American Express Membership Rewards - Global Assist - a life saver

A friend called my wife asking for help. She had elderly, frail, likely dying, relatives trapped on the 18th floor of a New Orleans hotel without food, water or medical supplies. She had a Lear Jet nearby waiting to fly them to safety. She was a 1,000 miles away. She called her congressman and senators but no one could help. My wife was at a loss.

An hour or two, maybe three, later the friend called back. She had called AMEX Global Assist for help. Within the hour a young man climbed the 18 stories with food and water, then carried the woman down and came back and carried the man down. Transportation was arranged to the waiting jet. The relatives are recovering.

Wow. Premium Global Assist comes with the Platinum and Centurion Card. Where I hope to never use it, it is good to know that it is there.

Makes you really appreciate the fact that you are paying premium fee per year for AMEX for services like this. Good to know that we are covered, we do not want to call Global Assist but it is good to know that is there.

Interesting story. ^

That's a really interesting story. It should be written up in a national newspaper or shown on tv and interviews with AX, the rescuer and the rescued should be broadcast. It would surely increase the number of Platinum and Centurion cardholders.

Wow!!!

Perhaps, I should get a Platinum card.

The AMEX site mentions the following footnotes:
* Not all services are available at all locations and all services are subject to local laws and cash availability.
* While the many Global Assist Hotline coordination and assistance services are free benefits from American Express, Cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.


Does anyone know who gets the bill for the Lear Jet?

A friend called my wife asking for help. She had elderly, frail, likely dying, relatives trapped on the 18th floor of a New Orleans hotel without food, water or medical supplies. She had a Lear Jet nearby waiting to fly them to safety. She was a 1,000 miles away. She called her congressman and senators but no one could help. My wife was at a loss.

An hour or two, maybe three, later the friend called back. She had called AMEX Global Assist for help. Within the hour a young man climbed the 18 stories with food and water, then carried the woman down and came back and carried the man down. Transportation was arranged to the waiting jet. The relatives are recovering.

Wow. Premium Global Assist comes with the Platinum and Centurion Card. Where I hope to never use it, it is good to know that it is there.


Sorry, is this real or a joke? Any evidence or documentation of this happening?

Mike

Very unlikely story. Officials were not letting ANYONE into New Orleans unless they were officially part of the relief effort.

Very unlikely story. Officials were not letting ANYONE into New Orleans unless they were officially part of the relief effort.

At least some members of Finnish press and media were let into New Orleans. Live information to our national TV and stories to our national papers by reporters inside New Orleans. And one of them described how he went through checkpoints and was let into New Orleans.

Wow!!!

Perhaps, I should get a Platinum card.

The AMEX site mentions the following footnotes:
* Not all services are available at all locations and all services are subject to local laws and cash availability.
* While the many Global Assist Hotline coordination and assistance services are free benefits from American Express, Cardmembers are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.


Does anyone know who gets the bill for the Lear Jet?

AMEX had nothing to do with the jet. My friend arranged for it. Then she could not get her relatives out. That is when AMEX was called and someone came by to carry them down 18 stories and take them to the street.

Sorry, is this real or a joke? Any evidence or documentation of this happening?

Mike

My wife is close with the woman who called her asking for help in reaching our senator's office. When she called back, she said the problem had been solved. I believe it a true story although I have no idea as to how they were able to communicate with the relatives. Our friend was in Louisville, Kentucky and that is where she called from to reach AMEX.

Very unlikely story. Officials were not letting ANYONE into New Orleans unless they were officially part of the relief effort.

Sadly, with the "speed" the officials were moving, anyone could have gotten there before they did.

Doubt this is true. Global Assist doesn't kick in for 'acts of god'.

At least this is what I was told by the Centurion reps when stranded in south east asia after the tsunami.

d

Doubt this is true. Global Assist doesn't kick in for 'acts of god'.

At least this is what I was told by the Centurion reps when stranded in south east asia after the tsunami.

d

You should have called back and tried a different rep. Because I know the people I trust the story as true. New Orleans may have been closer to home and easier to handle. Or perhaps a life threatening situation made the difference. Whatever.

I shared what I still believe to be a 100% true story. My recommendation is to call Global Assist whenever in trouble. It cannot hurt.

Trust me, I called them back as many times as I could, which was whenever it was possible to get hold of a phoneline. Everyeone argued that Global Assist was linked to travel insurance, and as the underwriter for the travel insurance had decided it was an act of god, none of it paid up or kicked in. Couldn't claim anything, not even the extra hotel, transportation or flight costs we incurred.

All centurion managed to do was to find me a USD6000 flight back home in more than a weeks time. Pretty useless.

80%+ of the people died in the village we were, so I think the situation was fairly life threatening. Keep in mind that during these days everyone was saying there were more waves coming.

d

Trust me, I called them back as many times as I could, which was whenever it was possible to get hold of a phoneline. Everyeone argued that Global Assist was linked to travel insurance, and as the underwriter for the travel insurance had decided it was an act of god, none of it paid up or kicked in. Couldn't claim anything, not even the extra hotel, transportation or flight costs we incurred.

Which country specific Centurion you are using? UK/USA/ICC/something else? Just curious to find out, which failed so miserably.

Did you try to call directly to underwriter's emergency numbers or only Global Assist?

When it comes to the "acts of God" clause, I always assume I'd get the bill. In such situations, I just need assistance hooking up with what I am looking for.

I tried to look through various AMEX related documents, including different insurance policies but I couldn't find anything regarding acts of God. I wonder what is the real situation if something really happens.

I guess I need to call AMEX and ask insurance services what is covered if something happens.