The Explorer Credit Card (New AMEX Card!)

[Ultan Lankford]

As a platinum charge card holder, will be new explorer account be automatically added to my ascent premium or will a gateway account be created, where by I get my bonus points. I hear various reports of both happening. If its the former I would have to unlink from ascent, link the gateway, get bonus points, relink to ascent.
Phew!
Hope that is possible with no major hickups.

 

[potm]

Yep, you have it correct. I think in the majority of cases it comes linked. Unlinking is easy. It's the relinking that is hard.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

As a platinum charge card holder, will be new explorer account be automatically added to my ascent premium or will a gateway account be created, where by I get my bonus points. I hear various reports of both happening. If its the former I would have to unlink from ascent, link the gateway, get bonus points, relink to ascent.
.

This is all discussed in detail earlier within the thread., including on what to do about it. But just quickly, those who already have an Ascent with the new Exploerer are randomlye put into either Ascent or Gateway.

 

[Lawrage]

An interesting one, had the Explorer first then got a Plat Charge a few weeks back. In the Amex site the Explorer was linked to Gateway and the Plat Charge to Ascent Premium.

Called up just to chance it and see if they can combine the accounts so I can get the Explorer earn on the Charge, was told not a chance, they are different on purpose.

Anyway 2 weeks later I login and notice my points are missing, I call up and am told the system automatically merged the cards and this happens all the time whereby the cards link up to the higher tier. They had to manually put the points back but overall very happy with this automated system.

Now lets hope the Plat Charge points come in, have met the spend and now the wait begins.

 

[fortunately]

hey guys I finally got my cc!

If you could answer my questions that would be great. This is my first ever cc that's why I am not sure what to do.

1. Do I need to link my cc and qantas FF profile?
2. Can I just start spending money and then easily transfer the point to my qantas FF account?
3. If I spend $1.5k in 2 months I will automatically get 100l bonus point to my account?

Please be patient, I am still learning

Thanks in advance!

 

[albyd]

Explorer gateway MR points can't be transferred to Qantas only ascent premium (Platinum charge card) can.
Plenty of other worthy airline transfer options with Explorer.

 

[potm]

No, no and yes.
This card under the gateway program cannot transfer to qantas (why would you want to anyway!)
If you get a platinum charge card with ascent premium then you will be able to.

 

[fortunately]

but here: https://www.americanexpress.com/au/...ref=http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au it says:

earn 100.000 bonus points

so I thought it's gonna be 100.000 points to use for booking flights with Qantass :/

 

[Steady]

but here: https://www.americanexpress.com/au/...ref=http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au it says:

earn 100.000 bonus points

so I thought it's gonna be 100.000 points to use for booking flights with Qantass :/

The Explorer is a good card and the MR points it came with are valuable

Now you have your first why not get another.... the Amex Qantas Ultimate comes with over 100k of QF points if that is what you are chasing. You can find the referral thread (including mine ) here

 

[Cruiser Elite]

There were a few posts earlier questioning the value of the $400 Travel Credit. I am off to Shanghai tomorrow and just booked 2nts at Le Royal Meridien on Nanjing Lu - $254/nt for Grand Deluxe rm king bed - total $508 less $400 = $108 balance which I paid on Explorer. Best I can see direct with Hotel is $245 - admittedly neither these rates include brekky but whatever - in this case the $400 Travel Credit does indeed appear to me to be a 'real' $400.

 

[Abdul_A350]

Nobody would dispute it is worth $400 in a case like that. The problem is when people cannot find a use like that, or have to compromise to do so.

I used a $200 credit a couple of years back for a five-night Hilton booking when I had Diamond status, got no status benefits, and enjoyed two lectures about how I should have booked directly.

The next year I just let a $300 credit go unused.

The only point I was trying to make above is that it is not the same as having $400 in cash due to the various conditions imposed. Which is in any case obvious from the fact that Amex is prepared to offer a $400 credit for a $395 fee. They envisage either breakage or alteration of consumption behavior.

 

[imipenam]

There were a few posts earlier questioning the value of the $400 Travel Credit. I am off to Shanghai tomorrow and just booked 2nts at Le Royal Meridien on Nanjing Lu - $254/nt for Grand Deluxe rm king bed - total $508 less $400 = $108 balance which I paid on Explorer. Best I can see direct with Hotel is $245 - admittedly neither these rates include brekky but whatever - in this case the $400 Travel Credit does indeed appear to me to be a 'real' $400.

Hi CE, some members have reported only receiving one point per $ on overseas explorer spend in earlier posts. Can you kindly let us know what your overseas point earn is. Thanks in advance!

 

[Abdul_A350]

Hi CE, some members have reported only receiving one point per $ on overseas explorer spend in earlier posts.

I am not CE, but I would highly recommend writing to request that the additional points be credited for overseas spend. The calculation method they use to fix the problem appears to be somewhat, how should I say, generous.

And repeatable.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

The only point I was trying to make above is that it is not the same as having $400 in cash due to the various conditions imposed. Which is in any case obvious from the fact that Amex is prepared to offer a $400 credit for a $395 fee. They envisage either breakage or alteration of consumption behavior.

Abdul I really had no idea who posted this question earlier - I wasn't having a crack at you mate - merely making the point 400 clams is 400 clams in this instance.

From the time I saw this card first surface with the $400 Travel Credit it was just a no brainer IMHO - I would have thought most AFFers would spend $400 very easily on Accom in a relatively short time frame - but as usual I am prolly wrong.

Hi CE, some members have reported only receiving one point per $ on overseas explorer spend in earlier posts. Can you kindly let us know what your overseas point earn is. Thanks in advance!

No problemo - will post back ASAP.

 

[Abdul_A350]

I would have thought most AFFers would spend $400 very easily on Accom in a relatively short time frame

Agreed. But I usually stay at places where I have status, and the credit does not work for that. Next best is to use the Amex FHR rates so you can get an early checkin and late checkout and all the things you usually get with status, and then you find that the credit cannot be used for that. So I have found to date that I basically have to revert to being a no-status plebeian in order to use the status for accommodation. Less of a problem with using it for an airfare.

I did not take it as a 'crack', incidentally.

 

[jj92]

If I consolidate points from MR Gateway into MR Ascent do I forfeit points in Gateway? Or will they be transferred over to Ascent program. Reading mixed reports. Thanks

 

[kpc]

Hi CE, some members have reported only receiving one point per $ on overseas explorer spend in earlier posts. Can you kindly let us know what your overseas point earn is. Thanks in advance!

I had this issue a couple of months back i.e. only one point posted per AUD$ for OS spend...rang Amex who comfirmed there was a glitch in their software program which would be fixed, manually processed the difference (took 1 week)...I paid for something online in Euro the other day and was awarded 2 points per AUD$ spent....also my last statement had a note saying AMEX had fixed the glitch and would manually fix any previous shortfalls if brought to their attention

 

[Dr Ralph]

Still holding a Qantas American Express Premium Gold Card. Wanting to apply for this card.

Not sure if I'll get the bonus sign on points given the 18 month exclusion period indicated in their terms.

Should I cancel the Qantas American Express Premium Gold Card first and then apply or should I just apply for this card as well?

Reports of people getting the bonus points whilst still holding a Qantas American Express Premium Gold Card card or getting the points after cancelling this card and immediately applying for another card appreciated.

Additionally if I read the terms of the offer correctly is my thinking on the following correct?

I apply for this card. Don't get the bonus points because of the 18 month exclusion period. So I cop the $395 fee. But I would still get this ' $400 travel credit' even if I didn't happen to score the 100,000+ introductory points?

If so the risk may be worth it - especially given my fee is nearly due on the Qantas American Express Premium Gold Card.

 

[Steady]

Additionally if I read the terms of the offer correctly is my thinking on the following correct?

I apply for this card. Don't get the bonus points because of the 18 month exclusion period. So I cop the $395 fee. But I would still get this ' $400 travel credit' even if I didn't happen to score the 100,000+ introductory points?

Yes you will. The $400 travel credit is part of the standard card offering, nothing to do with the signup bonus

 

[Finale]

Still holding a Qantas American Express Premium Gold Card. Wanting to apply for this card.

Not sure if I'll get the bonus sign on points given the 18 month exclusion period indicated in their terms.

Should I cancel the Qantas American Express Premium Gold Card first and then apply or should I just apply for this card as well?

Reports of people getting the bonus points whilst still holding a Qantas American Express Premium Gold Card card or getting the points after cancelling this card and immediately applying for another card appreciated.

Additionally if I read the terms of the offer correctly is my thinking on the following correct?

I apply for this card. Don't get the bonus points because of the 18 month exclusion period. So I cop the $395 fee. But I would still get this ' $400 travel credit' even if I didn't happen to score the 100,000+ introductory points?

If so the risk may be worth it - especially given my fee is nearly due on the Qantas American Express Premium Gold Card.

I don't think it will make any difference to cancel or not. You will still get $400 travel credit. I decided to apply for this card knowing the risk but thought it was still a good deal without bonus points. I was looking for another Amex card to take statement credit offers anyway. Ended up with bonus points and almost $1000 statement credits after 3 months plus used travel credit for Easter flights. Very happy with this card.