Qantas - which card?

[Matt_r]

I have an Amex Rewards Maximiser (1.5 points/$), which as we all know will stop being able to transfer points to Qantas. I've also got an Earth MC & Amex (0.5 & 1.0 pts/$).

I put about $30k/year on my Amex (the Earth Amex doesn't get used), and I'm wondering if I should replace my Rewards Maximiser with say a Blue Sky card for the $0 annual fee, and just use the Earth cards - the annual fee on the Qantas Amex cards doesn't seem worth the extra half a point per dollar.

Amex sent me out a Plat credit card form the other week - does that have access to Ascent Premium, or is that only if you have a charge card?

What are all you other rewards maximiser people doing?

 

[Flashback]

Amex sent me out a Plat credit card form the other week - does that have access to Ascent Premium, or is that only if you have a charge card?

It is only the Platinum Charge Card that has access to Ascent Premium.

I believe this is a new card, AMEX Rewards Advantage Card that has this extra flexibility also; but not sure how easy it is to get.

 

[HardieBoys]

I'm starting to look at this issue as well. Westpac have a Platinum Earth card ($250) which earns 1.5 points/$1 on the Amex card, and 0.5 points/$1 on the Mastercard. If you apply before 31 March 2009, the fee is $125.

The Qantas American Express Premium card ($249) earns 1.25 points/$1, plus bonus points on selected Qantas products if purchased in Australia. There are bonus points added (5000 points after the first spend, 2500 points after the first spend on Qantas products).

Diners club have a business card product that currently has $0 joining fee, $0 rewards membership fee, with a 1 point/$1 spend. The problem is, few people accept Diners, and there's often an extra surcharge to use it. That all said, given it costs nothing, I might get it, and use it as a supplementary/emergency card overseas.

 

[codash1099]

It is only the Platinum Charge Card that has access to Ascent Premium.

I believe this is a new card, AMEX Rewards Advantage Card that has this extra flexibility also; but not sure how easy it is to get.

The Rewards Advantage card does have access to Ascent Premium. However, I think that it is available by invitation only. From what I can see, it doesn't appear anywhere on the Amex site.

 

[medhead]

The Qantas American Express Premium card ($249) earns 1.25 points/$1, plus bonus points on selected Qantas products if purchased in Australia. There are bonus points added (5000 points after the first spend, 2500 points after the first spend on Qantas products).

The bonus points mentioned are given on the base Qantas AMEX. The Qantas AMEX premium gets 2 qantas club invitations per year.