American Express Membership Rewards - Forbes.com "Black is the new bling"

Excerpt from Forbes.com "Travel like a billionaire"

So how do you pay for all these services? If you have that certain something American Express is looking for (which includes, but is certainly not limited to, $2,500 to spend on the annual fee), the Centurion Card may be the answer. An American Express spokesperson wouldn't reveal how many Centurion card holders there are worldwide, or how they are selected, except to say that a minimum spending of $250,000 a year on another American Express card was just one of the criteria involved. "Our card members' privacy comes first and foremost, forever," she says. The card has no pre-set spending limit; the customer sets it based on his own resources.

In addition to the option of setting your own spending limit, the card also comes with a whole slew of benefits which are no secret, including a dedicated personal travel counselor available around the clock, access to a personal concierge anywhere in the world, a private jet charter program, exclusive membership rewards programs at luxury hotel chains such as Mandarin Oriental and Marriott subsidiary Ritz-Carlton, and membership in Premium Global Assist which provides emergency medical attention to card holders anywhere in the world.

One of the traveling billionaire's most useful tools is a black piece of plastic that functions as a passport to some of the best card member benefits around. The "Black" card holders pay a $2,500 annual fee, but receive automatic enrollment in frequent flier and membership rewards programs with Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines and US Airways and several luxury hotel chains including the Orient Express, Mandarin Oriental and Ritz-Carlton. Members also have access to a private jet charter program, chauffeured limousine service and international emergency healthcare, including air-evacuation. Apparently black is the new bling.

So how do you pay for all these services?

What ever happened to cash or Visa?



In addition to the option of setting your own spending limit, the card also comes with a whole slew of benefits which are no secret, including a dedicated personal travel counselor available around the clock, access to a personal concierge anywhere in the world, a private jet charter program, exclusive membership rewards programs at luxury hotel chains such as Mandarin Oriental and Marriott subsidiary Ritz-Carlton, and membership in Premium Global Assist which provides emergency medical attention to card holders anywhere in the world.

Aren't these all benefits of the Platinum, too? Actually, aren't all AMEX charge cards given with the 'no preset spending limit', but subject to spending habits privilege??


One of the traveling billionaire's most useful tools is a black piece of plastic that functions as a passport to some of the best card member benefits around.....and several luxury hotel chains including the Orient Express, Mandarin Oriental and Ritz-Carlton. Members also have access to a private jet charter program, chauffeured limousine service and international emergency healthcare, including air-evacuation.

I don't know about this 'air-evacuation' perk with the Plat, but aren't most of these services and perks also available to Platinum holders? Those hotel chains are all part of the FHR program and while Cent. members might get a few extra perks, wouldn't you say that a Plat. member has similar benefits too? Why didn't Forbes.com draw a better contrast between the Black and the Plat. since many of the benefits they mention are common to both cards. Sloppy journalism.

I agree PHL.. I think one important difference are the "special requests" with the cent concierge.. a service not available for plat members (at least in Mexico where the concierge only send flowers, chocolates, purchase tickets for you, and make restaurant reservations)..

No. It is *easier* to get elite status with the platinum card, but automatic recognition by the member programs is only with centurion.

Another classic example of breathless, uninformed prose for the great unwashed. As Bob Merton says, "when I read about me in the papers, and I see the crap that is printed, it makes me wonder about what am I reading about the stuff I don't know about..."

Yup. It's lazy journalism. The writer doesn't make a distinction between "membership in" and "elite status in" Reward programs.

Somebody just read the amex blurb and didn't do any research.

It was most interesting to me bc it confirmed the 250K requirement. I was skeptical bc I knew it was 150 just a few months ago.

Amex's stated impetus for raising the fee to $2500 was to slow down the requests for the card so that they could maintain the benefits(and of course make $). Evidently it didn't work as planned, and amex felt they couldn't raise the fee any higher.

250 should achieve their objective.

It makes sense to me that they don't want to dilute the benefits. The card loses its value if it is too easy to obtain. Nobody would pay the annual fee unless cardholders received a high level of service and desirable perks.