Platinum Card, what will I get for $900

[kpc]

Amex and I parted ways this morning....

Thanks for posting your experience. I will be following your footsteps in December just before my Charge card renewal takes place.

 

[lovestotravel]

My $900 charge has just gone on my account....

Calling to cancel the Plat charge card in the next week or so

Will take a large chunk of points to keep me or a big credit to cancel the annual fee

Spend about $150k on the cards over the past 12 months. Not huge but enough for something I hope.

 

[k3nnis]

Are there anyone keeping their plat charge card after these "enhancements" ???

 

[Flashback]

.. Amex Plat in HK, Singapore, Japan, US, Canada and UK all charge a lower annual fee with more benefits, particularly travel insurance. Canadian ones even offers $200 credit of travel expense credit as a benefit..

I'm not sure where you get that idea. The Travel Insurance has been downgraded on pretty much all Plat Charge Cards worldwide, as well as having fee increases (that bring them closer to what AU costs). The main reason the AU one seems more expensive is because the AUD is so strong. When it falls back into line, it won't be the case.

 

[aschmid]

I'm not sure where you get that idea. The Travel Insurance has been downgraded on pretty much all Plat Charge Cards worldwide, as well as having fee increases (that bring them closer to what AU costs). The main reason the AU one seems more expensive is because the AUD is so strong. When it falls back into line, it won't be the case.

It's probably gonna be a while before the Australian Dollar is back down to 2:1 to the US Dollar: The AMEX Platinum card in the US is $450:
Platinum Card® - American Express

 

[Flashback]

It's probably gonna be a while before the Australian Dollar is back down to 2:1 to the US Dollar: The AMEX Platinum card in the US is $450:
Platinum Card® - American Express

And in the UK it's £450, so not too far off AU.

 

[schmoots]

I cancelled my centurion card last week. Relationship manager informed me 3 out of 8 of his clients had cancelled up to that point. Will cancel Platinum charge card when annual fee is due later this year.

Would never have considered changing but Citibank select card on it's way with Visa merchant fees significantly lower than those for Amex.
1.33 Krisflyer points per dollar and no points capping.

Amex will only see the true effect of the points changes over the next year as more and more people cancel at the time of annual fees.

 

[Stephen65]

I'm looking at the Citi Select myself but I'm a noob when it comes to SQ and its FF program. What is the availability of award seats out of Australia like? Is there any chance of getting four J class on the same flight?

 

[civinod]

re award availability on SQ

I have found over the last three years that SQ have much better availability for 4 pax in J than QF.

The other advantage is that you can earn a lot more SQ points through westpac amex than any card offers on QF.

Less QF international flights and more SQ

A no brainer in my opinion and in my opinion the J product on SQ is light years ahead of QF

 

[Pleb Status]

And in the UK it's £450, so not too far off AU.

If you call AUD675 (GBP450) close to AUD900. This is just another example of the "Australia" tax.

 

[kpc]

I cancelled my centurion card last week. Relationship manager informed me 3 out of 8 of his clients had cancelled up to that point

wonder if the bean counters at AMEx predicted this amount of backlash!....

Amex will only see the true effect of the points changes over the next year as more and more people cancel at the time of annual fees.

Yup....

 

[kamiao]

I'm not sure where you get that idea. The Travel Insurance has been downgraded on pretty much all Plat Charge Cards worldwide, as well as having fee increases (that bring them closer to what AU costs). The main reason the AU one seems more expensive is because the AUD is so strong. When it falls back into line, it won't be the case.

My view is based on my research (FX rate as at 10:40am AEST 25 July 2012):

Annual Fees for American Express Platinum Charge:

Australia: AUD900

We all know the content of the travel insurance cover that this card offers – no supplementary cardholders will be covered.

Important: Supplementary Card members are not covered for Travel Insurance benefits (see table below). If You are a Supplementary Card member or a
Supplementary Cardmember is travelling with You on a Trip, You should consider whether these benefits provide adequate cover. The Supplementary Card member
may need to take out a separate travel insurance policy.

UK: GBP450 = AUD677

Travel insurance
The Platinum Card | American Express UK
We’ve got you and yours covered with comprehensive worldwide travel insurance for you, your family, your Supplementary Cardmembers and their families, too.

US: USD450= AUD437

Travel insurance
Platinum Card® - American Express
Only Travel Accident Insurance offered to both basic and additional card holders – annual fee is half of ours anyway so let’s park it aside.

Canada: CAD699=AUD666

Travel insurance
The Platinum Card® | American Express® Canada
….Supplementary Cardmembers, their spouses and dependent children under age 23 are also covered.

HK: HKD5500 = AUD688

Travel insurance
https://www212.americanexpress.com/...toid=6d33dc1ec1c0b110VgnVCM100000defaad94RCRD
4. Travel Accident Insurance
Covered Person :
A person shall be a Covered Person under Master Policy Number HMM0801988 / HMM0801990 ("the Policy") only if:
i. He or she is
a) The Basic or Supplementary Cardmember who has an American Express Card issued by the Policyholder and billed in Hong Kong Dollars;or
b) The legally married spouse or dependent child under age 23 of any Covered Person described in a) above; and
ii. His or her American Express Card is billed by the Policyholder.
For the purpose of this Policy, a common law marriage is not considered a legal marriage.Dependent Child means a legally dependent child, including a stepchild or legally adopted child of any Covered Person described in i. a) above; and who is wholly dependent on such Covered Person(s) for financial support.

Singapore: SGD700(old figure) = AUD538

Travel insurance
The Platinum Charge Card | American Express Singapore
Platinum Travel Insurance
Boasting one of the most comprehensive travel insurance* benefit packages available anywhere, your Platinum Card assures you, your family and supplementary Cardmember(s) of protection whenever you travel.

 

[k3nnis]

Australia is a very expensive country to live in Especially if you hold an AMEX Plat charge or centurion

 

[kamiao]

Australia is a very expensive country to live in Especially if you hold an AMEX Plat charge or centurion

... and you may encounter quite a few people against this point because they always blame the high AUD exchange rate... but the point is if AUD is strong, shouldn't goods/services imported cheaper?? The answer is no.
... also people argue that oh things will look alright when AUD comes down to 1AUD=0.5USD - Ha.ha.ha. not try to be sarcarstic but when will this happen? AUD = USD since 2010!

 

[aschmid]

It might not even be a cost issue if everything else would be in order but I am getting tired of accepted/not accepted, surcharge/no surcharge, insurance pay/points/dates, free flight nothing available, points depend where you buy way, etc, etc, etc ...

I really have better things to do in my life than to try to sort out what curveball AMEX has come up with again to make my life more complicated!

 

[k3nnis]

Yeah only reason I signed up to the Amex plat charge early this month was to get the bonus points. When it's up for renewal next year we'll see what happens. Hopefully some positive enhancements

 

[Newk]

we have one of these. The claims experience was beyond amazing. Excellent phone help. No haggles. Payment straight away

(oops edit: to add that this refers to the Chubb yearly travel insurance which we get through a professional organisation. AND it was a claim for medical expense when our son broke his collar-bone snow boarding. We didn't even have to do paperwork, just sent in the receipts)

 

[11sjw]

wonder if the bean counters at AMEx predicted this amount of backlash!....
Yup....

Just been approved for the ANZ cobranded platinum AMEX. Once that card is up and running its sayonara to the Charge card and I'll maintain my 1.5pt/$1 earn rate. 32k bonus points won't hurt either.

 

[Febs]

Annual Fees for American Express Platinum Charge:

Australia: AUD900
UK: GBP450 = AUD677
US: USD450= AUD437
Canada: CAD699=AUD666
HK: HKD5500 = AUD688
Singapore: SGD700(old figure) = AUD538

It's easy enough to get AMEX to drop the AU fee to be closer to those other countries' fees if you ask nicely. (Maybe not in the first year, but subsequent years).

..but yes, we do pay some pretty ridiculous fees compared to other countries. Then again, fairly consistent with everything in Australia!

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[wafliron]

I'm looking at the Citi Select myself but I'm a noob when it comes to SQ and its FF program. What is the availability of award seats out of Australia like? Is there any chance of getting four J class on the same flight?

I don't have extensive experience with the SQ program yet, but so far availability in J and F has been very good; much better than QF. And even I'd you can't find availability, you can always waitlist - and again, my experience has been that waitlisted flights normally clear.