Our newest partnership revealed; American Express & Velocity Rewards

[kamchatsky]

Just looked at the deal today, and have to say it does have some attractiveness.

My problem is that I have had way too many cards and not wanting to get more unless really worth it, and really do not want to pay more annual fee than I have to.

Amex Platinum Edge: $149
Citibank Gold Visa Fee Free: $0
Amex Qantas Discovery: $0
28 Degrees Mastercard: $0
Westpac Ignite:$0
and my wife's CPA Gold Amex: $0

At the moment I mainly use Amex Plat Edge an Citibank Gold Visa, and my Plat Edge gets me free SYD-ADL trip anyway so the new Amex Velocity Plat is not attractive enough for me to apply for another CC especially I would have to pay a lot more annual fee to get the same free trip.

 

[cove]

I would think that the folks who would want the Platinum version of this card would already have an Amex Platinum or Ultimate for Qantas points( or were seriously thinking about it) and wanted a second big opportunity to fly on points.Woolworths/HSBC swooped on the big 4 banks and won a lot of customers so the market can sniff out a bargain.Citibank is out there pushing hard but their back office seriously let's them down.American Express is doing it the best with all of their choices with annual fees to suit all budgets so a Gold or other Velocity rewards card may suit someone on a tight budget value proposition.Internationally I have saved big time by having SQ and QF points.Domestically having Velocity and QF points should work well.

 

[drewbles]

In my attempt to dislodge the shackles of QF as I attempt to move my travel over to DJ and partners, this card has good and bad benefits.

The biggest issue is the Annual Fee. I got a deal that Amex offered me on the QF Ultimate card offering me $250/year fee for life. I take that to be worth it alone.

I can't justify the higher fee for Velocity, yet. If the award program does become as good as everyone hopes it will, then I'm off the QF card and onto the DJ one (And may end up being able to do a RTW in J or F as a farewell to QF on my points using a OW award fare).

Roll on the Velocity changes!

 

[kamchatsky]

In my attempt to dislodge the shackles of QF as I attempt to move my travel over to DJ and partners, this card has good and bad benefits.

The biggest issue is the Annual Fee. I got a deal that Amex offered me on the QF Ultimate card offering me $250/year fee for life. I take that to be worth it alone.

I can't justify the higher fee for Velocity, yet. If the award program does become as good as everyone hopes it will, then I'm off the QF card and onto the DJ one (And may end up being able to do a RTW in J or F as a farewell to QF on my points using a OW award fare).

Roll on the Velocity changes!

I do feel (and only feel at the moment), that the upcoming Velocity changes will trump Qantas FF, only because it has to be better than QF to take any customers away from QF!


I guess it is a matter of whether it is worth taking that 30K Velocity points now, and hope that the future program changes will make it worth more.

 

[pshepvic]

I do feel (and only feel at the moment), that the upcoming Velocity changes will trump Qantas FF, only because it has to be better than QF to take any customers away from QF!


I guess it is a matter of whether it is worth taking that 30K Velocity points now, and hope that the future program changes will make it worth more.

Well, worst case scenario is that 30,000 points and "free" return flight is worth more than the annual fee anyway! And you'll certainly find out if the new Velocity program is better, well and truly before you'd have to pay it again.

 

[cove]

Can one or two of you report your progress with Virgin Australia and redeeming points for J flights in Australia and with V Australia?How easy is it and are there issues to consider?I have warmed to applying for the $349 Amex Velocity card but seeing I am away for 4 weeks any comments would really help.

 

[Robert K]

anyone else think that the new velocity card is one of the best looking CCs out at the moment. My amex QF card looks like a toy card.

 

[Misha]

Kudos to Virgin and Amex - they got the advertising in quickly. After a meeting at SYD domestic terminal - hopped in a taxi to Int Term for the second meeting (typically 3rd one was back at Domestic!) and airport drives main billboards were all "learn the art of escape" or something or other. Looked very good - and prime real estate... Nice job.

 

[Noob]

anyone else think that the new velocity card is one of the best looking CCs out at the moment. My amex QF card looks like a toy card.

Its pretty swish! It would be even better if it was real Platinum *mouth waters*

 

[wyvern]

So I have the QF Ultimate card and a MasterCard to earn QF points, and I don't really need another Aus credit card unless it would be specifically to credit points to Velocity. I guess there are a few people in my position.

The 2for1 benefit on international business is little use to me as (1) it is only on business but I normally only travel J if a client is paying or I have MFU'd (which of course you can't on Virgin) - the 2for1 if it was in PE and Y too it would be worthwhile; and (2) it does not seem to be valid in EY/SQ/DL booked flights, e.g. LHR-SYD-LHR, which I am more likely to fly than the other way round. If you are limited to booking VA and flying VA metal this is a very small range of flights indeed.

The free domestic return is OK but then a domestic return is 150-200 dollars between MEL/SYD/BNE unless you are going to ADL or PER. So it does not really cover the annual fee.

The lounge passes are not that useful much while I am a Gold Member.

What I would really like to see is a SC bonus from having the card, like on the MBNA BMI Plus card in the UK which gives you 1/4 of the miles to get silver (which comes with lounge access on BMI). So a 100 or 50 SC bonus would do me better than a 2for1 on an international.

The other thing that would be good would be a number of upgrade certs or a 2for1 on redemptions with the card, like the BA Premium Plus Amex. This gives you a 2for1 redemption voucher once you have spent £10K.

Ideally for $400 I would like a to see stack of tiered benefits, so that you get some for joining and renewing but some for a certain level of spend on the card each year.

I don't think I can justify holding this card and the QF Ultimate and at the moment, while I prefer flying DJ domestically, QF offers more for international redemption.

If VA/DJ introduced MFU on domestic, international and partner international - or lifetime status in the way AA do where every point counts, including those earned on credit cards - there would be more inventive for me to collect points and take out a card.

 

[djchuckles]

Hey - new here, and new to Oz

This card looks really interesting though I'd pretty much decided to go for the Platinum Charge to get the 75k points. Any reason why I should consider this instead?

 

[cove]

It gets down to availability for the places you wish to go and the class of travel you are seeking.I was in Velocity Rewards looking up LAX to SYD and there were 2 business class seats at reasonable points in early July. Qantas had nothing.Qantas is great around Australia.

 

[drron]

If VA/DJ introduced MFU on domestic, international and partner international - or lifetime status in the way AA do where every point counts, including those earned on credit cards - there would be more inventive for me to collect points and take out a card.

Though this is changing and it is reasonably certain that by the end of the year this will no longer be the case for AA.

 

[Noob]

FULL ARTICLE @ Analysis of Premium Co-Brand Airline Rewards Credit Cards in Australia | Credit Card Finder

 

[lovetravellingoz]

View attachment 2743



FULL ARTICLE @ Analysis of Premium Co-Brand Airline Rewards Credit Cards in Australia | Credit Card Finder

Yes amazing what you can do with a "selective" analysis......

• Do it when you have a 30K sign on bonus
• Leave out the best cards.
• ...ignore the promos you can get on them
• Only consider domestic flight rewards...rather than say the better value long hauls in J.

I mean for example you could get the Amex Edge card...spend $2K per month and get two Business Class Returns to the South Pacific.
Card Cost $149, but comes with 15,000 points....and free Domestic Virgin Flight.

 

[Noob]

Yes amazing what you can do with a "selective" analysis......

• Do it when you have a 30K sign on bonus
• Leave out the best cards.
• ...ignore the promos you can get on them
• Only consider domestic flight rewards...rather than say the better value long hauls in J.

I mean for example you could get the Amex Edge card...spend $2K per month and get two Business Class Returns to the South Pacific.
Card Cost $149, but comes with 15,000 points....and free Domestic Virgin Flight.

Um, if you bothered to actually read the article you would see that they are only comparing "airline co branded credit cards" - Nothing else!

Virgin Australia's platinum card came out on top, it's okay to admit they got something right

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Um, if you bothered to actually read the article you would see that they are only comparing "airline co branded credit cards" - Nothing else!

Virgin Australia's platinum card came out on top, it's okay to admit they got something right

If you bothered to actually read my reply you would have discerned "selective" analysis.


I actually read and understood the article, or should I say advertorial.

Only the foolish would ignore all card options and limit their selections based on logos....so if you think having an airline logo on a card makes a real difference then go for it. Others of us will look more broadly for "real" value.


Besides their actual results are quite questionable. For example if I spent $24,000 on a Krisflyer card I could get much better redemption value than $213 of value....but that would be doing a real world analysis rather than a selective one.

 

[cove]

I took up one platinum version of this Amex card as I like not getting stranded somewhere after booking a one way trip and then wanting to get home.
I had to trade off part of my Amex Ultimate limit to make a reasonable limit on this new card due to that recent "responsible lender"legislation getting legs.
It won't take long to move from 180k of points to a more reasonable stash using this card. Having recently almost lost 150k by not using the points for 3 years this is a big turn around in my thinking. In the last 2 months one of my sons could not set a PER-MEL flight on reasonable terms so a second choice is on the table. Of course he was trying to get to a sports match at the very last moment and be back in Perth straight away!

 

[charat]

Hi guys, it's a stupid question and I've tried to find the answer but can't seem to see it.

After you pay the annual fee and you do the minimum spend for 20k points and they deposit the points, can you just cancel the card and the deposited points will be safe?

 

[cityflyer369]

Yes amazing what you can do with a "selective" analysis......

• Do it when you have a 30K sign on bonus
• Leave out the best cards.
• ...ignore the promos you can get on them
• Only consider domestic flight rewards...rather than say the better value long hauls in J.

I mean for example you could get the Amex Edge card...spend $2K per month and get two Business Class Returns to the South Pacific.
Card Cost $149, but comes with 15,000 points....and free Domestic Virgin Flight.

I agree the comparison is selective. But you have to be selective for any comparison (unless you make a comparison just for your own private purpose, which is obviously better). I think this analysis is quite ok, and everybody has to see for themselves how much the result applies to their particular situation.

I also agree that the Amex Edge card is pretty cool. Actually, I have both cards now, the Amex edge and the Amex Velocity. I use the Edge card for those shops where you get 2 or 3 MR points per dollar and the Velocity card for all other expenditures. This seems to be an optimal combination of cards (needless to say: ... an optimal combination for me .