awake_at_midnight

...I just got into a bit of a FT argument. The comment that started it was essentially "Carte Blanche really is not more useful than a Diners Card if you have Citi Chairman or AMEX Platinum".

This is my opinion based upon a review of the Carte Blanche benefits. (I have Diners Club, AMEX, and Chairman.) Does anyone that has a Carte Blanche card have a perspective of this? Does anyone use the golf benefit?

Kagehitokiri

doesnt it have a concierge on the level of amex plat?

it seems to only have virtuoso hotel benefits. does it have any additional?

UA 100K

Have the CB card for the last 3 years or so. Never used any of their benefits besides once I used the golf card and once their concierge service. The concierge service as excellent. Much better then the cenution or Amex platinum service. But who knows I could have lucked out. I do not feel the card worth $300 especially after it became a Mastercard. If you want to get a Mastercard/Visa consider the Saks card.

Kagehitokiri

Who would want cashback at Saks instead of frequent flyer miles?

UA 100K

I was just referring to the benefits. I usually use my Amex to collect miles/points.

Kagehitokiri

Aha, but the benefits are based on how much you spend at Saks every year. :P

awake_at_midnight

How did the golf benefit work? Was it useful?

dlf

Have had DC card for 30 years, and upgraded to CB when it was offered....and I have AMEX Plat and high-end Visa and MC cards. Despite everyone raving about the downgraded service from DC since it affiliated with MC, I'm very much alone it seems in that I've seen no degradation of the services. You still get much more personal attention and they follow-through with any problems that occur. And their concierge services (although it might just be the individuals I've had) appears to me to be better than what I've experienced with AMEX Plat. As for the 2 for 1 air, forget it....you can do better almost anywhere.

awake_at_midnight

I have DC, not CB. I think that the customer service is good. I like the one-number to call service and easy access to a live CSR. I have a Chairman Card which has excellent concierge services, so I could not justify an upgrade to CB. I was just wondering if anyone had a reason to have both.

tpdungan

Hey guys and gals! Carte Blanche has led the way on every innovative benefit that AX has copied for nearly 50 years. In case this isn't clear, compare AX Platinum of a few years ago and no charter flights. Compare now and it's still unique. AND--if you've failed to do your due diligence, in 2005, Carte became accepted wherever Mastercharge is anywhere in the world. This card has a proud heritage dating from Baron Hilton. Don't give it short shrift, especially when you find your AX any color rejected at millions of sites all over the world! Physically, it's a beautiful card with all the benefits you'll ever need They have ALWAYS issued points good on any major airline--which AX simply copied to protect its market share. Not trying to pick a fight, just reveal the facts. I studied all these cards at Stanford B-School--not to brag, but to say I have corresponded with both AX and DC/CB. Check it out--wouldn't it be nice to carry a platinum-level card nobody turns down due to the subtle Mastercharge logo on back of the card. These are the facts AX will do anything to bury. Personally, I have always worked with the Assistant to the President who has taken great care of my needs. However, the concierge/travel service is far superior to the AX "one size fits all" (Centurion, Platinum, Gold) service from Phoenix. Does AX think we really don't know we're getting inferior service? The only other thing to mention is that until recently, CB offered 72 days to pay as well as a separate line of credit known as the "Club Plus Account." That was great for extended trips away from home and billing statements.

GlobalPartycrasher

I can't tell if this is a) a paid plug for DC/CB b) so subtly ironic that I nearly missed the joke or c) deluded. How wonderful that it's a "beautiful" card. That is a benefit that delivers real value. And how wonderful that "until recently" cardholders had 72 days to pay. "Until recently", ie 2005, DC was truly a premium niche product. The point is the total deterioration in services and benefits since then, and the complete absence of any technology upgrades. Can't transfer a balance from the monthly statement to Club Plus on line? Give me a break. BofA lets me transfer balances *from other banks and CC companies* online in seconds. Can't suppress paper statements and go to online only? Pathetic. And although I will acknowledge that Club Rewards is a good program, AmEx MR has made huge strides in recent years while DC/CB has been stagnant or slipping. You are correct that the card has a proud heritage, arguably even prouder than AmEx. But that only makes what it is now all the more tragic. As for carrying a card that "never gets turned down", that is true of basically any Visa or MC, if you're referring to the wider acceptance than AmEx. Besides, who carries only one card anyway, and AmEx is accepted at every major hotel/airline/travel service worldwide (I've used AmEx in Turkmenistan, to choose a truly exotic example).

AmEx customer service (even for Plats, don't know about Centurion) is more cumbersome and less responsive than DC/MC for routine enquiries, but in a crisis AmEx really shines. I was robbed and injured in a Third World country a few years back, and AmEx got me a new Plat card *in three hours*, offered to have US dollars and local currency personally delivered to my hotel, and had a list of local English-speaking doctors and lawyers if I needed a referral. It was truly impressive and won my loyalty for many many years, even if I don't actually use my full $450 annual fee in benefits every single year.

FWIW I got a rep one night when I had some problem or other who admitted how sad it had become to work for DC/CB and how much he missed the type of service the card used to offer. Said his life now consisted of formerly loyal customers angry and disappointed at what had happened since the supposedly glorious transition to MC. Also said he wondered why anyone bothered to renew it annually. Hope for his sake that call "wasn't recorded for quality control purposes." Maybe it was his last night on the job anyway.

And let me add one final thing: AmEx has offered balance transfers to a line of credit to credit-worthy customers for years. Used to be for travel expenses only but now extends to almost any purchase. DC Club Plus has no competitive advantage here and for any extension beyond a month or two is actually worse, because most CP "plans" are 24-month payment plans, which means a very high monthly payment (good for some folks, not for others).

Sorry, but you'll have to do a more convincing job "selling" CB.

mia

The Mastercard logo is on the front?

http://dinersclubus.com/dce_content/...mparisonmatrix

Discover will have nothing whatsoever to do with any aspect of Carte Blance or Diners Club cards issued in the USA or Canada.

sllevin

My experience with AX concierge service is that it's been significantly different from Plat to Centurion -- IOW, not the same standards at all.

I'd be more interested in what the CB v. AX Plat is today...not years ago.

Steve

Kyle53719

I had CB for many years when they still had the 60-day billing cycle. I dropped the card when they discontinued the 60-day biling cycle and converted to MC. Truly, the only thing that had it going was the 60-day billing cycle, primary car rental insurance, and live rep.

I had little use for all the other benefits. The airport lounge access is extremely limited (Miami and Newark), never had to use the golf benefit, and used the purchase insurance once. I had very limited experience with the concierge, but recall it was serviced by VIP Desk, the same providers for the Citi Chairman Card and other Elite Mastercard products. In my opinion, it was never worth the $300 annual fee.