Finland, Finnair, and credit cards - pre 2020 discussion
Feb 20, 2017, 8:15 am
#571
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: FRA / HEL
Programs: AY+ Platsku, IC Plat. Amb., HHonors Gold, SPG Gold, etc.
Posts: 75
Quoting myself from earlier in this thread 
I can confirm that the ICC Plat includes exactly the same hotel status benefits as the Finnish one.
As mentioned earlier in this thread, there is no app for the ICC if you consider that important.
Transferring the MR points over from one card over to the other took a really long time. In the end I think it was almost two months before the points showed up on the ICC account.
- With IEC, you only earn 1 MR / €1 compared to 1.5 MR / €1 on FinPlat.
- The transfer rate to Avios is also worse: 3 MR = 2 Avios vs 5 MR = 4 Avios. To AY+ it's better 1 MR = 1 AY+ vs 5 MR = 4 AY+.
- ICC MR program includes AZ, CX, EK, EY, MH, QR, SQ and VS which are missing from FinMR.
- Transfer rate for Club Carlson is worse in ICC (2 MR = 3 GP vs 1 MR = 2 GP), but Hhonors is better (4 MR = 5 Hh vs 1 MR = 1 Hr).
- ICC is missing Scandic as MR transfer partner, but includes Jumeirah Sirius
- Concierge / travel service is only accessible by phone (no email or web form), but they're 24 / 7.
- Travel insurance claims can be completed online instead of printing out and mailing a form.
- The card is recognized as UK-based in some contexts. E.g., I cannot use the card to pay for Spotify because Spotify requires the credit card issuing country and billing address to match: the card is recognized as UK, but I don't have a UK billing address. (If it did work, they would bill Ł9.99 instead €9.99.)
- I was hoping that being issued in UK the card would allow me to access UK Amex promotions. No such luck. Instead seems like there are never any promotions for the ICC products. So kind of like the Finnish products, then.
- No refer-a-friend mechanism to earn MR points.
As mentioned earlier in this thread, there is no app for the ICC if you consider that important.
Transferring the MR points over from one card over to the other took a really long time. In the end I think it was almost two months before the points showed up on the ICC account.
Feb 20, 2017, 8:49 am
#572
Join Date: Nov 2005
Programs: BA Gold, TP Silver
Posts: 888
Your Card also gives you complimentary membership to Gold VIP Tier Starwood Preferred Guest Programme and Club Carlson Gold Elite Status, alongside enrolment in Hertz #1 Club Gold and Avis Prestige.
Feb 20, 2017, 9:37 am
#573
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,105
Yeps, my bad SPG & CC are the ones.
But how are they the same, when the Finnish site says "HHonours, SPG, Carlson, Melia, Shangri La" ?
But how are they the same, when the Finnish site says "HHonours, SPG, Carlson, Melia, Shangri La" ?
Feb 20, 2017, 9:46 am
#574
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: FRA / HEL
Programs: AY+ Platsku, IC Plat. Amb., HHonors Gold, SPG Gold, etc.
Posts: 75
Here are the travel benefits from the Platinum Benefits Directory website for the ICC:
Feb 20, 2017, 10:05 am
#575
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: FRA / HEL
Programs: AY+ Platsku, IC Plat. Amb., HHonors Gold, SPG Gold, etc.
Posts: 75
The compare card section of the ICC Platinum lists "Hilton HHonors Gold status, Melia Rewards Gold Membership and Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade": https://www.americanexpress.com/icc/...l-compare.html.
So you just need to know to combine these two different lists
So you just need to know to combine these two different lists
Feb 20, 2017, 10:55 am
#576
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Finland
Programs: AY Platinum,Marriott Gold,HH Diamond,Sixt Platinum,Hertz PC,AMEX Platinum
Posts: 1,946
When you login into IEC Benefits web pages then there are all of those available with application/online forms.
Feb 20, 2017, 12:05 pm
#577
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,105
500€ for SPG, HH, CC mid-tiers is actually not a bad proposition per se (if you don't get it the traditional way or by status match) 700€ is stretching it.
IMHO the sweet spot for MR is the Finnish green card - 70€/yr, free partner card, free MR programme and only the Finnish Plat card earns a better rate. If one needs the PP lounge visits, the outcome might be different.
I don't really value the extras that come with the shinier cards - lounge visits and hotel status I have otherwise.
IMHO the sweet spot for MR is the Finnish green card - 70€/yr, free partner card, free MR programme and only the Finnish Plat card earns a better rate. If one needs the PP lounge visits, the outcome might be different.
I don't really value the extras that come with the shinier cards - lounge visits and hotel status I have otherwise.
Feb 20, 2017, 1:12 pm
#578
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,172
Does the hotel status perks also extend to the extra card holder? Can extra card holder create amex account and apply for the shiny hotel cards too?
Feb 20, 2017, 1:32 pm
#579
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: FRA / HEL
Programs: AY+ Platsku, IC Plat. Amb., HHonors Gold, SPG Gold, etc.
Posts: 75
Yes, the Platinum supplemental card holder gets all the same benefits as the main card holder, most importantly the hotel statuses and an unlimited Priority Pass.
Feb 20, 2017, 1:50 pm
#580
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,957
The ICC comes with 3 platinum cards if I read it correctly and the redt gold partner cards
Platinum partner card is good for access to AX lounges for whole family
Feb 20, 2017, 2:07 pm
#581
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,172
Great news!
I just need to find a way to use all those gold cards then! Amex plat yearly fee is 635€ in sweden so it is hard to justify unless one can make use of the many additional cards.
The gold card is pretty lame in terms of lounges and hotels.
I just need to find a way to use all those gold cards then! Amex plat yearly fee is 635€ in sweden so it is hard to justify unless one can make use of the many additional cards.
The gold card is pretty lame in terms of lounges and hotels.
Feb 20, 2017, 2:15 pm
#582
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: FRA / HEL
Programs: AY+ Platsku, IC Plat. Amb., HHonors Gold, SPG Gold, etc.
Posts: 75
I guess that's technically true since there's the main card, the partner card and an additional card for the main card holder. The additional card doesn't give any extra benefits, though, so no third Priority Pass or hotel statuses. The official reason it exists is to split your personal and business spend on different cards for easier tracking.
Feb 20, 2017, 3:24 pm
#583
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,957
I guess that's technically true since there's the main card, the partner card and an additional card for the main card holder. The additional card doesn't give any extra benefits, though, so no third Priority Pass or hotel statuses. The official reason it exists is to split your personal and business spend on different cards for easier tracking.
I misread the statement on their page to mean something else should not read stuff when tired
Feb 21, 2017, 12:13 pm
#585
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,172
So I hit the spend required for sign up bonus and instantly 100k MR points were credited to my AX account. Pretty cool, Amex certainly have these processes under control. ^
Now I can chose to get the mind-blowing 10k AY+ points (at 11:1) ...
(People whinging over no bonuses from Amex FIN should remember that 1MR ≠ 1MR, and that you guys easily got 10k AY+ points from silly koristeluraappas...)
As the exchange rates are pretty much the same for all airlines, one would be pretty stupid to exchange them for Finnair as the program is km-based. I could for example get
* 10k miles in Eurobonus (ie one domestic award flight) or
* 10k avios (valuable I've been told, but then I would have to do BA, shrug)
* 10k QR points (1/5 of a longhaul F upgrade) or
* 11k Millemiglia miles (where they together with 30k orphaned miles could get me a business award intra-europe).
Choices choices...
Now I can chose to get the mind-blowing 10k AY+ points (at 11:1) ...
(People whinging over no bonuses from Amex FIN should remember that 1MR ≠ 1MR, and that you guys easily got 10k AY+ points from silly koristeluraappas...)
As the exchange rates are pretty much the same for all airlines, one would be pretty stupid to exchange them for Finnair as the program is km-based. I could for example get
* 10k miles in Eurobonus (ie one domestic award flight) or
* 10k avios (valuable I've been told, but then I would have to do BA, shrug)
* 10k QR points (1/5 of a longhaul F upgrade) or
* 11k Millemiglia miles (where they together with 30k orphaned miles could get me a business award intra-europe).
Choices choices...