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 Ubers 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)
#496
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
It does not. All USA Platinum benefits are listed here.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...w-all/platinum
There is a benefit for lost, damaged, or stolen baggage, but not for delay.
I don't recall that that either card would pay for the new ticket.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...w-all/platinum
There is a benefit for lost, damaged, or stolen baggage, but not for delay.
I don't recall that that either card would pay for the new ticket.
I just always (incorrectly) assumed they would provide the same level of insurance as the two biggest competitors at this price point.
#497
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Seattle
Programs: Delta Silver Medallion, BA Executive Blue, IHG Platinum Elite,Kimpton.
Posts: 739
Not sure if your score is high enough yet, but regardless, I would wait for a really good bonus offer before applying for the personal Platinum. As you can see in another thread, it is very likely that you will only get one bonus in your lifetime per card type. I'd wait for at last a 75,000-point bonus offer, and maybe even 100,000.
#498
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Posts: 1,084
Hi guys what do you think about doing this to maximize points:
For cash united purchases, fund the ticket by funding gift registry with Amex plat and then doing a small copay with citi prestige in order to get trip delay coverage. The trip cancelation will only be funded up to the amount paid by prestige but it's usually the delay that is a bigger risk most of the time.
//edit. Or would it be better to find third party insurance and prepay for a year of coverage for trips up to X days.
For cash united purchases, fund the ticket by funding gift registry with Amex plat and then doing a small copay with citi prestige in order to get trip delay coverage. The trip cancelation will only be funded up to the amount paid by prestige but it's usually the delay that is a bigger risk most of the time.
//edit. Or would it be better to find third party insurance and prepay for a year of coverage for trips up to X days.
#500
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,742
For small domestic trips I basically just "self insure", and for work trips I'll get reimbursed for critical needs (maybe not for replacing clothes, but if that ever happens I assume I'll get to keep the clothes for personal use afterward so I don't necessarily mind having to buy them).
#501
#503
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 56,898
My wife (personal Plat holder) and my daughter just visited the Escape Lounge at the Oakland (OAK) airport. I won't cross-post about their experience, but if you're interested, it's here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28375909-post147.html
What I'll say here is that this is a very valuable new benefit to me and my family, and it makes it seem like there is no annual fee at all for the personal Plat.
$550
-$200 airline credit
-$200 Uber credits (very likely that we will use all of it)
-$150 for airport lounge access we would otherwise not have had
=$0. That's not even getting into the FHR benefits, the signup and retention bonuses, and a bunch of other stuff.
I'm a really big fan of Amex Platinum. I can easily see why it would be much less compelling for others, but for me (no airline status* or carrier lounge membership), it's delightful.
* I'm United Silver (not sure how that happened), but there's almost nothing there in that status.
What I'll say here is that this is a very valuable new benefit to me and my family, and it makes it seem like there is no annual fee at all for the personal Plat.
$550
-$200 airline credit
-$200 Uber credits (very likely that we will use all of it)
-$150 for airport lounge access we would otherwise not have had
=$0. That's not even getting into the FHR benefits, the signup and retention bonuses, and a bunch of other stuff.
I'm a really big fan of Amex Platinum. I can easily see why it would be much less compelling for others, but for me (no airline status* or carrier lounge membership), it's delightful.
* I'm United Silver (not sure how that happened), but there's almost nothing there in that status.
#504
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt LT DM, Wyndham DM, Hertz PC, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,038
Had a DL AMEX for awhile. I bit on the large MR bonus with the personal platinum. More than going to use benefits.
However how long does it take to get points posted? It's beyond absurd. I did their spend requirement almost instantly. Plus purchases. What is the wait? 45, 60 or more days to post? Does it ever get better?
However how long does it take to get points posted? It's beyond absurd. I did their spend requirement almost instantly. Plus purchases. What is the wait? 45, 60 or more days to post? Does it ever get better?
#505
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend; Moderator: American Express, Capital One, Citi, Chase, Credit Card Programs, Diners Club, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,883
#506
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,027
$200 airline credit - Judging by the number of posts on the thread about how to break apart the charges so AA gift cards look like "airline fees", it looks like there are quite a few having difficulty making use of this benefit.
$200 Uber credits - This is only valuable if you were going to take $15 worth of Uber rides per month plus $35 worth of Uber rides in December. If one is trying to figure out how to make use of the benefit with UberEATS, one is having difficulty using the benefit.
$150 for airport lounge access - Again, this expense would only have been incurred if you were going to enter the lounge regardless of whether or not you had to pay for it. I think far fewer are willing to pay to enter lounges but are using them since it's an included benefit.
Even with the higher annual fee, I get the benefit from the card, but from all of the other threads about how to use the benefits it seems as though some people struggle to justify the annual fee. Contrast this with Chase Sapphire Reserve with its $450 fee:
$300 travel credit - Would I have at least $300 worth of travel category spend annually, regardless of this benefit? Yes. Taking the net annual fee down to $150:
$150 vs $95 for the Chase Sapphire Preferred so $55 more - Let's value Ultimate Rewards conservatively at 1 since that is their cash back redemption value. Do I spend at least $5500 per year in the travel and/or dining category? Yes.
The CSR is far easier to justify mathematically for me than the Platinum.
#507
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
I may still keep the AMEX Plat, depends largely on retention offers they give. I also like the protection and the benefits (got Hamilton LA tickets on presale).
#508
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Posts: 1,084
#509
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 56,898
With the value received of lounge access, it's not simply whether you would have paid for access. It's also whether you got food, drink and reading materials you otherwise would have paid for outside the lounge.
#510
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,684
Correct. Having said that, I still wasn't using Sky Club enough to justify keeping the Personal Plat. I may apply for the Biz Plat as I would use the go go passes and Sky Club benefits. I have CSR for Priority Pass.