JK

At The O2 in London.

AmEx typically has a reserved section in blocks 102 and 103 which you can access through your RM. Likewise, they have a box (Suite) which they announced a few months ago.

UKTraveller4Fun

Interesting, I always got the idea the Amex tickets at the O2 were pretty much available to all Amex rather than there being some for Cent card holders. As for the box is this a Cent thing or more general Amex. Out of interest what sort of price do the box tickets usually go for and how available are they?

The only times I have ever tried I was told I would be put on a waiting list and informed nearer the date if I would get tickets and as such miss the onsale date and any normal way of getting them. I know there is the Amex presales but these are wide open are they not to all Amex holders?

Deckard

As JK says Amex have a suite at the O2 which Centurion holders can get tickets for. They don't charge for the tickets just catering. Normally you get three drinks and a buffet and a very good view of the stage. Prices vary based on catering so whereas Spandau Ballet was somewhere near £60 (tapas menu), Paul McCartney was £117 (three course meal buffet). You have no say into the menu for the night you just pay what you're told. You get to use the Amex Invites lounge first before the Suite opens at 18:30.

It's first come first served with a wait list.

The Events Team organise the things that appear in the quarterly Preview magazine so this month we've been to High Society at the Old Vic and Beaux Stratagem at the National. These events have pre show drinks, interval drinks and a meet the cast party afterwards. Kate Fleetwood was lovely and Barbara Flynn was an absolute trouper.

UKTraveller4Fun

This makes sense with the events I do see those listed and attend some although I really wish they were not all in London!

As for the O2, is it a case of you pay the the catering and you buy a ticket seperatly or its just the catering? Is this for Cent's only and if so I feel I have been missing a trick on this one!

Deckard

The "ticket" is complimentary as Amex have bought use of the suite and make the places available to Centurion card holders and their guests. Generally there is a maximum of four seats per event (there are only 18 balcony seats in the suite although there are a few more bar stools) but the max I have seen there is 16.

In theory the Primary Card Holder has to be present (to prevent touting I guess). All I can say from the Lady Gaga gig is that there are some awfully young female PCHs.

It's not a particularly well publicised benefit which suits me immensely. I'm just disappointed that Florence ATM has chosen to play the Ally Pally again this tour.

Deckard

BTW your left sig says you're Club Carlson Silver but Gold is a Cent benefit?

dhoward

Agree with all the comments here. Big from me re the changes and fee hike. Quite cheeky really. Biggest loss for me is Cathay and the free nights that used to come in the post every 3-6 months for the past few years, but this year seem to have been replaced by face cream... All the other benefits I use I get with another card which costs me 10% of the Amex fee.

By the way, is everyone else getting double MRs on all purchases? I only get it on partners eg FHR, Hertz etc and supermarkets?!

JohnRain

Wow, 1MR per 1£, that's pathetic. The annual fee is still quite low (at least compared to Switzerland). The new benefits are pretty useless as well. Very disappointing indeed.

Deckard

Double is only on specific partners.

camille55

I too only get double MRs on partner spend including usual travel partners such as VS & LH for flights, spg on hotels, etc

Strangely, I also get double tOn spend at tesco, but not at sainsburys.

I think someone upthread mentioned they double MRs on everything.

c55

JK

Does it work for you on SPG spend? It seems to have never ever worked for me, and remains an ongoing issue I've had with AmEx (for several years now)... I can't help but feel the problems it has caused it what led them to remove the partner bonus (rather than actually fix the damn system!)

ysb41

it was double on everything, and triple on supermarkets,centurion partners.

Deckard

I can only imagine that you were on a grandfathered or negotiated rate. I've only been with Amex 15 years and I don't get that. Column 4 is base points, column 5 is bonus and column 6 is total.

WacFlyer

Also got double on everything and triple on the rest. Not on grandfathered rate, was given to me 3 years ago and made as "lifetime offer" to keep me from leaving. Apparently a lifetime is short at Amex because I have been told this is being taken away too. Even Amex gold gets double on Travel spend and some shops etc
I feel we are being taken for a ride. The excuse for the fee hike is there hasn't been one for 7 years. What they don't mention is that the fee tripled back then from £600 to £1800. At least the service and offers/benefits improved. Now we are being asked to pay £400 more and what do we get for this? 1: Cathay diamond gone ( no lounge access in T5) still no fast track at Gatwick as promised, Free hotel nights offers have disappeared ( didn't even get the face cream Dhoward:-) double points dropped, SPG down to Gold, IHG down to gold elite. What's next? Who's to say they wont tamper with the insurance product next like they did with Platinum a few years ago? I was told by an exec yesterday that they are making these changes so that the card becomes more exclusive again? Not sure I understand the plan here? Do they mean by getting rid of there long term loyal customers? Quite an insult really.

Deckard

My RM is adamant that IHG remains Platinum. I know I used to pay a fee to get double on everything and they took that away.

As for your points, Centurion is always about whether it works for you. For me

• I never took them up on Cathay as I'm BA Au
• I hardly ever travel from Gatwick
• We stayed at a hotel in France free in September
• Got the face cream
• Not pleased about point decrease
• Hated SPG decrease
• Disliked previous insurance changes where they reduced the benefits but made it per traveller.

So I'm not as vexed about the changes. I guess management think they can get away with it though or they wouldn't be doing it.