Amex Platinum Edge Complimentary Flights - Worth It?

[Renato1]

I noticed that the American Express Platinum Edge card gives one free complimentary flight a year on Virgin flights in Australia in the Saver fare range, subject to availability.

My wife and I are retired, so that flexibility isn't an issue - except that I don't want to go anywhere in summer, because Melbourne is the best place to be as far as I am concerned.

Have other card holders found the Amex complimentary flight feature useful, or has it been difficult to get flights near when you wanted them?

And if you think it a good feature, should I pay $200 for my wife to get her own card so that hopefully we could get complimentary flights on the same flight - or is that an unrealistic expectation?

I'd appreciate your thoughts thanks.
Regards,
Renato

 

[AviationNZ]

I noticed that the American Express Platinum Edge card gives one free complimentary flight a year on Virgin flights in Australia in the Saver fare range, subject to availability.

My wife and I are retired, so that flexibility isn't an issue - except that I don't want to go anywhere in summer, because Melbourne is the best place to be as far as I am concerned.

Have other card holders found the Amex complimentary flight feature useful, or has it been difficult to get flights near when you wanted them?

And if you think it a good feature, should I pay $200 for my wife to get her own card so that hopefully we could get complimentary flights on the same flight - or is that an unrealistic expectation?

I'd appreciate your thoughts thanks.
Regards,
Renato

I've never had an issue getting the complimentary flight and have booked it as close as to 2 weeks prior to travel. I definitely think the annual fee pays itself off with that benefit alone. I'm pretty certain on major routes like SYD-MEL, etc you should be able to get two seats on the same flight if booked enough in advance.

 

[Renato1]

I've never had an issue getting the complimentary flight and have booked it as close as to 2 weeks prior to travel. I definitely think the annual fee pays itself off with that benefit alone. I'm pretty certain on major routes like SYD-MEL, etc you should be able to get two seats on the same flight if booked enough in advance.

Thanks. That's reassuring for someone like me who has zilch by way of experience in this.
Regards,
Renato

 

[LordGarlic]

Renato1, please check your PM as I am happy to refer you if you need a referral for a 15K amex platimun edge signup bonus.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

Some years I use the free flight, other years it's helped to pay for the annual fee

Got to love FIFO workers from the east coast needing to get back regularly from Perth.

I'd say if you live in Perth you'd be crazy not to get this card as you could be saving up to $800 for a return ticket depending on the time of year.

I've never had an issue making a booking, even when it was about a month out for an over Christmas booking from PER to BNE. If only miles reward seat availability was so easy

 

[Spongbob]

The range of flights available is pretty restrictive, as it depends on the city you want to fly from/to.

 

[Danger UXB]

Hi Renato1
I have used the plat edge flight and plat reserve flight successfully for a number of years. The plat edge gets you as for north as Brisbane. I always book two at a time ie waiting til the end of the year and on anniversary day of the card booking 2 flights one for the past year and one for the forthcoming year. They automatically allow you a 2 week window after card anniversary day to do this which I have had extended to 4 weeks on request. Last week I booked for Mrs UXB and mini UXB to go to see the inlaws in the gold coast (ie to BNE) in the Sept school hols, the virgin price for the seats I wanted $1100+. Even better as I get my plat edge fee free with my small business green
Hope this helps

 

[Renato1]

Some years I use the free flight, other years it's helped to pay for the annual fee

Got to love FIFO workers from the east coast needing to get back regularly from Perth.

I'd say if you live in Perth you'd be crazy not to get this card as you could be saving up to $800 for a return ticket depending on the time of year.

I've never had an issue making a booking, even when it was about a month out for an over Christmas booking from PER to BNE. If only miles reward seat availability was so easy

Thanks. Your booking experience is encouraging, and Perth is where my wife wants to go.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

The range of flights available is pretty restrictive, as it depends on the city you want to fly from/to.

Thanks. Though I suspect for retirees it shouldn't be as big a problem, as opposed to working people.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Hi Renato1
I have used the plat edge flight and plat reserve flight successfully for a number of years. The plat edge gets you as for north as Brisbane. I always book two at a time ie waiting til the end of the year and on anniversary day of the card booking 2 flights one for the past year and one for the forthcoming year. They automatically allow you a 2 week window after card anniversary day to do this which I have had extended to 4 weeks on request. Last week I booked for Mrs UXB and mini UXB to go to see the inlaws in the gold coast (ie to BNE) in the Sept school hols, the virgin price for the seats I wanted $1100+. Even better as I get my plat edge fee free with my small business green
Hope this helps

Now that is darn interesting, thanks.

I didn't know one could do that. I've just applied for the card and this is the time of year in Melbourne when it would be good to go north. I've never been to Queensland.

So my wife wants to go to Perth and I want to go to Brisbane. Between FF points and this card, I suspcet we'll knock both over next year.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Mrs 340 booked her flight for this membership year only a week out. Hopefully you shouldn't have any issues getting a flight of your choice.

 

[Danger UXB]

Now that is darn interesting, thanks.

I didn't know one could do that. I've just applied for the card and this is the time of year in Melbourne when it would be good to go north. I've never been to Queensland.

So my wife wants to go to Perth and I want to go to Brisbane. Between FF points and this card, I suspcet we'll knock both over next year.
Cheers,
Renato

perth not possible from melbourne with this card. Yes I always book my tickets in 2's so one trip every 2 yrs. the call center are quite happy for you to do this

 

[ozbeachbabe]

The only issue with Amex VA free tickets is that you won't earn ff points or SC whereas QF tickets do plus it also counts as a squiggle (~) flight.

perth not possible from melbourne with this card. Yes I always book my tickets in 2's so one trip every 2 yrs. the call center are quite happy for you to do this

Would they book both pax in the one pnr or do they insist on two pnrs?

 

[RB]

The only issue with Amex VA free tickets is that you won't earn ff points or SC whereas QF tickets do plus it also counts as a squiggle (~) flight.



Would they book both pax in the one pnr or do they insist on two pnrs?

My experience was 1 pnr

 

[Renato1]

perth not possible from melbourne with this card. Yes I always book my tickets in 2's so one trip every 2 yrs. the call center are quite happy for you to do this

Oh well - Perth with FF points then.

Actually, it doesn't really matter - my wife just wants to go on a short vacation in the years we don't go to Europe. The only hassle is organising the cat and feeding the fish.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Mrs 340 booked her flight for this membership year only a week out. Hopefully you shouldn't have any issues getting a flight of your choice.

Plainly, most seem to have no problem booking the complimentary trip.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[burmans]

I've never had any issue, last year got 4 of us from Sydney to Adelaide (2 years flights for 2) Friday pm on the weekend Womadelaide was on about two months out, no issues getting the flight time I wanted.

 

[Renato1]

I've never had any issue, last year got 4 of us from Sydney to Adelaide (2 years flights for 2) Friday pm on the weekend Womadelaide was on about two months out, no issues getting the flight time I wanted.

This keeps sounding better and better.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Alanslegal]

I book my flights right at the end of my member year and then when my year resets I then book flight for my partner, that way we don't pay for our journey interstate.

 

[Renato1]

I applied for an upgrade to my Amex Discovery card to the Amex Platinum Edge card last Tuesday, for the extra points. I hadn't heard anything more from them. So today, six days later, I used my Discovery card as per usual, got home and checked how much I owed them.

I didn't notice it at first, but the account is now listed as "Professionals Platinum Edge Card" with a different card number to my Discovery card.

Obviously Amex are very efficient, but one would have thought they'd have told me they'd approved the card.
Cheers,
Renato