Cameron Price-Austin runs http://www.iwantacreditcard.com.au/ - an Australian consumer credit card site featuring articles, reviews, tools and forums.
Credit Card Review - American Express Qantas Premium
I don't speak much Italian. I'm pretty much limited to 'Buon Giorno!' (even if it's night time) and just putting an 'o' on the end of every word and hoping for the best. So you can see how much success I had attempting to communicate with the Al Italia representative at Venice Airport when I arrived six days ahead of my luggage.Anyone who has had the pleasure of dealing with Italian airport staff will testify to the futility of the exercise, particularly if you're as debilitating monolingual as I am. They just assume you're American, give you that contemptuous look they reserve for all westerners and shrug.Now, if I were an American Express Qantas Premium card holder, I wouldn't have spent the better part of a week wearing the same clothes and brushing my teeth with the complimentary toothbrush I received on the flight. The card offers Travel Inconvenience Cover, which covers you for flight delays, missed connections or delayed luggage.As you may have guessed, this card is intended for travellers. In addition to the inconvenience insurance, the card comes with free domestic and international travel insurance, global customer service and emergency worldwide credit card replacement.The rewards program is Qantas Frequent Flyers (in my opinion the best Australian travel rewards program available). The earn rate is impressive - 1.25 points per dollar spent, 1 additional point for every dollar spent on your card in Australia on selected Qantas services and another point for every dollar spent with Qantas American Express Card Bonus, with no caps on the number of points you can earn.There are also a range of bonuses available including 5000 bonus points after your first card spend and 2500 bonus points after your first card spend on selected Qantas services.Card holders also receive two Qantas Club invitations after the first Card spend every year in Australia on selected Qantas services.As a high-end card, the American Express Qantas Premium comes with all the additional features you'd expect, like purchase protection and extended warranty. However, it also has a high-end annual fee and interest rate ($249 and 19.99%).Overall, this card is ideal for those looking to boost their Frequent Flyer points or to take overseas. We've never seen a card with so many travel related features. Keep in mind that it's a premium card and isn't for everybody - if the high annual fee or interest rate make you uneasy, there are cheaper options available.