How This Card Unlocks Business Class Flights To Asia

Flying Business Class from Australia to destinations across Asia, including Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong, can easily cost $3,000 to $5,000 or more. For most travellers, that puts premium cabins firmly out of reach.

However, using credit card points is one of the most effective ways to book Business Class flights for a fraction of the price. In Australia, the American Express Platinum Card is one of the fastest ways to rack up a large points balance through its sizable sign-up bonus. Amex Membership Rewards points can be transferred to a range of airline partners, allowing you to book high-value premium flights.

Until 14 April 2026, American Express is running one of its largest promotions on the American Express Platinum Card. You can receive 220,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points when you apply online, are approved and spend $5,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months. This bespoke offer is only available via selected Amex Partners such as Flight Hacks. To take advantage, you must apply via one of the links on this page.

In this guide, we’ll break down some of the most appealing redemptions for Amex Platinum cardholders looking to redeem their huge 220,000 MR Points bonus.

But before we go any further, I have to warn you. The Platinum Card isn’t for everybody. For starters, you need to earn at least $100k, and the card fee clocks in at a cool $1,450…that said, once you stack up the benefits, you will get more than 5X of value in return.

As you might expect, the Amex Platinum comes with a whole catalogue of benefits. We’ve covered these in our detailed credit card review here.

Why Amex MR Points Are So Powerful

One of the biggest advantages of Amex Membership Rewards cards is that you’re not locked into a single frequent flyer program. Instead of earning points with just Qantas or Velocity, you earn Membership Rewards Points, which can be transferred to a range of airline partners.

This gives you far more flexibility when it comes to booking flights. If one program has limited availability or poor value on a specific route, you can transfer your points to another that offers a better deal.

Membership Rewards points can then be transferred to 10 different airline programs. Plus, Amex Platinum cardholders also unlock the ability to transfer to Qantas Frequent Flyer, a perk that very few cards in the Australian market offer.

Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners

Example 1: ANA Business To Tokyo

Japan is one of the most popular destinations for Australians right now, and it also happens to be a solid use of American Express Membership Rewards Points. You can fly ANA Business Class from Sydney or Perth to Tokyo, a product consistently rated among the best, with fully flat beds and excellent service.

A one-way flight costs 52,500 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points. With Amex Membership Rewards transferring at 3:1, you’ll need to send 157,500 MR Points. This means you’ll have plenty of that signup bonus left over!

You can also book the same flight via Velocity Frequent Flyer, but it’s more expensive. While transfers are 2:1, the redemption requires 82,000 Velocity points, or 164,000 Amex points.

Step by step:

1. Apply for the Amex Platinum, meet the minimum spend requirement and wait for your points to arrive (from personal experience, this is as soon as you hit the minimum spend).
2. Search for seat availability by using Seats Aero, United Airlines award search or any other Star Alliance search engine you like.
3. Transfer 157,500 MR Points to Flying Club, which will get you 52,500 Virgin Points.
4. Call Virgin Atlantic on +1 800 365 9500 and request the booking you want (ANA redemptions can’t be made online)

ANA Business Class

Example 2: Singapore Airlines Business To Phuket

Singapore Airlines is another great option, offering a premium Business Class experience that’s consistently good. You can fly from Brisbane, Melbourne, or Sydney to Phuket (or many other Southeast Asian countries) for 79,500 Velocity Points.

With Amex transferring at 2:1, that works out to 159,000 MR Points. You can also book this route via Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, where the same flight costs 75,500 KrisFlyer miles. However, with the weaker 3:1 transfer ratio for KrisFlyer, you’d need 226,500 Amex points.

Step by step:

1. Apply for the Amex Platinum, meet the minimum spend requirement and wait for your points to arrive (from personal experience, this is as soon as you hit the minimum spend).
2. Search for seat availability using Gyoza Flights or on the Virgin Australia website.
3. Transfer 158,000 MR Points to Velocity, which will get you 79,500 Velocity Points.
4. Book your flight with Virgin Australia.

Singapore Airlines Business Class

Example 3: Cathay Pacific Business Class To Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific is another strong option for redeeming Amex Membership Rewards Points, particularly with the rollout of its new Aria Suite on select flights from Australia. You can fly from Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth to Hong Kong in Business Class, with fully flat beds, refined service, and access to some of the best lounges in the region.

A one-way flight costs 58,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. With Amex Membership Rewards transferring at 3:1, that works out to 174,000 Amex points.

Step by step:

1. Apply for the Amex Platinum, meet the minimum spend requirement and wait for your points to arrive (from personal experience, this is as soon as you hit the minimum spend).
2. Search for seat availability with Cathay Pacific.
3. Transfer 174,000 MR Points to Cathay Pacific, which will get you 85,500 Velocity Points.
4. Book your flight with Cathay Pacific.

Cathay Aria Suites

Other Perks Of The Amex Platinum Card

Even if you ignore the points entirely, the American Express Platinum Card comes with a range of travel perks that can offset a large portion of the annual fee.

• $450 Annual Travel Credit redeemable for flights, hotels, or car hire booked through American Express Travel
• $400 Annual Dining Credit split across two $200 credits for use at selected dining establishments locally and abroad
• Priority Pass Lounge Membership at over 1,800 eligible airport lounges worldwide
• American Express Lounge access worldwide, including Melbourne and Sydney
• Virgin Australia Lounge Access when flying with Virgin Australia
• Delta Lounge Access when flying with Delta Air Lines
• Lufthansa Lounge Access when flying with Lufthansa
• Hotel Elite Status like Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Elite Gold & Radisson Rewards Premium
• ALL Accor+ Explorer Membership that comes loaded with Accor Gold Status & two complimentary nights
• Car Rental Elite Programs including Hertz Gold Plus Five Star and Avis Preferred Plus
• Amex Platinum Insurance with get a slew of benefits, including phone screen cover and travel protection.

For most people, the points alone can justify the card. These benefits are simply a bonus if you travel regularly.

Amex Platinum Value Proposition

Let’s face it, the Amex Platinum is far from a cheap card! That said, I think this current promotion is a no-brainer if you meet the requirements. Whenever I apply for a new credit card, I will always add up the value I’m getting in return, based on how much I would happily spend on those items.

So here’s my value breakdown for the Amex Platinum:

• 220,000 MR Points: I’d be happy to buy these for $1100
• ALL Accor+ Explorer: retail cost is $349, which I’d happily pay annually
• $450 travel credit: worth its $450 value as Amex Travel prices are normally the same or lower than a direct booking

That puts my total value at $1,899.

It’s important to note that I’ve intentionally left out perks like lounge access, hotel status and insurance. Those benefits are very useful, but the value is subjective. Even on a conservative view, that’s around 31% more than the $1,450 annual fee.