Qantas Premium card 'vs' Gold Rewards Maximizer

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Evan

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Dec 26, 2006
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Hello,

I currently have a gold rewards maximizer and looking at the qantas premium card attempting to figure out which is better for me.

I use this card as well as my ANZ Gold QFF Visa (All my savings etc accounts are with ANZ)
I have QP lifetime membership so the invites are no real use.

Travel insurance would be useful for my private trips. Amex seems better than ANZ.

I also plan to look at what i should do with my ANZ card, ie should i make it platinum.
I dont really see myself using point anywhere but QFF (Krisflyer maybe).

Anyt thoughts appreciated.
Thanks, Evan
 
G'day Evan, welcome to AFF.

Unless you would use your AMEX card it to purchase a lot of Qantas product and AMEX's Bonus Partners for the card, I believe you would be better off sticking with the 1½ points per $ from the Maximizer over the 1¼ of the Qantas premium card.

Also, you have more control over where to use your MR points with Ascent.

One issue you mention is the insurance aspect; if this is better for you through the Amex cover then you will need to consider how it would benefit you.

YMMV.
 
Last edited:
Hello,

Thanks for the welcome, i have lurked for a little while and since i am doing more flying and find the site useful i thought i should join as a proper member.

I think your right, and the do nothing option (stay with the rewards maximizer) is the no pain option :)

Got me thinking, i hadn't checked my SQ points expiring for a little while, logged in, found out somehow i was now silver (who cares and i cant believe i flew that much on SQ in the last year, attempting to block the memories from my mind of MEL - SIN - NRT, and back in Y class i think, yes and with a 6 hour stopover, just love that company travel policy), i an 500 short of a reward flight i will take later in the year so i can see the value of Acsent points sometimes.

Evan
 
I was just having a look at the AMEX Rewards Maximiser and I notice on the info page here
Rewards Maximiser Gold Credit Card - American Express Australia
Your points can be used with both major Australian airlines, including Virgin Blue.
But looking at the Ascent page there's no mention of Velocity.
American Express Australia - Membership Rewards Ascent
Is there some trick to getting these points on to Virgin Blue? Or is it a straight 1:1 transfer to Velocity and the Ascent page just hasn't caught up?
 
The other factor in your decison can be avoiding the yearly fee......and the importance of this is relative to how much you spend on Amex.

Swapping to the new card can give you a free year...


ie $192/195.

If you value at 1c / point...and have to pay a yearly fee.


@ 1.5 earn = $12,800 before you get "into the black".

@ 1.25 earn = $15,600

ie below this you would be better off using a free card such as Citibank VISA (if you got it on the free for life deal) with an earn rate of 1.0....or if not evena free card such as Wizard with no points...)


The difference between 1.5 & 1,25 earn....if the 1.25 is free and the 1.5 is chargeable..


You would need to spend an extra (192/0.25 ) x 100 = $76,800 to be in front on the Maximiser Card...more if you spend on QANTAS products with its eran rate of 2.25.

Depending on how you value points for your burn....the break even points change.


A similar argument applies if you can get the Maximiser free for a year (but in your case you already have it (and so must pay???)



Now I spend about $40/60K per year on Amex anda similar amount on VISA (ie I use AMEX where I can and then use VISA where AMEX is not accepted.


So at my AMEX spend the fee free is a very important factor.

I currently have :
  • a fee free AMEX with Westpac (due to my mortgae)...but with an earn rate of 1.0 ( i no longer use it...but am keeping it for possible use if I run out of free AMEx cards witha higher eran rate.
  • Have just secured my second QANTAS card 7 months after the first...so my fee free period has been extended toa total of 7+12 = 19 months.
Now the Maximiser has a higher earn rate and is free for the first year....and you can have a QANTAS and Maximiser at once....but then you may have to pay for both. So for my circumstances where the fee free is a vital part of my value....my straegy is to keep the Maximiser to swap to next.

Getting the 17,500 bounus points has so far swung me to QANTAS..partcularly as I think I am about to get a second bonus....and I am keeping the Maximiser to swap too next.


Now those diverting to AA and not QFFwill want the maximiser...but if they are payinga fee the value of their points is discountred.
 
lovetravellingoz said:
Swapping to the new card can give you a free year...

Is there some easy process to swap between cards on AMEX? Or do you basically have to go through the whole application process with all its tricks and traps?
 
Having never done it before but i would have thought that as long as it was a swap, ie close one card and transfer to another then they would just do it with no application as such. But this is a Amex we are talking about here anything is possible.

Evan
 
SeaWolf said:
Is there some easy process to swap between cards on AMEX? Or do you basically have to go through the whole application process with all its tricks and traps?
Generally you will find that if you are upgrading a credit card, eg from Amex blue to Gold, then this does not require an application.

I think a Qantas Premium credit card does not fall in the same category therefore requiring a new application.
 
SeaWolf said:
Is there some easy process to swap between cards on AMEX? Or do you basically have to go through the whole application process with all its tricks and traps?
I recently swapped from a "normal" AMEX to a Qantas Ultimate card using the online application form. I had to fill in all the usual full application questions, however the new card arrived in about a week and no employee or id checks were done...that I know of. Old card was automatically cancelled when the new one was activated.
 
I was thinking of applying for the QANTAS Premium for the bonus points (if that offer is still running) and then switching to the Rewards Maximiser a few months later for the better earn rate.
 
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