*sigh* Another Centurion Qualification Question

Old Jan 19, 2004, 4:27 pm
  #31  
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: A Southern locale that ain't the South.
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by DJ_Iceman:
I travel a LOT and would appreciate those added benefits over what platinum offers. I'd also like a taste of the lifestyle offered by the card, such as invitations to exclusive events I otherwise wouldn't even know about, etc. And yes, I'm one of those monkeys who likes the idea of the STATUS afforded by carrying an exclusive black card around.

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As far as status goes, you'd upgrade the Hyatt Platinum to Diamond and the Starwood Gold to Platinum. You'd also pick up DL and US Gold statuses. On "being exclusive"... almost nobody knows what the thing is so if you're looking for recognition it's not going to do you much good. On the rare occasion when I'm asked about it I tell people "It's for those with bad credit..." and smile. The main reason I enjoy having it is that I find that customer service is more flexibile and responsive than they were when I had my Platinum. I also find the overall level of customer service better. The concierge service is nice, but I find the circles people politely inept. They try VERY hard but rarely come through. It could be that I'm asking for the impossible though. At least they're very polite and service oriented! The travel counselors are another matter... I've come across a few bad apples but they are by and large wonderful and have helped me out of late night jams more than a few times. IMO that service is worth the price of admission alone (but then again I'm not paying $2500 for it).

Oh yeah AMEX also sends you some pretty neat gifts. I got two montblanc pens this year (one for the personal centurion, one for the corporate).
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Old Jan 19, 2004, 7:09 pm
  #32  
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Thanks, kanebear, that's the kind of stuff I'm talking about. My Hyatt membership is actually going to lapse to base level this year once the new cards come out, so jumping to diamond would be great. I'm planning a long stay at the WDW Swan later this year so the Starwood platinum could come in handy there.

I've had decent luck with the circles folks. As you said they always work hard, and the only times they've not at least come close to a home run is when I've asked for really obscure things.

I would appreciate things like free Montblanc pens. Another thread here from a European Centurion described the opportunity to drive an Audi A8L free for a month just to see what it's like (and obivously because Centurion cardholders fit the profile of their target market). I'm looking for exposure to that kind of lifestyle, which eventually I hope to live consistently.

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CO plat, UA prem; Marriott plat, Hyatt plat, Hilton gold, Starwood gold, Fairmont gold; Avis select, Hertz 5-star, all the others base level...
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Old Jan 21, 2004, 5:16 am
  #33  
 
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by DJ_Iceman:
DISCLAIMER: My wife and I are both in the military. Our pre-tax income is around $200K...
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If you're in the U.S. Military, you and your wife must be officers (based on your pre-tax income), correct? Just curious.

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Old Jan 21, 2004, 10:46 am
  #34  
 
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kanebear,

I am curious why do not pay for your Centurion cards ? Please E-mail me. I like the "quick sedan" that you drive.
flamboyant 1 is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2004, 6:26 pm
  #35  
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by trust77:
If you're in the U.S. Military, you and your wife must be officers (based on your pre-tax income), correct? Just curious.</font>
That's correct.

DJ_Iceman is offline  
Old Feb 17, 2004, 12:31 pm
  #36  
 
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I just got invited and frankly I don't see the benefit of it. My spending patterns with AMEX must tell them something that I'm not seeing. I could pay cash for all of the benefits I think I'd use and still come out ahead on the annual fee. It is a corporate card by the way that they have offered me as an upgrade from my current Platinum, which seems about as useful as the standard green card.
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Old Feb 17, 2004, 8:07 pm
  #37  
 
Join Date: May 2003
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I was invited in '00 at the 1k yearly due figure and I am planning on keeping it for the benefits you get. I have all the Airline stuff anyway due to my flying, but the Avis Presidents Club and SPG Plat are really worth it (last minute reservations, upgrades). The Concierge Service is in my opinion not very useful...my assistant does a better job. The travel counselors on the other hand are very good, lots of last minute problems handled.

Would I spend 2.5k a year for it? Probably not, I think the Platinum for $ 395 is a more sensitive choice. Just my 2 cents on this subject.

I actually carry a gold card tied to my Centurion card which I use for entertainment purposes. Not a good thing to let your Customers see the black card. They get all sorts of ideas...

The Hyatt Plat thing is news to me. I gave them my number but never got it. Oh well.

Anyway, back to the topic: Friends of mine tried to get it and because of their spending (less than 150k) were politely declined I guess the minimum spending is being looked at.

Give it a try and call, it never hurts asking. Let us know of the outcome!

vielflieger
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Old Mar 22, 2004, 10:46 am
  #38  
 
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ThWilmesi:
...

You also have not to forget that this card until now ( please correct me if I am wrong) is the only card in Germany which basically includes CDW on rental cars, this saves me a lot of money renting a lot of cars...
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Here goes the correction: CDW is included i.e. in:

Amex Platinum
Lufthansa M&M Visa Gold
a TON of Gold MCs from different banks (with MC and Visa the insurance packages widely vary depending on issuer)

I presume all with different exclusions (luxury cars, race/sportscars, coverage limit).
t_no is offline  

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