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 apply by 2/12/25 and 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.

 

[wsthong]

I'm trying to picture what's happened here. You purchased a scooter, then you changed your mind and wanted to return it, but the retailer refused to accept it, and then it was stolen?

It was a either one of the scenarios.

 

[Mr_Orange]

It was a either one of the scenarios.

That's no clearer!

 

[goldenhorn]

Hi everyone,

I’m considering applying for the American Express Platinum Charge card and would appreciate some insight.

I closed my Amex cards (Qantas Ultimate and Discovery) in June 2024 after about 15 years with Amex. I know there’s an 18-month rule for the new-member bonus, which would make me eligible again around 21 December 2025. Would you suggest waiting until January just to be safe, or is applying right after 21 December generally fine?

I’ve recently renewed my Accor Plus membership, so that particular Platinum benefit won’t really be useful for another 9–10 months. I’m also likely to lose Hilton Gold soon, so that would be a benefit. I'm already Platinum with Accor.

I already have the Citi Prestige card, which includes Priority Pass, and I’m trying to understand how the Amex Platinum’s PP benefit compares. From what I’ve seen at airports, my Citi Prestige Priority Pass seems to have broader coverage or better food and beverage benefits than the Amex version. Am I right about that?

I’d mainly use the Platinum for business expenses and some personal travel. Just trying to decide if it’s worth it for me right now or if I should hold off until next year.

I understand there's also been a recent change to the transfer rates and it hasn't been a good change. For those of you who have this card, do you still see a benefit in having it despite that?

Thanks in advance for any guidance or experiences.

 

[Human]

Hi everyone,

I’m considering applying for the American Express Platinum Charge card and would appreciate some insight.

I closed my Amex cards (Qantas Ultimate and Discovery) in June 2024 after about 15 years with Amex. I know there’s an 18-month rule for the new-member bonus, which would make me eligible again around 21 December 2025. Would you suggest waiting until January just to be safe, or is applying right after 21 December generally fine?

I’ve recently renewed my Accor Plus membership, so that particular Platinum benefit won’t really be useful for another 9–10 months. I’m also likely to lose Hilton Gold soon, so that would be a benefit. I'm already Platinum with Accor.

I already have the Citi Prestige card, which includes Priority Pass, and I’m trying to understand how the Amex Platinum’s PP benefit compares. From what I’ve seen at airports, my Citi Prestige Priority Pass seems to have broader coverage or better food and beverage benefits than the Amex version. Am I right about that?

I’d mainly use the Platinum for business expenses and some personal travel. Just trying to decide if it’s worth it for me right now or if I should hold off until next year.

I understand there's also been a recent change to the transfer rates and it hasn't been a good change. For those of you who have this card, do you still see a benefit in having it despite that?

Thanks in advance for any guidance or experiences.

You ask some great questions and raise some great points! My thinking is that in your situation, there's no urgency. You already have the Citi Prestige and Accor Plus membership. The Platinum card is great for the other benefits including a wider range of transfer partners, but I wonder whether you should at least hold off until there's a really good sign-up bonus.

If past AmEx Membership Rewards devaluations are anything to go by, they're followed by some really good sign-up bonus offers which in some small way temporarily offset the devaluations. I'd at the very least wait for one of those, and then go for it.

You could also wait until your Accor Plus membership is closer to expiring, and then sign up for the AmEx closer to that time.

The Citi Prestige PP membership gets you access to PP restaurants which the AmEx doesn't. However the AmEx comes with two PP memberships so you can give one to someone else.

 

[goldenhorn]

You ask some great questions and raise some great points! My thinking is that in your situation, there's no urgency. You already have the Citi Prestige and Accor Plus membership. The Platinum card is great for the other benefits including a wider range of transfer partners, but I wonder whether you should at least hold off until there's a really good sign-up bonus.

If past AmEx Membership Rewards devaluations are anything to go by, they're followed by some really good sign-up bonus offers which in some small way temporarily offset the devaluations. I'd at the very least wait for one of those, and then go for it.

You could also wait until your Accor Plus membership is closer to expiring, and then sign up for the AmEx closer to that time.

The Citi Prestige PP membership gets you access to PP restaurants which the AmEx doesn't. However the AmEx comes with two PP memberships so you can give one to someone else.

Yes, good point. There is no rush, and the Citi Prestige card has good benefits. I really like the PP restaurant perk, so I will be sad to give that up. I use it whenever I'm at an airport.

The signup bonus is 200,000 MR at the moment. What's considered a "really good" sign-up bonus?

 

[sudoer]

From what I’ve seen at airports, my Citi Prestige Priority Pass seems to have broader coverage or better food and beverage benefits than the Amex version. Am I right about that?

Yes, but Citi is now capped at 15 visits annually whereas Amex is unlimited.

Also Citi cards will be rebranded next month and no one knows what the new benefits will be.

 

[goldenhorn]

Yes, but Citi is now capped at 15 visits annually whereas Amex is unlimited.

Also Citi cards will be rebranded next month and no one knows what the new benefits will be.

Yes, that's true. But I mostly use the restaurant's benefits and wouldn't get anywhere near 15 PP lounge visits a year.

You're right about the rebranding. I have a feeling the Citi rebranding will not be good for benefits, so I suspect some will reduce or disappear soon.

 

[Human]

Yes, good point. There is no rush, and the Citi Prestige card has good benefits. I really like the PP restaurant perk, so I will be sad to give that up. I use it whenever I'm at an airport.

The signup bonus is 200,000 MR at the moment. What's considered a "really good" sign-up bonus?

I didn’t realise it’s currently 200,000 — that’s pretty good. I wouldn’t blame. You for signing up, but on the other hand my earlier advice is still valid, I think. Given that you’re in no hurry, I’d still hold off to see if anything bigger comes along, and if it doesn’t, you can be very confident that there’ll be another 200,000 offer in the future.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Yes, good point. There is no rush, and the Citi Prestige card has good benefits. I really like the PP restaurant perk, so I will be sad to give that up. I use it whenever I'm at an airport.

The signup bonus is 200,000 MR at the moment. What's considered a "really good" sign-up bonus?

I was in broadly similar circumstances and waited until my Accor Plus was due for renewal.

It seemed like a waste of the paid sign up.

The flexibility of transfer partners is also a benefit over Citi.

The Hilton Gold question comes down to how many Hilton stays you might have before the Accor renewal is due.

As for the bonus, I’ve not seen it over 200k for more than 12 months.
L

If you do sign up it’d be great if you considered my referral in this thread or the referral of another positive AFFer contributor.