ewand

Background: Holder of BAPP + Plat Credit Card since 2004, so have always had the £30 fee, though I did have a Plat Charge Card for a year in 2011.

I called the BAPP customer services and the rep insisted the only reason I'd been getting the discount at all was because I'd formerly had a Plat Charge Card, despite my pointing out that I'd had the discount 7 years before ever having the Charge Card, and in any case, if had the Charge Card, I'd have been paying no fees at all, rather than the discounted to £30 fee. He was adamant that they had been told nothing about there ever being a benefit for Credit Card holders.

Matey boy said I could speak to his supervisor if I wanted, but would be told exactly the same thing - this was a communication that came down from Head Office (he used phrases like "from on high", "following orders", that kind of thing) and there was absolutely no way for them to offer a reduction, based on discretion etc. He did bang on about the reasoning for the change being:
* Treating Customers Fairly (I could have nailed him on that one but chose to let it slip so as to get to the point)
* So every customer was paying the same (that argument crumbled somewhat when he said that Plat & Centurion Charge cards don't pay the fee)
* It had been a project that identified people with expired cards who shouldn't be getting the benefit any more; an anonymous project manager "in upper management" had sent the details to them (I think he was riffing at this point)

So it looks like what's happened, to me at least, is that at some point they decided to stop the Credit Card being classed as a Companion Card - in the letter dated June 2016 which set out that the fees were rising to £195, it said:

"Please note that the standard membership fee only becomes payable if you no longer hold an applicable Companion Charge Card alongside your British AIrways Card, otherwise you can continue to pay a reduced fee of £30."

.... but nowhere in the letter or the attached brochure does it mention what constitutes an applicable Companion Card, be it Charge or Credit etc. They've probably fulfilled their obligations under the Credit Agreement by writing to inform that the membership fee was going up, but I think it's arguable they should be clearly telling me that another change means my fee will be higher, and should even explain what I can do about it (switch to BA Blue card, cancel outright etc).

I've emailed the VP of Partnerships & Brand at Amex to say that they need to be clearer about this - if it is a case of rescinding an offer that was only applicable to long-term, loyal customers, then it might be disappointing but understandable, however we need clarity that this is the case and not the confusion that is being perpetrated by the inaccurate letter and the call centre information.

If I don't get a response in a day or two, I'll follow up with a letter. That'll learn them.