This might be topical as a lot of cheapies probably signed up for the AMEX offer last year where they were offering $400-$500 bonus Airpoints when you signed up to the American Express Airpoints Platinum Card.
I called up their 0800 number to cancel the card today as the $195 annual renewal fee was coming up. They asked the usual sort of questions, why was I leaving, do you know how many points you have earnt this year etc.etc. but I stuck to my guns and insisted I was going to cancel the card.
Their automated customer retention system instructed the consultant to offer me $500 Airpoints to stay with American Express. She said that this does vary from customer to customer, and it is likely dependent on how much money you spend on your card each month. All in all I thought this experience was worth sharing. Please note that you will still have to pay the annual account fee so I'm really only $300 up which is the same reward that ASB is offering at the moment with their True Rewards card.
However, if you're like me and want Airpoints for when the borders open up again and have a high average monthly spend, this trick could be worth trying even if you are happy with your Amex card.

I called yesterday and went through the voice prompt and said "card cancellation". Waited for 2 minutes, got Rebecca on the phone. I said I am considering to cancel the card as so many places don't accept Amex anymore and I can't justify paying high fee. She said she can switch me to platinum edge but I said the free airfare has no use to me. I asked if she can waive half year fee for me, she said it's in their policy they can't waive the fee. BUT then she said there is a way she can help me, she can offer me enough points to cover the fee. The offer was 250k which I thought I heard it wrong at first, didn't expect this many points at all. Totally over the moon!!!
She said 250k should work out around $1200 (don't know where she gets that figure, but the points definitely worth a lot more than that). She said this is the biggest offer she has ever seen and she needs to get an approval on that before she puts into my account. So I wonder if there is a special chart for the retention offer (they look at your spendings and years with them) to offer whats on it. The agent has no power to change it?
I have been with Amex for a very long time assuming this is one of the key factors as Rebecca thanks me for bing with them. Anyway, not bad for a 8 minutes work. 250k = one business class return airfare to Europe, plus one way economy class to Asia.