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…
Perfect. Thanks.