American Express Membership Rewards - Platinum 2007

News for Amex Platinum 2007 ?
:confused:

In Germany: The annual fee is now 500 euro. The new hotel-programs (Sofitel and Radisson SAS) aren´t very attractiv!!! So the Sofitel Privilege Membership is not exclusive - available for everyone! The second Priority Pass can be useful for Members have a frequent travel partner ... but is not useful for all members. I think: Next year I´ll ask for downgrade to Gold or Green Card ...

In Germany: The annual fee is now 500 euro. The new hotel-programs (Sofitel and Radisson SAS) aren´t very attractiv!!! So the Sofitel Privilege Membership is not exclusive - available for everyone! The second Priority Pass can be useful for Members have a frequent travel partner ... but is not useful for all members. I think: Next year I´ll ask for downgrade to Gold or Green Card ...

In Italy, benefits you described were introduced in 2006 for the annual fee of 550 Euro ( in 2005 500 Euro ).
I hope to see more benefits for the 2007 :rolleyes:

I see that the International Dollar Platinum Card annual fee has also been increased to $550.

I see that the International Dollar Platinum Card annual fee has also been increased to $550.

And International Euro Platinum Card too.

They also sent me the marketing material even when I already had switched from IEC to Finnish card. Benefits are aligned with the UK Platinum card.

any changes on the Canadian card, other than they knocked down our rewards accel to 1.25?

I'm beginning to wonder what the price hike will be for the UK as well... everything else is going up, so why not fees for Platinum and Centurion!

Platinum Yachts Program in USA

at least in terms of centurion, countries where fee has yet to be raised >
UK
DE
HK (probably raise later, because of substantial join fee)
ICC
CH (probably raise later, because CHF not EUR)
JP
RU?

No news for the 2007 renew ?
:confused:
More services ?
Elite Status ?
Less fee ? ;)

No news for the 2007 renew ?
:confused:
More services ?
Elite Status ?
Less fee ? ;)

You got it all wrong: Less service and more fees seems to be the current strategy !:(

You got it all wrong: Less service and more fees seems to be the current strategy !:(

Yes and I have begun a complaint process so far with not much luck. I am up to the Amex ombudsman now. I still say that a mandatory 25% increase for a service which is completely useless and is available for the same price to the general public an outright insult to their card members.

Have you guys noticed that the international fee (extra charge for expenses not in your home currency) has gone up to 2.5% :td: :td: :td:

Have you guys noticed that the international fee (extra charge for expenses not in your home currency) has gone up to 2.5% :td: :td: :td:2.73% in the UK :( and if you're converting from a third currency (for example Euro), it goes € -> $ -> £, so TWO conversions. :( :mad:

if you're converting from a third currency (for example Euro), it goes € -> $ -> £, so TWO conversions. :( :mad:
If you're suggesting that you get stung with the currency conversion fee (i.e. the 2.73% is applied twice), then I think you're misunderstanding the language on the cardmember agreement; what it says is that transactions in currencies other than GBP or USD will be converted first into USD and then into GBP at market rates, only one currency conversion charge applies.

2.73% in the UK :( and if you're converting from a third currency (for example Euro), it goes € -> $ -> £, so TWO conversions. :( :mad:

Yep... that's why I abandonned Amex as a payment card. A joke when Plat was promoted to me as being ideal for international business travellers. I think UK Amex have this misguided idea that the "snob" value wins out - and that if you're rich enough to want an Amex card then you won't worry about a petty handling fee for their "superior" service. Funny how often I've met very wealthy UK travellers with an Amex card in their wallet - alongside a "lowly" Natwide visa card (zero fee). Amex CS flat out denied that any visa card would be fee free - and then sneered that they were in a different market anyway.

However, although I think the T&C's might indeed imply they could charge the 2.73% twice in the example you gave, my experience was that it was only charged once. I think the conversion may indeed by done twice - via interbank rates - but only one lot of fees are applied.

Might be different now, but I did a series of "tests" about 3 years ago. I did this in Paris and Taipei using an MBNA visa, an Natwide visa, and Amex plat. Several transactions on each card on the same day at the same outlets, repeated over several days. Amex and MBNA gave almost exactly the same exchange rate. Nationwide was indeed 2.73% less. (The loading was actually 2.75% with MBNA.)

2 x 2.73% (5.46%) would be an unbelievable fee for a Euro transaction on a UK card - especially in addition to the feel they take off the merchant.

Yes and I have begun a complaint process so far with not much luck. I am up to the Amex ombudsman now. I still say that a mandatory 25% increase for a service which is completely useless and is available for the same price to the general public an outright insult to their card members.

Welcome to FT first of all!

A friend of mine called up Amex to complain about the fee hike from €400 to €500. He threatened to cancel as he didn't need the new benefits. Amex gave him a € 100 credit on his account, at least for the first year.

Can US residents have international dollar card? Atleast for platinum the benifits seems to be really good for the Intl $ card that the US platinum ... (for 155$ more addl card free + 4 free gold cards + PP).

Can US residents have international dollar card? Atleast for platinum the benifits seems to be really good for the Intl $ card that the US platinum ... (for 155$ more addl card free + 4 free gold cards + PP).

I believe its only for Europe and Africa.