American Express Membership Rewards - Amex Platinum - when is it worth it?

Can anyone here tell me when it's worth it to go platinum? The 2 for 1 offer seems like it applies for only full fare business class travel, right?

Can anyone here tell me when it's worth it to go platinum? The 2 for 1 offer seems like it applies for only full fare business class travel, right?

Correct, however if your company pays for full fare business, then the offer is worth it.

I went back to the plat. card as Mrs. DelrayChris is traveling now and I wanted her to have the benefit of the Delta Crown and other rooms.

Our room usage over the past month has more than paid for our yearly main and additional platinum card fees; especially when you take into account the yearly membership fee for the rooms, the one-time entrance fee if not a member, the unlimited access, the beverages (wine, etc.), and the internet.

If you are not going to travel, you may not find the benefit worth the yearly fee.

My company doesnt even pay full fare first, if it's not available, for the EVPs.

But access to the various lounges sounds pretty good. I do travel a lot, and UAL RCC is already a few hundred dollars.

Correct, however if your company pays for full fare business, then the offer is worth it.

I went back to the plat. card as Mrs. DelrayChris is traveling now and I wanted her to have the benefit of the Delta Crown and other rooms.

Our room usage over the past month has more than paid for our yearly main and additional platinum card fees; especially when you take into account the yearly membership fee for the rooms, the one-time entrance fee if not a member, the unlimited access, the beverages (wine, etc.), and the internet.

If you are not going to travel, you may not find the benefit worth the yearly fee.

The lounge access is good. Bear in mind for the US issued card that it is only good if you happend to frequently pass by the lounges Amex supports (same for international cards but we have it a little easier thanks to Priority Pass). I now find myself quite annoyed when I pass through an airport that isn't supported - I must be turning into a snob.

I dont remember passing any lounges on my united / JFK trips -- British Airways, maybe, definitely not Delta or CO...

The lounge access is good. Bear in mind for the US issued card that it is only good if you happend to frequently pass by the lounges Amex supports (same for international cards but we have it a little easier thanks to Priority Pass). I now find myself quite annoyed when I pass through an airport that isn't supported - I must be turning into a snob.

Unless things have changed, Platinum Amex will only get you into Continental's and Northwest's lounges in the US. CO is my primary carrier, so this is a pretty good deal for me. I've also taken advantage of 2-for-1 a couple of times in the past, and the savings on that alone paid for many years of the annual fee.

In addition to these benefits, I've found Platinum Concierge very useful, helping me out with some medical issues, e.g. getting prescriptions for me when I've left my medicine at home, hooking me up with a dentist in Milan, etc.

But access to the various lounges sounds pretty good. I do travel a lot, and UAL RCC is already a few hundred dollars.

I love the lounge access but remember it's only good (for US AMEX Plats) when you fly DL, CO or NW the same day, and only good for their respective lounges. (e.g. if you are flying CO out of MSP, you can't generally use the NW lounges in MSP, there are no CO lounges in MSP --> therefore no lounge access for you. However, if you had a CO lounge membership, you could access NW and CO lounges whereever and whenever there was one).

Hope that helps.

here are the lounges:

https://www124.americanexpress.com/cards/platinum/airportclubaccess.jsp

here is the fine print. As long as you fly the same airline domestically, you are in good shape. For example, Mrs. DelrayChris and I fly Delta exclusively, thus, will always have a CRC room whenever we travel.

Complimentary access is specifically for the airport club that corresponds to the airline ticket. (Codeshare agreements do not apply.) Affiliated lounge agreements do not apply. Partners and participating locations subject to change. The Platinum Card member must have their Card on their person and present it to the club agent along with an airline ticket valid for travel that day on the corresponding airline that is operating the flight. The access to the club pertains to the aircraft, not the flight number. The Platinum Card member must be traveling, and the name on the ticket must match the name on the Platinum Card. The Platinum Card member must be 21 to enter into the club without a parent or guardian. Card members must adhere to all house rules of the participating partner club. Amenities may vary among the participating airport club locations. Meeting rooms may be reserved for a nominal fee.

I have not used this part myself, but in another thread, folks who cruise say the onboard ship credit helps pay for the card.

https://www124.americanexpress.com/cards/platinum/cruiseprivileges.jsp

For me, it's all about the lounges too.

A full J fare would get my expense report photocopied and passed around the office as an example of 'why we got rid of him'.

I do like the double points on everyday spend, but that's not exclusive to Platinum.

Unless things have changed, Platinum Amex will only get you into Continental's and Northwest's lounges in the US.

Unless things have changed against since a few months ago, things have changed ;)

I used my Centurion card to get into the CO PC at LGW not so long ago.

Club access is really the only thing, if you ask me. I don't fly any of the airlines AmEx is hooked up with, thus I'm sticking with my green card.

As I've said before, a good travel agent can get you the same hotel and 2-for-1 airline deals for free. And I prefer to deal with a real person who I like, rather than a faceless AmEx CSR.

I just switched to the Plat card because both my NW WorldClub membership and AMEX Green came due, and the total of that was equal to the cost for the AMEX Plat. My lounge useage works well with what Amex provides, and if I use any of the other benefits ever, I'm ahead on the game.

Steve

Unless things have changed against since a few months ago, things have changed ;)

I used my Centurion card to get into the CO PC at LGW not so long ago.
Bad parsing on my part -- I should have said, "In the US, Amex Platinum will only get you into Continental and Northwest clubs," (though, from this thread, I gather Delta clubs are now available, too).

Can anyone here tell me when it's worth it to go platinum? The 2 for 1 offer seems like it applies for only full fare business class travel, right?

For me, the maths works like this:
Free full travel insurance for me and my family (c £180-£200 value)
'Priority Pass' for free airport lounge access across the globe (UK Amex only!)
Eurostar lounge access
British Airways Amex card without the £120 fee
Substantial discounts on hotel bookings through 'Fine Hotels & Resorts' (will save me c£300 this year)
The occasional drinks party invitation in London

For me, this is worth the £275 fee. I don't even use my Plat card - all my spend goes on my BA card!

Its all about lounge access.

Its all about lounge access.

Well despite my posts about the other benefits, I agree. If they ever dropped the lounge access, I would drop my plat card in a heartbeat. For me, that's the only reason to have it. The rest is nice, but frills....

Correct, however if your company pays for full fare business, then the offer is worth it.

I went back to the plat. card as Mrs. DelrayChris is traveling now and I wanted her to have the benefit of the Delta Crown and other rooms.


This is OT but for those you with Corp. Amex cards provided by your workplace, how do you justify charging an item on your personal plat. card and then expensing the charge?

This is OT but for those you with Corp. Amex cards provided by your workplace, how do you justify charging an item on your personal plat. card and then expensing the charge?

We are supposed to have a corporate Amex for expenses, but they are not "provided" we have to apply for them. My employer gives me a long list of conditions for applying for the card, as if they are doing ME a favour by letting me have one, yet I am still personally liable for every penny charged to it.

I can't see any reason why I should want to apply for one when I already have am adequate line of credit on my other cards so I prefer to use my own Platinum Amex Credit Card and get the 2% cashback.

So far they haven't objected, when they do I will ask them to justify why I should have a corporate card. (I assume they have an agreement with Amex to get cashback when the corp cards are used).

This is OT but for those you with Corp. Amex cards provided by your workplace, how do you justify charging an item on your personal plat. card and then expensing the charge?

I don't have any reason to charge onto my personal platinum card. I have my corporate card linked to my membership rewards account on my personal platinum card, so I reap the points for my corporate spend. The only benefit I'm aware of that I would get is charging my internatinal air travel to my platinum card so I could receive the 2-for-1 business class tickets, except that our corporate travel department pays for the tickets, so I don't even have the option to select where they get charged to.

For me, I like having my business charges show up on one bill and personal on another. It makes expense reports at least just a little bit easier.

Chris

I currently have a platinum charge card and don't find I get any benefit from it except from earning membership points (all fo whihc I convert into Virgin airmiles) and the annual travel insurance (which is NOT worth £275 to me and my husband). I am wondering whether I should change to the new platinum credit card - no fee, 2% cash back...but what I'm not sure about is if I can earn reward points on this too?
Can anyone shed any light on this?
I'm also considering taking out the Virgin Flying Club visa card - which gives 2 Virgin miles for every £1 spent - so a higher rate than Amex plat charge card, but i'm thinkning maybe 2% cash back trumps them all!!!!
What to do - ideally i only want 1 card that gives me the best return and keeps my life simple!

I currently have a platinum charge card and don't find I get any benefit from it except from earning membership points (all fo whihc I convert into Virgin airmiles) and the annual travel insurance (which is NOT worth £275 to me and my husband). I am wondering whether I should change to the new platinum credit card - no fee, 2% cash back...but what I'm not sure about is if I can earn reward points on this too?
Can anyone shed any light on this?
I'm also considering taking out the Virgin Flying Club visa card - which gives 2 Virgin miles for every £1 spent - so a higher rate than Amex plat charge card, but i'm thinkning maybe 2% cash back trumps them all!!!!
What to do - ideally i only want 1 card that gives me the best return and keeps my life simple!

It depends on how you would use your miles and how many you would generate. I prefer to get miles from my cards (mainly BA Amex) because I take a lot of long-haul holidays and use my miles to upgrade from World Traveller Plus to flat-bed business class. This is worth far more to me than 2% cash back - £700-£1,000 + 25,000 miles get you a £2,000-5,000 seat, plus once a year I get a '2 redemption seats for the mileage of 1' voucher.

Whichever airline card you have, though, if you are only redeeming miles for short-haul flights (which can usually be bought cheaply elsewhere) then you may be better with cash back.

Have you considered the British Midland / BMI credit card? You get 20,000 free BMI miles for signing up at the moment, and you only need 25,000 + £140 to get an economy flight to the US. Even better, just 37,500 + £210 for a business class flight. You can also transfer Amex MR points into BMI.

Even the Tesco visa card is worth considering! The 'Tesco Deals' brochure (which gives you £10 of value for £2.50 of clubcard points) is effectively worth 2% cash back. It's unlikely that you won't find anything of value in that programme.

I am wondering whether I should change to the new platinum credit card - no fee, 2% cash back...but what I'm not sure about is if I can earn reward points on this too? Can anyone shed any light on this?

No, you don't get reward points, annual fees or gimmicks with the Platinum Credit Card, just cold, hard cash to spend however you see fit. Depending on your circumstances you may or may not be better off switching.

They appear to have increased the amount you have to spend to get cashback though:

• 0.5% for up to £3,000;
• 1% for amounts from £3,001 to £7,500; and
• 2% for amounts in excess of £7,501

when it used to be:

• 0.5% for up to £2,000
• 1% for amounts from £2,001 to £5,000
• 2% for amounts in excess of £5,000

:(

Still a pretty good deal if you are a big spender or you charge lots of company expenses to your own card though.

If you spend (say) £10,000 on your Plat Credit Card, you would get £110 cashback. Add the £275 saving on annual fee and you are £385 better off.

You lose the Priority Pass and Travel Insurance, but you can buy a Annual Multi-trip family travel insurance policy from Columbus Direct with Priority Pass included for £150. You're still £235 better off - and you can spend it how you like. :)

No, you don't get reward points, annual fees or gimmicks with the Platinum Credit Card, just cold, hard cash to spend however you see fit. Depending on your circumstances you may or may not be better off switching.

They appear to have increased the amount you have to spend to get cashback though:

• 0.5% for up to £3,000;
• 1% for amounts from £3,001 to £7,500; and
• 2% for amounts in excess of £7,501

when it used to be:

• 0.5% for up to £2,000
• 1% for amounts from £2,001 to £5,000
• 2% for amounts in excess of £5,000

:(

Still a pretty good deal if you are a big spender or you charge lots of company expenses to your own card though.

If you spend (say) £10,000 on your Plat Credit Card, you would get £110 cashback. Add the £275 saving on annual fee and you are £385 better off.

You lose the Priority Pass and Travel Insurance, but you can buy a Annual Multi-trip family travel insurance policy from Columbus Direct with Priority Pass included for £150. You're still £235 better off - and you can spend it how you like. :)

I didn't know they changed the thresholds. I hope that I am still getting my 2%...i have charged just under the new £7500 and do not plan to spend anything before my year is up!

And 2% of £10,000 is £200 :p

And 2% of £10,000 is £200 :p

Hmmm, so if I spend 10k then I get 2% back on the whole amount (ie £200) or only on the amount above the .5%, 1%, 2% threashold (which is where I got the £110 figure from) :confused: I haven't had my card for a year yet so haven't got the cash yet...

but you can buy a Annual Multi-trip family travel insurance policy from Columbus Direct with Priority Pass included for £150.

I will bet you a penny to a pound that you're not comparing like-with-like here. What level of Priority Pass does this Columbus Direct insurance policy get you?

Also, I checked their site and there's no obvious reference to this deal.

I will bet you a penny to a pound that you're not comparing like-with-like here. What level of Priority Pass does this Columbus Direct insurance policy get you?

Also, I checked their site and there's no obvious reference to this deal.

At best I reckon you would be getting the basic £69 Priority Pass membership, which forces you to pay £15 or so for all your lounge visits. The Amex version is the full £259 membership, where all your lounge visits are free.

I have never used the priority pass and wodnering if i'm missing something about it. I have the amex plat card, my husband is a supplementary cardholder, and we almost always travel together. So although i get into the lounges free, he has to pay £15, and the standard of lounges has never struck me as worth it or convenient. He is also Virgin Gold so we generaly use their lounge anyway. is the value of the priority pass really as much as stated? Do people feel that the £15 we would have to pay for both of us to use the lounges is worthwhile, when there are plently of nice places now at LHR (less so at LGW) to grab a drink/coffee/snack that probably doesn't cost much more than £15 anyway?

Also, on the plat credit card, I am confused - is the 2% of all your spending once you have passed the £7,500 threshold, or just on spend above that (ie with lower cashback % on the first £7500?). Any thoughts on the Virgin Flying Club credit card - i rarefly fly BA so the BA card is less useful to me, and i think BMI is also oneworld points isn't it? Are there other good ways of gaining Virgin miles?

I have never used the priority pass and wodnering if i'm missing something about it. I have the amex plat card, my husband is a supplementary cardholder, and we almost always travel together. So although i get into the lounges free, he has to pay £15, and the standard of lounges has never struck me as worth it or convenient. He is also Virgin Gold so we generaly use their lounge anyway. is the value of the priority pass really as much as stated? Do people feel that the £15 we would have to pay for both of us to use the lounges is worthwhile, when there are plently of nice places now at LHR (less so at LGW) to grab a drink/coffee/snack that probably doesn't cost much more than £15 anyway?


This is true - Priority Pass is better if you travel alone, if only because you do not feel obliged to get value for money. You also feel less guilty for popping into a lounge for just 10-15 minutes, which you would not do if your partner had to pay. That said, if you have a Plat Amex card, then you may as well get the PPass anyway - it won't cost you anything.

The BMI and Eurostar lounges are a Plat perk and not a PPass perk, so two of you can get in for free with two cards.

To be honest, if you fly Virgin a lot and collect miles that way, I would get the paid-for (highest mileage earning) Virgin card and put all your spend on that. The Virgin card is a poor deal if you never earn miles flying Virgin, however, as you will never earn enough just through the credit card for a decent reward. (The 'cash and miles' option is useless as it only applies to full-price flexible tickets.)

The BA Premium Plus Amex is the best mileage card available in the UK, mainly because of the 'cash and miles' option. You only need a net c 13,000 miles (just £8,500 of spend) to upgrade a £700-800 WT+ ticket to Club. Even if you never earn miles flying BA, you can do well just by using the BA Amex and shopping at Tesco and converting clubcard points to BA Miles.

BMI, by the way, is Star Alliance, not Oneworld. You can also redeem BMI miles for Virgin flights.

interesting.......perhaps I would start using BA if I could upgrade to Club from WT+ at those sorts of rates. What's the score with Tesco? How do I earn points through them?
I am really confused and don't know what to do!!! I have 1 Amex Plat charge card that I'm fed up with paying £275 for. I have 1 Halifax Visa card that i ttok out when it offered 1% cash now, now reduced to a pathetic 0.25%. I want to cancel both of these to take out ideally 1 alternative card that will either earn me the maximum cash back option or if it is better value and offers a better return, will enable me to travel in business class on quality airlines for long haul routes - BA, Virgin, Singapore, cathy Pacific etc (i currently spend about £50k a year on Amex and about £25k a year on the halifax visa, and probably spend about £10k a year on purchasing premium econ, business or first class tickets - I never travel economy except for short haul unless I can help it). I figured with Virgin Visa this collective £75k this would equate to approx 150,000 Virgin airmiles a year - 1.5 Upper Class return trips, approx value £3,000 - £4,000. With Amex plat credit card it means £1500 cash back (assuming you earn the full 2% on everything so long as you exceed £7,000 a year). I'm not sure what it means for the BA amex card or the BMI card.
RJB - you seem to know the ins and outs of all the cards - what would you take out in my position?
Many thanks!

If you go the BA route, you need a BA Amex and Tesco Visa, because you cannot survive in the UK on just Amex! With Tesco, £1 of spend = 0.5 clubcard points and 250 clubcards points = 600 BA Miles. Therefore, £1 of spend = 1.2 BA Miles. The BA Amex cards earn between 1 and 1.5 miles per £, depending on which you choose, plus a '2 for 1' voucher after spending £15-20k.

On your current annual spend, £50k on the best BA Amex earns 75,000 BA Miles. £20k on the Tesco Visa would get 21,000 BA Miles. Total mileage = 96,000 BA Miles and a '2 for 1' voucher. This will get you 2 BA Club seats to South Africa / US / Caribbean for 100,000 miles. Alternatively, you would be able to do approximately seven upgrades of Premium Economy tickets to Club, which might suit you better given your travel volumes.

If you go the BMI route, then £75k of spend on their premium credit card would get you 150,000 Diamond Club miles (+ 20,000 bonus miles at the moment). This would get you 4.5 business class return tickets to the US / SA / Caribbean etc (or 3.4 in First) or 2-3 to Asia on a 'miles plus cash' basis, the cash element of each ticket being c£250 + tax. These would be on Star Alliance carriers. The BMI mileage charts can be found here: http://www.flybmi.com/bmi/en-gb/frequentflyers/howtospendmiles.aspx

You'll find that each of the airline forums on FT has lengthy discussions about the different sorts of credit card available, particularly the BA board. Perhaps the easiest way to solve your problem is to decide on a destination that you and your partner would like to visit in 2006 and then work out which airlines and cards offer you the best chance of hitting that target with your spending during 2005.

I will bet you a penny to a pound that you're not comparing like-with-like here. What level of Priority Pass does this Columbus Direct insurance policy get you?

Also, I checked their site and there's no obvious reference to this deal.

The policy is called "Multi Trip Annual Executive" and costs £119 for a single or £149.00 for a family (2 Adults + 3 children) policy. You need to select the "Business and Airport Lounge" option at step 2 to get the priority pass.

I think you are right that it is only the most basic ($79? - their website is down) PP that you get. It would suit me, I am always running late for my flights so I only really have use for the lounge when the flight has been delayed... :p

I think you are right that it is only the most basic ($79? - their website is down) PP that you get. It would suit me, I am always running late for my flights so I only really have use for the lounge when the flight has been delayed... :p

It is indeed the bog-standard Standard membership with the £15 per entry fee. On the other hand, the UK Amex Platinum gets you the Prestige membership. The normal membership fees are $99 and $399 respectively (who knows why the website quotes the UK prices in USD).

So really that wasn't a fair comparison you made before.

It was well worth it when we were in the Orlando Airport and Avis would not honor our previously made car reservation b/c they were "out of cars" - it was Daytona Race Weekend - and we had no way to get to Port Canavral (sp?) for our cruise -
I called the Plat number, and Avis mysteriously "found" a car for us - the gal at the Avis desk looked at the screen and said "I have never seen this code before" - whatever Plat did, it worked.

Also, when we got married, our Plat card got us an upgraded room at the resort we were at in Jamaica (The Half Moon - it rocks), plus an upgrade on the inclusive plan we paid for plus a bottle of champaigne. I get steamed each year when it is time to pay the fee, but it is worth it for the peace of mind.

It was well worth it when we were in the Orlando Airport and Avis would not honor our previously made car reservation b/c they were "out of cars" - it was Daytona Race Weekend - and we had no way to get to Port Canavral (sp?) for our cruise -
I called the Plat number, and Avis mysteriously "found" a car for us - the gal at the Avis desk looked at the screen and said "I have never seen this code before" - whatever Plat did, it worked.

Welcome to Flyer Talk!

That story reminds me of one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes, where Jerry was going to get a rental car, and they didn't have it...

JERRY: I don't understand, I made a reservation, do you have my reservation?
RENTAL CAR AGENT: Yes, we do, unfortunately we ran out of cars.
JERRY: But the reservation keeps the car here. That's why you have the reservation.
RENTAL CAR AGENT: I know why we have reservations.
JERRY: I don't think you do. If you did, I'd have a car. See, you know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to hold the reservation and that's really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them.


Ahhh how I miss that show :)

RJB thank you for all your help. BMI looks v interesting so i think i'm inclining that way - first class to new Zealand/Pacific Island is our next big save, which from memory is about 440,000 virgin airmiles for Air NewZealand with Virgin Flyign Club, so i'll do some calculations and work out who will get me there quicker - Virgin or BMI.
One thing I'm now certain of is that teh Amex platinum has to go!
I really apprecaite your time.

Tell you what, feel like I'm getting ripped off. I'm an Australian Amex Platinum member and there is no lounge access privileges. :confused:

Tell you what, feel like I'm getting ripped off. I'm an Australian Amex Platinum member and there is no lounge access privileges. :confused:

How much do you pay? Hope it's a lot less than we do in the U.S.

How much do you pay? Hope it's a lot less than we do in the U.S.

AUD 900. I'm relatively new to the card (joined last December) and have to admit I'm struggling to justify the expense.

Having used PTS to book hotels in Hong Kong & Australia, I've been sorely disappointed with the service.

I asked them to book me a suite at the Peninsula in Hong Kong and the price they gave me was exactly the same as the Peninsula had on the web. PTS told me that because I wanted a suite as opposed to a room, it didn't come under the Fine Hotels Program they have.

I stuck with them, but when I emailed them my flight details for the airport transfer I didn't get any responses so I rang PTS and told them verbally what my flight details were. During this call, the CS rep gave me the impression she was in a rush and when I apologised for calling so late (10pm Australian time) she said to me "No its fine, there's just a lot of calls queueing up tonight". Anyway, they re-issued the itinery and got my flight times completely wrong! :confused: So obviously she was busy worrying about the calls queueing rather than listening to me. Anyway, so I ended up having to ring again for them to finally get it right. :mad:

I booked two other rooms in Australia which they did for me, one at the Hilton and the other at the Marriott and both rooms once again came at the same price as displayed on the web. :( and they couldn't wrangle an early check in for me. And fair enough, no harm done, but still I felt like I was an inconvenience to them rather than them wanting to help me.

Not sure if this has to do with the fact I'm currently in Rome and dealing with the after-hours group of people in Australia. I have a sneaking suspicion that it is.

Sorry for the vent. Just does my head in you know?

AUD 900. I'm relatively new to the card (joined last December) and have to admit I'm struggling to justify the expense. ....

Sorry for the vent. Just does my head in you know?

No problem here....I think I would feel the same. For the price, one expects high quality service and it does not sound like you are getting it. As many have said on this thread, in the U.S. program, it's all about the lounge access. I have not yet tried the reservation service, but I plan to. But it wouild have to be incredibly good for me to pay for the card without the lounge access.

...On the other hand, the UK Amex Platinum gets you the Prestige membership...


This is by far the best benefit for me (having not had cause to use any of the insurance). At what would be £15 a pop for lounge access, the Amex Platinum card more than paid for itself for me this year (currently at 22 lounge visits and counting :D )

Hi,

Does anyone know the 20 airlines that participate with the 2 for 1 benefit for Amex Platinum. The AMEX website only says 20 airlines and does not list them.

Also - do people know if the full fare that you book for AMEX travel is the same prices as other places?

Thanks,
David

• Just purchase a full-fare First Class or Business Class ticket through Platinum Travel Service and you'll receive one complimentary ticket with the same itinerary as your own.
• Travel as often as you like between now and
August 31, 2006 - there's no limit to the number of times you can receive a complimentary ticket.

For Reservations
Platinum Travel Service
can make all of your travel arrangements.
>Call 1-800-443-7672 (outside U.S., call
602-537-4000)
2003-2004 International Airline Program Participants
This program is valid for travel through August 31, 2006, on these 20 member carriers.2
Qualifying Airlines Major Destinations Flight Class
Aer Lingus Ireland Premier Class
AeroMexico Mexico Clase Premier
Air France Europe, the Middle East, Asia Business Class
Air New Zealand Australia, London, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands3 First Class, Business Class
Alitalia Africa, Europe, the Middle East, India Magnifica Class
Asiana Airlines China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Australia Sleeper First Class, Premier Business Class
Austrian Airlines Europe, India, and the Middle East Grand Class
Cathay Pacific Airways Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand Business Class
China Airlines Taiwan, Asia First Class, Business Class
Continental Airlines® Amsterdam, Birmingham, Brussels, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guatemala City, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Manchester, Oslo, Panama City, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, San Jose (Costa Rica), Sao Paulo, Shannon, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and the Caribbean4 BusinessFirst®
JAL Japan Airlines Japan, Asia Business Class
LanChile Santiago, Lima, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Caracas, Punta Cana First Class, Business Class
LanEcuador Ecuador Business Class
LanPeru Peru First Class, Business Class
Lufthansa Africa, Europe, the Far East, and the Middle East Business Class
Malaysia Airlines Australia, South Asia, Malaysia, and the Middle East First Class, Golden Club
SAS Scandinavia, Europe, the Baltics, and the Far East Business Class
South African Airways South Africa-Johannesburg, Cape Town Business Class
Swissair Africa, Europe, the Far East, and the Middle East First Class, Business Class
Virgin Atlantic London Upper Class (Business Class)
1. Eligibility of International Airline Program (IAP) is contingent on the purchase of a nonrestricted full-fare First- or Business-Class ticket on a member carrier originating in and returning to a designated U.S. gateway. Puerto Rico is not a qualifying U.S. gateway. Travel must be completed by August 31, 2006. Some IAP carriers offer only Business Class. Class of service is determined by each participating airline. One-way travel valid only if originating in the U.S. on certain carriers. IAP seat allocations and destinations may be limited on specific airlines and departures. One of the travelers must be a U.S.-issued Platinum Card member. Tickets are non-transferable and non-endorsable and must be purchased in the U.S. with an American Express® Card in the Platinum Card member’s name. Complimentary ticket must have the same exact itinerary with departure and return on the same flights as the paid ticket, and is subject to all government fees, taxes, and charges. One complimentary ticket per Platinum Card member traveling. Complimentary tickets have no refund value and do not accrue frequent flyer mileage. Complimentary tickets apply only with all-year, nonrestricted full fares. Any deviations or changes in routing by personal choice of Card member after ticketing will be at Card member’s expense. Nonparticipating carriers must be ticketed and priced separately. Refund of the same full-fare passenger ticket must be accompanied by the complimentary ticket. Advance reservations must be ticketed no later than 30 days prior to departure or reservations will be canceled. Reservations made within 30 days must be ticketed within 72 hours after the bookings are made or the reservations will be canceled. Offer not valid with any other promotion, discount, negotiated group rate, or corporate-contracted rate, and is subject to availability. Certain code-share flights may apply. Airlines reserve the right to change or modify program based on an irregular flight operation. Program subject to changes or cancellations. City restrictions apply. American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. acts solely as sales agent for travel suppliers and is not liable for the actions or inactions of such suppliers. CST#1022318-10, TA-149 Registered Ohio Travel Agency, Washington UBI# 600-469-694 ML-1192. American Express Travel Related Service Co., Inc.
2. Some carriers may make this offer available only in Business Class. Capacity and other restrictions may apply on specific departures.
3. Pacific Islands route offers only Business Class.
4. Select Caribbean destinations available in First Class.



link is:
https://www124.americanexpress.com/cards/platinum/airprogram.jsp

What a shame DL is not listed among the qualifying airlines. I had planned to upgrade (from DL platinum AMEX) perhaps next year to take advantage of the bus. class companion ticket, but if DL isn't included, then no dice for me.

I wonder why DL is left out since so many of their SkyTeam partners are included.

I am thinking of applying for the Platinum charge card, currently have the BA premier plus card. In the UK the lounge access would be of benefit for me, as well as the hotel upgrades. I cannot find it on the Amex website so I thought I would ask here. Part of the program also appears to be the complementary gold Hhonours and Starwood programs. Can anyone tell me for how long you get this. I am gold on HH but likely to drop to silver next year. It mentions gold membership for first year at HH, so I presume you would drop back to silver if your stays did not reach 16. Is this correct? Also is it the same process for Starwood, or do you retain gold if you keep paying the yearly fee?
Any assistance would be appreciated.

Part of the program also appears to be the complementary gold Hhonours and Starwood programs. Can anyone tell me for how long you get this.

Platinum card - first year only HH Gold, continuing SPG Gold (as long as you maintain your Platinum cardmembership)

I am thinking of applying for the Platinum charge card, currently have the BA premier plus card. In the UK the lounge access would be of benefit for me, as well as the hotel upgrades. I cannot find it on the Amex website so I thought I would ask here. Part of the program also appears to be the complementary gold Hhonours and Starwood programs. Can anyone tell me for how long you get this. I am gold on HH but likely to drop to silver next year. It mentions gold membership for first year at HH, so I presume you would drop back to silver if your stays did not reach 16. Is this correct? Also is it the same process for Starwood, or do you retain gold if you keep paying the yearly fee?
Any assistance would be appreciated.

Starwood Gold is permanent for as long as you hold the card. I have got some good upgrades from this in the past. HH Gold is for one year only, although I did succeed in getting it comped for a second year by asking Hilton nicely. I dropped straight back to Blue when the second comp expired, and haven't bothered trying to get it back up, but only because I only had one stay.

The Priority Passs lounge benefit is excellent, with lounges at most UK airports and a couple of hundred overseas. UK ones include the KLM Holideck (LHR T4), the Delta Crown Room (LGW North) and elsewhere the Servisair lounges. They even have one at Luton. Note that your guests have to pay (£16?). The Eurostar lounge access is also well worth having. I think BMI lounge access is still a perk as well, although I couldn't find it on the website recently.

Wow! What a lightning fast response, thank you very much. Just got off the phone to Amex. The lady also mentioned something about having any points earned on the chargecard being transferable to the Starwood program. Any ideas how that works?

Thanks

The lady also mentioned something about having any points earned on the chargecard being transferable to the Starwood program. Any ideas how that works?

UK MR points transfer at a 2:1 ration to SPG points. You can find out all the partners for the MR programme on the Amex website.

I have not used this part myself, but in another thread, folks who cruise say the onboard ship credit helps pay for the card.

https://www124.americanexpress.com/cards/platinum/cruiseprivileges.jsp
I upgraded to the Platinum card last year when I booked a cruise on Silversea. By paying with the platinum card, I got $300 shipboard credit, a bottle of Dom Perignon in the cabin, plus dinner with the captain and a bridge tour. The shipboard credit and champagne alone were worth more than the cost difference between cards.

This year, the lounge access has come in handy, since I no longer have a company-paid Crown Room membership.

For the UK Plats, if you don't have enought stays with SPG to make gold, your level may drop from SPG. However, just give them a ring (SPG) and they'll put you right back where you belong :)

Ditto with Priority Pass. It does not renew automatically if you don't use it. So be sure to check a few weeks before you may need it, if the card has expired!

I came to this forum because I have just been "invited" to get a Platinum AE card for the usual fee and with the well described benefits, and found this thread to be very appropriate.

My situation is that I am a PM on DL and thus have access to CO, NW, DL and other Skyteam lounges - no benefit there from the plat. card. I also have the Platinum AE Skymiles card and would maintain that because it provides me wiuth 10,000 base mile (MQM's) per year if charging over US$ 25K/y. The Plat AE will give me a $55 "discount" off the $150/y for the plat. SM AE card. I stay at a Hilton Family hotel 95% of the time on the road and get the upgrade benefits through my Gold VIP membership. I also have a Diners Card that I charge all my rental cars to.

I travel extensively with at least 5 trips overseas/y, (usually discount BC or upgraded with PMU's on DL/AF), but with 1-2 on full fare BC but that is usually because the trips are short (2-3 days) and it would be unlikely for Ms. Duck or anybody else to join me on such short trips and thus the "2 for one" benefit is of questionable relevance to me at best as well as me myself usually having no problems upgrading family or getting award tickets in BC.

With these qualifiers, what I read here is that it would not be worth for me to become a platinum AE card member but just keep what I have as that pretty much provides me with what I need - and that Plat. AE provides - am I wrong in this interpretation?

Unless you would really use the Concierge (a lot!) or--if you have an upcoming cruise, I can't see why--in your case--the Platinum would be a good idea....

Platinum card - first year only HH Gold, continuing SPG Gold (as long as you maintain your Platinum cardmembership)

Is that just for the core member, or do all people with Plat cards on one account get the status.

I would be interested in hearing if anyone uses their plat card to get 2 for 1 tickets using VS (the only reason I would consider responding to the invite).

My understanding was that allocations for this are pretty limited (not sure class bucket it comes out of).

Unless things have changed, Platinum Amex will only get you into Continental's and Northwest's lounges in the US. CO is my primary carrier, so this is a pretty good deal for me. I've also taken advantage of 2-for-1 a couple of times in the past, and the savings on that alone paid for many years of the annual fee.

In addition to these benefits, I've found Platinum Concierge very useful, helping me out with some medical issues, e.g. getting prescriptions for me when I've left my medicine at home, hooking me up with a dentist in Milan, etc.

Platamex will also get you in to crown rooms...

Starwood Gold is permanent for as long as you hold the card. I have got some good upgrades from this in the past. HH Gold is for one year only

I looked at all the Amex Platinum benefits (on the Amex website) and didn't see anything mentioned regarding the HH Gold for the 1st year. Is this still being offered?

I looked at all the Amex Platinum benefits (on the Amex website) and didn't see anything mentioned regarding the HH Gold for the 1st year. Is this still being offered?

yes, it is still being offered.

I would be interested in hearing if anyone uses their plat card to get 2 for 1 tickets using VS (the only reason I would consider responding to the invite).

My understanding was that allocations for this are pretty limited (not sure class bucket it comes out of).

I don't use the 2 for 1 as I don't travel for business internationally. But I use the airline lounge benefit extensively. My dad (different account) he uses the Platinum card to get free tickets for my mom when they go to Europe to hang out, maybe 2-3 times a year.

The other benefit that I really value is the purchase protection plan. If I buy something and then I damage it, destroy or lose it, AMEX replaces it with the 90 days. It might be only 30 days, but I really enjoy that piece of mind...

I would be interested in hearing if anyone uses their plat card to get 2 for 1 tickets using VS (the only reason I would consider responding to the invite).

My understanding was that allocations for this are pretty limited (not sure class bucket it comes out of).

I just called AmEx to ask them what the fare would be from LAX-LHR on Virgin. They seem to have availability for a variety of dates that I asked for. The fare came back (though the Virgin rate desk would need to confirm before the tickets were purchased) as $10,502 for myself, and $170 for my companion (taxes).

I compared it to the Virgin website, and for days where they have their promo right now, the fare is less than $3,500 each, which is far better than AmEx's offer. However, for dates and flights that the promo is not valid on, the Virgin price is $10,500 per person, making the AmEx offer a tremendous deal.

I think the 2 for 1 airfare deal is rarely a good deal. Typically it involves spending more than two discounted premium tickets would cost, and only getting miles on one account.

As I always say in these threads, a good travel agent can get you all of the same deals as AmEx, including the 2 for 1 airfare deal.

I have a green card with a probably a higher monthly spending than the average gold or platinum card members and have turned down several invitations to upgrade the card. For me, it's not worth it.

If I flew the airlines AmEx was hooked up with, then it would probably be a different story.

I compared it to the Virgin website, and for days where they have their promo right now, the fare is less than $3,500 each, which is far better than AmEx's offer. However, for dates and flights that the promo is not valid on, the Virgin price is $10,500 per person, making the AmEx offer a tremendous deal.

I don't think like is generally compared with like in these comparisons.

I've only used the two-for-one a couple of times, but when I have the ticket has had the same conditions as full-fare J (except for the fact that both parties must travel together).

I've changed my date of return travel after departure, refunded before travel etc. all without fee. Try that with the heavily discounted tickets and you'll lose large.

1. I do a fair bit of travel internationally in business class, and have used the 2-for-1 deal twice. It's great. If nothing else, take along a friend.

2. The club access is great. Flying Continental with the free wireless internet in the clubs is probably the best benefit.

3. I have used the concierge service a few times. It was nice to set up a business lunch in New Orleans with only a phone call. I should really use it more.

If you would join Amex Rewards with the green or gold card, then you save that money too. I put everything on the card.

...for AMEX Platinum. I have a "Blue Optima", which I use daily, and pay off the balance in full every month. I average about $1000 per month, and this card is linked to my Membership Rewards, as is my Corporate AMEX.

The annual fee for this AMEX Plat is $395, and an additional card for $175. Now I'm a CO Silver Elite, fly them almost exclusively, but am not (yet) a member of their lounge - I'm debating between Priority Pass and CO President's Club.

My international trips are few and far between (this should change next year), but travel extensively within the US. I don't think I've ever bought a full fare ticket (which alone qualifies for the free companion ticket).

Given this scenario, is a Plat card worth the $395 fee? For those who have a Plat card, what is the single largest benefit of the card?

Thanks for any insights...!

PIT_Flyer

...for AMEX Platinum. I have a "Blue Optima", which I use daily, and pay off the balance in full every month. I average about $1000 per month, and this card is linked to my Membership Rewards, as is my Corporate AMEX.

The annual fee for this AMEX Plat is $395, and an additional card for $175. Now I'm a CO Silver Elite, fly them almost exclusively, but am not (yet) a member of their lounge - I'm debating between Priority Pass and CO President's Club.

My international trips are few and far between (this should change next year), but travel extensively within the US. I don't think I've ever bought a full fare ticket (which alone qualifies for the free companion ticket).

Given this scenario, is a Plat card worth the $395 fee? For those who have a Plat card, what is the single largest benefit of the card?

Thanks for any insights...!

PIT_Flyer

Biggest + is PC access (which is why I have a plat). If you're flying CO, then $395 vs. PC membership is probably worth it. I've also taken advantage of the "fine dining" - probably not worth $395 by itself, but we've gotten some tables (nice tables, and seemingly more attentive service) then we have been able to get on our own.
We haven't taken advantage of the cruise benefit (yet), but that would also be a big +.

I do not see any service differences when I dine out on their fine dining program.

One benefit I have seen are the hotel room upgrades. Three different times I have paid the same rate as another prson but there room was upgraded because they used the AMEX Plat. card. On both occasions, they ended up in suites for a regular room rate. In one case, this occurred on my honeymoon where another couple stayed in two of the same Aman resorts that we did for the same rate but their room were much nicer. In one case, their bungalow was two stories and even had a pool. The other was my boss got put in a suite in paris while I was not. I knwo the rates were the same because I booked the rservations. So depending on what hotel stay you have coming up, it may be worth it.

One benefit I have seen are the hotel room upgrades. Three different times I have paid the same rate as another prson but there room was upgraded because they used the AMEX Plat. card. On both occasions, they ended up in suites for a regular room rate. In one case, this occurred on my honeymoon where another couple stayed in two of the same Aman resorts that we did for the same rate but their room were much nicer. In one case, their bungalow was two stories and even had a pool. The other was my boss got put in a suite in paris while I was not. I knwo the rates were the same because I booked the rservations. So depending on what hotel stay you have coming up, it may be worth it.

Just curious, what hotels were these? Were they ones in the Fine Hotel programs and booked through the Amex Plat travel service?

About three months ago I was forced to use Patinum Roadside Emergency Service available to Platinum members in Australia.

My car started revving up at 4.000 rpm and was almost getting uncontrollable. I almost ended up in someone's frontyard. In Victoria, Australia, Royal Automobile Club of Victoria roadside service is available. It takes them a while to get to you, depending on where you are. This was Monday night about 8.00 pm.

I had my wife and our newborn in a car with me that evening. I rang emergency service. I insisited car to be towed. Lady consulted service over the phone, she explained they will try to get the vehicle up and running first, otherwise they will tow.

They dispatched a gentleman (in 15-20 min) who showed a genuine concern for our well-being. He got us on the road again in 10 minutes, tested car several times, ensured all was right and explained what to do the next day and what to explain to technician in a dealership service the next day.

After that episode I can say there is no price I could put on our Platinum membership. Service was quick over the phone and they got my family out of serious trouble that evening. I would say in situations like these, Platinum is invaluable.

Let's face it, another service would ask to tow my car (I know RACV towed me once while I was a student) and later found it was not necessary.