UK benefits
Ok Guys, here goes for the UK:
Please note that I am not 100% certain of all the facts so feel free to correct or add any additional info. Remember that the main point of my post is for all cardholders to know what benefits they could expect (negotiate?) with Amex in their own country and to provide a database of lounges which can be used around the globe (which are not advertised in their own country)
Centurion Card in the UK:
- Cost:
£650 per annum (this was the rate as of 2003. It may have been different when the card was introduced in the UK and it might be more expensive now. Does anyone out there verify this?)
- Number of free supp cards:
1. An additional Black card for the main cardholder, to separate personal and business expenditure.
2. An additional Black card (or Plat, Gold or Green) for a secondary cardholder.
3. Additional Plat, Gold or Green cards for up to three other cardholders.
That would make up a possible total of two black card holders and three plat card holders on one account.
- Lounge access (when travelling economy or comp tickets)
1. Access for Black cardholders to Virgin Atlantic Lounges, BMI Lounges (Bus. Class lounge not Diamond lounge), when travelling on their flights (Virgin no longer accepts the Plat card for access to their lounges)
2. Access to the Eurostar Lounges in London, Paris, and Brussels
3. Two Priority pass cards for the Main and one additional card holder with no charge for personal visits to their lounges (very useful when travelling on economy) Each has to be applied for and it is renewed automatically each year
Have I forgotten any other lounges under the UK program?
- Loyalty programme membership (e.g., airlines, rental cars, hotels)1. Complimentary membership of Hertz No 1 Club.
2. Complimentary Starwood Platinum Preferred Guest card.
3. Complimentary Hilton Gold honnors Card.
4. Two nights for the price of one in each mandarin Oriental property (one time per property per year), with a modest upgrade at time of booking, if available.
4. No enhanced airline membership program.
There are four other hotel groups who I think offer late check outs, amenities but I can’t remember them all and they don’s seem to compare with the above ones.
(This is a particularly valuable set of benefits for frequent travellers, I have been upgraded with hotels and car hires about 80% of the time)
- MR scheme
Included in the annual fee
Expenditure on all cards is credited to a central MR account
- Concierge restaurant list
This is a hard one as each time I have called them they seemed to run off a different list of names. A previous post has mentioned that the Wolesely is now off the list as I discovered in August, and so is Home House which was a nice place to take clients. Although I still believe that the card gives me very good value (as I travel for 10 days abroad each month and three members of my family benefit from the travel insurance) I have stopped using the concierge service for booking restaurants in London.
I am very curious, however, to kfind out about other cities, particularly NY restaurants.
Does someone out there have an up to date list for the UK?
Insurance:
Travel insurance cover for all card holders
There are a load of benefits with the Amex travel insurance scheme but a key one is that providing you have paid for a scheduled flight with you card you can claim up to £750 for replacement items if your luggage is delayed during your outward journey and you get several hundred pounds of cover if your flight is delayed more than four hours or you are bumped off (not sure how much exactly but a future poster might be more thorough and set out the precise benefits of the insurance program).
I have checked with other travel insurance schemes but they do not seem to offer such high levels of compensation. (for reference with a UK bank an equivalent annual premium, with only £100 compensation for delayed baggage of flight, would be £490)
Cheers!