Migrating from Qantas Ultimate to Platinum?

[n0obflyer]

Is there any way to migrate from an existing AMEX card (in this case, the Qantas Ultimate Card) to the Platinum card, with eligibility to get the sign-up bonus?

Speaking to customer service and looking online, they both state an 18-month cooling period before you are eligible. Speaking to a couple of existing Platinum card holders, they think otherwise (one mentioned a 6 month cooling period).

Any insights would be appreciated.

 

[Coops1]

You won’t get the sign up bonus on a new card application or migrating/upgrading from existing.

The only thing you can do is hope, if you ring, the Amex retentions team might be negotiable on a smaller one-off bonus, eg 20k in points. Depends on your monthly spend and length you have held the Qantas card.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Difficulty with the Platinum card too is that it's a charge card, not a credit card - so a different type of credit product. If you had a different charge card (like the old Green card), you may be able to upgrade directly, but with only a credit card, you'd generally need to apply for the charge as a new product. Whether you can do that over the phone and request some bonus points as part of the deal would be something worth asking, though!

 

[dylarr]

I asked the same thing back in February here:

Qantas Amex Ultimate to Platinum Charge

Hi all, I currently hold a Qantas Amex Ultimate card and I'm thinking of applying for an Amex Platinum Charge. I'd be keen to hear from anyone who has done something similar recently — in particularly how you went with the sign up bonuses for the Platinum Charge. I understand that technically...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

I ended up applying for a Platinum Charge anyway as I wanted to use the benefits of the card so getting the bonus points would have been a nice surprise. I went through the application form as a new customer and even then they still matched my cards (and the Member Since date printed on my Platinum card was backdated to when I opened the Qantas Ultimate). I didn't get the bonus points, as expected.

 

[levelnine]

Speaking to a couple of existing Platinum card holders, they think otherwise (one mentioned a 6 month cooling period).

They are wrong. Amex are very strict about eligibility criteria for sign up bonuses.

 

[Big John]

They are wrong. Amex are very strict about eligibility criteria for sign up bonuses.

I agree. I cancelled my Ultimate Card earlier this year. Now serving out my 18-month cooling period.