Qantas Premium AMEX or Rewards Maximiser Gold Credit Card

[nowork]

Hi guys,

I currently have a Qantas Premium AMEX which I have taken advantage off with the first up bonus points and the 1.25 points per dollar etc, but am looking at changing it to the Rewards Maximiser Card as this card offers 1.5 points per $1 and you can use for whatever you like if you dont want to just use for Qantas and also other airlines I believe.

The other reason is that I still haven't received my Qantas Club Invitations and went overseas during the year and did not have them. I have called them up but they seem so slack.

I was wondering if anyone thinks I should go the Rewards Maximiser or try upgrade to Qantas Ultimate for the extra bonus points?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


Cheers.

 

[serfty]

Absolutely; the Amex Ascent/Spririt program have far more flexibility than simply directing the points to Qantas automatically.

If you do want them to go to Qantas you can do so very easily in lots of 2000 or more.

 

[nowork]

Okay another silly question, whats the difference between Ascent and Spirit?

 

[serfty]

They are names of the two Amex programs that allow transfer of MR points to QFF.

In the case of the AMEX rewards maximzer, Ascent is the go.

More here: https://www.americanexpress.com/australia/personal/cards/rewards/programinfo_ascent.shtml

BTW, welcome to AFF.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Hi guys,


I was wondering if anyone thinks I should go the Rewards Maximiser or try upgrade to Qantas Ultimate for the extra bonus points?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


Cheers.

Lets consider:

Well they both earn at 1.5 points per $. Though Qnatas spend on Ultimate will earn at 2.5.

Max is currently free for the first year..Ultimate is $395, but with a fre domestic flight toa limited number of locations.


So what suits you...at what cost and for what intended gain.

What is you likely yearly spend and where do you mainly spend?

What benefits do you want froma card...and how will you seek to burn your points?

ie with Ultimate your points go straight to QFF...with Maximiser you can keep them for various redemptions including several airlines including Qantas.



In my case I seek maximum total points for lowest possible cost.

So after a free 18 months on two Premium Cards with combined sign on bonuses of 35K (which more than offset any loss from its lower eran rate of 1.25 ,particularly as I had some Qantas spend at 2.25 as well)..I have moved onto the Maximiser with its free months and higher eran rate of 1.5 (compared to 1.25).

The higher earn rate is handy to me now as I now paying 3 sets of school fees and the schoolk has recently started accpting Amex. rather than just VISA/MC.

When my Premium becomes due..i will ask for the $195 to be waived so that I can keep it for Qnatas spend...but if they decline I will axe it.


With my Maximiser I will seek likewise....and as over the next year it will probably have had $50-70K pumped through it I will imagine they will say yes.

I use cash where it is cheaper...and Citibank free for life VISA with an earn rate of 1.0 where they do not take AMEX or charge extra to do so.


I build points to make redemptions for international flights...normally 5 economy tickets at a time for my family of 5. I am thinking about some RTW tickets as my next redemption, though am off to Noumea next March with 5 redemptions, after 5 tickets to Thailand 18 months back.

I pay for only about 6 flights a year and so moving points to AA is not attractive to me. If you fly a lot AA may be attractive.

I manily redeem now with QANTAs, but use to redeem with Ansett.

Having the Maximiser now has increased options for me with whom I redeem....and so I will stockpile most new points there....with some already stashed at QFF in the names of my family of 5....and some old points ina Westpac Altitde account now no longer used...except for some minor spend to keep it active (the card is free).


But that is me....what are your goals?

 

[nowork]

Thanks for that, since I have got you :mrgreen:

If you are first up signing up to AMEX, would you go the QANTAS ULTIMATE or the Platinum Card..........Question for a friend of mine.

I thought maybe the Qantas one first, just to rack up some quick points and then change to the Platinum afterwoods.


Thanks again.

 

[nowork]

What is you likely yearly spend and where do you mainly spend?

I try to spend every expense on my Amex to take advantage of the points. Only two things i cannot get done, is the rent and shopping at a farm. Everything else goes on AMEX.

What benefits do you want froma card...and how will you seek to burn your points?

I thought the Qantas would be enought, but after reading about some of the AMEX Reward things, I would prefer to be able to use for all sorts of things

But that is me....what are your goals?

To get as many points as possible for not only travelling, but to be able to purchase anything. :mrgreen:

Thanks for all your help guys.

---------------

Is the Travel Insurance good on the AMEX Premium?

 

[casp]

Hi guys,

I currently have a Qantas Premium AMEX which I have taken advantage off with the first up bonus points and the 1.25 points per dollar etc, but am looking at changing it to the Rewards Maximiser Card as this card offers 1.5 points per $1 and you can use for whatever you like if you dont want to just use for Qantas and also other airlines I believe.

The other reason is that I still haven't received my Qantas Club Invitations and went overseas during the year and did not have them. I have called them up but they seem so slack.

That's excatelly my situation. I still haven't got my club invitation and called them several times. AE said they have post it to me in August and posted a replacement one recently but so far I got nothing.
I have just cancelled my Qantas Preimum card yesterday and transferred the balance/credit limit to my new Reward Maximiser. They said I will even have partial annual fee refund.
Reward Maximiser is a lot better than Qantas Preimum, not just 0.25 extra point per dollor, you can also transfer the points to other frequent flyer programs such as Virgin Atlantic Flying club. A return business class seats to Hong Kong with Qantas require 120000 points but just 80000 with Virgin Atlantic. Moreover, Virgin Atlantic got much better availability on the reward seats.
Therefore, don't wait anymore, apply your reward max card now!

 

[nowork]

That's excatelly my situation. I still haven't got my club invitation and called them several times. AE said they have post it to me in August and posted a replacement one recently but so far I got nothing.
I have just cancelled my Qantas Preimum card yesterday and transferred the balance/credit limit to my new Reward Maximiser. They said I will even have partial annual fee refund.
Reward Maximiser is a lot better than Qantas Preimum, not just 0.25 extra point per dollor, you can also transfer the points to other frequent flyer programs such as Virgin Atlantic Flying club. A return business class seats to Hong Kong with Qantas require 120000 points but just 80000 with Virgin Atlantic. Moreover, Virgin Atlantic got much better availability on the reward seats.
Therefore, don't wait anymore, apply your reward max card now!

Hi, Did you call them to cancel your card or just do it online?


Cheers.

 

[nowork]

DONE, applied now. Bring on the Rewards Max Card.

 

[sparoy]

I have the Rewards Max card and my wife has the Qantas Premium card with me as the additional card holder.
I tend to use the Rewards Max and only use Qantas Premium for Qantas services to get the additional point.
I find the Rewards Max has more bonus point’s promotion i.e. the current Opt in to Earn 10 Bonus Points for every $1 spent promotion.

I have recently received an invitation to "upgrade" my Rewards Max to Qantas Ultimate with up to 30,000 QFF bonus and free annual fee for the first year, but I have to transfer the Rewards Max to Qantas Ultimate.

I'm tempted to take the offer but I don't want to lose the Rewards Max card.
Surely they can just give me the Qantas Ultimate first year free annual fee offer but retain my Rewards Max card?

 

[JohnK]

I'm tempted to take the offer but I don't want to lose the Rewards Max card.
Surely they can just give me the Qantas Ultimate first year free annual fee offer but retain my Rewards Max card?

You do not have to accept their offer of a replacement product.

You can still apply, before 31 December 2007, for the Qantas Ultimate card and ask to keep your Rewards Maximiser card but there is no annual fee waiver. Is 30,000 FF points worth $395?

 

[straitman]

Is 30,000 FF points worth $395?

If used judiciously the answer is a resounding 'YES' :!:

 

[sparoy]

I have recently received an invitation to "upgrade" my Rewards Max to Qantas Ultimate with up to 30,000 QFF bonus and free annual fee for the first year, but I have to transfer the Rewards Max to Qantas Ultimate.

I'm tempted to take the offer but I don't want to lose the Rewards Max card.
Surely they can just give me the Qantas Ultimate first year free annual fee offer but retain my Rewards Max card?

OK, let's say I took the offer to upgrade and lose my Rewards Max card.

Is there anything stopping me to apply for a new Rewards Max card again in the near future? (And get free annual fee again for 1st year).
Once I got the Rewards Max card again, I won't renew the Qantas Ultimate (unless of course they waive the fee again, unlikely but you never know)

Does anyone see any problem with this strategy?

 

[serfty]

My invite to "upgrade" from the Reward maximizer to a Qantas premium card was very vague in the fact that I would no longer earn any MR points - all 'points' would go to QantasFF.

The fine print indicated advised that if I did, indeed, upgrade, I would have 30 days to divest myself of any MR points I had accumulated or they would expire.

I binned the invitation as I prefer to have the flexibility of MR points than QFF points with this cc.