Ellice

My Amex airpoints credit card is coming up for renewal. Just wondering if anyone has a view on what would be the best card to go for with a view to getting upgraded long haul travel out of New Zealand. There's the Platinum edge card that you earn amex membership rewards points that can be transferred to a lot of other programmes like SPG, Qantas etc, and if you spend at petrol stations and supermarkets then you get 3x the points. It's $149 fee per year.

Alternatively there's the Amex Airpoints platinum card ($195 fee) which gives me 1 APD per $59 spend.

I did some numbers and the amex airpoints card gives me approx $1000 more apd than membership rewards value but I was wondering if there is a much of value in being able to transfer the membership rewards out to other programmes (and then subsequently get upgrades on qantas etc, I travel just about exclusively NZ for work). I already have several thousand $$ in our elite NZ airpoints accounts and have 5 years banked elite status. Thanks for any advice on this!! (or do you think I should just keep life simple and keep the airpoints platinum card...)

TraderX

To truely optimise, you'd use the Plat Edge for groceries, gift cards from supermarkets and fuel. And another card eg Amex Airpoints plat or Air NZ Plat from Westpac/ANZ/KB for the rest.

Point Hacks NZ website value membership rewards at 1 cent. So Supermarket and Fuel spend are worth 3% and 2% respectively. The visa/mastercard air nz cards get circa 1.3% (and its good to have a backup for where amex is not accepted.

Any of the bank platinum cards and Plat Edge is a good combo as it sounds as if you have lounge access already. Looks like you are spending plenty that annual fees will not make a big difference

Ellice

Thanks Traderx for a clear analysis. I think I had information overload there...
I'll get the Platinum Edge + Westpac Platinum. I already have the Westpac world card so that gets me the priority lounges.

TraderX

Sorry, I made an error, the platinum westpac doesn't have the 2 years fee free its the lower westpac airpoints card. If you have the world and want to keep it could just get the platinum edge

dadig

I just gave like 800 APD away coz I really could not spend it on Elite upgrades. Transferring from MR to anything else is madness. The rate is between 1:69 to 1:130 in value. Instead just use the MR to book NZ flights that earn APD and SP instead.

Ellice

Agreed the Amex MR transfer rates aren't that great, unless in fact you just need a few more points in your SPG account to get a suite upgrade or something like that. Then the MR points transfer flexibility makes the MR points worth more.

NZbutterfly

Does anyone know what fare classes the platinum edge free flight books into? Tried twice to get flights to ZQN with it but no luck even 9 months out. May try another destination but need to use it (or apply it?) before August.

Learned the co-branded airpoints card my partner signed up for with the 800 APD bonus and free flight meant he could actually pay an extra $20 for the flight he used it on when there wasn't a certain class booking, but this option is unavailable to me on the edge to just pay a fare difference.

dadig

I've used it on ZQN successfully in the past but it was booked about 10 months ahead due to the flight availability. American Express Travel Service booked me into X and G class WLG-ZQN

NZbutterfly

Thanks for that

Just for reference for anyone else if searching fare classes mine booked into G and K - finally!