Starwood's SPG Plat status is the single perk I find of value with the CENT card; US CENT also allows for Hyatt Diamond (and HHONORS GOLD), but I've not been compelled to establish a Hyatt relationship, and, as mentioned in the Hyatt thread, Hyatt has done a lousy job of making this status known as a CENT perk (or AMEX - who really knows ??)...to not even send a single direct mail to new CENT cardholders or making clear the method to get the Diamond status in the CENT welcome packet. Oh well - Hyatt's loss. HHONORS - just devalued their point structure so radically as to make collecting HHONORS points and imprudent use of time and energy.

So, Hyatt's silence caused me to focus on the starwood chain and I've never looked back. I don't stay enough to qualify for starwood PLAT on "per night" or "per stay" basis, but since am an active starpoint collector through active use of my starwood/AMEX Optima card, this single CENT perk gets me to SPG PLAT level where I can use the points and enjoy the spg PLAT perks.

(For AMEX's eyes only I've long maintained if AMEX would upgrade the rental car auto insurance to PRIMARY INSURANCE for CENT cardholders, if not PLAT, this would be the deathblow to the Diner's Club card program., since this perk is "THE" single perk I find invaluable w/ my DC. Such a CENT perk would also be #2 major reason I would keep the CENT card and actually put substantive value in the CENT card for me. So - I hang on to the CENT card by a "spg" thread. If SPG and/or AMEX disrupts this key perk, so much for CENT for me. It is a real struggle to use the AMEX card in my daily life anyway, but that's yet another topic.

[This message has been edited by ILUVCITIBANK (edited 08-20-2003).]