American Express Membership Rewards - Amex Black & VS Lounges

I was just going thorough a selection of postings relating to Amex Centurion and noticed one from a couple of months ago that said UK Centurion holders can get access to Virgin lounges.

Is this true? If so, it's completely passed me by. I assume if it is the case then it is a separate arrangement to Priority Pass - could someone confirm?

Incidentally, having read all the postings it's clear that the mystique of the Black card lives on! Sad to say, my own experience is similar to Richard Mannion's - gold card holder for six months, invited to platinum, invited to Centurion six months later!

Hi EssexBantam,
First of all, welcome to flyertalk!

UK Centurion Amex cardholders can access VS Clubhouses ( also bmi lounges when flying with bmi) when travelling on a VS ticket ( Just show your Amex card and VS boarding pass at the clubhouse reception.
Priority Pass is different (you get a Priority Pass card)which gives you access to other lounges ie the Servisair lounges at LHR T3 ( close to the VS clubhouse but no comparison really). UK Plat holders had the same access with VS until April 2002.
I do not think you can access the VS Revivlas lounge at LHR though unless travelling in Upper Class or VS FC Gold holder.

Merry Christmas and Happy Travels ( I find the VS clubhouses to be terrific)

Regards

TBS

[This message has been edited by The _Banking_Scot (edited 12-23-2002).]

[This message has been edited by The _Banking_Scot (edited 12-23-2002).]

Another one of the easy-to-miss side benefits is access to Eurostar's Premium First Lounges... just flash the card and they let you in (even if you cancelled it months before hand http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif)

dnw

How would anyone actually know if it was a UK issued card? These are not benefits for the US issued card, but who would actually stop me.

The UK card has an embedded chip, so the two would never be mistaken. Personally I don't understand why we in the US don't adopt the card-readers and PIN pads that are used in Europe. I very much appreciate that extra level of security!

Incidentally, has anyone in the UK found a use for the chip?

Back to the black, keep your eye out for benefits at Starwood, Hilton etc.

The chip? The chip I hear you say...

Well firstly it can be used by retailers that have the new chip reading equipment for payment authentication, my chip has been read a few times for paying at merchants for goods/services.

The second purpose for it?
Well when Centurion was launched back in March 99, it came with a small calculator device that read the card and provided a handy guide of Centurion benefits. The plan was that AmEx could push new/updated info when your card was used for paymetn at a merchant, however the idea never got off the ground due to the lack of merchants getting the new equipment. So the information on the chips is now out-of-date somewhat, even on my non Charter-Member card http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Maybe it will work in the future....

Thanks,
Richard

Anyway I didn't have a Gold card for 6 months, less than a month! I did incidentally pay for some Virgin upgrades on my Gold card, naybe that helped to Platinum http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Virgin Clubhouse access used to be a huge benefit to me until I made Virgin Gold. Just remember though only people carrying a black coloured card can enter, no platinums on your Centurion account and 1 black card equals one person in the lounge, no guests!

Thanks,
Richard

With respect to CHIP cards - click on this link to APACS the industry governing body (I used to work in this industry until recently) for a bit more info on when you can expect them to come into reality....

http://www.apacs.org.uk/about_apacs/htm_files/chips.htm

Easy to miss the lounge benefits isn't it - I missed BMI Platinum for a while and even now my wife has had a bit of a fight getting in now and again (I've got BMI gold).

IMHO - I doubt that an American issue card will be noticed by the staff - the only differentiator bar the CHIP is the first four digits of the card number. Even people in the know could not be certain about this one !

[This message has been edited by Bond Boy (edited 01-03-2003).]