In Germany: New AMEX Gold FT - Double Points and higher fee
 

In Germany is a new AMEX Gold FT (Frequent Traveler) Card available since fall 2002.

The main advantage: 2 rewardspoints per Euro (double that points of membership classic)

Annual fee: 180 Euro
(40 Euro more than normal Gold fee: 110 + 30 classic reward program)

In Germany no affinity cards like Hilton-AMEX or SPG-AMEX are available, so this is finally a chance to collect more points or miles!
1 Euro = 2 Membership Rewards Points

= 2 Hilton HHonor or Marriott Rewards
= 0.66 SPG points
= 1.33 OnePass Miles, DeltaMiles
= 1.6 AirFrance, Alitalia Miles, PriorityPass Points
and some more possible transactions.

The details are not available at the internet, since the introduction is still in a testphase.

You can order a booklet and enrollment-paper (for changing your present AMEX-Card into the new one or order the new one) with Gold Card Service (TEL +49-69-9797 2000).

The annual fee is printet on the enrollment-letter. In the booklet no price, but all other details are in the booklet.

The other deals are similar the normal Gold card. Gold Card Travel Service, Flight Companion Tickets, and all the insurances.

I got this information for the first time from a colleage who is no Frequent Traveler at all and I really didn`t believe his meaning of earning 2 points per Euro. (He got it by an advertiser at the airport TXL)

Now I have his booklet and another one sent by AMEX and thinking of changing my card.

180 Euro is a lot of money!
This amount comes closer to the Platinium Card with its 400 Euro annual. What deal would you prefer?

I collected about 20000 points per year so I would earn 20000 additional for 40 more Euro. Sounds not so bed? I`m a fan of SPG, so transferred to around 7000 SPG-Points it makes 1-2 nights worth around 200 Euro.

Has anyone already the new card or who is going to enroll?
Do you think other cards like the SPG-AMEX or Hilton AMEX will arrive in Germany?

Thank you in advance for any answers!
JR

just called german centurion service about this, and the said no way to get more than one MR point per euro spent.

i insisted this was possible and so she put me on hold to check with the gold card service.

the gold service confirmed your information. the gold FT card will collect two MR points per euro spent.

i am really pissed now because i dont know what to do: return the centurion card and take the gold card would loose all the centurion benefits. and to have both cards makes no sense at all. i cannot understand why they cannot offer a centurion FT or something.

Hi,
thanks for the info. I just called as well and information are on the way. Also the lady in the CC Center told me that the Amex Platinum can be bought by anybody now. I thought it was by invitation only before.

Yesterday received my new Gold Card FT !

I keep my old Gold Card for one more month to avoid trouble with hotel-reservations.
This cardnumber-change was the reason which let me hesitate to enroll.

3 weeks ago a AMEX-promotion team (all kind of cards, aswell blue one) at the airport Berlin-Tempelhof made my decision.
1 year free of charge and 2500 rewards points is that offer which I had to take.

Now lets collect double points!

Why don't they give double points to their best customers ? Strange business practice!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif - makes me disgruntled...
-also no Avis President's Club for German Cents http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

-no Hyatt Diamond ?
-the agent I talked to did not know a way to get it. only set benefits in German Hyatts...

but hey, maybe it is a Centurion benefit to earn only 1 point per Euro, because otherwise the heavy spenders would have not 300K annual points but rather 600K and then these customers would not know what to do with their MR points.


I would personally welcome double points for Cent card holders since I do not spend anything close to 300K!

You can get Hyatt Diamond status for 12-18 months by requesting a comp based on your SPG Platinum.

I know that but do not want to waste a once in a lifetime comp!