Is the Amex Plat Worth the Annual Fee?
Nov 10, 2014, 8:54 pm
#76
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: ATL
Posts: 3,219
We've booked three cruises in the past year (two on X and one on RCCL). We did the Cruise Privileges on the first one, but probably only "saved" less than $50 because we had to pay a higher rate to get the benefits.
For the other two cruises, the promos the cruise line were offering were worth more than the Amex benefits, and they were not combinable. So we didn't get ANY value out of Amex CP. In my view, it's sort of become like the IAP, useless in most cases...
For the other two cruises, the promos the cruise line were offering were worth more than the Amex benefits, and they were not combinable. So we didn't get ANY value out of Amex CP. In my view, it's sort of become like the IAP, useless in most cases...
Nov 11, 2014, 5:28 pm
#77
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 1
Delta Charging for Guests in Lounge
I have had the AMEX platinum for years, justifying the annual fee to myself largely because of access to airline lounges. I recently tried accessing a Delta lounge at LAX only to learn that I could not bring my 9 year old daughter inside with me without paying a $29 fee. Since I live in ATL, Delta access is most important to me. I was very frustrated by this new fee. I realize this is primarily a Delta issue (nickel and diming), but it definitely takes some of the "lustre" off of the platinum card.
Nov 11, 2014, 7:21 pm
#78
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Welcome to Flyertalk....
Delta's policy changes was discussed in this thread when it was announced:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-1-2014-a.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-1-2014-a.html
Nov 14, 2014, 12:29 pm
#79
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: ISP / NYP
Programs: Citi TY, Amex MR, Chase UR, Choice CP, Marriott MR, AGR, RapidRewards
Posts: 24
I have the $475 Mercedes Benz version of the card. A couple days ago we just booked two last minute Thanksgiving cruises on Celebrity and got more than the annual fee back with just two purchases. We have been cruising 2-3x per year lately.
http://www.americanexpress.com/cruiseprivileges
http://www.americanexpress.com/cruiseprivileges
@henrythefourth
Nov 16, 2014, 3:09 pm
#82
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: ATL
Posts: 3,219
You don't have to book through Amex to get the Plat benefits and they can be combined with your regular TA perks. I think that's where most people might be confused about the benefit and it sounds like you are as well.
On a $1,800 cruise all in, I got $300 OBC from our agent, plus $200 OBC and other goodies from Amex. Altogether that's at least a 27% "rebate". If I didn't use my Plat Amex I would have only received the $300 OBC from the agent, which is already 17%.
On our second cruise next week, it was a low category so we got only $100 OBC from Amex plus goodies and nothing from the agent. But the cabin cost $199 pp so I didn't expect much.
I'm sure the agent is still making money and I'm ok with that, they are a business.
I'm not saying that it works every time on every cruise line, but for us, we get more than the annual fee back every year considering we take 2-3 cruises and other short vacations a year. If you're not able to get the math to work, then maybe you are doing it wrong. It's free money, since I would have the card anyway, just have to remember to use it.
Nov 16, 2014, 6:30 pm
#83
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 190
Excellent customer service, AMEX Offers ($95 so far this year for me) and Small Business Saturday events ($15 so far but $30 more coming up after Thanksgiving), Hertz Gold status, Concierge service (good success the couple times I used it plus they saved my group almost $6K on a hotel booking), 5% off FedEx (very significant for my small business), Boingo wifi access, SPG Gold (free breakfast and wifi, bonus Starpoints).
There are others, but these are the ones that I use. Worth every penny of the $450 to me. And I can buy almost anything I need for my business with no hassle or thinking about a credit limit.
There are others, but these are the ones that I use. Worth every penny of the $450 to me. And I can buy almost anything I need for my business with no hassle or thinking about a credit limit.
Nov 16, 2014, 9:25 pm
#85
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 587
I did the math.
You don't have to book through Amex to get the Plat benefits and they can be combined with your regular TA perks. I think that's where most people might be confused about the benefit and it sounds like you are as well.
On a $1,800 cruise all in, I got $300 OBC from our agent, plus $200 OBC and other goodies from Amex. Altogether that's at least a 27% "rebate". If I didn't use my Plat Amex I would have only received the $300 OBC from the agent, which is already 17%.
On our second cruise next week, it was a low category so we got only $100 OBC from Amex plus goodies and nothing from the agent. But the cabin cost $199 pp so I didn't expect much.
I'm sure the agent is still making money and I'm ok with that, they are a business.
I'm not saying that it works every time on every cruise line, but for us, we get more than the annual fee back every year considering we take 2-3 cruises and other short vacations a year. If you're not able to get the math to work, then maybe you are doing it wrong. It's free money, since I would have the card anyway, just have to remember to use it.
You don't have to book through Amex to get the Plat benefits and they can be combined with your regular TA perks. I think that's where most people might be confused about the benefit and it sounds like you are as well.
On a $1,800 cruise all in, I got $300 OBC from our agent, plus $200 OBC and other goodies from Amex. Altogether that's at least a 27% "rebate". If I didn't use my Plat Amex I would have only received the $300 OBC from the agent, which is already 17%.
On our second cruise next week, it was a low category so we got only $100 OBC from Amex plus goodies and nothing from the agent. But the cabin cost $199 pp so I didn't expect much.
I'm sure the agent is still making money and I'm ok with that, they are a business.
I'm not saying that it works every time on every cruise line, but for us, we get more than the annual fee back every year considering we take 2-3 cruises and other short vacations a year. If you're not able to get the math to work, then maybe you are doing it wrong. It's free money, since I would have the card anyway, just have to remember to use it.
Nov 17, 2014, 6:28 am
#86
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,857
AMEX cruise benefits can be hit or miss depending on cruiseline offered perks that may not be combinable, but I've had good luck. Last cruise, I had to choose between 2-category upgrade worth $400 via AMEX or $25 from Celebrity Cruises. That was a no brainer.
Nov 17, 2014, 11:00 am
#87
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,934
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/prefer...efits.overview
All SPG Gold gets is extra points, an enhanced room (ie, limited upgrade), and late checkout. And other than the extra points, you can get those benefits with SPG Preferred Plus, with the $65 SPG Amex, or even just AAA membership.
Nov 17, 2014, 11:53 am
#88
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: UA Plat, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 677
I keep an Excel spreadsheet with columns for 1. Annual Fee 2. $ Saved w/ date and benefit noted and 3. A running balance. The balance of course has to stay a negative amount to demonstrate any real benefit to me. This way, as things change I can keep ahead of whether the AF is really worth it. This lends some "objective measurable data" to my answer; and takes away the emotional connection I might attach to my Plat Card. I don't want to waste my money on a card I can't gain from just because I love Amex or because my card says "Platinum" on it.
.Taking this one step further, I think we can actually quantify the "prestige" aspect of these types of cards such that we have a more complete valuation model.
Assuming that we like the reaction we get from showing the card (impressing friends / family / peons, increased likelihood of getting a phone number from a cute waitress, whatever), then one could just determine the alternative things that would garner a similar reaction. For a man, that might be wearing a Rolex instead of a Tag Heuer, or wearing designer clothes, etc. For a woman, this would extend to carrying a Louis Vuitton instead of a Coach bag. Then take the differential cost of those items divided by their average useful life, and you get an annual "prestige inducing" cost savings. Note that it might be cheaper to buy slightly used prestige items in teh first place. Add this to your other quantified benefits, and voila you have the mathematical answer of whether paying the annual fee makes sense for you personally.
Please note that one could always value the "prestige" as zero, or even a negative amount. This doesn't change the model. It just changes the answer for that specific person.
My personal suggestion is to not share the fact that you use such a valuation model with others as just sharing this fact will likely have a significant negative impact on your likelihood of getting a number from a cute waitress, among other things.
Nov 17, 2014, 1:14 pm
#89
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Platinum
Posts: 129
Sure the individual valuations of certain benefits vary. But, even for people who find the card to be worthwhile, what do you really place the value of the benefits at? I can't imagine people making an argument that the card is worth all that much more than $450. And if it's not worth all that much more than $450, isn't it probably better not to get it in the first place?
As for the "prestige" argument, I don't think there is one. Maybe 20 years ago having a Platinum Card meant one was well off and was part of an exclusive club. Nowadays it just means you're dumb enough to keep shelling out $450 a year. Even my girlfriend in grad school with a $30k stipend got a 100k signup offer for a Platinum Card. She had one $1000 credit card on her credit history. Got a $5k limit on her card. Who hoo! The only person you'll impress with a platinum card is some bumpkin who knows nothing about credit cards.
As for the "prestige" argument, I don't think there is one. Maybe 20 years ago having a Platinum Card meant one was well off and was part of an exclusive club. Nowadays it just means you're dumb enough to keep shelling out $450 a year. Even my girlfriend in grad school with a $30k stipend got a 100k signup offer for a Platinum Card. She had one $1000 credit card on her credit history. Got a $5k limit on her card. Who hoo! The only person you'll impress with a platinum card is some bumpkin who knows nothing about credit cards.
Nov 17, 2014, 1:32 pm
#90
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I don't have the card, although if I get the 100k signup offer I will get it, at least for a year.
I think that for some people, it's easy to argue that it's worth much more than $450, though. It's all about how much you use the benefits. I think that if you travel a lot, and make heavy use of the concierge, it's could easily be worth double the annual fee, especially if your home airport has a centurion lounge.
I think that for some people, it's easy to argue that it's worth much more than $450, though. It's all about how much you use the benefits. I think that if you travel a lot, and make heavy use of the concierge, it's could easily be worth double the annual fee, especially if your home airport has a centurion lounge.