American Express Membership Rewards - JPN Centurion

Folks,

I am delighted to have this opportunity to write to you all for the first time. Last month, I gratefully received the invitation for the Centurion Card membership, which was just recently introduced in Japan.

1) JPN Centurion Card covers the services of HHonors Gold and SPG Platinum but not, for example, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond or the qualifications for the Six Continents Club of Inter-Continental.

2) No such benefit as commemorative free-stay tickets for hotels were granted to card owners in Japan.

3) Services related to FFP are simply miserable. The international Airline Program is not different from that of the Platinum Card.

4) The coverage of Hertz #1 club Gold is not different from the Platinum Card.

5) Financial services is the same as the Platinum Card.

6) The Centurion Travel Service itself is not independent.

An annual membership charge is 160,000 yen (about US$1,350).
That's all for now.

If you go to Hyatt Gold Passport site, get the phone number for the US office.

Phone them and explain you have Platinum SPG and Gold HHonors status and they will comp you Diamond Hyatt Passport status for 18 months.

Thanks,
Richard

Dear Mr. Mannion:

Thank you for telling me how I can get a complimentary upgrade to Diamond Hyatt Passport status for 18 months.

By the way, JPN Centurion covers special complimentary 22 hotel program amenities including 6 of the Fine Hotels, Resorts & Spas.
They offer us room upgrade, daily breakfast, late check-out and special amenity.
They are as follows; (* belongs to Fine Hotels, Resorts & Spas)

1. The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka (*)
2. Rihga Royal Hotel
3. InterContinental The Grand Yokohama
4. Hotel New Otani Tokyo
5. Hotel New Otani Osaka (*)
6. Hotel Seiyo Ginza (*)
7. Le Meridien Grand Pacific Tokyo
8. Hotel Okura Fukuoka
9. Hotel Okura Tokyo (*)
10. Hotel Okura Kobe
11. Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Chinzan-so (*)
12. Hilton Tokyo
13. Hyatt Regency Osaka
14. Park Hyatt Tokyo (*)
15. Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel
16. Imperial Hotel Osaka
17. Imperial Hotel Tokyo
18. Grand Hyatt Fukuoka
19. Kyoto Hotel Okura
20. The Westin Tokyo
21. The Westin Osaka
22. InterContinental Tokyo Bay

What are the requirments for the Japan Centurion Card?

SteveT,

As everyone knows, there are many conflicting stories about the criteria for a Centurion card;-)
That is the same as JPN Centurion.
AmEx has never ever given any clear explanation.

[This message has been edited by itaru (edited 01-29-2003).]

Itaru,

If you travel often to the U.S., you might want to establish a dummy address here. Then you can ask Amex to transfer your Centurion card to the U.S. to get all the U.S. benefits. This might raise your annual fee to $2500, but for some of us, it's worth it.

stimpy,

I understand that US Centurion covers the services of HHonors Gold, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond and the qualifications for the Six Continents Club of InterContinental.

Moreover, In the US, extra airlines and routes in addition to those covered by the Platinum seem to be covered by the Centurion.
Further additional benefits such as companion seats and free up-grades also seem to be included.
Since the Centurion was just recently introduced especially in Japan, I strongly hope that JPN AmEx devise the Supreme Membership of JAL Mileage Bank and ANA Mileage Club, which means we JPN Centurion Cardmembers can not have access to any domestic airport lounges with a Centurion program.

The coverage of Hertz #1 club Gold in JPN Centurion is not different from JPN Platinum.
The Centurion should have some additional merits.
I know that even US Platinum covers Avis and National Gold.

The Centurion Travel Service is not independent in Japan.
Strictly speaking, CTS itself does not exist.
Believe it or not, receptionists of PTS (not CTS) are on the job for Platinum/Centurion Cardmembers in JPN AmEx.
Centurions in other countries, if I am current, offer a special concierge and a personal travel counselor.

On the whole, the services and benefits attached to JPN Centurion are simply miserable if those are compared to those of US Centurion.

If I travel often to the U.S., I might want to establish a dummy address there as you advised me.
Fortunately(?) I visit US only a few times a year.
However, as a valued AmEx Centurion Cardmember, I am convinced that I have now a privilege to access to worldwide services and benefits in a Centurion program, regardless the country of card issuance.
In the future, I might ask AmEx to transfer my Centurion to the U.S. to get all the U.S. benefits.
I do not mind at all raise of my annual fee to $2500 since I think it's worth it.

Anyway, thank you for your kind advice.
Keep in better touch.

[This message has been edited by itaru (edited 01-16-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by itaru:
Dear Mr. Mannion:

Thank you for telling me how I can get a complimentary upgrade to Diamond Hyatt Passport status for 18 months.

</font>

Itaru-san, Richard gives excellent advice, but you should be aware that Hyatt and other programs will typically offer a "complimentary upgrade in status" or a status match only once.

So unless you have some planned stays at a Hyatt in the near future, you should wait to exercise this option.

Regards and Welcome to Flyertalk!

Before I forget, I would like to send my best regards to skofarrell: the moderator of this forum for giving me a warm welcome.

If I am comped this month to Gold Passport Diamond tier level, the status is only good through June 2004.
Is it correct?
Is my status only good for 18 months?
Will Hyatt offer a "complimentary upgrade in status" or a status match only once?
If your suggestion is correct, it is a great reminder of how important it is when I should request a "complimentary status match" to Hyatt.

To tell the truth, I was expecting Diamond status to last forever by that "complimentary status match".
This would give me a lifelong Diamond status as long as I am a Centurion Cardmember.
Very sorry if this is a primitive question but I am hoping that Diamond status will last longer than only 18 months.

I would like to thank you for your cooperation in advance.

[This message has been edited by itaru (edited 01-17-2003).]

Itaru-san, other companies typically match as an enticement to get your future business. They remove the barrier of earning the status for a period of time, and expect new business to keep status in the future.

So, I would not expect Hyatt to offer your status in the future simply because you hold Centurion (unless Amex Japan were to add Hyatt Diamond as a benefit of Centurion).

Asking for a status match is something that should be saved for when you are going to need it...


[This message has been edited by skofarrell (edited 01-17-2003).]