Strategy to obtain US Amex

[Voele]

Yeah it does. Have 60k points that I’m not altogether sure what to do with! Might just send them to Accor (AU$1000 worth at least)

Avios is good value if you have any plans to go to Europe (90k in Qatar J) or to book short haul Qantas flights. Same goes for Flying blue for Qantas flights (wait for a transfer bonus). Also, Flying blue often has good availability in J to Bali with Garuda.

Options not as good as Amex or Chase, but still plenty of value to get if you're willing to dig.

Just booked Qatar J To AMS for 70k HSBC (transferred to Avios when 30% bonus was on)

 

[djchuckles]

Avios is good value if you have any plans to go to Europe (90k in Qatar J) or to book short haul Qantas flights. Same goes for Flying blue for Qantas flights (wait for a transfer bonus). Also, Flying blue often has good availability in J to Bali with Garuda.

Options not as good as Amex or Chase, but still plenty of value to get if you're willing to dig.

Just booked Qatar J To AMS for 70k HSBC (transferred to Avios when 30% bonus was on)

Yeah. And 1:1 via BA at least. Will probably just hold for now - don’t need to decide until August depending on whether I keep the card

 

[wutiswrongxd]

I found equifax the most useless - they have no nfo and said the same - its because Amex is not reporting - yet experian and TU have a file on me

Can also add to this. I cannot see any of my AMEX accounts on EQ. Contacted both EQ and AMEX. EQ asked me to contact AMEX, and then AMEX told me that they do report to all three credit bureaus, and that the issue might be on EQ´s side. However, AMEX also mentioned that it might be due to having an ITIN and not SSN. Yet, the accounts show up on EX and TU.

 

[djchuckles]

I don’t use the Amex business checking account for card transactions - but an update just received - hope this doesn’t roll out to other accounts/cards!

Effective February 21, 2025, we are reinstating the 2.7% foreign transaction fees for cash withdrawals and purchases made with your Business Debit Card that are paid in a currency other than U.S. Dollars. ATM owners or merchants may charge a separate fee on foreign transactions.

 

[djchuckles]

It just recoded as QANTAS MARKETPLACE MASCOT AU

Hopefully still works…..

$50 credit landed this am - nice!

 

[djchuckles]

Any known issues using DEFT (for rent) with a US Amex. It seems to charge the same as Au Visa/MCard at 1.5% (AU or US Amex in the same by looks of it) so this would be an easy way for me to hit one of the Biz Charge SUB spends….

 

[djchuckles]

I use AwardWallet Plus (Grandfathered in at $10/yr).

Speaking of which, since a recent update I can no longer see my FICO in the Amex US app, but interestingly it still updates and shows it in AwardWallet.

Sorry to reserruct an old post - but can you advise where in AwardWallet this shows?

 

[levelnine]

I don't want to celebrate while others are mourning the Qantas changes, but these changes show the outsized value of holding a US Amex Biz Plat.

Under the new Qantas chart, a return Australia-London classic award in business class will cost: 332K + $1775.

If you value that $1775 in carrier charges at even 0.5c/point, the Qantas fare actually costs 332K + 88K = 420K.

The retail price for this type of flight is around $9-13K AUD. Say you can find it for $11K (pretty easy). That's $6.8K USD.

Book with a US Amex Biz Plat for 680K points. Get a 35% rebate back = 447K MR.

Remember this is a paid fare so you earn full points.

Say you're a Qantas Plat. You will currently earn an additional 62K Qantas points, but that appears to be going up even more after July. Subtract them from the 447K MR and your net cost is 385K points.

And you earn full status credits! And you don't have to fight for impossible classic award availability!!

It is literally cheaper to use US MR to buy a paid fare than it is to buy a classic award fare.

 

[djchuckles]

I don't want to celebrate while others are mourning the Qantas changes, but these changes show the outsized value of holding a US Amex Biz Plat.

Under the new Qantas chart, a return Australia-London classic award in business class will cost: 332K + $1775.

If you value that $1775 in carrier charges at even 0.5c/point, the Qantas fare actually costs 332K + 88K = 420K.

The retail price for this type of flight is around $9-13K AUD. Say you can find it for $11K (pretty easy). That's $6.8K USD.

Book with a US Amex Biz Plat for 680K points. Get a 35% rebate back = 447K MR.

Remember this is a paid fare so you earn full points.

Say you're a Qantas Plat. You will currently earn an additional 62K Qantas points, but that appears to be going up even more after July. Subtract them from the 447K MR and your net cost is 385K points.

And you earn full status credits! And you don't have to fight for impossible classic award availability!!

It is literally cheaper to use US MR to buy a paid fare than it is to buy a classic award fare.

Didn’t know about teh 35% rebate - is that solely on Biz Plat?

 

[levelnine]

Didn’t know about teh 35% rebate - is that solely on Biz Plat?

Yes. Biz Gold used to have one, but now removed.

 

[nthd_nthd]

I don't want to celebrate while others are mourning the Qantas changes, but these changes show the outsized value of holding a US Amex Biz Plat.

Under the new Qantas chart, a return Australia-London classic award in business class will cost: 332K + $1775.

If you value that $1775 in carrier charges at even 0.5c/point, the Qantas fare actually costs 332K + 88K = 420K.

The retail price for this type of flight is around $9-13K AUD. Say you can find it for $11K (pretty easy). That's $6.8K USD.

Book with a US Amex Biz Plat for 680K points. Get a 35% rebate back = 447K MR.

Remember this is a paid fare so you earn full points.

Say you're a Qantas Plat. You will currently earn an additional 62K Qantas points, but that appears to be going up even more after July. Subtract them from the 447K MR and your net cost is 385K points.

And you earn full status credits! And you don't have to fight for impossible classic award availability!!

It is literally cheaper to use US MR to buy a paid fare than it is to buy a classic award fare.

Thanks for pointing out - I was looking at the change and shocked. Biz Plat is a great value then with 35% off.

 

[djchuckles]

Thanks for pointing out - I was looking at the change and shocked. Biz Plat is a great value then with 35% off.

You can only pick one airline a year right? But could you book multiple flights?

 

[levelnine]

You can only pick one airline a year right? But could you book multiple flights?

35% rebate applies to all tickets booked in business/first regardless of airline.

 

[Voele]

I don't want to celebrate while others are mourning the Qantas changes, but these changes show the outsized value of holding a US Amex Biz Plat.

Under the new Qantas chart, a return Australia-London classic award in business class will cost: 332K + $1775.

If you value that $1775 in carrier charges at even 0.5c/point, the Qantas fare actually costs 332K + 88K = 420K.

The retail price for this type of flight is around $9-13K AUD. Say you can find it for $11K (pretty easy). That's $6.8K USD.

Book with a US Amex Biz Plat for 680K points. Get a 35% rebate back = 447K MR.

Remember this is a paid fare so you earn full points.

Say you're a Qantas Plat. You will currently earn an additional 62K Qantas points, but that appears to be going up even more after July. Subtract them from the 447K MR and your net cost is 385K points.

And you earn full status credits! And you don't have to fight for impossible classic award availability!!

It is literally cheaper to use US MR to buy a paid fare than it is to buy a classic award fare.

That's actually not too bad to have as a minimum - always available - backup.

 

[zainman]

I don't want to celebrate while others are mourning the Qantas changes, but these changes show the outsized value of holding a US Amex Biz Plat.

Under the new Qantas chart, a return Australia-London classic award in business class will cost: 332K + $1775.

If you value that $1775 in carrier charges at even 0.5c/point, the Qantas fare actually costs 332K + 88K = 420K.

The retail price for this type of flight is around $9-13K AUD. Say you can find it for $11K (pretty easy). That's $6.8K USD.

Book with a US Amex Biz Plat for 680K points. Get a 35% rebate back = 447K MR.

Remember this is a paid fare so you earn full points.

Say you're a Qantas Plat. You will currently earn an additional 62K Qantas points, but that appears to be going up even more after July. Subtract them from the 447K MR and your net cost is 385K points.

And you earn full status credits! And you don't have to fight for impossible classic award availability!!

It is literally cheaper to use US MR to buy a paid fare than it is to buy a classic award fare.

Thanks for this. Just need tons of US MR now

 

[pyramidforce]

I don't want to celebrate while others are mourning the Qantas changes, but these changes show the outsized value of holding a US Amex Biz Plat.

Under the new Qantas chart, a return Australia-London classic award in business class will cost: 332K + $1775.

If you value that $1775 in carrier charges at even 0.5c/point, the Qantas fare actually costs 332K + 88K = 420K.

The retail price for this type of flight is around $9-13K AUD. Say you can find it for $11K (pretty easy). That's $6.8K USD.

Book with a US Amex Biz Plat for 680K points. Get a 35% rebate back = 447K MR.

Remember this is a paid fare so you earn full points.

Say you're a Qantas Plat. You will currently earn an additional 62K Qantas points, but that appears to be going up even more after July. Subtract them from the 447K MR and your net cost is 385K points.

And you earn full status credits! And you don't have to fight for impossible classic award availability!!

It is literally cheaper to use US MR to buy a paid fare than it is to buy a classic award fare.

Unless you really like flying Qantas, perhaps it is worth considering using those 447k MR points for another airline?

 

[levelnine]

Unless you really like flying Qantas, perhaps it is worth considering using those 447k MR points for another airline?

Absolutely. Your miles are far better spent on Qatar or Singapore or Air Canada between Australia and London, for example.

It was more to point out how anyone with a US Amex is spared from Qantas' devaluation if they so choose.