Get 100,000 bonus points when you sign up using either the standard or via a referral link for the AMEX Platinum Card by 30 January 2017. You'll need to spend $1,500 in your first 3 months of Card Membership.
Note: The Platinum Card is a charge card as opposed to a credit card, so it doesn’t have a pre-set spending limit (rather, you are obligated to pay the balance off in full each month). You’ll need to report a hi income of $100,000 per annum, and the card comes with a hefty annual fee of $1,200. However, if you plan to travel frequently (and you like doing so in style!) you can extract a huge amount of value from this card.
In addition to the 100,000 bonus points (which credit to the AMEX Membership Rewards Ascent Premium scheme and can be converted to partners such as Qantas, Velocity, Emirates, Krisflyer and Asia Miles on a 1:1 basis), there are numerous benefits of this card which more than offset the annual fee.
Key benefits:
- Airport lounge access (800 lounges in over 100 countries) – these include Australian domestic Virgin lounges, an extensive network of AMEX lounges (including the well-reviewed AMEX Sydney International lounge), Priority Pass, Plaza Premium and Delta Skyclub lounges.
- An annual $300 travel credit to spend through Amex’s travel site - redeem for pre-paid airfares, car hire or combine with the bonuses provided for AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts (next point down) to really maximise value.
- Access to AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts service (basically this provides a whole lot of bonus offers for luxury hotels around the world if you book via AMEX travel). Bonus inclusions tend to include a 12 PM early checkin, 4 PM late check out, breakfast, $100 USD/85 Euro hotel credit (use for restaurant, spa credit etc), a one category room upgrade and more.
- Elite Loyalty status for Starwood Preferred Guest, Club Carlson, Shangri-La Golden Circle, and Hilton HHonors.
- Free Platinum Reserve credit card (on request). This additional card provides a free return domestic or trans-tasman flight, or a night in a luxury hotel. (Benefit is not currently advertised - in order to obtain the card, you’ll need to request it from card member services after you activate your main card).
- Comprehensive insurances, including Loss Damage Waiver Cover for car rental of up to a max of $125,000 AUD (this is the only card I’m aware of that offers this insurance – I take great satisfaction in declining the dreaded daily rental car excess fee when I book car rental with my Platinum Card!)
- Fast track lane access at Sydney Airport’s outgoing immigration and passport control (just flash your credit card and boarding pass at the dedicated Express Path entrance to get waived through)
- Up to four supplementary cards free of charge (supplementary card holders can then take advantage of a number of the benefits mentioned above)
Here are my picks for three top ways you could use your 100,000 AMEX Membership Rewards Ascent Premium points:
- Option 1: Transfer your points 1:1 to Singapore Airlines Krisflyer and fly Sydney – Singapore – London (or Zurich) on the Singapore Airlines A380 in business class (80,675 points, plus taxes).
- Option 2: Transfer your points 1:0.5 to SPG (starwood). This scheme is considered by many to be the most valuable out there. 50,000 points will net you up to a fortnight of accommodation at Category 1 or 2 properties (my personal favourite: http://www.lemeridienangkor.com/ - Category 2)
- Option 3: Transfer 80,000 points to Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific at a 1:1 basis). This will get you a return flight from Sydney to Hong Kong on Cathay’s excellent business class (with only around $120 in taxes). Save the remaining 20,000 points for a rainy day (or a small transfer to Starwood).
Feel free to use a link from the AMEX referral wiki page here: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/american_express_referrals
for $1200 you'd be hard pressed to try to get value out of it….
So not really sure if it is really a deal or not.