I have spent a fair bit of time today on the phone today to Uk Centurion about this and am very disappoitned int he way that they are handlign it.

It is going for all Centurion markets, it was negotiated at the top by AmEx HQ and Starwood.

Uk are playing the innocence card, and sayign that they only just found otu today, but I know that this must have been negotiated for some time. My personal gripe is that they have people in customer relations and travel that clearly have no clue or idea about how loyalty programs work - they kept trying to explain to me that I obviously wasn't using the benefit correctly as if I was I would qualify via the normal 25 stays per year rules. They clearly have delusions of gradeur as they fail to understand that you do not have to have a Centurion card or AmEx card to get SPG Platinum status. Anyone that stayed in a SPG property at least once a year but under 25 stays a year will lose out with this change. AmEx just don't get this and don't see this as a benefit loss.

I wish they would train their staff to understand the benefits correctly, as they have no clue to be honest.

If you feel strongly that this is a loss to your Centurion account, then call in to your local support centre and let them know that they have seriously undersestimated the damage they are doing by dropping the benefit.

UK Platinums will keep SPG Gold status, and when I questioned them on why Centurions were now being equalled to UK Platinums, they completely failed to understand the point I was making.

Not amused in the slightest.

Thanks,
Richard