Platinum Amex CC: 30000 MR Points on $1000 spend

[kamchatsky]

Saw this on news.com.au today. Usual features such as free QF domestic flight or hotel night per year, $395 annual fee, $1 spend = 1.5 MR Ascent points, no supplementary card cost, Platinum service 24/7 etc etc etc

Funny enough in their T&Cs it says you can get 30000 points for $500 spend rather than $1000 spend.

For any points reference, 30000 points is enough for:

- Australia - NZ/South Pacific return on Y (via Krisflyer, only need 25000 points) or add another 5000 points for J (35000 points)
- Almost Sydney - Hong Kong return on Y (via Virgin Atlantic with their special promotion of 25% discount, requires 33750 points)

So for example, if you want a trip to HK:
So by applying this card, spend $2500, you will get:
- Free ticket betwen Sydney - HK (30000 + 1.5 * 2500, pay own taxes/surcharges)
- Free domestic QF ticket per year (can use it to fly to Sydney for HK trip), or one night free hotel night somewhere in HK ......

All for $395.

____________________________________________________

Actual offer:
The American Express Platinum Credit Card

T&Cs:
Terms & Conditions

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Nice Find..thanks.



OK...for those like me who already have a Rewards Maximiser Gold.

• Plat earns 1.5 where Max will drop to 1.25 after March (though after $100,000 this drops to 1)
• I get a free limited domestic flight (desitnations and also blackout periods/ school holidays hard to get etc..) or hotel accommodation.
• Travel Insurance..though I assume only if purchased on the card.
• 30,000 sign on bonus.

Cost

• My Maximiser currently is free as the fee gets waived. with Plat...I think the best that occurs is that about $100 can be knocked off. So will have to pay $395 in the first year...maybea bit less in other years. However Supp cards are free = $20 saving.

Ignoring the flight and other benefits..

• If I value a FF point as being worth 2cents (ie long haul economy international)

$395 = (395/ 0.25) /).02 = $79,000 of spend to break even (ie once there is a 0.25 advantage)

So short haul international would have a higher break even.

• If I value a FF point as being worth 4cents (ie long haul business international)

$395 = (395/ 0.25) /).04 = $39,500 of spend to break even

• If you only value points at 1 cent...thenthe card would cost your more than it can make in extra FF points.

Sign On Bonus.

• But with the Bonus in Year 1. At 2 cents this is worth $600. At 4 cents is worth $1200.

SUMMARY
Individual circumstances such as yearly spend (including whether a limited domestic flight is of real value) will determine whether this card is better value that the Max afrer year one. Though with the sign on bonus Year one is a ok to great deal depending how you value points.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

http://www.americanexpress.com/australia/pdfs/qantas_flights_matrix.pdf

Departure City
Arrival Cities ​

[FONT=Arial,Arial]Adelaide [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Brisbane [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Canberra [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Melbourne [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Sydney [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Brisbane [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Adelaide [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Canberra [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Melbourne [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Sydney [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Canberra [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Adelaide [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Brisbane [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Melbourne [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Sydney [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Darwin [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Adelaide [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Brisbane [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Sydney [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Perth [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Hobart [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Melbourne [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Melbourne [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Adelaide [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Brisbane [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Canberra [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Hobart [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Sydney [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Perth [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Adelaide [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Melbourne [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Sydney [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Sydney [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Adelaide [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Brisbane [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Canberra [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Arial]Melbourne [/FONT]​

 

[lovetravellingoz]

or one night free hotel night somewhere in HK ......

Free hotel night yes..but not in Hong Kong.

There is a limited list of Hotels...all in Australia.

http://www.americanexpress.com/australia/pdfs/hotels_platinum_credit.pdf

However I am off to Cairns next year...and there are some Cairns Hotels so in Year One it might be good for me.

 

[nowork]

* Offer only available to new Card applicants who apply via this web page and are approved by 15 December 2008

What does it mean by new card applicants? If i already have a Rewards Maximiser does this mean i wont get the point advantage or if you want to upgrade the card to the platinum?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

* Offer only available to new Card applicants who apply via this web page and are approved by 15 December 2008

What does it mean by new card applicants? If i already have a Rewards Maximiser does this mean i wont get the point advantage or if you want to upgrade the card to the platinum?

Normally it is specific to the Card type...not the company...so it most likely will exclude only those who already have a Platinum direct with Amex.

 

[MicoPico]

Does anyone know if upgrading to Plat CC (i.e. cancelling my current Reward Max card) will affect my current MYREWARD bonus promo? Or the promo is based on my MR account and changing cards will not affect it?

Assuming they are still honouring the original TandC, the last thing I want is to lose the promo because of the upgrade.

 

[tgh]

another hiccup .. or am I missing something ??

Offer say 1.1 mm>qff... and there is nothing in the offer page or the t&c page to the effect that the ascent membership will not allow qff transfer after march.

 

[oz_mark]

another hiccup .. or am I missing something ??

Offer say 1.1 mm>qff... and there is nothing in the offer page or the t&c page to the effect that the ascent membership will not allow qff transfer after march.

I guess a hiccup. The text says

It gives you access to 6 leading international airline reward partners including Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines

so they have dropped QF from their count!

 

[Flashback]

http://www.americanexpress.com/australia/pdfs/qantas_flights_matrix.pdf

This has been great value for me, I just recently booked a flight for the Christmas period, and the cheapest was $622 return. I redeemed my AMEX flight instead and it cost me my annual fee

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Does anyone know if upgrading to Plat CC (i.e. cancelling my current Reward Max card) will affect my current MYREWARD bonus promo? Or the promo is based on my MR account and changing cards will not affect it?

Assuming they are still honouring the original TandC, the last thing I want is to lose the promo because of the upgrade.

Why would you take the risk with such a generous promo?

Better safe than sorry...

* Offer only available to new Card applicants who apply via this web page and are approved by 15 December 2008 and after the first $500 spend on their Platinum credit Card within 3 months of approval. Please allow 6-8 weeks after first $500 spend on this Card for the 30,000 Membership Rewards points to be credited to your account.

I will join up in early Dec to get in by Dec 15..but I will keep using my existong Maximiser till Dec 31.

Plus with the 100,000 points cap in a year for the 1.5 rate....I will aquire MR points on both until April when the Max will drop till 1.5.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

This has been great value for me, I just recently booked a flight for the Christmas period, and the cheapest was $622 return. I redeemed my AMEX flight instead and it cost me my annual fee

Yes very handy if you live in Perth...or can originate a flight there.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I guess a hiccup. The text says



so they have dropped QF from their count!

I am guessing that like other Card Programs that by April you will be givena choice...direct sweep to QFF, or retain in MR with ability to go to 6 airlines but not Qants.

But who knows...maybe the Plat Card will reatin the QF option.

Interesting the text says that :

1 point = 1 Qantas Frequent Flyer Point³

 

[oz_mark]

I am guessing that like other Card Programs that by April you will be givena choice...direct sweep to QFF, or retain in MR with ability to go to 6 airlines but not Qants.

But who knows...maybe the Plat Card will reatin the QF option.

Interesting the text says that :

1 point = 1 Qantas Frequent Flyer Point³

The Plat Charge card will be retaining QFF (in Ascent premium), but the Plat Credit Card will not.

 

[MicoPico]

Why would you take the risk with such a generous promo?

Better safe than sorry...

* Offer only available to new Card applicants who apply via this web page and are approved by 15 December 2008 and after the first $500 spend on their Platinum credit Card within 3 months of approval. Please allow 6-8 weeks after first $500 spend on this Card for the 30,000 Membership Rewards points to be credited to your account.

I will join up in early Dec to get in by Dec 15..but I will keep using my existong Maximiser till Dec 31.

Plus with the 100,000 points cap in a year for the 1.5 rate....I will aquire MR points on both until April when the Max will drop till 1.5.

The only reason why I was thinking of closing my Maximiser account is that my membership is up for renewal in mid-Nov. I don't want to pay two lots ($196 + 395) for membership if I can keep my MYREWARD promo.

But you are probably right, paying the extra $196 may be more than worth it if I can earn xx_,000 bonus points through MYREWARD.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The only reason why I was thinking of closing my Maximiser account is that my membership is up for renewal in mid-Nov. .

I do not know what your yearly spend is...but if it is more than $20K you probably have a good chance of it being waived.

 

[MicoPico]

I do not know what your yearly spend is...but if it is more than $20K you probably have a good chance of it being waived.

Any tips in trying ask them to waive? Simply asking them to waive because I don't want to pay the fee? or I need to pretend I am cancelling?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Any tips in trying ask them to waive? Simply asking them to waive because I don't want to pay the fee? or I need to pretend I am cancelling?

Well I would not pretend that you are cancelling...with your hefty "no limits" point balance they may accept!!!!!

If your spend has been reasonable just ask nicely for it to be waived...

 

[MicoPico]

Very true... they may see the "MYREWARD" and then more than happy to see me cancelling the card

 

[JohnK]

- Almost Sydney - Hong Kong return on Y (via Virgin Atlantic with their special promotion of 25% discount, requires 33750 points)

This sounds like a good deal. But with no status is there any chance of getting a forward aisle seat when booking the flight?