Advice for potential new AMEX Customer :)

[rossoneri496]

Hi All

New to the forum and was directed here! I’m very new to trying to build frequent flyer points and am torn between getting AMEX Velocity Platinum & AMEX Qantas Ultimate cards. However, I’ve read it’s better to go more flexible and am thinking about the AMEX Explorer card.

Any advice & suggestions would be much appreciated (even if there are better credit card options). There’s so much info out there can get a little overwhelming

I’m a casual flyer but most of my destinations would be around Europe! Although Japan is very higher on my list

 

[n7of9]

When chasing points, opening a new card is more about the sign-on bonus, then you'd compare annual fee, points earned per dollar spent, and FF points transfer ratio (they aren't always 1:1). Then rinse and repeat before each annual card expiry. You can safely have 2 cards in the go at once, though people on here might have 4 or more.

Always read the PDS, try to make use of all additional benefits, and never assume anything. Having 800K QFF points and wanting to fly to Rome in 2 months doesn't mean you log on and get the exact flights you want.

As a specific example, I need to be in London in late Aug 2026. Last week, I purchased a Singapore to Brussels business seat on points, and now I'm waiting for the return flights to become available before I see how I'm coming home. I'll also need to figure out how I'll get to Singapore, either by purchasing another points seat, or a paid fare.

Read lots of posts on AFF, and use Point Hacks for current offers and guides.

The American Express Explorer - Point Hacks Guide

The complete guide to the American Express Explorer Card, including earn rates, card partners, complimentary insurance, and other benefits.

www.pointhacks.com.au

 

[burneracc]

For what it's worth, the explorer points are worth "less" than qantas points - a 100k qantas sign up bonus is more valuable than a 130k explorer sign up bonus.

If you spend a lot, the qantas ultimate card will also earn more per dollar than the explorer. There's no other card that you can easily obtain that earns as many qantas points per dollar.

Anecdotally (specifically for qantas) flying to Japan, it's actually not too hard to find classic rewards seats in business. Europe is harder - but for economy seats, much easier.