remymartin

I didn't, as there just aren't any other CC competitors (for me) in this market. Or am I missing something?

sakari1707

I'm about to cancel Amex, will keep thru summer as I have some bookings made before the change and therefore old insurance terms valid....

With new bookings, the Amex insurance is worthless (=with my travel patterns never valid), only perk for me is Priority Pass and BAEC Avios transfers.... So maybe a little hesitation about canceling.

Nordea MasterCard Gold gives you almost as good insurance as Amex used to and that card does not cost a penny (if Nordea client, maybe need to be the so called "avainasiakas"). Nothing needs to be paid with the card for the insurance to be valid.

kauppias

It depemds on ones needs but diners gives 2-3 ay- points per euro spent entry into some lounges etc I find that a good value but petsonally i credit most points to SK as they also offer better value then AY

remymartin

That's true, but I wouldn't compare Diners and Amex Plt as I feel they're different products. Amex offers interesting programmes in travel (FHR, comp'd SPG, Hilton, Carlson, PP) that I have not come across elsewhere. And they have the restaurant programme which I have had success with especially abroad, lesser and lesser in Finland though.

kauppias

they have a diners premium maybe thats more on par with platinum but with the change in insurance I do NOT see a value worth 550€ but maybe some do the diners costs me ZERO € and mastercards also ZERO € as well as VISA gold ZERO € so for amex to charge 550€ I would expect more value for my €'s


just my two cents

kauppias

oh and also a side note hotel programs are easy enough to match to for instance SPG Hilton Carlton all give gold cards to various card holders and gold members

remymartin

Do you have examples? My HH gold turned blue while it was dusting away..

WilcoRoger

Carslon definitley matches easily - I got Gold for my IC Plat

HH - they had (?) a campaign for certain Visa holders for comp Gold. For a long time it was enough to feed the first 4 digits of an eligible card

Marriott gives 90 day Gold/Plat challenges - if you have some upcoming stays it's worth to aski it, even though you will not (re)qualify

Sofitel gives Plat to all comers, so does Best Western

(View from the Wing has details, I got some of these from there)

WilcoRoger

In general you are right. But on the Diners front, AY wins - I value 2-2,5 AY points/€ spent higher then 1 EB points/€

Saturne-79

I did not, as I found a nice way to get Marco Polo Gold card through Amex Platinum. Also some trips already booked before the insurance policy was changing.

However, they are already increasing the Platinum fee in UK and I am just waiting their turn in Finland as well. If the fee will be increasing, then bye bye platinum...

vulle

Some of my friends cancelled their cards. I instead changed my previous Platinum to a new Platinum where I pay €390:- per year - this is a co-branded Platinum card with a private club, all regular Platinum advantages/rules apply.


Saturne-79, did you get Marco Polo Gold through your Finnis Platinum or with UK Platinum? If Finnish then I'd be very interested in hearing how you did it?

Saturne-79

Who has co-branded platinum in Finland? How to apply it?

I did it through UK platinum website. I asked about that from Finland as well, but they where unaware of this or any other promotions...

vulle

Co-branded cards offered to public are at least offered through Evli, Mandatum and Ålandsbanken.

And naturally Finnish Amex has many less promotions that the US, UK etc...

WilcoRoger

Just had a transfer - the AMEX CS said it takes 5-10 days to show up on my BAEC account, it was there within 24 hrs ^

HELflyer

Just called them to have the fee waived on my (main and only) card, customer rep said it was impossible to do and claimed that they had received strict orders from the "head office" that the fees must be collected.

Or actually she said first that they've never waived fees except for some old cards that had been issued with this kind of terms, and even that had ended at least a year ago; when I pointed out that they have waived fees more recently than a year and for normal cards without any special terms, she told about the head office orders which I think she said have been in effect since [this year's?] spring.

I can't say if there really is a new unbreakable head office rule that forces them to rather lose a customer than waive the fee (although it was a bit odd that she didn't give this reason until later during the call), but have any FTers over here had recent experiences about a change in the rules?

I told her I'll have to think whether I want to keep the card after this (which is the truth - with all other cards I have, I'm not sure if Amex is worth keeping if I have to pay for it).