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American Express Qantas Ultimate Card - 100,000 Bonus Qantas Points, Complimentary Domestic Flight ($450 Annual Fee)

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American Express Qantas Ultimate Card - 100,000 Bonus Qantas Points, Complimentary Domestic Flight ($450 Annual Fee)
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The Champagne Mile on 15/11/2016 - 15:34 americanexpress.com (2339 clicks)
Last edited 30/01/2017 - 11:54 by 1 other user

American Express have today increased the sign on bonus for the Qantas Ultimate card to up to 100,000 Qantas frequent flyer points when you sign up via the standard link, or 112,500 points with a referral.

To apply, you must have a household gross (pre-tax) annual income of $65,000 or more (note that this used to be personal income only - so people with lower incomes will be heartened that AMEX has now expanded this to 'household').

The annual fee for this card is fairly steep, at $450, but 112,500 Qantas points is one of the most generous Qantas sign on bonuses on offer at the moment. In addition to the bonus points you'll receive a complimentary Qantas domestic return Economy flight every year after your first Card spend on selected Qantas products and services and up to two entries per year to the American Express Lounge at Sydney International (Kingsford Smith) Airport. A range of comprehensive insurances is also provided.

Bonus point eligibility
As usual, the terms and conditions state that card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any other Consumer Credit Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer.
Reports abound from users who currently have active AMEX cards and are still receiving bonus points on other new AMEX card sign on deals. I am unsure as to whether that will apply for this card (but will report back on my experience as an existing AMEX cardholder once known - as usual, your mileage may vary.

Domestic flight redemption locations
There are decent redemption options available for the annual Qantas return domestic flight (e.g. Perth to a number of East coast cities, Adelaide to Brisbane). You'll find the table of locations buried at Page 29 of the card terms and conditions here: https://icm.aexp-static.com/Internet/IntlHomepage/japa/AU_en…

Below are some suggested ways to maximise value from your 112,500 Qantas points (all bookable via the Qantas website):
* SYD / MEL / ADEL / BRIS to Auckland return in Emirates first class - 108,000 points (plus approx $190 taxes)
* Adelaide to Rome one way in Emirates business class - 112,000 points (plus around $400 taxes)
* Sydney to Hong Kong return in Cathay Pacific business class - 105,000 points (plus around $160 taxes)
* MEL / SYD to Singapore, flying Emirates first class suites - 90,000 points one way (plus around $300 taxes)

To obtain the sign on bonus of 112,500 bonus points, you will need to apply with a referral link from the wiki:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/american_express_referrals…

Referral Links

Business Explorer Card: random (4)

Referrer: 40,000 Reward Points

Centurion Personal Charge Card: random (7)

Referee gets 200,000 MR points. Referrer gets 150,000 MR points.

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Financial American Express Credit Card Frequent Flyer Qantas

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closed Comments

  • lilkid28 on 15/11/2016 - 15:42
    +1

    More points on the market making it more difficult for premium seat redemptions…

    • The Champagne Mile on 15/11/2016 - 15:43

      True! I wasn't planning on applying for any further AMEXes this year, but with these bonus points on offer, I am tempted.

      • Skramit on 16/11/2016 - 11:07

        Is the point earn rate QF 3 points per dollar on regular purchases or only 3 points per dolalr for qantas products? The T&C don't seem to specify in point 3?

        • vetopower on 16/11/2016 - 11:15
          +2

          1QFF per $1 spent for most purchases:

          Earn 3 Qantas Points per $1 spent at restaurants in Australia and selected Qantas products and services in Australia

          Earn 2 Qantas Points per $1 spent on airlines, accommodation, major cruise and tour operators and spend in foreign currency

          Earn 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent on everything else, except those in the 0.5 points category

          Earn 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent on utilities, telecommunications companies, non American Express provided insurance and government bodies

        • Skramit on 16/11/2016 - 11:20

          @vetopower:

          Thanks where does it say this?? I'm clearly getting old and blind.

        • vetopower on 16/11/2016 - 11:57
          +1

          @Skramit: On the main page. Scroll down to Rewards. https://www.americanexpress.com/au/content/frequent-flyer-ca…

  • vetopower on 15/11/2016 - 15:50
    +2

    Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any other Consumer Credit Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer.

    Be careful if you have held an AMEX issued card within the last 18 months as you are technically ineligible for the bonus points. As stated at the end of the post, you may get them, but if you don't, you're out of pocket $450.

    • Skramit on 15/11/2016 - 19:29

      I assume bank issued Amex cards are okay then?

      • vetopower on 15/11/2016 - 19:35
        +1

        Yes they don't count for bonus eligibility purposes.

        • Skramit on 15/11/2016 - 19:39

          Thank you sir.

          I also have a corporate Amex but that's not consumer phew.

        • bion83 on 15/11/2016 - 19:40

          Can my GF apply for this if she is additional cardholder on my Amex Platinum Edge but does not have any other AMEX cards on her name?

        • click40 on 15/11/2016 - 20:53
          -3

          I was issued common wealth's AMEX card less than a year ago. does it count??

        • Associateddsar @ American Express on 15/11/2016 - 21:36

          @bion83:

          Yes

  • jayz on 15/11/2016 - 15:50

    What does 100k points get you?

    • vetopower on 15/11/2016 - 15:53
      +1

      Value of QFF points varies with what you use them for.

      About 0.5c/point for gift vouchers (100,000QFF = $500) through to 4c/point or more for flight upgrades (100,000QFF = $4,000).

    • The Champagne Mile on 15/11/2016 - 15:53
      +2

      A few premium redemptions off the top of my head…
      * MEL-SYD-ADL to Auckland return is 72,000 points in business (plus around $200 in taxes) - you could fly this with Emirates
      * ADL or MEL to Hong Kong - 65,000 points in business flying Cathay Pacific (plus ~ $70 taxes)
      * MEL / SYD to Singapore, flying Emirates first class suites - 90,000 points one way (plus around $300 taxes)

      • lilkid28 on 15/11/2016 - 15:56
        +1

        OR better yet, add on another 28k points and fly Emirates business class and lounge access to Europe.

        • The Champagne Mile on 15/11/2016 - 15:57
          +1

          Yes - or even less for Adelaide (112,000 points flying Emirates to Rome one way - however, it is unfortunately not an A380 product).

        • Skramit on 15/11/2016 - 17:42

          Is that an upgrade or. Business reward flight on emirates?

        • lilkid28 on 15/11/2016 - 17:45
          +1

          @Skramit: Business reward flight on Emirates, redeemed via Qantas.

    • bobdane1 on 15/11/2016 - 16:33

      Got a return trip Melb - Hong Kong

      Business via Cathay on the way there
      Economy via Qantasy on the way back

      • strawberrybug on 15/11/2016 - 17:14

        how many points was that?

        • bobdane1 on 15/11/2016 - 18:48

          Off the top of my head, 100k points +/- a few thousand with ~$250 of taxes/surcharges.

    • The Champagne Mile on 22/11/2016 - 16:37

      Have updated the post with a few suggested uses which maximise the value of points (all business class or first travel).

      If you prefer to fly economy, you could also get 14 one way 'short' domestic redemptions (e.g. Melbourne to Sydney, Melbourne to Adelaide or vice versa), or 7 in business class.

      As mentioned by Vetopower below, you'll get quite low value for the use of your points at the Qantas store, but in the end, it's really whatever represents the best value for your situation.

  • donbot on 15/11/2016 - 16:11
    +2

    God damn this is tempting… two questions that will be relevant for a few people I reckon too:

    1. Is it possible to hold 3 Amex Credit Cards (not charge) at one time?

    2. Can the Qantas flight be booked in someone elses name, akin to the Velocity Amex flights?

    • The Champagne Mile on 15/11/2016 - 16:14

      1: No - I tried that earlier this year and had to cancel one of mine before my application could proceed.

      2: Yes, this is fine (bookings made via AMEX call centre in any name).

      • Tiggrrrrr on 15/11/2016 - 18:13

        I currently hold 3 Amex credit cards. It was 4 but I cancelled one. However only 2 directly with Amex.

      • gromit on 15/11/2016 - 18:16
        1. Not true, I currently have 3 Amex cards plus my corporate charge card.
        • illumination on 15/11/2016 - 18:32

          To be more specific you can only hold 2 direct issued AMEX cards. i.e. Bank issued AMEXs don't count towards the quota.

  • Mechz on 15/11/2016 - 16:12
    +4

    By my quick calcs, you're essentially getting a free flight every year and the first year costs you nothing for the card (~points value) but $450 per year afterwards.

    Unless you spend a lot of money where you can rack up points I don't think the deal is really worth the effort.

    • vetopower on 15/11/2016 - 16:14

      It's definitely a great deal for the first year with the bonus points.

      The value proposition decreases dramatically from the second year onward. But that is the case with most credit cards where the real value comes from the sign-on bonuses.

    • The Champagne Mile on 15/11/2016 - 16:15

      I guess that depends on how much you value 100,000 Qantas points. Quite a few people would value them at more than $450 :)

      I suspect many people would also choose to close the card after 12 months or even earlier, to open up other AMEX bonus opportunities.

  • Peck on 15/11/2016 - 16:32

    "complimentary Qantas domestic return Economy flight every year after your first Card spend on selected Qantas products and services"
    That cuts me out, as I never spend on 'Qantas products and services'.

    • Blorgglorg on 15/11/2016 - 16:37

      Just shop via qantas online store, does that work? Just like the veolicty store but you earn qff pts

    • djkelly69 on 15/11/2016 - 17:18
      +4

      You can buy a $20 / 500 points top-up from Qantas, I think this is the cheapest way to get your spend (from what I have read at AFF).

      • edd91 on 19/12/2016 - 21:43

        What's your source for that? According to T&C:

        Selected Qantas products and services are Qantas passenger flights (with a QF flight number) purchased on the Qantas merchant account i.e. directly from Qantas and Qantas Frequent Flyer and Qantas Club membership joining and annual fees. Excludes Jetstar, Qantas Holidays and Qantas branded non-airfare products. Subject to the Qantas American Express Cards Points Terms and Conditions.

  • Foxtail on 15/11/2016 - 17:18

    I received 75K QFF points 3 years ago added 45K more I had and we had a great time in Hong Kong, cancelled out 11 months later, might just do it again.

    • Mafoo on 15/11/2016 - 18:15

      So you can cancel before fee is due?

      • illumination on 15/11/2016 - 18:27
        +2

        You can cancel any time before second fee. First year annual fee is not waived.

        In fact, you can possibly cancel within 60 days after you've been charged the annual fee for the second year. From memory they have a 60 day "grace" for you to potentially get the fee refunded after is charged. They might also offer you a bunch of points to stay when you try and cancel.

  • Zaenille on 15/11/2016 - 18:06

    Would want to try to apply, but I don't think I'll be able to make use of the domestic flight.

    I hear some of you sell your free domestic flights. How do you sell them, and how easy is it?

    • illumination on 15/11/2016 - 18:30

      Officially you can't but lots of us do it. Post on the classified section and post an ad saying you're selling an AMEX flight. It's fairly easy. Standard protocol is buyer sends money first.

    • ilikeradiohead on 15/11/2016 - 18:31
      +2

      On Page 30 of the T&Cs:

      10. Tickets for Flights may not be sold, transferred, endorsed, refunded or exchanged for cash. This Domestic Flight Offer may not be combined or taken with any other promotion, discount, negotiated or corporate rate.

      However, you can change the name on the flight to anyone but an unaccompanied minor. So if you have a friend you could book it under their name, and they could give you an unrelated gift.

  • Mafoo on 15/11/2016 - 18:14

    Sorry guys can you cancel this before the annual fee is due?

    • vetopower on 15/11/2016 - 18:25

      No

    • The Champagne Mile on 15/11/2016 - 19:30

      The annual fee is generally billed to you with your first statement. However, AMEX are usually pretty generous with pro rate refunds - so you may be able to get a good proportion of the annual fee back if you cancel the card in the first few months and don't use the flight.

      • illumination on 16/11/2016 - 00:49

        I think even if you use the flight you'll probably still be able to get a good portion of it refunded. If I'm right about the 60 day grace period, you could possibly even get the whole annual fee amount refunded.

        That would mean you'd essentially be getting two flights for the cost of one annual fee (the first year only).

  • kokomo1978 on 15/11/2016 - 18:18
    +3

    Not a bad deal but I've totally given up on Qantas FF points.

    Velocity offers so many more flights which you can book with points. Last week I booked flights for this week Perth-Bris-Perth and pretty much 80% of all virgin flights were available. Qantas FF had nothing at all on any day.

    • vetopower on 15/11/2016 - 18:26

      One of the downsides of all these points offers. Everyone is trying to redeem them, leading to limited seat availability.

    • Bellpop on 15/11/2016 - 20:00
      +3

      Taxes on Qantas flights are heaps higher too. Velocity def the way to go.

      • The Champagne Mile on 16/11/2016 - 11:29
        +1

        Depends who you book with - remember that you can also use your points to redeem flights for other Oneworld partners via the Qantas website. QF has high taxes, but Cathay Pacific and Finnair are two partners who don't. However, if you want to redeem for Cathay, you'd be better off applying for the Explorer card and transferring your miles straight to AsiaMiles (Cathay's reward scheme), as the number of points required is much less (e.g. Melbourne to Hong Kong costs 65,000 points flying Cathay one way in business using Qantas points, or just 45,000 to redeem via AsiaMiles).

        Also, international flight availability on Velocity can be patchy and there are still some nasty taxes - I'm not seeing much availability for Singapore Airlines at the moment, and Etihad now requires a copayment of $200 USD per segment for business redemptions, so not very appealing.

        • Bellpop on 16/11/2016 - 13:40

          Thanks for the heads up. I wonder if I can do a search via qantas that only shows the other carriers?! I don't care which airline I fly with

  • drprox on 15/11/2016 - 19:28

    Anyone know if my anz frequent flyer black visa with partner amex card would disallow me from this deal?

    • The Champagne Mile on 15/11/2016 - 19:31
      +1

      Officially, only an AMEX direct issued card would exclude you from the bonus points. Bank issued AMEX are fine.

      • drprox on 15/11/2016 - 20:12

        sweet :D

  • bion83 on 15/11/2016 - 19:40

    Can my GF apply for this if she is additional cardholder on my Amex Platinum Edge but does not have any other AMEX cards on her name?

    • Rashed on 15/11/2016 - 19:54
      +1

      Yes, if she meets all the criteria.

  • hishaken on 15/11/2016 - 20:00

    correct me if I am wrong.
    Previous deal was $195 annual fee with free domestic return flight?
    So they increase the annual fee?

    • The Champagne Mile on 15/11/2016 - 20:14
      +2

      No, you're referring to the Platinum Edge, which used to come with 15,000 bonus points and a return domestic flight for $195 per annum (with referral link). The flight has now been replaced with a $200 travel credit, which has devalued the offering for some people.

      • kokomo1978 on 15/11/2016 - 23:44

        Darn to them changing it over to travel credit! Was such an awesome deal when it was a return flight.

      • hishaken on 16/11/2016 - 02:01

        So Platinum Edge was more competitive than Quantas Ultimate before?

  • [Deactivated] on 15/11/2016 - 20:09

    Isn't the Amex Explorer card a better deal than this?

    • The Champagne Mile on 15/11/2016 - 20:12

      They are both good deals, but if I had to choose, my preference would probably be the Explorer :) However, this card is appealing for those who are avid Qantas frequent flyer point collectors. It's one of the highest Qantas sign on deals I've seen at this annual fee level.

      • [Deactivated] on 15/11/2016 - 20:45

        Good point.

        It's more expensive tho, and only gives you a free flight(Not credit). Amex generally don't let you fly on expensive routes either, so you're losing at least half that annual fee.

        • illumination on 16/11/2016 - 00:50

          I think the Explorer is better for most people.

          However, for those that live in Perth and will actually use their free domestic flight every year without changing their habits, I think a free flight per year, even for a $450 annual fee, is possibly greater value.

  • baldur on 15/11/2016 - 22:05

    i am not a permanent resident, so cant i get amex card anyhow?

    • Holysmoke on 15/11/2016 - 22:51

      Depends on the visa - 457's usually can get.

      • baldur on 15/11/2016 - 23:26

        i am holding a higher education visa. i think im not lucky enough.

  • CDG on 15/11/2016 - 22:18
    -1

    I got explorer card, if i apply i cant get the bonus point?

    • Holysmoke on 15/11/2016 - 22:52

      Bonus point eligibility
      As usual, the terms and conditions state that card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any other Consumer Credit Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer.
      Reports abound from users who currently have active AMEX cards and are still receiving bonus points on other new AMEX card sign on deals. However, unsure as to whether that will apply for this card - as usual, your mileage may vary.

  • Bunnycat on 16/11/2016 - 00:41
    +3

    An extra 12500 points can be had by applying via referral. So 112500 total if using referral link.

    See wiki here: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/american_express_referrals…

    • illumination on 16/11/2016 - 00:51

      Nice pick up. Time to update the description OP ;)

    • lilkid28 on 16/11/2016 - 00:54

      110,000 points with referral, then 2,500 points for the selected Qantas product spend

  • Slakemoth on 16/11/2016 - 05:06

    I'm trying to decide if this or the velocity travel adventures card is best for our usage scenario:
    * We buy two return tickets from syd to adl at xmas time (boxing day onward) each year
    * We want to go to London late next year for a vacation

    I'm thinking this card will be better, does anyone know if the free flight can be booked with jetstar? That'd make the ticket for my partner cheaper than booking with Qantas.

  • sikchode on 16/11/2016 - 09:29

    any t&cs about if you previously had an amex card but currently dont?

    • The Champagne Mile on 16/11/2016 - 09:49

      Yes, as per the OP, the terms and conditions state that card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any other Consumer Credit Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer.

    • djkelly69 on 16/11/2016 - 14:07

      Sometimes however people are successful with getting the points even if they are in breach of that condition - usually when not holding an Amex-issued Amex at the time I think.

  • Skramit on 16/11/2016 - 10:02
    +1

    $450 is roughly the price of Bose QC35 Headphones and they are urrently 72000 points on QF Store.

    So grab a pair of Bose QC35's and you still have 38000 points left over and the annual fee is paid for.

    Pretty good deal if you're after some QC35's.

    • vetopower on 16/11/2016 - 10:13
      +2

      Plus a free return domestic flight on Qantas.

      • Skramit on 16/11/2016 - 10:18

        That too!

        Although you have to buy a flight first right to activate that deal? Which is not as easy for some people just to drop cash on flights they wouldn't ordinarily have bought….

        • The Champagne Mile on 16/11/2016 - 10:34

          If you look further up the thread, there is a suggestion that you could purchase a 500 points top-up from Qantas to meet this criteria (which is just a $20 outlay).

    • releasethekr4cken on 16/11/2016 - 11:29

      Im still waiting for that $379 special, I check twice every day! Shouldn't have held off!!!

  • hockey on 16/11/2016 - 10:22

    How is the annual fee paid for ?

    "So grab a pair of Bose QC35's and you still have 38000 points left over and the annual fee is paid for."

    • Skramit on 16/11/2016 - 10:36
      +1

      Well, you could sell the QC35's as brand new, unopened on Ebay for about $440.

      • illumination on 16/11/2016 - 18:04

        After eBay fees will probably end up being ~$380 net

  • spuderump on 16/11/2016 - 15:51
    +1

    Pretty certain you can do the points + Pay option so this would quantify for the Qantas purchase to get an extra 2500 points.

    So just buy for eg the QC35's for 72000 QFF points but use like 71900 points and just pay the balance which would be like $1-2.

    • illumination on 16/11/2016 - 18:05

      Nice one. Not sure if that'll count though but it's a good idea. Does anyone else know?

  • [Deactivated] on 17/11/2016 - 09:02

    do supplementary cards get the woolies welcome offer or is it only issued to the primary cardholder?

  • The Champagne Mile on 17/11/2016 - 09:42
    +2

    For anyone planning to use the bonus points on Qantas upgrades, it's worth mentioning that Qantas plan to increase the points upgrade cost to premium economy, business class and first class. The new rates apply to upgrades processed from February 20 2017. Full details here: http://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-hikes-domestic-international-…

    Personally, I prefer using my points on straight award redemptions, not upgrades. For international Qantas upgrades, you need to buy a more expensive economy fare to qualify, and it's a bit of a lottery system (you won't know if you've been successful until a few days before the flight, with requests granted based on elite tier status).

  • [Deactivated] on 21/11/2016 - 21:52

    How long does it take for the bonus referral points to be credited?

    • Skramit on 22/11/2016 - 15:23

      Up to 10 weeks they claim.

      • The Champagne Mile on 22/11/2016 - 15:48

        Based on my experience with other AMEX cards, the bonus points post around 1-2 days from when the qualifying payment clears.

        Note that with Qantas and Velocity points earn cards, AMEX will then sweep the points over to your frequent flyer account once a month. From discussions I've had with AMEX in regards to this, it should occur 7 days before your statement date.

        • Skramit on 22/11/2016 - 18:12

          Applied using your code Mile. :)

  • smoothymcmellow on 25/11/2016 - 19:49

    For your info, I got the card approved within 2 days of signing up and arrived at my house within 5, quick service!

  • Skramit on 03/12/2016 - 19:59

    OP do you know if redeeming an award flight and paying the taxes will trigger the "first qantas spend" to enable the free flight?

    • The Champagne Mile on 03/12/2016 - 20:06
      +1

      Hi, can confirm it does, as this is how I reached my Qantas bonus 2,500 points and enabled the flight :)

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