CX Marco Polo Diamond for Centurion [Ends May 2015]
May 9, 2011, 4:24 am
#61
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA GfL & GGL, LH Sen, EK & VS Gold, Amex Cent
Posts: 1,719
Nothing in the May Preview about it (Hertz Presi Circle was announced in the last one).
May 9, 2011, 6:54 am
#62
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: centurion
Posts: 157
I've got my invitation. Am currently BA Gold so will look to delay the sign up as long as I can. I wonder if the one year period is so both sides can assess how much benefit they get from it i.e. to Cathay actually get any incremental sales? I'm not aware of status being given for fixed period time-frames previously (although I think Hilton Diamond expires next year, which is a great shame).
If this benefit were to be permanent I would remain a Centurion member for the forseeable - it would be a brilliant upgrade to the card. I haven't investigated whether it makes sense to accumulate points in Cathay vs BA (as a UK based traveller who flies BA very frequently). Probably not I suspect
If this benefit were to be permanent I would remain a Centurion member for the forseeable - it would be a brilliant upgrade to the card. I haven't investigated whether it makes sense to accumulate points in Cathay vs BA (as a UK based traveller who flies BA very frequently). Probably not I suspect
May 9, 2011, 10:01 am
#63
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA GfL & GGL, LH Sen, EK & VS Gold, Amex Cent
Posts: 1,719
Like you I fly BA a lot as based in London and so BA Gold. As such, permanent *A Gold would be my favoured addition if only one airline benefit was to be added (BD ideally as it has great redemption options). It definitely makes me chose a *A airline when BA inconvenient/not available. M&M isn't bad either. US Cents get *A gold.
That said, its still a nice perk if its retained, for the year when I drop to BA Silver or beyond.
H99 - what country Cent do you have?
That said, its still a nice perk if its retained, for the year when I drop to BA Silver or beyond.
H99 - what country Cent do you have?
May 9, 2011, 10:55 am
#64
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: centurion
Posts: 157
UK Centurion. For a UK based person who travels on BA regularly but struggles to hit the Gold threshold, having this Marco Polo Diamond on an ongoing basis would be awesome. But going to assume not.
Starwood Gold is not the same as BA Gold IIRC - would need to be top tier (i.e. like UNited 1K) to be equivalent?
Starwood Gold is not the same as BA Gold IIRC - would need to be top tier (i.e. like UNited 1K) to be equivalent?
May 9, 2011, 11:07 am
#65
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Star Alliance differs from OneWorld in that there are only two alliance-wide elite levels, Silver and Gold. As I understand it, if you hold Star Alliance Gold status there is no incremental benefit to higher status when flying other alliance members. Higher status will only be of value within your primary carrier's own program.
May 19, 2011, 2:20 am
#68
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QF, Skywards, SQ, Centurion
Posts: 391
We got one in the mail also. There doesn't appear to be a "must apply before" date, so were thinking of holding off so we close to travelling so we can maximise the 12 months...
May 19, 2011, 12:39 pm
#69
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Berlin
Programs: AMEX Cent, AF Gold
Posts: 8
Have a German Cent and received the invite for CX Marco Polo Diamond for one year today... will see how useful it is ...
At least the first airline benefit... so a good move into the right direction! ^
At least the first airline benefit... so a good move into the right direction! ^
May 19, 2011, 12:44 pm
#70
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: wine cellar or in the rough (occasionally fairway)
Posts: 171
Hope some of this will trickle down to the Confederation. That wouldbe somethingI can really use.
May 20, 2011, 1:03 am
#71
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Geneva, Dubai, Paris
Programs: Disillusioned Cent
Posts: 1,880
Interesting. You're saying that you have a German Centurion card. I assume that by "German" you mean a "regular" Centurion and not an IDC/IEC Centurion card. Thanks for confirming. (I'm asking this because it was my understanding that this promotion was only for IDC Centurions.)
May 20, 2011, 6:28 am
#72
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA GfL & GGL, LH Sen, EK & VS Gold, Amex Cent
Posts: 1,719
Seems this has caused quite a stir in the CX forum. Members complaining to CX etc. People value their perceived exclusivity too much - one member implied that CX Diamond is more exclusive than a Cent. CX Diamond is a FF benefit, not an exclusive invite-only club. So long as benefits and services stay the same, they should have nothing to complain about. Maybe CX should have comped CX Diamond+ (their invite-only level) to Cent members as its not something normal FF can attain, lol. Its not like we complain that Cent is occasionally comped to some celebrities and CEOs who haven't gone through attaining a perfect payment record, stumped up $5k sign-up fees and spent $250k on the card in a year and living in an airplane.....
May 21, 2011, 1:19 am
#73
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Berlin
Programs: AMEX Cent, AF Gold
Posts: 8
Have a "normal" German card.
After the 750 Euro voucher for the jeweler and the 500 USD voucher for the Orient Express hotels, AMEX is trying hard now to satisfy us... and at least for me that works :-)
After the 750 Euro voucher for the jeweler and the 500 USD voucher for the Orient Express hotels, AMEX is trying hard now to satisfy us... and at least for me that works :-)
Last edited by blackbeetle; May 22, 2011 at 1:47 pm
May 21, 2011, 11:59 am
#75
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
Programs: AC-SE, CX-DM, DL-G, Hyatt-DM, Hilton-DM, Fairmont-Plt, Marriott-S, Accor-Plt, SPG-G, IHG-Plt
Posts: 4,396
I only got USD500, not even CAD500 while my card is issued in Canada.
