Changes to the AMEX AeroplanPlus Cards
 

Just received this email, changes are pretty much for the worse :td:

Changes to the AeroplanPlus®* Gold Card

Up to Sept. 17, 2006 | As of Sept. 18 2006

Basic Fee
$120 | $120

Gold Supp Fee
9 Free Supps | 2 Free Supp’s; $50 each after1

Changes to the AeroplanPlus®* Platinum Card


Up to Sept. 17, 2006 | As of Sept. 18 2006

Basic Fee
$399 | $499

Gold Supp Fee
No Fee | $50 Each

Platinum Supp Fee
$175 | $199

Benefits being removed
Air Canada Companion Certificate

Benefits being added
* Complimentary Priority Pass Membership2
* Special access to purchase Air Canada Privilege
Passes
* Complimentary Hertz Rent-A-Car #1 Club Gold
Membership and FREE Car Class Upgrades

Anyone wanna guess what an Air Canada Privilege Pass is?

This is all it says in my email:
"Basic Cardmember may purchase one Air Canada Privilege Pass – Executive Class (J booking class) and one Economy Class (R booking class - Tango fare) annually using an approved Card. One Pass provides 8 one-way flight credits for use within 12 months of purchase. Passes can only be used by the Basic Cardmember alone or with one other eligible traveler designated at the time of purchase of the original Pass. Subject to availability, travel is eligible anywhere within Air Canada’s North American network excluding Hawaii, Mexico, Alaska and the Caribbean on flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz and regional partners with Air Canada flight numbers. Applicable fees and eligible flights can be found and bookings are accepted at My Flight Pass Bookings at aircanada.com. Allow 4 weeks following card approval for access. "

Complimentary Priority Pass membership2.....If this refers to Standard Plus level, this is decent value.

Standard Plus in the Priority Pass = $249 and 10 free visits with subsequent visits of $24.

According the to T&C it appears to be basic membership just like Diners Club.

Agreed, if Priority Pass is Standard Plus or Prestige (unlikely), this is not particularly bad news (especially if you got the original platinum card comped...). The companion certificate was useful though and, for my purposes, was the primary value in the card. It will be interesting to see how the $499 price point works in this market.

I interpreted the 2 as second level of membership. According to your post, it probably refers to note 2 of T&C

Sure makes this card look unattractive - so now it matches with AeroUseless.... :rolleyes:

I am so glad I got rid of my Amex Cards! :)

This will spell the end of my (2nd) association with AMEX.
(The 1st was back when they were partners with Canadian)
I've tolerated the $399 fee to get the acceleratedAeroplan points and I am a charter member so I get the 10% additional points. $499 is just too much. I am not a heavy duty business traveller just a frequent leisure type. I already have a Hertz #1 membership.

The Companion ticket was really the main reason for me to keep it, especially when they opened it up to "C" class tickets. The Business class checkin was of some value but if you had to stand in the same line with everyone else to have your bags tagged it wasnt any advantage. The lounge access wasnt much use unless I was travelling alone. They wouldnt let me bring my kids into the lounge in Vancouver
without paying the $20 last March.

I expect I will change everything over to CIBC Visa which I already have for merchants that dont take AMEX. I charge about $45,000 a year to AMEX. CIBC will get it all now.

I will have to go & check to see when my card renewal date was. I will cancel it just prior to that.

Goodbye AMEX!

:(

Just called amex
 

I just called amex after i read this thread! They claim that this isn't true... the lady on the phone said and i quote "that if this was the case everyone would cancel they're cards"... so i am not sure who is right on the issue... this card is useless enough already... the standard platinum is better... as far as i am concerned we pay more than MLC members but don't get the benefits that they do with the partner lounge benefits.... (even though our cards say MAPLE LEAF CLUB right on them...) should be interesting to see if this indeed happens in the next few days... i can tell you this as soon as i hit *Alliance gold this year... this card is done! Happy travels...

If You cancel it now you might get some money back because they prorate the membership fee.

I only kept my Amex this year because they waived the $120 annual fee. This is after I told them CIBC AeroGold offered me 10,000 welcome points, which would result me in terminating my Amex card.

I still got that CIBC card and the 10,000 points. But I will cancel the Visa because of the $50 fee for extra cards. That's unless they waive that ;)

I have a comped Areoplan Platinum card because I have the regular Platinum card. Will this end?

Looks pretty bad to me. The companion ticket was great for travel to Europe.

I just got my card and noticed that there is a non refundable annual fee on it so it may not be benifitial to cancel it until close to your renewal date.

I have a companion gold amex too so I don't worry about the fee **oops** ;)