chongl

CSR told me the same...that SEA and MIA lounges should be opening "any day now" and there would be significant new benefits added this year. He also mentioned AMEX would be opening up additional lounges beyond the aforementioned ones this year.

steve4

Yes, this was for the U.S. Personal AMEX Platinum Card.

anchor79

at LAX...where will be ideal to build a new CL? in TBIT where the space Emirates used to hold? or in between T4-T8 now since now its connected air side? but I don't recall any empty spaces for lounges.

JohnRain

If those "significant new benefits" are indeed to be introduced in the US & Canada, then the chances are pretty good that they'll be introduced for all Plat (Cent) cards worldwide, as many benefits that aren't country-specific are indeed global.
It's about time that this happens, after the loss of so many nice benefits in the past few years.

garykung

I have no insight in this topic.

But my guess this significant new benefit will be complimentary HH Gold as a regular benefit.

JohnRain

Well, from a European perspective I certainly hope you're wrong, as HH Gold (Diamond for Cents) has been standard in Europe for years...(and is pretty useless anyway)

Astaroth

It was stripped from the UK a year or two ago so it isnt european wide.

Personally found HH to be much more useful than Club Carlson or Accor but inevitably it depends on where you tend to stay etc

JohnRain

Thanks for correcting me, Astaroth. I meant "Continental Europe"...
HH Gold is certainly more useful than Club Carlson or Accor, but I was comparing it to the more upscale chains. SPG Platinum or Hyatt Diamond are both so much better than HH Diamond in my opinion, a shame that the former was stripped years ago and that the latter was never part of the benefit portfolio.

yul36

They need to do something to bolster the benefits of the Cdn. Plat.
Since they lost the CX Gold, and raised the price to 699.00 they have to do something. its a good 399$ card but a 700$ card, not a chance.
US hotel cards like HH, the targeted offers for hotels and services are way better.
Canadian Plat is an overpriced card by any measure.

JohnRain

I think in many ways the Canadian Plat is similar to the European one. Both are definitely inferior by far to the US version. CX Gold (Diamond for Cent) was an amazing benefit, it really is such a shame that it's no longer available.

garykung

Fully understand. For those who want to know why, this is the logic:

It is a "new" benefit. So it is definitely not an improvement from current benefit. It must be something now. Currently, AMEX USA is issuing cards for DL, HH, B6, SPG, Costco and MB.

Costco and MB are out as Costco is re-evaluating the partnership, and MB can't really offer anything significant. SPG Gold is currently offered. So it is out as well.

So only airlines (DL/B6) and HH left. If either airlines offer elite status, DL and/B6 will effectively pissed off all DL FO and/or B6 TB Mosaic. And this can't be justified by $450 AF. So only HH left for the race.

Beside:

1. There was a limited promotion for complementary HH Gold:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...d-holders.html

2. AMEX's HH Surpass cardmembers get HH Gold as a benefit for $75 AF.

3. HH has 2 credit card partners - Citi and AMEX. Offering HH Gold to AMEX Platinum USA will steal Citi's high value business even more (as Citi Pretige does not even offer any "status").

I know someone mention CX Gold. But I don't think it is the case. If CX Gold is offered, this benefit will end up in an abuse of OW Sapphire on AA. It will not bring any significant revenue to CX.

winsteven13

Hopefully something drastic!

dw

I'm frankly not expecting much. We heard there would be new benefits last year, and we ended up with PreCheck reimbursement (useful only to the small minority of cardholders who are not eligible for Global Entry) and Boingo (which I am sure some find useful, but others only marginally so).

MileHighColorado

SPG also is announcing a new 1st quarter benefit.............

mia

A new Starwood Preferred Guest hotel program benefit, or a benefit added to the credit card which American Express issues?