"Enhancements" to MR earn on Platinum Card, Reserve & Centurian

[kamchatsky]

I see Westpac has simplified their T&C for activation requiring simply $500 spend per pax on the Westpac Platinum credit card (I got the Singapore Airlines version but they all seem to have the same policy), but one needs to have a 'return overseas travel ticket' and a literal interpretation of a 'return overseas travel ticket' literally (a single ticket for travel out of and return to Australia - my paraphrasing - rather than simply any combination of tickets that illustrate return travel out of/into Australia) seems to exclude a lot of our travel where Points from different FF accounts are used - thus resulting in 2 or more one way tickets.

After the watering down of the AMEX Platinum Charge card travel insurance, I've not found an alternative credit card-based free travel insurance policy that I'd be 100% confident using. I was going to hold on to the Reserve until our HNL trip over Easter but the difference in fees between the Edge and Reserve will pay for a solid retail travel insurance policy with leftover change.

Anyway current portfolio as follows:
* VMA / Virgin Australia Velocity Flyer card (free through work)
* Westpac Singapore Airlines Platinum
* AMEX Gold charge card (free for now, came as a companion card with the Reserve. Used solely for hotel pre-authorisations. And I can confirm the above advice that this card comes with a free AMEX Platinum Edge so it will become my 'main' AMEX card soon due to the lower fee.)
* AMEX Platinum Reserve which will soon become an Edge (and becomes a free companion card with the Gold charge card)

(My head is spinning)

Plus a very good and comprehensive multi trip annual TI policy I can get on a pretty nice deal through work that also covers my partner.

Will give it a year and see how I go.

We've also got an ANZ Platinum (can't remember which one it was but I think we selected the non Points earning version as the QF card came with a surcharge) that forms a compulsory feature of our home loan (ANZ Breakfree Package) but we've never used it. I see that AUSBT likes their TI policy but I've not gone through the T&Cs in detail. We're shopping around for an alternative home loan anyway.

ANZ Platinum CC travel insurance only requires $250.00 charge on the credit card on travel related costs (eg air ticket or accommodation etc) for the insurance to be active. I think it is a pretty good deal.

http://www.anz.com.au/personal/credit-cards/platinum/benefits/

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I see Westpac has simplified their T&C for activation requiring simply $500 spend per pax on the Westpac Platinum credit card (I got the Singapore Airlines version but they all seem to have the same policy), but one needs to have a 'return overseas travel ticket' and a literal interpretation of a 'return overseas travel ticket' literally (a single ticket for travel out of and return to Australia - my paraphrasing - rather than simply any combination of tickets that illustrate return travel out of/into Australia) seems to exclude a lot of our travel where Points from different FF accounts are used - thus resulting in 2 or more one way tickets.

Thanks for that. Great news on the $500.

Bad on the return ticket part as I normally book one ways Awards:
* ...often open jawed so I can travel overland to minimise backtracking.
* is simpler if I want to change plans
* I often book at the maximum days out and so the return is not yet availalble.

ANZ is cheaper at $250, but Westpac has the allure of getting points to SQ and via it other *A airlines....and for me 1 KF point is worth a lot more than 1 QFF point, plus there is much greater availability to spend those F points on J travel

 

[kamchatsky]

Thanks for that. Great news on the $500.

Bad on the return ticket part as I normally book one ways Awards:
* ...often open jawed so I can travel overland to minimise backtracking.
* is simpler if I want to change plans
* I often book at the maximum days out and so the return is not yet availalble.

ANZ is cheaper at $250, but Westpac has the allure of getting points to SQ and via it other *A airlines....and for me 1 KF point is worth a lot more than 1 QFF point, plus there is much greater availability to spend those F points on J travel

But ANZ insurance does not restrict you from getting return ticket. You just need a ticket back to Australia. I got ANZ Platinum card for free with my Breakfree Package. Their Rental Car Cover is also pretty good.

 

[Keith009]

But ANZ insurance does not restrict you from getting return ticket. You just need a ticket back to Australia. I got ANZ Platinum card for free with my Breakfree Package. Their Rental Car Cover is also pretty good.

I could be wrong about the 'return ticket' part. But reading the T&Cs literally that's how I interpret it. I'd ring up to clarify but the actual insurance policy has a lot of holes so I won't be using it even if eligible anyway.

I hope to be parting ways with ANZ Breakfree package soon (unless they beat the quotes I'm getting from Qantas Staff Credit Union or Police Credit - not to mention zero fees on similar packages offered by these 2) so no point holding on to the credit card and paying the annual fees just for insurance.

 

[lovestotravel]

I see Westpac has simplified their T&C for activation requiring simply $500 spend per pax on the Westpac Platinum credit card (I got the Singapore Airlines version but they all seem to have the same policy), but one needs to have a 'return overseas travel ticket' and a literal interpretation of a 'return overseas travel ticket' literally (a single ticket for travel out of and return to Australia - my paraphrasing - rather than simply any combination of tickets that illustrate return travel out of/into Australia) seems to exclude a lot of our travel where Points from different FF accounts are used - thus resulting in 2 or more one way tickets.

Not for overseas travel insurance

"Overseas travel insurance is a benefit available to current Westpac cardholders who by use of the cardholder’s eligible credit card account paid for in full the cost of their return overseas travel tickets prior to leaving Australia"


Unless I am missing something ?

 

[thehound]

Can anyone recommend a good annual multi-trip policy for me? At the end of the day there is not enough certainty for me to use some of these credit card insurances now that the platinum charge is gone.

 

[ftm]

Can anyone recommend a good annual multi-trip policy for me? At the end of the day there is not enough certainty for me to use some of these credit card insurances now that the platinum charge is gone.

I have a QBE annual policy, only taken out since the Amex enhancements. More comprehensive than I probably need!

 

[Keith009]

Not for overseas travel insurance

"Overseas travel insurance is a benefit available to current Westpac cardholders who by use of the cardholder’s eligible credit card account paid for in full the cost of their return overseas travel tickets prior to leaving Australia"


Unless I am missing something ?

From the policy document for purchases on/after 21 Oct 2012:

(Sorry about formatting)

Eligibility for Overseas travel insurance.​

Overseas travel insurance is a benefit available to currentWestpac​

cardholders, their spouses and dependent child/children​

provided that the person is up to and including 80 years of agewhen they become eligible for the cover as outlined below.​

Cardholders​

, become eligible for this Overseas travel insurancewhen, before leaving Australia on an overseas journey, theyhave a return overseas travel ticket, and A$500 of their prepaidtravel costs (i.e. costs of their return overseas travel ticket;and/or airport/departure taxes; and/or their prepaid overseas​

accommodation/travel; and/or their other prepaid​

overseas​

itinerary items) have been charged to the​

cardholder’s eligiblecredit card account.If the cardholder is eligible for this Overseas travel insurance asoutlined above the cardholder’s spouse and/or dependent child/children, who are travelling with the cardholder for the entire​

journey​

become eligible for this Overseas travel insurance when,before leaving Australia on an overseas journey, the cardholder’sspouse and/or dependent child/children has/have a returnoverseas travel ticket, and A$500 of their prepaid travel costs(i.e. costs of their return overseas travel ticket; and/or airport/departure taxes; and/or their prepaid overseas accommodation/travel; and/or their other prepaid overseas itinerary items) has​

been charged to the cardholder’s eligible credit card account.

So a combination of a 'Return Overseas Travel Ticket' regardless of method of purchase, and $500 worth of travel related expenses charged to card. 'Return Overseas Travel Ticket' is also a defined term and its definition does explicitly refer to a single ticket for travel out of and into Australia rather than a combination of tickets that illustrate return travel.

 

[myturn]

We're shopping around for an alternative home loan anyway.

If you are not looking to use the home loan for investment purposes, I'd suggest looking at getting a UBank refinance for your home loan at 5.37% (now with 0.25% discount for the life of the loan so 5.12%) Finding a Home in Perth...: 5.27% Refinancing with Ubank is worth looking at

 

[Febs]

Called up today to cancel my Plat Charge card. Consistent with everyone else's experience - no offer of reduced fee or bonus pts (which is fine - I wasn't looking). Was also told the Reserve would have a $395 fee charged again next month if I kept it (I declined). However, 5 minutes later I left the call very satisfied.


The CSR did a good job of explaining the benefits, but when it was clear I wasn't keen to continue (basically I no longer saw value in the $900 fee - the coughpy and limited range of "invite only" events was a large part of it), she mentioned the Gold charge card. 1:1 and no QF transfer? She quickly realised I wasn't interested.


She then mentioned the Edge, and that she could switch me over straight away. I mentioned I was considering it, but unless the 10-15k bonus pts were on offer for a switch (they weren't), I'd sign up separately (I have an existing Corp card so would retain my "Member since" designation).


I thought we were done, when she asked if I'd be willing to keep the Plat Reserve, if she waived the $395 fee? Umm, yep! That will do nicely thanks. I was willing to pay $149 for the Edge (QF isn't a deal breaker, but I wanted an AMEX for SPG), but the Reserve for $0 was even better.


Pretty happy.


Cheers
- Febs.

 

[kpc]

I'm very happy with both my AMEX Westpac Altitude and Earth Platinum cards. I shall be cancelling my AMEX Plat Charge card next week...the Q is whether I keep the AMEX Reserve card.....

Rang up and cancelled the Charge card today. Asked why and explained. ..thanked for my previous custom, and card cancelled. Have kept the Reserve card as the renewal fee won't be till September and the free flight will more than cover the $295 annual fee.

 

[wxxnxs]

I don't understand why AMEX still ask the reason why people is cancelling the card, isn't the reason so obvious? BTW, they are not negotiating fees anyway, why waste each other's time.

 

[Febs]

I don't understand why AMEX still ask the reason why people is cancelling the card, isn't the reason so obvious?

Not really - everyone has their own reasons. For me it was nothing to do with the points devaluation (in fact, considering I was getting 3:1 for most of my spend, I was laughing!) moreso the fact that all the benefits to me still didn't add up to $900 worth, and whoever co-ordinates the events seems to have a very myopic view of what their cardholders want. 90% of my spend is on bars and restaurants, and yet the invites keep coming through for art exhibits, yacht races, AFL grand finals. Yawn, no thanks.

How about tickets to various spirits tasting (say, the release of a new Single Malt Scotch), a restaurant opening, cooking classes with famous chefs, coughtail classes with the best in the business etc...? I mean sure, anyone who's into those things probably gets invites to events of that nature anyway (I do), but I expected at least a somewhat tailored events program from Amex. Two years and nothing - just more of the same AFL/art/boating events (oh and one Grange dinner which really didn't sound amazing for the asking price). That's one of the main reasons I ditched it.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Keith009]

The insurance was the main deal breaker for me.

As detailed above I like Febs was very happy with the new earn rate as the majority of my spend earned 3 or 2 Points. Hence I was initially happy to keep the Reserve rather than cancel altogether. But then I was a little annoyed at earning 50% less Points for some occassional very high value transactions (and I don't mean ATO stuff) which tend to diminish the earn proposition as a whole for me due to the high spend involved in these transactions - quite not sure why restaurants and bars earn 3 Points whilst luxury retailers earn only 1 (unless they're overseas) as surely AMEX would get more yield out of Prada than say Maccas. As a result I've downgraded all the way to the Edge card (free flight pays for itself) for use at selected retailers, when bonus points promos come along and transfers to Velocity for domestic flights, and moved most of my spend over to my Westpac SQ card.

 

[oz_mark]

The insurance was the main deal breaker for me.

Ditto, the changes to the insurance meant that it had zero value to me, and I had to go buy a separate policy.

Some of the perks were nice, but in the end, not $900 nice.

 

[Flashback]

Ditto, the changes to the insurance meant that it had zero value to me, and I had to go buy a separate policy.

Some of the perks were nice, but in the end, not $900 nice.

Bang on with that and come April I'll be cancelling mine (UK) 4 months early and get 150 GBP back. I've at least got my value out of the annual fee (450 GBP) this year as I had 1 phone replacement (worth 480 GBP) via the TI and also netted lots of cash (for no cost....) thanks to the Foursquare promotions we had over here with Harvey Nichols, GAP, etc

 

[Pukka]

So $450 GBP per year is $677 Aussie

As usual Australia pays more

 

[deka2]

Rang up yesterday to cancel my charge card.

Put through to cancellations and explained why I wanted to terminate the card.

Offered one additional bonus point per dollar capped to 50,000 if I kept it..

I declined and asked for a Plat Edge. This was fixed up on the phone and MR points transferred to new card.

 

[myturn]

Sometimes its worth withdrawing from your bank account $900 in cash to remind you how much is being forked out for these cards. Looks much more in cash than on screen.

 

[Hammando]

Rang up yesterday to cancel my charge card.

Put through to cancellations and explained why I wanted to terminate the card.

Offered one additional bonus point per dollar capped to 50,000 if I kept it..

I declined and asked for a Plat Edge. This was fixed up on the phone and MR points transferred to new card.

I'd consider keeping the Plat Charge for that.... well until i racked up the 50,000.

Wonder if they'd still give you a pro rata refund on the annual fee.

I'm calling to cancel next week, will report back what they offer, if anything.