Mar 2, 2017, 8:48 am
Last edit by: Centurion
American Express press release is HERE.
American Express product site is HERE.
Price change dates for new and existing accounts:
Unpublicized change to Priority Pass benefit:
Terms of the Uber benefit:
*If you do not see a $15 credit appear and you receive a message your card may be the registered payment to another Uber account and you must delete your card from all Uber accounts and reenter your card on the Uber account your want the credit benefit.
Metal card availability:
American Express product site is HERE.
Price change dates for new and existing accounts:
When is the fee increasing for Platinum Card Membership?
Beginning on March 30th, 2017, the new annual fee for Platinum Card will be $550. For Existing Platinum Card Members, the annual fee will take effect on their annual renewal date on or after September 1st, 2017.
Beginning on March 30th, 2017, the new annual fee for Platinum Card will be $550. For Existing Platinum Card Members, the annual fee will take effect on their annual renewal date on or after September 1st, 2017.
Unpublicized change to Priority Pass benefit:
At any visit to a Priority Pass Select lounge, you may bring in two guests for no charge.
Only Basic Card Members on a Platinum Card account are eligible for Uber VIP and monthly ride Credits. To receive this benefit, you must have downloaded the Uber App version 3.219 or later for iOS or version 3.126 or later for Android and your eligible Platinum Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. If you are assigned a new Card number, you must update your method of payment in your Uber account. Cards added to your Uber account through a third party such as Apple Pay or PayPal will not be eligible. A Platinum Card account may receive this benefit on one Uber account. If the same Card is added to multiple Uber accounts, only the first Uber account to which the Card is added will receive the benefit. Uber VIP is available in select cities and is governed by Uber’s terms and conditions. To redeem monthly ride Credits, you must select to use the Credit in your Uber app prior to completing the Uber ride. The discount will not apply to previous Uber rides. New and existing Uber users are eligible. Uber will apply discount at the point of sale. There is no limit to the number of rides you may apply the Credit to each month, up to a total of $15 in Credits per month. Each year in December, you may apply up to $35 in Credit. The discounted cost of a ride will be displayed on your post-ride email receipt. If you are eligible to receive additional Membership Rewards points on your ride, points will be awarded on the balance of the cost of the trip after Credits are applied. Credit may be applied to all Uber car types and cannot be applied to other Uber services. Credit may only be applied to rides within the United States. Monthly ride Credit expires at 11:59 PM local time on the last day of each month. Unused Credit will not carry over to the following month. Credit will be applied for the month in which the ride is completed. If ride is eligible for another promotion that you have added to your Uber account, the promotion will be applied before the Credit. Certain Uber-branded credits may be applied to your ride balance prior to this Credit.
Metal card availability:
How can Platinum Card Members get the new metal Card?
The new metal Card will be issued to Platinum Card Members 60 days prior to their Card expiration date or can be requested beginning on March 30th, 2017 by calling the number on the back of the Card or requesting a replacement card after you sign in to www.americanexpress.com and click on replace lost damaged card.
The new metal Card will be issued to Platinum Card Members 60 days prior to their Card expiration date or can be requested beginning on March 30th, 2017 by calling the number on the back of the Card or requesting a replacement card after you sign in to www.americanexpress.com and click on replace lost damaged card.
USA: New (2017) personal Platinum benefits; Higher annual fee ($550)
Mar 29, 2017, 10:20 am
#421
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Mar 29, 2017, 2:20 pm
#422
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 291
I've only been somewhat keeping updated with the changes but haven't come across anything regarding AF for Mercedes Plat cards? Will it also be $25(?) higher than the regular Plat like it is currently or will all Plat cards have the same $550 AF now?
Mar 29, 2017, 3:41 pm
#425
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 41
I chatted the web chat rep to change my EDP to contactless, and asked if the new metal platinum would have contactless payments as well on the card and they indicated it would. I didn't think it was possible with a metal card but they specifically said so. Take It With A grain of salt.
Mar 30, 2017, 6:30 am
#426
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Moderator action
Posts reporting experiences ordering a metal replacement card have been exported:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...etal-card.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...etal-card.html
Last edited by mia; Mar 31, 2017 at 7:45 am
Mar 30, 2017, 1:32 pm
#427
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SEA
Programs: All Around Nobody
Posts: 861
Mar 30, 2017, 4:40 pm
#428
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: SFO
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 756
Mar 30, 2017, 4:58 pm
#430
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: SFO
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 756
Mar 30, 2017, 8:57 pm
#432
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 292
Really difficult to see how one arrives at that conclusion.
Personally, I will definitely cancel or downgrade my Platinum at renewal time.
$450 was already high, but $550 is just stupid.
I have no desire to patronize Uber, which is a very unethical company, and I'm dismayed that Amex is partnering with them. This reflects poorly on Amex, IMO. I have never used Uber, and never plan to.
The $200 airline credit was already hard enough to use - had to play gift card tricks. Even if you count it as cash, the net annual fee was $250, and it will be $350 with this change.
The only Amex benefit I have ever used other than the airline credit was Hilton gold which got me breakfast at the executive lounge, and upgrades - that was nice. But I am not sure if it is really worth that much. My favorite regular travel destination, Vietnam, has only a few Hilton properties, and not in the cities we usually stay at.
I do like the ability to do points transfer, though. I have over 100k MR points that are still unused from my signup off.
Is there a card with no or lower AF that I can signup for , or downgrade to, in order to keep the ability to transfer those MR points ? As far as Hilton gold status, I believe I could sign up for an Amex hilton surpass to get that.
Personally, I will definitely cancel or downgrade my Platinum at renewal time.
$450 was already high, but $550 is just stupid.
I have no desire to patronize Uber, which is a very unethical company, and I'm dismayed that Amex is partnering with them. This reflects poorly on Amex, IMO. I have never used Uber, and never plan to.
The $200 airline credit was already hard enough to use - had to play gift card tricks. Even if you count it as cash, the net annual fee was $250, and it will be $350 with this change.
The only Amex benefit I have ever used other than the airline credit was Hilton gold which got me breakfast at the executive lounge, and upgrades - that was nice. But I am not sure if it is really worth that much. My favorite regular travel destination, Vietnam, has only a few Hilton properties, and not in the cities we usually stay at.
I do like the ability to do points transfer, though. I have over 100k MR points that are still unused from my signup off.
Is there a card with no or lower AF that I can signup for , or downgrade to, in order to keep the ability to transfer those MR points ? As far as Hilton gold status, I believe I could sign up for an Amex hilton surpass to get that.
Mar 30, 2017, 9:05 pm
#433
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 292
The timing of this announcement makes me question how much American Express is paying attention to anything. To me it just reads like Uber begging people to reverse on #deleteuber .
My wife and I work in the tech industry. We used to use Uber a lot. But we both care very much about inclusion and diversity in our industry. My wife especially has met quite a few challenges in her career.
We knew of Travis "Boober" Kalanick's general outlook on life had and suspected the culture in his company was pretty poor, but the past few weeks of revelations (from weird involvement with the US administration, to employees claiming sexual harassment is rampant, to the SVP of Engineering resigning for sexual harassment allegations from prior company, to Travis blowing up at a driver) were just too much for us. And to top it off American Express makes Uber the benefit that would've made the price increase worthwhile for us. But it no longer is.
My wife and I work in the tech industry. We used to use Uber a lot. But we both care very much about inclusion and diversity in our industry. My wife especially has met quite a few challenges in her career.
We knew of Travis "Boober" Kalanick's general outlook on life had and suspected the culture in his company was pretty poor, but the past few weeks of revelations (from weird involvement with the US administration, to employees claiming sexual harassment is rampant, to the SVP of Engineering resigning for sexual harassment allegations from prior company, to Travis blowing up at a driver) were just too much for us. And to top it off American Express makes Uber the benefit that would've made the price increase worthwhile for us. But it no longer is.
I have worked in tech my entire adult life (and even before that), and I can't believe Amex is paying so little attention. This will surely backfire.
Mar 30, 2017, 9:21 pm
#434
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 292
Mar 30, 2017, 10:12 pm
#435
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 292
I don't want to book any flight or hotel on the Amex Plat because of the lack of adequate travel insurance, in particular, trip cancellation. I have had medical issues pop up as late as the day of travel previously. I used policies from Allianz in the past to get fully reimbursed. Now I'm relying on the trip cancellation coverage from CSR. Have not had to use it yet. Frankly, it's baffling that Amex does not have this coverage on the Plat. Even the Barclay Arrival+ at $89/year , with fee waived first year, has this coverage, and no FTF also. My Prestige and CSR have this coverage too and both are no FTF.