The Platinum Edge Credit Card annual fee increases to $195

[pauly7]

I'm on $99 fee as well so expect it will go up to $149 also.

That's a whopping increase!!

But still, I get my money back on the flight.

 

[Pele]

Gday

I have the CPA Platinum Edge. Got the letter yesterday and only noted the purchase protection changes. Just went and fished the letter out of the bin and no mention of a fee increase. Still $149 afaik.

Pele.

 

[deadweight]

Same here, $99 to $149
Extended warranty is nice I guess

 

[scwappy]

Same here with the fee increasing to $149. Will have to seriously consider if it is still worth keeping as I can use my virgin money card for cheap flights which will work out cheaper than $149.

 

[LordGarlic]

should we stay or should we go?? currently on $99 pa , increasing to $149 at anniversary date

 

[AdMEL]

should we stay or should we go?? currently on $99 pa , increasing to $149 at anniversary date

I'm surprised so many of you can't see $149 value! Assuming you receive and use the free flight, that easily exceeds $149 value, given even on sale, Virgin's cheapest routes are now only just under $100 one way for saver lite, let alone saver. Flight prices are only expected to increase now that Virgin and Qantas have ceased their capacity war.

 

[prozac]

I'm surprised so many of you can't see $149 value! Assuming you receive and use the free flight, that easily exceeds $149 value, given even on sale, Virgin's cheapest routes are now only just under $100 one way for saver lite, let alone saver. Flight prices are only expected to increase now that Virgin and Qantas have ceased their capacity war.

I recently booked a complimentary flight that on a Saver Fair, which includes the 23kg baggage allowance, would lighten my wallet by $238. I booked to attend the Aussie surf lifesaving titles being held in April so I would expect few seats to be available shortly, yet Amex still have 14 seats available one way and 21 seats on the return. That's another plus in my eyes.

I haven't bothered to tally all the credits I have received this year but I am confident the card has paid for itself over the annual fee.

 

[robd]

I recently booked a complimentary flight that on a Saver Fair, which includes the 23kg baggage allowance, would lighten my wallet by $238. I booked to attend the Aussie surf lifesaving titles being held in April so I would expect few seats to be available shortly, yet Amex still have 14 seats available one way and 21 seats on the return. That's another plus in my eyes.

I haven't bothered to tally all the credits I have received this year but I am confident he card has paid for itself over the annual fee.

I booked flights late last year for Jnr#1 MEL-BNE-MEL leaving Boxing Day and returning 3rd January. All carriers were really expensive (circa $500+). Amex had great availability and the booking was really easy. It certainly paid for itself on this occasion.

 

[andye]

...
I haven't bothered to tally all the credits I have received this year but I am confident the card has paid for itself over the annual fee.

I had $135 credits on the Edge in the last 6 months alone as well as all the Local Champ points they will give (Brookvale Dan Murphys is up for grabs now). Best card I've ever had.

(Hope I'm not speaking too soon as the statement credit offers have been disappointing in 2015 so far)

 

[prozac]

Surely you mean Manly Vale Dans?
What are Local Champ points?

 

[robd]

Surely you mean Manly Vale Dans?
What are Local Champ points?

On the phone app, you can register up to 10 (I think) stores that you regularly visit and play Local Champion. If you do 3 transactions in a row, without somebody else registering a purchase from that same store who is playing Local Champion, you then become Local Champion and get a bonus point for every dollar.

 

[andye]

Surely you mean Manly Vale Dans?
What are Local Champ points?

I do mean the Manly Vale one

Download the Amex app on an iPhone, choose your most regular stores. If you become Local Champ by shopping there the most frequently you get an extra point/$. No android version unfortunately but you can use someone else's phone to set the stores (not possible to keep track of whether you are still the Champion though).I think the champion is just decided by number of transactions so nothing to stop you splitting your supermarket bill into separate transactions (within reason, there is something in the T&Cs about gaming)

 

[prozac]

Thanks robd and andye for the explanation. Alas I am an Android person. Don't know about local champ but I reckon I could be local legend at Manly Vale Dans.

 

[robd]

Thanks robd and andye for the explanation. Alas I am an Android person. Don't know about local champ but I reckon I could be local legend at Manly Vale Dans.

Feb fast has seen the demise of my Local Champion status at my local Dan's

 

[AdMEL]

On the phone app, you can register up to 10 (I think) stores that you regularly visit and play Local Champion. If you do 3 transactions in a row, without somebody else registering a purchase from that same store who is playing Local Champion, you then become Local Champion and get a bonus point for every dollar.

What makes you say 3 transactions in a row without someone else doing a transaction will get you local champion status? What happens if start from zero and someone else already has a couple of transactions?

I had local champion status at my local supermarket last year, when it was an IGA, but it changed to a Woolworths over six months ago and has never appeared as selectable, despite me doing transactions there often! Very annoying!

 

[robd]

What makes you say 3 transactions in a row without someone else doing a transaction will get you local champion status? What happens if start from zero and someone else already has a couple of transactions?

I had local champion status at my local supermarket last year, when it was an IGA, but it changed to a Woolworths over six months ago and has never appeared as selectable, despite me doing transactions there often! Very annoying!

I've gone to try and find exactly how Local Champion is awarded. This from Point Hacks - Earn easy bonus Amex Membership Rewards points by playing American Express

 

[burmans]

I'm surprised so many of you can't see $149 value! Assuming you receive and use the free flight, that easily exceeds $149 value, given even on sale, Virgin's cheapest routes are now only just under $100 one way for saver lite, let alone saver. Flight prices are only expected to increase now that Virgin and Qantas have ceased their capacity war.

It's only of value if you want to use the flight, if you are just taking a trip you wouldn't have taken because it's "free" then you clearly don't value As much as Virgin do. In my case I do find a way to take the trip but at $195 it's now marginal for me.

 

[zzyss]

At the bottom, the letter notes the annual fee is changing to $195 from the first annual fee after 15 April 2015.

Sonnova b**** my renewal was on April 16th, 2014 so I'm guessing it will be 16/4/15. Wow, sucks to be me.

 

[Moopere]

It's only of value if you want to use the flight, if you are just taking a trip you wouldn't have taken because it's "free" then you clearly don't value As much as Virgin do. In my case I do find a way to take the trip but at $195 it's now marginal for me.

With the restrictions on city pairs imposed upon the 'free flight' I understand what you mean here. Having said that, I've yet to test the idea of booking a flight then cancelling it and using the credit (now held by Amex unfortunately) to book a completely different destination - in theory it might work, but this 'free flight' deal seems pretty tightly controlled and is getting more so each year.

In any event, for PER card holders at least, there is probably still value here. Cheapest I can get to MEL or SYD and back (two of the small list of allowable out-of-state destinations) is about 550 or so - one way or another I always book and cancel so that I get get some SC's and FF and whatnot, but even given this and the now $195 fee I'm still getting some value here.

 

[burmans]

With the restrictions on city pairs imposed upon the 'free flight' I understand what you mean here. Having said that, I've yet to test the idea of booking a flight then cancelling it and using the credit (now held by Amex unfortunately) to book a completely different destination - in theory it might work, but this 'free flight' deal seems pretty tightly controlled and is getting more so each year.

In any event, for PER card holders at least, there is probably still value here. Cheapest I can get to MEL or SYD and back (two of the small list of allowable out-of-state destinations) is about 550 or so - one way or another I always book and cancel so that I get get some SC's and FF and whatnot, but even given this and the now $195 fee I'm still getting some value here.

No question of value for Perth, less so for East Coast! It a bit weird you can do PER - SYD return but not vice versa.