This is about being keen2travel as an envelope across Australia

Well not across Australia, a little hop from Cairns, Queensland to Sydney, New South Wales using our beloved national postal service Australia Post.

I received the  letter as returned only a few days ago. Take a look at the postmarks...!!

Postmarked as sent 01 AUGUST 2012 postmarked as returned 23 FEBRUARY 2016 

- That's over 1,200 days to NOT deliver. 

+Australia Post truly delivering a service that takes so long you do forget 

#australiaconnected 

American Express 

&

Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer Program

Click on the card >> << To apply today

This is my referral link

.....

Updated 21 September 2015

Firstly - The 4 things that makes it a great deal for me 

- 110,000 Velocity points :  Apply by and be approved by 30 September 2015, spend $1000 on the card in the first 3 months of card membership. (applying directly to american express gets you 100K, apply by a referral link gets you the 110K and the referrer gets a referral bonus) 

- 1 free return domestic flight with Virgin each year
list of routes here: AMXACQ1994_FlightMap_v4

- 2 single entry passes to Virgin Domestic lounges per year
lounges listed are Brisbane,Sydney,Melbourne,Perth, Adelaide and Canberra

- Ability to convert your points to (SQ) Singapore Airlines Kris Flyer Miles

(converts at 1.35 VA to 1 SQ mile)

110K will get you 81,481 SQ Kris Flyer Miles once converted – VA points don’t expire, SQ do expire after 3 years so transfer when you are going to travel. 

To fly from Brisbane to either London or Barcelona one way with SQ in Business Class will cost 80,750 miles (booking online discount applies) + $502 in taxes

So effectively if you absorb the application fee ($349) into this flight it will cost $851
** not bad at all I say **

There is the usual other benefits you get with the card like spend and earn Velocity points, complimentary insurances for overseas travel and purchase protection.

.....

I have been following the application of a college as well as my application to verify that all that is offered is received and in a timely manner.

The Timeline to date 

- Colleges application in 28 July 2015 and approved. 

- Card received 06 August 2015, activated, 1st item charged to the card.

- Complimentary domestic flight loaded into Velocity account on American Express system   06 August 2015.

- 2 lounge passes loaded and backdated to 28 July 2015 into Velocity account on American Express system and verified on Velocity program.

- My application in 08 August 2015 and confirmed 10 August 2015.

- Referral bonus loaded into colleges Velocity account on american Express system.
- Received referral bonus in Velocity account 18 August 2015
- 110,000 loaded onto Amex system 16 August 2015
- I have now received my card 28 August 2015, with a letter arriving 4 days earlier saying that there was a delay with sending out cards and 10 days have been added to the 3 month minimum spend period.
-110,000 loaded  onto my account in Amex system 02 September 2015
-My 1st referral activated there card 09 September 20

-Amex system seems to us a 4 day period to load passes, flights & points. This has been the case until the most recent applicant which I referred. neither of us have received points allocation at 4 days but have received passes and flights.
-I contacted Amex at 5 days to ask what was there system of allocation and all they said is they would check it out and manually force the points allocation. At 7 days and neither account has been adjusted.
-Colleges Velocity account credited with 110,000 19 September 2015
-My 1st referral account loaded with 110,000 18 September 2015 

As the process moves I will edit the page . 

If you use my referral link please let me know as deals like this get both you and me closer to our next redemption flight. I'd also like to say thanks for the help.

The start of the referral link looks like this www316.americanexpress.com The www316 looks weird but this is how American Express generates the link. I was unsure of it's validity at the time and I checked it out to be 100% safe and correct, then I proceeded.

As part of the application process you are asked if you have a American Express card. This is a card that originated from American Express direct

Today the 'P' in FBP has turned into 'P' for Pet. I have a 11 year old Boarder Collie who has just injured a cruciate ligament in a rear leg which has made it unable to be used or carry any weight. This was confirmed with an Xray taken which showed the ligament was torn completely from the bone. As the Vet explained this is a straight forward yet long operation to repair and the dog would be walking again in no time.

This took me to doing a little research into pet insurance and noticing that all policies I have seen have a 6 month waiting period for accidental injury relating to cruciate ligaments and also if on leg has a pre-existing injury or condition which there can be two of,  it will be considered as a Bilateral Condition. I have included a cut and paste below from definitions out of one policy's PDS.

I have another Boarder Collie who is 1.5 years old and he will be getting pet insurance at about  9 years as he is a highly energetic hound and when the cost of this operation is between $2200-$2500 the insurance will be worth having in his latter years.

 Bilateral Condition means any Condition affecting body parts of which the   Pet has two, one each side of the body (e.g. ears, eyes, knees, cruciate   ligaments). For the purposes of your Cover under the policy when applying   a Benefit Limit or exclusion, a Condition arising in one such body part will   be regarded as a Bilateral Condition and will therefore be considered as a   single Condition. For example: If your Pet has been diagnosed prior to being   insured under the policy [or prior to the end of the Waiting Period (if applicable)],   with a Condition on one side of the body, future occurrences of the same   Condition arising on the other side of the body will not be covered. In other   words, if a dog has been diagnosed with a cruciate tear in his left leg before     the    end    of    the    Waiting    Period,    a    subsequent    cruciate    tear    in    his    right    leg    will      be excluded as a Pre-existing Condition.