American Express Membership Rewards - Question for the *wood Amex in the audience

For those of you that currently have the card, do they do promotions on this one similar to the Delta Amex? Specifically, double 'points' during some time periods or similar offers to earn points faster?

Thanks in advance,

For those of you that currently have the card, do they do promotions on this one similar to the Delta Amex? Specifically, double 'points' during some time periods or similar offers to earn points faster?
Rarely. Search here or in the *Wood forum for more.

No, there is no parallel benefit track. They revolve in totally different orbits.

I have held this card for several years...they have, to my knowledge, NEVER offered "targeted" double points based on TYPE of spending, such as gas or drugstore = double points. SO that's out. I am surprised they (AMEX, since I don't think Delta or starwood would be involved in the promo concept, per se, which might target drugstore and gas purchases) have not picked up on this w/ the starwood/AMEX OPTIMA. Citibank is now in on this promo style, even with an affinity card (Aadvantage), and we know AMEX OPTIMA/Delta has done this also.

Back to the AMEX OPTIMA/STARWOOD card specifically - For at least 2 years prior, NOT INCL THIS 2005 SUMMER, they did have a short-window (2-3 month) DOUBLE POINTS for all dollars charged. However, with each promo AMEX added "gotchas" which made the promo become weaker and weaker.

For example, in the first summer, which may have been summer 2003, or maybe even a year earlier summer, 2002, these features applied:
1) targeted
2) MAX CAP per month of the promo

Then, the next summer, in this example, off the top of my head, summer of 2004, AMEX added one more insanely silly "gotcha":
1) target
2) MAX CAP per month and maybe a total aggregate MAX CAP
3) A MIN THRESHOLD per month of the promo. The absurdity of this "gotcha" was in how it was implemented, since AMEX set some cardholders' MIN THRESHOLD *HIGHER* THAN THEIR ENTIRE CREDIT LINE. For example, some people had a credit line of only $4000, but the MIN THRESHOLD they had to charge in this promo might have been set at $5000 before the double points started...so mathematically they could never even achieve the double points startpoint. There was one or more posting in the starwood thread over that issue.

Another fine mess you got us into, Ollie, which means "another AMEX promo poorly-thought out and designed". After all - if the entire point of the promo is to INDUCE INCREMENTAL SPENDING among cardholders...why ever set a MAX CAP ? geez.

Anyway - guess the hotel business is picking up, and AMEX is seeing all the volume they want, as there was no double points promo w/ this card at all for 2005.

In general, I am seeing less and less of the promos being rolled out, among all the various cards I use, due, I am sure, to a more robust economy and less need to try to grow the volume. Thinking out loud here.