How do I downgrade from my Platinum charge card?

[Berlin]

Hello everyone,

given the recent (or better, upcoming) changes to the Platinum charge card and using my pretty good VISA card more and more lately due to acceptance issues here in AUS, I am contemplating whether it would be the best to downgrade my card. The Qantas AMEX Ultimate card looks pretty good to me, as do a few others.

My questions now is, how to do that ideally. Okay, first I would transfer all my 300,000 Membership rewards points to QF or maybe another airline. Easy. But what then? Do I just apply for the new one and then cancel my charge card? Or do I call them, tell them how p+*&ed I am about the charge card changes and make my case for downgrading? In either case, how can I make sure to get any of the many "Introductory offer" points that are always out on those cards- do I need to cancel entirely then and apply anew?

I've also been a (previously mostly happy) AMEX customer since 1998 and wouldn't mind to keep this "Member since" date on my new card to be honest, just for irrational niceness reasons Saying that- I used to live in Europe and transferring my card from there to Australia resulted in month-long call center dramas which in the end were resolved and apologized for but I would like to avoid any of this if possible when switching cards.

Any suggestions/ideas/experiences? I would be very appreciative for any thoughts, also regarding which of the many cards out there to choose. It's all quite confusing but a QF earn card somehow which costs less than the Platinum charge card could be nice. Thanks already everyone!

 

[Daggs01]

You can call to see if they could do anything to help.

However simply apply for the new amex card of choice, input your existing card number in the application and select the check box to transfer your existing card to the new application.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using AustFreqFly

 

[exp1k]

I've also been a (previously mostly happy) AMEX customer since 1998 and wouldn't mind to keep this "Member since" date on my new card to be honest, just for irrational niceness reasons

Well, I would like to have a primary Centurion card that says member since 2011 or 2012

 

[yohy?!]

If you intend to downgrade from a Platinum Charge to a credit card this would be done seperately as they are different types of card. Just apply for the Qantas Amex then call and cancel the Plat Charge, they will link the MR programs together so there would be no need to transfer your points.

 

[JOC469]

Well, I would like to have a primary Centurion card that says member since 2011 or 2012

But then you would have only received one of their coughpy welcome packs. I got my offer towards the end of my first year. 1 year Platinum charge; 1 year Centurion; not sure what I am going to change to this year, but the erosion of benefits is making a change more and more likely