Credit Card Offers Amex Platinum Card Benefits, Offers & Discussion

Enjoy a world of travel benefits and up to 200,000 bonus Amex Membership Rewards Premium Ascent points...​

Learn more and apply for this card:

American Express® Platinum Card

The American Express (Amex) Platinum charge card is one of the best publicly-available cards in Australia for travel benefits.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

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What are the main benefits of this card?

1. Signup bonus: 200,000 Amex Membership Rewards Points (worth 100,000 Qantas Points, Velocity Points, Avios or Asia Miles, among other options when you spend at least $5,000 within 3 months.
2. Earn 2.25 Amex Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on everyday purchases, uncapped. You can transfer these points to 12 airline & 2 hotel programs, including Qantas Frequent Flyer.
3. Enjoy unlimited access to many airport lounges, including Virgin Australia and Priority Pass lounges
4. Gift Priority Pass membership to one additional cardholder
5. Receive complimentary elite status with hotel loyalty programs including Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, Radisson Rewards & Accor Live Limitless
6. Complimentary international travel insurance
7. Receive a $450 annual travel credit, plus airfare discounts, $400 worth of annual dining credits, subscriptions to The Australian & Wall Street Journal, plus many more exclusive benefits!

Why we like the American Express Platinum Card

Packed full of travel perks, the American Express Platinum Card is one of the best publicly-available cards in Australia for frequent flyers.

With a $1,450 annual fee, this metal card is not for everyone. But the return on investment for the high annual fee is strong, as it comes with a lot of useful benefits! This includes an annual travel credit, dining credits and unlimited access to Virgin Australia, Delta, Lufthansa, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium and Amex Centurion airport lounges.

There are also some great hotel perks including a free annual hotel night, Accor Plus membership, Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits and complimentary elite status with Hilton, Marriott and Radisson.

For points collectors, this is one of the most lucrative cards available in Australia. You’ll earn 2.25 Amex Membership Rewards Ascent Premium points per $1 spent on eligible transactions. Points transfer to most frequent flyer programs at a 2:1 rate, although there are some exceptions (e.g. it's 3:1 to KrisFlyer and Emirates).

You can convert your Amex points to around 12 airlines including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Etihad! Plus, you can transfer points to two hotel loyalty programs for even more redemption possibilities.

To sweeten the deal, new cardholders can also earn 200,000 bonus Amex Membership Rewards Points when spending at least $5,000 on the card within 3 months of approval. See our card guide for the full details:

American Express® Platinum Card

The American Express (Amex) Platinum charge card is one of the best publicly-available cards in Australia for travel benefits.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

AFF members are welcome to discuss this card in this thread.

 

[zoom&boom]

Further discussions with a very competent agent at Chubb estabthat any frequent flyer points were acceptable as long as they are in your name.
She also definitely stated that frequent flyer points do not have to be transferred from Membership Rewards points.

I’m 95% happy to travel using this insurance coverage but do agree that we will never know until a claim is lodged.

 

[Doctore1003]

I’m 95% happy to travel using this insurance coverage but do agree that we will never know until a claim is lodged.

I've lodged a (modest) claim before where FF points were used to book the flight, and I'm sure others have as well. Chubb didn't ask if the points were transferred from Amex.

What I think we all really want to know is what happens when a VERY large (six/seven figure) claim is lodged, which Chubb would want to scrutinize, and maybe look for a reason to deny. Is that where the issue of "corresponding" points could come up?

If anyone's had this experience, please speak up!

 

[zoom&boom]

I've lodged a (modest) claim before where FF points were used to book the flight, and I'm sure others have as well. Chubb didn't ask if the points were transferred from Amex.

What I think we all really want to know is what happens when a VERY large (six/seven figure) claim is lodged, which Chubb would want to scrutinize, and maybe look for a reason to deny. Is that where the issue of "corresponding" points could come up?

If anyone's had this experience, please speak up!

Possibly as having dealt with insurance companies they will try and find ways to deny a claim.
The person I dealt with at Chubb was quite adamant that any frequent flyer points could be used.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Do the benefits on the Amex Platinum Charge apply by membership year, or calendar year?

I know the dining benefit is calendar year, but what's the timeframe for other benefits like travel credit, hotel status etc?

 

[burneracc]

Do the benefits on the Amex Platinum Charge apply by membership year, or calendar year?

I know the dining benefit is calendar year, but what's the timeframe for other benefits like travel credit, hotel status etc?

Membership year

 

[lovestotravel]

Further discussions with a very competent agent at Chubb estabthat any frequent flyer points were acceptable as long as they are in your name.
She also definitely stated that frequent flyer points do not have to be transferred from Membership Rewards points.

I’m 95% happy to travel using this insurance coverage but do agree that we will never know until a claim is lodged.

Interesting, I've always read it as having to use all Amex points for the flight, but it does say frequent flyer points..

I'd want it in writing though and not just a phone call

International Return Trips
4. You are going on an International Return Trip and You pay the full amount of Your outbound ticket for a Scheduled Flight or Scheduled Cruise leaving Australia on Your: i. American Express Card Account; ii. corresponding American Express Membership Rewards points or frequent flyer points (where applicable);

 

[Human]

I see what you mean about “corresponding”. The agent I spoke to said that any frequent flyer points can be used but maybe a further discussion with a supervisor might be in order…

It was explained to me like this: If you use FF points, those points must be from a programme/airline that is linked to your AmEx MR account. So if I pay for a flight using (say) Velocity points, and I’ve entered my Velocity number in my AmEx MR account, they’ll consider the insurance to be activated.