn't sound local but he was well aware. I selected Card Account Enquiries and then pressed 0 to speak to an operator.

 

[Trin Trin]

Any intel on what the new benefit(s) may be?

FWIW, AFR subscription can be had for $5 a week with a student account (which is not hard to get).

 

[albyd]

@tcillc that's interesting please let us know how - happy for your to PM me the details if you'd rather not share them in an open forum. I've tried out of curiosity and I need to verify I'm a uni student which I haven't been for some time now.

I will likewise miss the AFR feature as it added genuine value & I could hang my hat on it to justify the AF as a ‘tax deduction’ (especially to my better half).

I know I am beating a dead horse, but it feels like Amex is trying to turn the Platinum card into a lower-tier Centurion card. ie. a card you hold for prestige rather than for value.

It's gone as a feature for Centurion too so both are still maintaining feature parity in that respect.

Will be interesting to hear what the "exciting" new feature is. Hopefully not just marketing speak. One person's "exciting" feature is another's boring feature.

Appreciate how they stepped up to the plate during COVID with the double points campaign. I guess now we're paying for it. If I can get the AFR for less than $628, it will be better than an AF hike.

 

[drd71]

Re the AFR student subscription for $5 a week, you sign up through Unidays (which also has SMH and The Australian too)

 

[Jousams]

AFFers should know better than most that online publishing of convenient hacks like this are the fastest way to get them closed off...

ps. Thanks for the tip lmao

 

[Human]

The Net A Porter one isn't really good value especially for us guys when the Mr Porter site charges in British Pounds which means we'll incur a foreign transaction fee too.

It's not only that -- it's that the goods on Mr Porter and Net A Porter are ridiculously -- and I mean ridiculously -- overpriced. My $75 credit on Mr Porter got me a few pairs of Nike branded socks, which I could have purchased from my local shopping mall for $30 or so. In terms of actual purchasing power, the $150 annual credit is worth more like $70-$80 or so.