Kia Ora everyone,
Hope this msg finds everyone well.
I just been approved for Amex Platinum Card. Was wondering what are the ways to maximize benefits from Platinum card. I know all the published benefits from Amex. Was wondering any tips and offers that is not published.
Thank you.
burst pipe? didn't know thats included in travel insurance
*home emergency cover
Thank you Madao, Just wondering How long you have been using the card for and does it justify to hold it for longer than a year?
I've had it since 2018. It's a hefty fee when it hits but when I've done the math's I'm getting more value than that each year just with the included dining / travel credits, used other inclusions and other offers available through the year. That's also before factoring the membership rewards points earnt. I have close to 600,000 amassed now, or about $3750 if converting to gift cards, hopefully more if using for flights.
Hi Madao. I had a quick look on Amex website, the charge card gets $200 travel credit and $300 dining credit a year. But the fee is $1250 a year. I am just curious what other benefits have you used to make it worth a while? Thanks
@Superpower21: So I'm coming up to 4 years with the card next month. At a basic level if you take the credits out it's $750 a year, $3000 over 4 years, but I've got $3750 worth of points accrued in that time (assuming swapping them for Harvey Norman gift cards for example, but I'm planning to use for airline points conversion for business class fares to/from the UK).
Amex also has regular offers, covered in other threads. Most are spend x get y back but a few times a years its spend x get x back in full. This year from memory there's been spend $75 on fuel at BP get $75 back and a couple spend $150 at Countdown / Harvey Norman get $150 back.
A current offer is $50 back when spending over $300 at Computer Lounge. I've been eying up a new pair of desktop speakers for a while now, Audioengine A2+, which go for about $450 but I've resisted pulling the trigger. This offer makes it a better deal than I've seen across retailers.
Obviously international travel has been tricky recently but previously we've used the included lounge access, very useful for transit stops to/from the UK to see family and even for a couple work & personal trips to Aus, Raro and Thailand. Travel insurance included with the card so I'm not purchasing that elsewhere.
Silver status with Accor hotels we use regularly for stays and dining in NZ, and a couple times in Thailand and Aus. Comes with some nice perks - "best" pricing, welcome drink, late check out etc. Also when dining in an Accor restaurant, whether staying there at the time or not, two people get 50% off the bill.
Concierge has come through a couple times finding some specific gifts for family in the UK and even arranging same day UK delivery for flowers when I'd left it too late to find anywhere online that could do it. But other times its been quicker / easier for me to deal with the task.
I'm not a super user, I'm sure people who travel a lot more for personal / work reasons or pump "significant" business spending through the card would see more benefit/ROI, but I do make a conscious decision to use it as my main payment method for the points and maximize the "perks" if they are suitable for my need at the time.
It may read I'm paying out more money to save money and it is a huge AF, but I account for that in budget over the year and have recognized the value in the long game that makes it worthwhile for me. May not work for everyone granted.
@Madao: Thank you for explaining this in great details! Yes, my friends all think I am crazy paying $325 for Amex annual card fee but as you mentioned, I can total see the value of my card too.
Not sure if you have redeemed any of your points to flights before, but just in case you don't know, your 600k is almost enough for 2 business class tickets to Europe. 2MR = 1 Asia Mile. 90000AM for one way business class to Europe. I would choose Qatar Qsuite value at $6500-$7000 return (pre covid, best biz class in the world at the time). So please don't just redeem the points for gift cards.
Currently you can get 200k Amex reward points for new signup. 200k points = 100k KrisFlyer points in Singapore Airlines, would that then give you Gold Status with Singapore Airlines? Or can you get Gold with any airlines by transferring the 200k Amex reward points? Thanks.
Just a thought, will VPN work on this Amex Membership Rewards transfer?
Hong Kong Amex: 15 MR = 1 Asia Miles
New Zealand Amex: 2 MR = 1 Asia Miles
UK Amex: 1 MR = 1 Asia Miles
same for other airlines they all have different transfer rate.
I guess it won’t as your reward account would be linked to nz account . You can give it a try let us know if that works ;)
I don't think so. You can only transfer your points to other countries if you hold an Amex card in that country and depends on the exchange rate you could "gain" some extra points
Platinum Charge?
Concierge service is hit and miss from the times I've used it.
It's easy to miss dates for the annual travel credit or dining. Make a mental note of when these benefits need to be used by to ensure you maximize the value.
I've had to claim on the travel cover, for delayed baggage, and home emergency, for a burst pipe and the process was easy for both.
Amex app has a new offers section, spend x get x back kind of stuff.
Obvious one is trying to make as much of your spend as possible through the card for the points - utility bills, subscriptions in additional to spend in shops. I've got a heap of points amassed but haven't converted / used any for travel yet.
Amex travel is often pricy compared to Expedia but we regularly use the Accor Plus status to book directly with Accor for the perks it offers.
Metal card is nice.