Better Cards Than Amex Post April 15?

[Obi-run Kenobi]

Is anyone considering switching to a non-Amex card for everyday spend, post April 15?

As far as I can see, even with the devaluation in points earn and transfer rates, Amex still comes out marginally on top when compared to other banks.

Even with the top tier cards from St. George, Westpac, NAB, ANZ etc, the effective earn rate is still only 0.5-0.75 points per dollar after converting to Krisflyer or Velocity. That puts the Amex Explorer and Platinum Edge Cards in front at 1-1.5 points per dollar.

One exception here would be the NAB Rewards Signature card earning 2.5 NAB Rewards points/$ at major department stores, equating to 1.66 Velocity points per dollar when transferred.

Even though the devaluation is a big kick in the stomach, I think I'll be sticking with my Amex Platinum Edge or Explorer going forward.

...Unless anyone has found something better? I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this.

 

[pn1]

I have approximately 197,000 points on my Amex Explorer card. At the same time, I have more than 131,000 QF points. I've been a QF FF member for more than 20 years and have taken several 140,000 point RTW awards.

My current aim is to accumulate sufficient QF points (210,000) to be eligible for a CX RTW business class award flight. No real hurry.

Wondering what my best options are considering the April 2019 Amex changes? I'm happy with the Explorer card and have used the $400 travel credit each year.

(Trusting I've posted in the correct place).

 

[Leroy87]

Does anybody know if the direct redemption rate for points on the Amex travel site would be changing as well? Right now it's 0.1c per point, which in the old world isn't great but in the new world opens up some possibilities (given the effective halving of the value of an MR point).

Consider MEL-HKG J return on Cathay using Asia Miles post April changes: 180k MR points + ~$400 in taxes and fees
You can get a paid J return on Qantas for around $3000, which would translate to 180k MR points + $1200 in cash payment but earns ~17000 QFF points (more if you have status) + 250 Status Credits. Time it with a DSC promo and you're a big chunk of the way towards re-qualification (if that works - I don't know the Ts&Cs super well). You could adjust the points/cash equation up and down as you saw fit.

This yields a rate of $3.2 per SC plus some QFF points on the side. Not as good as the best status runs but an awful lot easier to do, given you don't have to do funny positioning trips and fly from random locations.

Might be an option for some people.

If the 0.1c per point rate doesn't change (I haven't seen any indication that it will yet but I might have missed it) then you're still getting at worst a 3% rebate using Edge at Supermarkets and 2% using Explorer everywhere else. Better than nothing; better than most other cards out there and better than any "free" card you'll find (using Travel Credit + shop small/statement credits).

 

[theblank]

Does anybody know if the direct redemption rate for points on the Amex travel site would be changing as well?

everything changed. check the AMEX website, the notice is prominent everywhere

 

[Leroy87]

everything changed. check the AMEX website, the notice is prominent everywhere

Too right don't know how I missed it (I hadn't actually looked at the site recently, just what had been splashed around on forums and such).

Disregard everything I said

My annual fees for Explorer/Edge combo are both due in the next few weeks, so I think I'll hold through April and wait for Shop Small to peg some $$ back and then in the bin they go, start that 18 month clock, and wait for an 80k bonus on the Velocity Platinum or something like.

No-one wants to use my referral for a new card in the next 10 weeks lol?