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Qantas provides further status extension and status credit rollover

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Qantas is giving frequent flyers additional support to maintain their status, recognising that limitations on travel continue to impact customers’ ability to earn status credits.

Since March 2020, Qantas has offered members a range of support mechanisms to retain their tier including status extensions, status credit boosts and the ability to earn them on the ground.

Last year, Qantas announced that Australian and New Zealander status holders with an expiry date of January to June 2022 could get a 12-month extension by simply booking one flight before the end of their membership year.

Now, this offer has been extended to members with a status end date of July to December 2022. Simply book an eligible flight between 28 February 2022 (today) and before your status ends, for travel to 31 December 2022, and your status will be automatically extended for another year.

Eligible flights are Qantas operated QF flights and Qantas Points-earning Jetstar international bookings with a JQ flight number. Domestic Jetstar bookings are not eligible.

Bookings can be paid with cash, Qantas TravelPass, Qantas Flight Credit, Qantas Gift cards or with Qantas Points (via a Classic Flight Reward or Points Plus Pay). Bookings through travel agents are also permitted.

Members who have received complimentary Gold status, or complimentary Platinum from a Platinum One member and those on status hold are eligible for this offer.

If you reside outside Australia and New Zealand, stay tuned for more information. Last time, Qantas automatically extended your status without requiring a flight booking. It seems likely the same will occur this time.

In addition, Qantas is giving members a head start on reaching their future status goals with the ability to rollover eligible status credits into their next membership year. The maximum number of status credits that can be rolled over is as follows:

  • Platinum One – 1800
  • Platinum – 500
  • Gold – 250
  • Silver – 100

The same requirement to have a flight booked before the end of your membership year applies.

Status Credits earned through flying or with partners on the ground will count towards the rollover, but those provided by Qantas as a bonus, support or gift will not.

For more details, visit Qantas here. 

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Enjoy unrivalled lifestyle benefits and experiences with the American Express Platinum Card

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This article is sponsored by American Express. We may receive a commission if you apply for a card via a link in this article.

For our final article in the series on the American Express® Platinum Card (our favourite card!), we’re digging into the card’s top lifestyle benefits: from access to exclusive experiences, to complimentary dining and fashion perks, and much more.

These benefits are in addition to the card’s top-notch rewards program and numerous travel-related perks, which we covered in earlier articles.

And a reminder: this card comes with a massive 250,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points and a $500 credit for new Card Members who apply by 28 February 2022, are approved and spend $5,000 within the first 3 months. Those 250,000 points could be worth $1,250 in shopping or gift cards or 125,000 frequent flyer points with multiple airlines including Qantas.

Access to experiences

The all-metal Platinum Card is more than just a stylish accessory: it’s also your ticket to a range of unique experiences, from dining to sport and entertainment.

For example, Platinum Card Members can purchase tickets to specially curated events that are not open to the general public, such as the annual American Express Grange Dinner where guests enjoy fine wine, expert narration and perfectly matched dishes in some of Australia’s best restaurants.

Similarly, golf lovers can take part in the Platinum Golf Invitational, a concurrent singles Stableford and Irish Stableford team competition played on some of Australia’s top private golf courses.

The separate American Express Experiences program gives Platinum Card Members the chance to purchase tickets to sought-after public events, often before they go on sale to the general public. Whether you’re a music fan, a film buff, a theatre lover, a follower of fashion or a keen foodie, Amex could get you some of the best seats in the house for a variety of concerts and shows.

Digital news subscription and Departures Magazine

Your complimentary The Australian Premium digital subscription gives you access to expert news coverage and analysis from both The Australian and The Wall Street Journal.

You can also enjoy member-only features like a weekly curated eNewsletter featuring a selection of the best reads from The Australian and news partners including The Economist and Harvard Business Review, as well as virtual events featuring some of The Australian’s most experienced political and business journalists.

Departures Magazine by American Express is a quarterly travel and lifestyle publication curated specially for Platinum Card Members. In addition to receiving the printed version in the mail, you can also access the Departures online website which features a wealth of inspiration such as curated guides to top travel destinations and coverage of lifestyle news and events.

Langton’s fine wine

Platinum Card Members can enjoy special benefits with Langton’s, Australia’s leading fine wine specialist. These benefits include:

  • access to Langton’s renowned wine brokerage service where your own expert advisor will work with your tastes and preferences to offer a truly personalised wine experience
  • access to an extensive range of top shelf Australian and imported wine, from great value selections to rare, back vintages
  • priority pre-release access to the world’s most sought-after wines
  • a shopping rewards program that entitles you to a complimentary bottle of wine per membership year according to the Langton’s classification range (minimum annual spend of $5,000-$50,000 applies).

Complimentary insurance cover

Travel securely with complimentary domestic and overseas travel insurance cover when you pay for a return trip with your Platinum Card, Membership Rewards points or airline frequent flyer points.

This cover extends to you, your partner and dependent children up to the age of 24, as well as up to four Additional Card Members. From 15 March 2022, COVID-19 is included in the cover.

You’ll also receive complimentary smartphone screen insurance when you purchase your phone outright or pay monthly phone bills with your card. You can be reimbursed for the cost of the screen repair up to $500 for two events a year. A 10% excess applies to the claimed amount.

Finally, Purchase Protection provides cover for loss, theft or damage to eligible items within 90 days of purchase, while Refund Protection provides cover for the purchase price of an unused eligible item if a retailer will not take it back.

Shopping, fashion and wellness

To round out the lifestyle benefits, you can receive a credit of up to $75, twice per calendar year when you spend across NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER (enrolment required). That’s up to $150 that you can get back each year for simply shopping with leading fashion brands.

You can also regularly get money back and bonus points with a range of merchants via the Amex Offers program. Simply choose the offers you like online or in the Amex app, save them to your card and meet the required spend to redeem the offer.

Summing up

The Platinum Card offers unrivalled lifestyle benefits and experiences that provide compelling value to Card Members. These are in addition to the stellar rewards program Membership Rewards, which is our favourite for earning and spending points (check out our article about that here).

And if you love to travel, you can also enjoy premium benefits with top hotels and other stylish perks like airport lounge access in Australia and overseas (learn more here).

If you’re interested in getting this card, don’t miss the huge offer of 250,000 bonus Membership Rewards points and a $500 credit – it ends very soon.

To find out more about this card on Amex’s website, click here.

All benefits mentioned are subject to Terms, Conditions and Exclusions. To find out moreclick here. 

Cards are offered, issued, and administered by American Express Australia Limited ABN 92 108 952 085. American Express income and credit approval criteria applies. Subject to Terms and Conditions. All information, including fees and charges are correct as at 30 July 2021 and are subject to change. Applicants must be 18 years of age or over, and earn a minimum income of $100,000 per annum to apply for the American Express Platinum Card. They must be an Australian Citizen or permanent resident or hold a long term visa. Long term means 12 months or more and does not include a student visa.

Qantas extends London flights via Darwin

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If you’ve been wondering about Qantas’ Kangaroo Route, there’s some news you might be interested in.

In response to the ongoing uncertainties surrounding the reopening of the West Australian border and the complexities of passenger testing requirements via Singapore, Qantas has decided to extend its route to London via Darwin.

Initially, this was a temporary move by Qantas when international travel resumed in November last year, and Western Australia was still in lockdown mode.

The airline rerouted its Perth to London service through Darwin, which turned out to be quite the success.

Working closely with the Northern Territory Government, Qantas was able to set up Darwin as an alternative hub.

This strategic move allowed passengers to transit through the Territory capital, either returning home to Australia or jetting off overseas to reunite with loved ones.

The plan was to revert to the Perth-London service via Perth this April. However, with the West Australian Government still playing coy about their reopening date, Qantas has decided to keep the route via Darwin operational at least until June 2022.

That means more opportunities for passengers to experience the unique charm of the Northern Territory.

To make the transit process even more seamless for passengers, Qantas will also continue operating the Sydney to London flight via Darwin, not Singapore, until June 2022.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce was full of praise for the NT Government, whose support made it possible for Qantas to keep the vital Australian-UK route alive.

Currently, Qantas operates daily flights from both Melbourne and Sydney to London via Darwin on its 787 Dreamliner.

If you’re looking to make a journey between these cities, why not take the opportunity to check out the wonders of the Top End on your way? It’s a little detour that promises a lot of adventure!

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Access premium benefits with top hotels and other stylish perks with the American Express Platinum Card

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This article is sponsored by American Express. We may receive a commission if you apply for a card via a link in this article.

As someone who loves to travel, there are few things I look forward to more than checking into a luxury hotel, whether that’s for a staycation near home or a getaway further field. And I especially love it when I receive complimentary benefits, such as a room upgrade, dining credit or late checkout.

That’s why I always travel with my American Express® Platinum Card: it gives me access to many premium benefits I value at hotels and elsewhere which really enhance the experience.

The Platinum Card also provides many non-travel-related benefits that you can use at home, which I’ve covered in my card review here.

In this article, I’ll dig into the accommodation and travel-related perks in more detail, as they are among my favourites. In other in-depth articles, I’ve also covered the excellent rewards program and lifestyle benefits.

But first, it’s important to mention that the Platinum Card is targeted at higher income earners ($100,000+ p.a.) who enjoy elevated experiences and benefits. The annual fee is $1,450 and the card, being a charge card, must be paid in full each month.

It currently comes with a massive 250,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points and a $500 credit for new Card Members who apply by 28 February 2022, are approved and spend $5,000 within the first 3 months. Those 250,000 points could be worth $1,250 in shopping or gift cards or 125,000 frequent flyer points with multiple airlines including Qantas.

Elite hotel status

The Platinum Card gives you elite status with major hotel groups, including:

  • Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status – Marriott is the world’s largest hotel company with brands such as Ritz Carlton, W Hotels, Sheraton, Westin and Aloft
  • Hilton Honors Gold status – in addition to Hilton hotels, you also enjoy perks with brands like Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, Curio Collection and Doubletree
  • Radisson Rewards Gold status with Radisson Hotel Group.

Elite benefits vary from program to program and can include complimentary room upgrades at check-in, early and/or late checkout, complimentary internet access, and free breakfast.

Enjoy elite benefits at stylish hotels like W Brisbane

By way of example, when I put my Hilton Honors Gold status to the test during a trip to Tokyo, I scored over $1000 of benefits including an upgrade to a club room and free breakfast for two people. You can read about that experience here.

One of the great features of the Platinum Card is that you can get complimentary Additional Cards for up to four family members or friends. Each of them can also get elite hotel status in their own right.

Accor Plus membership

Platinum Card Members receive complimentary Accor Plus membership valued at $399 p.a., which grants access to the most expansive hotel, dining and lifestyle membership program in Asia Pacific. Accor’s hotel brands include Sofitel, Fairmont, Pullman, Novotel, MGallery, Sebel, Swissotel, Mercure, and more.

Accor Plus benefits include a complimentary night’s accommodation each year, discounted room rates, up to 50% off your dining bill at participating hotel restaurants, and Accor Elite Silver status (which comes with late checkout, when available).

I recently used my Accor Plus free night benefit to stay at the superb Pullman Bunker Bay Resort in Western Australia’s gorgeous Margaret River region. My partner and I also enjoyed 50% off our food bills at the hotel restaurant, which saved us hundreds during the three-night stay.

Of course, you don’t need to be travelling to take advantage of these benefits. When I lived in Melbourne, for example, I regularly dined at No35 restaurant at Sofitel Melbourne while enjoying stunning views across the city.

Save on dining at Accor restaurants like No35 at Sofitel Melbourne

Fine Hotels + Resorts program

Another great Platinum Card feature is access to Amex’s Fine Hotels + Resorts program, which provides complimentary benefits at over 1,000 five-star properties worldwide. These include well-known luxury brands as well as boutique properties.

Perks include complimentary daily breakfast for two people, noon check-in when available, guaranteed 4pm late checkout, room upgrades when available, complimentary wi-fi, a unique property benefit such as a US$100 dining credit, and more.

You can book up to two rooms and both will be eligible for these benefits. When I tried this out during a trip to Vienna, my family reserved two rooms and we scored over 600 Euros of benefits.

Hotel Collection

Separate to the Fine Hotels + Resorts program, Amex’s Hotel Collection includes more than 500 properties in over 30 countries, including brands like Hyatt and Hilton.

Every time you book at least a two-night stay, you receive a hotel credit worth up to US$100 to spend on dining, spa and resort activities, as well as a complimentary room upgrade at check-in when available.

Other travel benefits

The Platinum Card delivers a range of other benefits like:

  • $450 Travel Credit each year which can be used for flights, hotels, car hire or experiences when booking through Amex Travel Online
  • points transfers to Qantas Frequent Flyer, Velocity Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and a number of other airline and hotel loyalty programs (read my article about the rewards program here)
  • airport lounge access in Australia and overseas
  • dining benefits at an array of stylish restaurants
  • invites to specially curated experiences that are not open to the general public – from sporting to fashion and dining
  • access to sought-after events like music, theatre and film, including via pre-sale tickets, and exclusive lounges at selected events
  • travel insurance cover when you use your card to pay for your return trip
  • Hertz Gold Plus Rewards and Avis Preferred memberships: enjoy savings on car rentals and complimentary upgrades when available
  • save up to 20% on first and business class fares with some of the world’s leading airlines.

I get so much value from these Platinum Card benefits and have described them in more detail in my card review here.

Don’t forget – this card currently comes with a massive 250,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points and a $500 credit for new Card Members who apply by 28 February 2022, are approved and spend $5,000 within the first 3 months. Don’t miss out on this epic deal.

To find out more about this card on Amex’s website, click here.

All benefits mentioned are subject to Terms, Conditions and Exclusions. To find out moreclick here. 

Cards are offered, issued, and administered by American Express Australia Limited ABN 92 108 952 085. American Express income and credit approval criteria applies. Subject to Terms and Conditions. All information, including fees and charges are correct as at 30 July 2021 and are subject to change. Applicants must be 18 years of age or over, and earn a minimum income of $100,000 per annum to apply for the American Express Platinum Card. They must be an Australian Citizen or permanent resident or hold a long term visa. Long term means 12 months or more and does not include a student visa.

Qantas slashes cost of hotels and holidays booked with points

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In a bid to provide more value to its loyal members, Qantas has announced a significant improvement to its frequent flyer program.

Effective immediately, members will need 30 to 45 per cent fewer points for all bookings made through Qantas Hotels and Qantas Holidays. This is a permanent change that aims to deliver more per point, making the 13 million members of the program stretch their points further.

This adjustment to the frequent flyer program works to complement the benefits that members already enjoy when they fly with Qantas.

It’s great news for anyone with a healthy balance of Qantas Points, and here’s why:

  • For those who love bundling their flights and accommodations, you’re in luck. When combining accommodation and Qantas or Jetstar flights in one booking across all Qantas Holidays packages, you’ll now require 45 per cent fewer points.
  • Booking Qantas Hotels just got a whole lot more rewarding. You’ll now need 30 per cent fewer points across over 440,000 hotels (excludes classic hotel rewards).

Additionally, there’s a sweet deal for those making use of Points Plus Pay on flight bookings.

Frequent flyers will need 20 per cent fewer points for bookings made before the end of April 2022, for travel up until April 2023.

When booking hotels, you now get around 0.86 cents of value per point, up from around 0.6 cents previously (for example, I just looked up a room that costs $261 per night, which can be paid with 30,307 points. Due to a special offer, that’s actually cheaper than booking it as a classic reward, which costs 33,000 points!).

When booking a holiday package,  you can get over 1 cent of value per point – which is actually a decent deal.

Of course, you can get more value from using points for flights, especially in premium cabins.

For example, an economy flight from Sydney to Perth costs 18,000 points + $44 as a classic reward. Depending on the cash price of a seat, you’re likely getting 1-2 cents of value per point.

Meanwhile, a business class flight from Sydney to Melbourne costs 18,400 points + $40, which means you’re easily getting several cents of value per point, as this fare usually costs at least $600.

If you don’t want to (or can’t) spend points on flights, then hotels and holiday packages are the next best option. You’ll certainly get more value this way than spending points on gift vouchers or at bp.

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You can now spend Qantas Points at bp – but the value isn’t great

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Qantas has introduced a new way for frequent flyers to spend their hard-earned Qantas Points.

Yes, another one!

You can now use points to pay for fuel and in-store purchases at bp.

This is a new dimension to the existing Qantas-bp partnership, which already lets customers earn Qantas Points on purchases.

Spending points at bp sounds relatively easy:

  1. Fill up on fuel or shop in-store at a participating bp
  2. Scan your digital Qantas Frequent Flyer card from the Qantas app, Apple Wallet or Google Pay at the counter
  3. Select ‘accept’ when prompted on the pinpad to use points
  4. Enter your unique, 4-digit Reward Code displayed on your digital Qantas Frequent Flyer card in the pinpad to finalise your transaction

The Reward Code is a new feature which is now visible on your digital card. It’s different to your Qantas log-in pin and changes each time you use it, for security purposes.

When using Qantas Points at bp, you can pay for $10 of purchases with 1,900 points. That means you’re getting 0.53 cents of value per point – which is on the low side of redemptions.

For example, 19,000 points would pay for $100 at bp – but the same amount of points could get you an economy flight from Sydney to Perth (18,000 points + $44) or a business class flight from Sydney to Melbourne (18,400 points + $40), which is a much better deal.

Even redeeming points for hotels or wine via Qantas could bag you more value than at bp.

We always recommend evaluating all your options for using points so you can get the most benefit.

Qantas plans to roll out the ability to spend points at other retailers in the future. I expect the value proposition to be similar.

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Join Virgin Australia’s Velocity program and earn double points on your first flight

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If you’re not yet a member of Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer loyalty program, you can now join and earn double points on your first flight.

Velocity is free to join and earning points is easy. As well as on flights, you can earn Velocity Points with a range of partners in the retail, travel and finance sectors.

With the current promotion, simply join Velocity as a new member by 30 September 2022, then book and take an eligible flight within 90 days to earn double points. Make sure to enter your Velocity membership number at the time of booking.

An eligible flight is a flight marketed and operated by Virgin Australia (i.e. not a codeshare service) and booked and ticketed in a fare class that normally accrues points (i.e. not a reward booking).

You should allow up to 4 weeks after completion of travel for the bonus Velocity Points to be allocated.

For more info on this promo and to sign up, visit Velocity here.

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Why savvy points collectors choose Membership Rewards points

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This article is sponsored by American Express. We may receive a commission if you apply for a card via a link in this article.

With so many card loyalty programs operating in Australia, it can be hard to decide which one will help you get the most from your everyday spend. Each program has its own benefits and limitations, and few people have the time to consider the options in depth.

But ultimately what it comes down to is getting a card that is actually rewarding – a card with excellent points earn and spend rates, and lots of flexibility with using your points.

For me and many points pros I know, the loyalty program that delivers the best value and flexibility is Membership Rewards® by American Express.

Amex has a range of cards that earn Membership Rewards points, which are different to cards that automatically earn Qantas or Velocity points.

Membership Rewards points are easy to accumulate thanks to Amex’s wide acceptance and strong points earn rates. Those points can then be redeemed for a variety of rewards, from shopping to gift cards, travel and more.

As regular readers know, I tend to use Membership Rewards points for travel by transferring them to an airline or hotel partner. But even if you prefer redeeming points for shopping or other uses, Membership Rewards also delivers compelling value.

Consider Amex’s flagship card (and my personal favourite), the American Express® Platinum Card.  It currently comes with a massive 250,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points and a $500 credit for new Card Members who apply by 28 February 2022, are approved and spend $5,000 within the first 3 months.

Those 250,000 points could be worth $1,250 in shopping or gift cards or 125,000 frequent flyer points with multiple airlines including Qantas. With those frequent flyer points, you could fly to the USA in economy return or in business class one way with Qantas, or to Europe in economy return or one way in business class with Singapore Airlines (plus taxes and fees). Find out more about this offer here.

Platinum Card Members enjoy a very strong earn rate of 2.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on everyday purchases (1 point per $1 spent with government bodies). There’s no limit on how many points you can earn.

There are also regular opportunities to earn bonus points with Amex, like with the current Shop Small promotion, where you can earn an extra 3 points per $1 spent with participating small businesses until 31 March 2022, up to 40,000 extra points. Simply save the offer to your card first.

The Amex Offers program also provides frequent opportunities for bonus points or money back with top brands.

When it comes time to use your points, the Membership Rewards program gives you a lot of options.

With the Platinum Card®, you can manually transfer points to a number of airline and hotel partners. The big advantage here is that you’re not locked into a single airline or hotel loyalty program, rather you accumulate points with Amex until you’re ready to transfer them to a partner. These partners include:

  • Qantas Frequent Flyer
  • Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer
  • Etihad Guest
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
  • Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
  • Qatar Airways Privilege Club
  • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
  • Malaysia Airlines Enrich
  • Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
  • Air New Zealand Airpoints
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
  • Hilton Honors
  • Marriott Bonvoy.

If transferring points to airlines or hotels isn’t for you, then you can use Membership Rewards points to pay for eligible purchases on your card, shop with David Jones, buy a range of gift cards, or pay for travel with American Express Travel. With these redemptions, you get $50 of value per 10,000 points used (i.e. you can redeem 10,000 points to pay for an eligible $50 purchase on your card or to buy a $50 gift voucher) – which again is excellent value.

Membership Rewards points don’t expire and your points are held safely by Amex until you’re ready to use them, as long as your account remains active and in good standing. This avoids the risk of storing your points with a specific airline or merchant – something that’s been a concern to many of us over the past 18 months.

It’s also important to mention the Platinum Card is a charge card, which means it must be paid in full each month.

With a $1,450 annual fee, the Platinum Card is targeted at higher income earners ($100,000+ p.a.) who enjoy elevated experiences and benefits. These include:

  • access to Amex’s Fine Hotels + Resorts program, which provides complimentary benefits at top hotels like daily breakfast for two people, late checkout and a room upgrade (subject to availability)
  • elite status with the major hotel groups Hilton, Marriott and Radisson
  • complimentary Accor Plus membership valued at $399 p.a., which grants access to the most expansive hotel, dining and lifestyle membership program in Asia Pacific
  • a $450 Travel Credit each year which can be used for flights, hotels, car hire or experiences
  • airport lounge access in Australia and overseas
  • dining benefits at an array of stylish restaurants
  • complimentary digital subscription to The Australian Premium
  • invites to specially curated experiences that are not open to the general public – from sporting to fashion and dining
  • access to sought-after events like music, theatre and film, including via pre-sale tickets, and exclusive lounges at selected events
  • comprehensive travel insurance cover when you use your card to pay for your return trip
  • smartphone screen insurance when you purchase your phone outright or pay your monthly phone bills with your card, and more.

I get so much value from these Platinum Card benefits and have described them in my card review here. I’ve also written separate articles about the card’s excellent travel and lifestyle benefits.

To find out more about this card on Amex’s website, click here.

All benefits mentioned are subject to Terms, Conditions and Exclusions. To find out more, click here. 

Cards are offered, issued, and administered by American Express Australia Limited ABN 92 108 952 085. American Express income and credit approval criteria applies. Subject to Terms and Conditions. All information, including fees and charges are correct as at 13 July 2021 and are subject to change. Applicants must be 18 years of age or over, and earn a minimum income of $100,000 per annum to apply for the American Express Platinum Card. They must be an Australian Citizen or permanent resident or hold a long term visa. Long term means 12 months or more and does not include a student visa.