Strategy to obtain US Amex

[Triben]

Aus to US points transfer is frustratingly slow at the moment - must be a very manual process

8 days now; by the time the carrier pigeons deposit the points in the US, there’s a very real chance the award seats I’m looking at will be gone

Yes, I have processed the points transfer same time as you but no update yet (process with US team), I have process again with AU team.
let see what will happen.

 

[Grrr]

Yes, I have processed the points transfer same time as you but no update yet (process with US team), I have process again with AU team.

Mine disappeared from my Aus account 4 days ago, but have not appeared in my US account yet

When my wife did this earlier in the year, the whole process was 4-5 days

 

[albyd]

Aus to US points transfer is frustratingly slow at the moment - must be a very manual process

Let's hope there aren't too many AU to US transfers compared to others so they don't stand out like a sore thumb or someone at Amex might be liable to "complain" and Amex US putting a stop to it and closing down this valuable route we have now AU MR are being devalued so much with more likely to come when the RBA decides on a start date for the new regime.

 

[xiaobaipp]

I'm using a combination:

• CSP which is 3.3x on dining (with 10% annual bonus);
• US Citi Strata Premier which is 3x on Supermarkets & 3x on hotel stays including dining within hotels
• AMEX Plat with 5X for airlines including on the Qantas marketplace includes Woolies gift cards - this one is a bit of an expensive one - need to make the rebates pay - I've just got it so jury's out.

I think the only "catch-all" cards are the 2X on all categories like the C1 cards if you can get them.

At the current exchange rate of $A1=$US0.65, that works out to:

• 2x = 1.3 pp$A (better than using an AU Platinum AMEX just without the stigma of asking if Amex is accepted)
• 3x=1.95 pp$A
• 5x = 3.25 pp$A

That's before any QF points.

YMMV

PS: Keen to hear others' experiences.

why not the alaska Atmos card, where you get 3x on every international transactions?

 

[albyd]

I haven’t looked at the Atmos card closely. Is there any gotchas like a foreign transaction fee? Who is the issuing bank, how hard is it to get one and do they get precious if mostly all the transactions are outside the US? Sounds very interesting otherwise.

 

[levelnine]

I haven’t looked at the Atmos card closely. Is there any gotchas like a foreign transaction fee? Who is the issuing bank, how hard is it to get one and do they get precious if mostly all the transactions are outside the US? Sounds very interesting otherwise.

No FTF. Issued by BOA. TBD if they'll care about 100% foreign spend — they've pitched the card to US expats (they have different categories of community, and one is that) so they're clearly expecting some people to do it.

 

[Grrr]

Sounds very interesting otherwise.

But you’re not earning universal rewards that can be transferred (as with Chase/C1/Amex), you’re earning Alaska points that may or may not have flights you can redeem with a partner airline ??

 

[Franko Costa]

I'm using a combination:

• CSP which is 3.3x on dining (with 10% annual bonus);
• US Citi Strata Premier which is 3x on Supermarkets & 3x on hotel stays including dining within hotels
• AMEX Plat with 5X for airlines including on the Qantas marketplace includes Woolies gift cards - this one is a bit of an expensive one - need to make the rebates pay - I've just got it so jury's out.

I think the only "catch-all" cards are the 2X on all categories like the C1 cards if you can get them.

At the current exchange rate of $A1=$US0.65, that works out to:

• 2x = 1.3 pp$A (better than using an AU Platinum AMEX just without the stigma of asking if Amex is accepted)
• 3x=1.95 pp$A
• 5x = 3.25 pp$A

That's before any QF points.

YMMV

PS: Keen to hear others' experiences.

Nice work. I didn't realise it was 3x supermarkets. I just got approved for Strata Elite but might need to downgrade to Premier after 12 months

 

[Waddygib]

I'm using a combination:

• CSP which is 3.3x on dining (with 10% annual bonus);
• US Citi Strata Premier which is 3x on Supermarkets & 3x on hotel stays including dining within hotels
• AMEX Plat with 5X for airlines including on the Qantas marketplace includes Woolies gift cards - this one is a bit of an expensive one - need to make the rebates pay - I've just got it so jury's out.

I think the only "catch-all" cards are the 2X on all categories like the C1 cards if you can get them.

At the current exchange rate of $A1=$US0.65, that works out to:

• 2x = 1.3 pp$A (better than using an AU Platinum AMEX just without the stigma of asking if Amex is accepted)
• 3x=1.95 pp$A
• 5x = 3.25 pp$A

That's before any QF points.

YMMV

PS: Keen to hear others' experiences.

These bonus rates still work if you are transacting in AUD? I would have thought the market code ore-empts the industry code when they tag transactions for points earn

 

[albyd]

These bonus rates still work if you are transacting in AUD? I would have thought the market code ore-empts the industry code when they tag transactions for points earn

These rates are currently working IME though guessing that’s subject to change. In which case 1x at the current exchange rate of approx. 0.65c would only be competitive against AU bank issued cards.

 

[DC3]

Let's hope there aren't too many AU to US transfers compared to others so they don't stand out like a sore thumb or someone at Amex might be liable to "complain" and Amex US putting a stop to it and closing down this valuable route we have now …

Perhaps time to start following the first rule of the Fight Club