Like the Earth range of travel credit cards offered by Westpac, the Singapore Airlines range comes with two credit cards to maximize your points-earning potential – an American Express card and…wait for it…a Visa credit card (you thought it was going to be a MasterCard didn’t you?)

However, rather than earning rewards points with Qantas, your points are (obviously) with Singapore Airlines. KrisFlyer miles (Singapore Airlines’ frequent flyer points) are earned at a rate of 1 mile per dollar spent on the American Express and 0.5 miles per dollar spent on the Visa. You can also earn the same amount of bonus miles on top of the standard miles when you book Singapore Airlines flights with your Singapore Airlines Gold credit card.

There are a number of benefits available with the Gold card, including a one year extended warranty and three months purchase protection. International travel insurance is also included for trips of up to three months long and claims of up to $250,000.

Being a premium card linked to Singapore Airline benefits, you’ll also have access to Gold offers from partners of Singapore Airlines such as Accor Resorts & Hotels and Avis Rental companies which will definitely come in handy while you travel. Many of the features found on the Gold card can also be found on the Platinum card. And while their value is halved on the Gold card, so too is the price so it still bodes well as a mid-range travel credit card.

The interest free period on this card (unfortunately) is relatively low at up to 45 days, with a variable interest rate p.a. for purchases and p.a. for cash advances. Balance transfers are available at a low rate p.a. for the first 6 months.

While the interest rates for purchases and cash advances aren’t the lowest, for a rewards card with great international travel benefits and points earning potential the Westpac Singapore Airlines Gold credit card is good value for money. Possible even a better option than the Platinum card, unless of course you regularly spend large amounts of money on your credit card and want to capitalize on that.

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Westpac’s Singapore Airlines Platinum credit card is the highest level of premium credit cards available under Westpac’s Singapore airlines frequent flyer rewards program.

Under this scheme you get all the associated travel benefits of a platinum credit card, however the values are much more substantial, at pretty much double the values of the Singapore Airline’s Gold credit card.

Overseas travel insurance is extended to 6 months and up to $500,000 in claims. Purchase protection insurance is for four months (rather than three on the gold card) and the extended warranty for purchases is for up to two years. An added feature that you don’t get on the gold card is the 24/7 personal concierge service.

At an annual fee, the price is also doubled, but you get what you pay for.

You’ll get two credit cards (American Express and Visa), on which there are differing ‘mile’ earning values. Until October 31st 2009 the American Express earns you 3 KrisFlyer miles for every dollar spent, and on the Visa, 1.5 miles for every dollar spent.

After this date these rates drop to 1.5 miles for every dollar spent on the American Express both in and outside of Australia, and 1 mile for every dollar spent in Australia, and 1.5 for every dollar spent outside of Australia on the Visa. As an added bonus, your first purchase on your credit card will get you 10,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles.

Just remember, while there’s no limit to the amount of miles you can earn they will expire after three years. However, generally if you have the Singapore Airlines Platinum card you will be doing a lot of flying anyway so expiring points should not be a problem.

Interest rates stay the same as the other Singapore Airlines travel cards with p.a. on purchases, p.a. for cash advances and p.a. for the first 6 months on balance transfers. The interest free period also remains the same at up to 45 days if you pay your monthly balance in full.

Overall the Westpac Singapore Airlines credit card is quite expensive seeing as it is a premium card. Though if you can afford it and it fits in line with your credit card spending habits then it would be good value thanks to the many benefits and rewards that come with it.

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FEATURES SUMMARY

• Annual fee: Low annual fee
• Purchase rate: Low p.a. purchase rate
• Cash Advance rate: Low p.a. cash advance rate
• Balance Transfer rate: Low p.a. balance transfer rate
• Interest-free days: Up to 44
  • Extras:
    • Price guarantee

• Extended Warranty
• Visa Entertainment
• VIP Lost Card Cover
• Purchase Protection
• Phone/Internet banking
• One free additional cardholder
• Platinum 24/7 Concierge Service
• Platinum International Travel Insurance

On the surface NAB’s Qantas Platinum credit card is a lot like its lesser alternative the NAB Qantas Gold card, however for pretty much double the cost ($290) in annual fees there must be something special about this card to give it that edge.

The basic features of this card are exactly the same as the Gold card, with p.a. being charged on both cash and purchases, and up to 44 days interest free on purchases if you pay your balance in full each month. While the interest free period is kind of low, the interest rate is impressive for a platinum credit card. Balance transfers are also offered at the same rate p.a. for six months (after which the interest rises to p.a.).

NAB Qantas Platinum card holders are still given two credit cards, but unlike the Gold, you don’t get the choice between a Visa or a MasterCard for your second credit card. Instead Platinum cardholders are just given an American Express and a Visa.

Next on the list are the travel and insurance benefits. The platinum card also offers all the same benefits as the Gold card, such as VIP lost card cover, international travel insurance (for six months as opposed to three on the Gold card), extended warranty and purchase protection insurance.

But that’s pretty much where the similarities end, with NAB stepping up to the plate with other additional insurance and travel benefits that make the overall benefits proportionate to the huge increase in annual fee.

NAB’s platinum concierge service means you’ll have your own on-call personal assistant for all your travel and entertainment booking needs. If you’re staying in an Australian hotel and you get burgled, you’ll be covered for up to $2,500 worth of damages or loss. Transport accident insurance also kicks in if you or your family are seriously injured or even killed while travelling.

You’ll also be covered if you have a domestic flight cancellation/change or your luggage is delayed or lost (which is more common than you may think!), and if you find a better price on items bought with your platinum credit card, NAB will pay you the difference so you can still get the best deal around.

The rewards system on the NAB Qantas Platinum credit card is another difference between the Gold and Platinum credit cards with a MUCH better earn rate on the latter. On the Platinum American Express you’ll get 1.5 points for every dollar spent, and on the Platinum Visa you’ll earn two points for every $3 spent.

The simplicity of this system (by comparison) means that you won’t have to think so much about how much of your credit limit you’ve spent and how many points you’ll be getting for your dollar.

On the whole, the NAB Qantas Platinum credit card is one that comes highly recommended from us. It is quite expensive but is in no way pretending to be something it isn’t. The benefits and features are all valuable additions, and if used to their full potential, could end up being really valuable platinum and frequent flyer credit card.

See our top credit card picks in the Editor’s Choice category