happyvoid

If you don't have a spare tire. For roadside assistance how would it work? Would they still try to repair the tire? And even if you did have a spare tire would they replace it?

Flying Machine

linglingfool

I've used RA 4 or 5 times for lockouts and jumps in various urban areas. Always less than an hour response time, even in heavy snow or rush hour traffic.

koreanair720

Just found out the hard way (i.e. broken down in the middle of rural West Virginia) that this benefit was killed as of January 1. That seriously sucks. Especially given that the other travel benefits (I have the plat card) are basically useless this year. UGH!

airsupply

I agree. Since AMEX dropped this benefit maybe they could cover AAA membership instead.

josephstern

Some benefit here would make sense since so many of us are now road-tripping instead of flying.

Stgermainparis

I have a plat and have had excellent service In the past using the towing feature of their roadside assistance. Son with a gold AU on my plat is away at college with a car registered in my name. Needs a tow this week to a mechanic. Can I call it in to Amex roadside assistance but not be at the scene when they collect car? TIA

Flying Machine

on the US cards that benefit is no longer provided

Stgermainparis

Geez! And they upped the AF. Another reason to seriously consider canceling this card. Thanks for the info.

imnotalawyer

This benefit was discontinued on January 1, 2020 (nearing two years ago now). At the time AMEX justified the move by citing internal data that few customers actually utilized the benefit.

Stgermainparis

We used it plenty lol. Keeping my CSR!

scubadu

Well, to each their own, but honestly with the $550 annual fee that the CSR is moving to going forward, I really don't know how in the world anyone can justify it, relative to the benefits the card provides. I downgraded my CSR and took the 100K CSP offer.

Frankly, a AAA membership would be a lot cheaper (and probably better overall benefit) than holding the CSR @ $550 per year (and yes, I'm aware of the travel credit, but that is just giving you back your own money)

Regards

WasKnown

Pretty easy for certain people to justify it for at least a year, even without a SUB.

If you are someone that would otherwise buy Lyft Pink ($200), travel ($300), use peloton ($120), and shop with DoorDash ($60), you are already at $680. That customer may not be you (and I agree it's a niche pool of people) but the card definitely works for some. Some people have different wants and needs than you do.

nrr

In the NYC metro area, when I had AAA the times when I needed a tow, they took 90 minutes to come (days with NO weather issues.) On most auto insurance policies, the roadside asst. fee is around $10/6 mos.--but you have to find the tow (and get reimbused.)
Also RA on highways is by licensed tow, AAA was not licensed,was AMEX?

imnotalawyer

nrr I couldn't find a direct answer to your question but the benefit Terms & Conditions (I pulled these down through the Wayback Machine) suggest that maybe...?

You'll have to forgive me because I am unfamiliar with the nuances of licenses necessary to perform tow service on highways (and I'm surprised that AAA does not fit this bill) but there is no mention of "licensed" services in the term. However, the portion I have quoted below seems to speak to this circumstance...

So it seems like Amex would have arranged a relay of sorts, presumably where the consumer pays for a tow to the nearest highway exit and then the amex tow company picks it up from there. Probably more trouble than it was worth but maybe that inconvenience actually saved a chunk of change?

Again, this is all moot given that the benefit is toast, but makes for interesting discussion all the same.