When I wrote about the changes to the International Airline Programme for American Express Platinum Members earlier today, I did not expect the savings to be drastic. If you have not seen that article, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways have essentially joined the IAP and American Express Centurion as well as Platinum Members now have access to discounted Business Class and First Class fares (that is not publicly available).

One of the perks of the American Express Platinum Card that do not get talked about very often is the International Airline Program (IAP). When I rationalised paying the S$1,712 annual fee for The Platinum Card late last year, I noticed that the Business Flex rate for an Emirates flight costed approximately 11.5% lower than the publicly available rate. Today, a number of changes to the IAP have been implemented for The Platinum Card by American Express.

American Express Platinum Members in Singapore can now book Fine Hotels & Resorts rates online - get instant confirmation on luxury properties!

Have Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite or higher status? Kids under 12 (instead of 6) now eat for free at all participating hotels in Asia-Pacific.

It goes without saying that I am a huge advocate for ShopBack - I have gotten more than S$3,000 worth of cashback from using it over the last couple of years and I have recently discovered ShopBack GO which allows you to earn cashback even when you dine out and pay with your credit card(s). I have recently relocated somewhere closer to the city and realised that Eatigo offers plenty of great dining discounts at restaurants that I typically frequent anyway.

I have recently completed an amazing stay at the W Taipei where I was upgraded into a Marvelous Suite as a Platinum Elite member. However, when I looked at my Marriott Bonvoy account this morning, I realised that the points posted here approximately 14% lower than what I was expecting - it is always a good idea to calculate an estimated ballpark figure for the number of points you will earn from each stay and then reconcile it afterwards.

Hyatt has now enhanced their Best Rate Guarantee program to offer members the opportunity to pick 5,000 World of Hyatt Points over a 20% discount. Effective immediately, members can now file for a Best Rate Guarantee and choose between getting an additional 20% off or 5,000 World of Hyatt Bonus Points (which will typically cost USD 120 to purchase) when it is approved. Remember, these additional benefits are on top of your newly-matched room rate.

American Express has unveiled a list of participating merchants where holders of the American Express Singapore Airlines Credit Cards can earn additional miles every month. You might remember that there was an offer that was release a number of weeks back that allows eligible cardholders to earn 4 bonus KrisFlyer miles per S$1 spent with mobile wallets - I visited Watsons the other day to find out if both of these promotions stack.