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)
Oct 8, 2018, 3:41 am
#692
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Newton Centre, MA, USA
Programs: DL 2MM Gold, AA Plat Pro; Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium (via SPG), IHG Plat
Posts: 2,192
I complained about the weight of the metal Platinum Card and the agent said I could just get a free Gold Card on which the purchases will roll up to the Platinum Account and get all the same earning (5x airline etc.). So, you could certainly do that. If, on the other hand, you want to slum it and use a Green Card for some reason, I'm not sure if that is possible.
Oct 8, 2018, 6:44 am
#693
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NYC, USA
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Titanium, HH Gold
Posts: 10,967
I've heard that they will still issue plastic Platinum cards upon request. Some people like to have plastic cards with raised numerals for overseas travel, where various merchants still use those off-line carbon paper swipe machines to make an imprint of the raised numerals.
Oct 8, 2018, 11:47 am
#694
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 542
So I just got my new card in the mail. Have to say I am fairly impressed by the presentation! They did an amazing job with that 
Please help me understand the basics of benefits:
- Got the Uber credit under control, though UBER VIP did not appear on my app account
- 5x point with bookings only via amex travel? So if I pay with my new amex for a booking made NOT via amex travel I only get 1 point per dollar spent?
- $50 Saks credit seems to be straight forward
- $200 airline fee credit each calendar year? - so if I just received my card, I should buy some gift cards BEFORE 12/31/2018 not to lose it?
Please help me understand the basics of benefits:
- Got the Uber credit under control, though UBER VIP did not appear on my app account
- 5x point with bookings only via amex travel? So if I pay with my new amex for a booking made NOT via amex travel I only get 1 point per dollar spent?
- $50 Saks credit seems to be straight forward
- $200 airline fee credit each calendar year? - so if I just received my card, I should buy some gift cards BEFORE 12/31/2018 not to lose it?
Oct 8, 2018, 12:04 pm
#695
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 484
So I just got my new card in the mail. Have to say I am fairly impressed by the presentation! They did an amazing job with that
Please help me understand the basics of benefits:
- Got the Uber credit under control, though UBER VIP did not appear on my app account
- 5x point with bookings only via amex travel? So if I pay with my new amex for a booking made NOT via amex travel I only get 1 point per dollar spent?
- $50 Saks credit seems to be straight forward
- $200 airline fee credit each calendar year? - so if I just received my card, I should buy some gift cards BEFORE 12/31/2018 not to lose it?
Please help me understand the basics of benefits:
- Got the Uber credit under control, though UBER VIP did not appear on my app account
- 5x point with bookings only via amex travel? So if I pay with my new amex for a booking made NOT via amex travel I only get 1 point per dollar spent?
- $50 Saks credit seems to be straight forward
- $200 airline fee credit each calendar year? - so if I just received my card, I should buy some gift cards BEFORE 12/31/2018 not to lose it?
The $200 airline credit is per calendar year, so yes, you should buy some before the end of the year. The benefit will reset on the new year.
Oct 8, 2018, 1:20 pm
#696
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL, LHR
Posts: 219
VIP cars are all the way to the right during car selection in the app, keep swiping left. Basically my VIP rates for X are identical to the rates for normal X. You'll get a slightly better driver and a slightly nicer car.
Oct 8, 2018, 1:35 pm
#697
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 542
VIP is only available in certain big cities - we have it in PHL. But once you plug your Platinum number into your Uber account, you definitely get it. There's not like a Welcome to VIP notification when you log in or anything.
VIP cars are all the way to the right during car selection in the app, keep swiping left. Basically my VIP rates for X are identical to the rates for normal X. You'll get a slightly better driver and a slightly nicer car.
VIP cars are all the way to the right during car selection in the app, keep swiping left. Basically my VIP rates for X are identical to the rates for normal X. You'll get a slightly better driver and a slightly nicer car.
I do see $15 Amex credits though.
Oct 8, 2018, 1:37 pm
#698
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 542
You get 5x with any airline, doesn't need to be AMEX travel, just an airline. Some OTA websites still post the charges directly from the airline also, so you would get 5x from that also.
The $200 airline credit is per calendar year, so yes, you should buy some before the end of the year. The benefit will reset on the new year.
The $200 airline credit is per calendar year, so yes, you should buy some before the end of the year. The benefit will reset on the new year.
Oct 8, 2018, 1:40 pm
#699
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 542
As I was scrolling this thread I saw something that mentioned "benefit meter". Specifically looked for it in my online account and didn't find it.
I also looked through some benefits they included in the welcome package and wonder if people actually used it? Such as Private Concierge, Global Dining (still don't understand what kind of benefit that is ?.
I also looked through some benefits they included in the welcome package and wonder if people actually used it? Such as Private Concierge, Global Dining (still don't understand what kind of benefit that is ?.
Oct 8, 2018, 3:22 pm
#700
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 600
For example, I have an upcoming trip to Spain and Greece and I called the concierge and had them send me customized city guides for each of the cities I will be visiting. The concierge also made reservations for me through the Global Dining system and got me great times for restaurants that were showing up fully booked on other apps.
For this trip, I also booked a few hotels through FHR and got some great deals. For example, I booked a refundable 3 night stay at the Gran Melia Fenix in Madrid for the same price as other OTAs were offering, but because I booked through FHR, I get a $100 food & beverage credit, free daily breakfast for 2 and noon check in and 4 p.m. checkout.
Last edited by Statman; Oct 8, 2018 at 3:28 pm
Oct 9, 2018, 8:10 am
#701
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHL, LHR
Posts: 219
For those of you with a Platinum and other Amex cards.... when you call customer service for, say, your Gold Card, do you call the Platinum number for ALL your cards problems/questions? Or simply when it pertains to the Plat? Just wondering if you've noticed a better quality of service for all your Amex cards by utilizing the Platinum CSRs versus the standard customer service number...
Oct 9, 2018, 9:34 am
#702
Join Date: Mar 2018
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP. Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,133
For those of you with a Platinum and other Amex cards.... when you call customer service for, say, your Gold Card, do you call the Platinum number for ALL your cards problems/questions? Or simply when it pertains to the Plat? Just wondering if you've noticed a better quality of service for all your Amex cards by utilizing the Platinum CSRs versus the standard customer service number...
Oct 9, 2018, 4:52 pm
#703
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,153
I complained about the weight of the metal Platinum Card and the agent said I could just get a free Gold Card on which the purchases will roll up to the Platinum Account and get all the same earning (5x airline etc.). So, you could certainly do that. If, on the other hand, you want to slum it and use a Green Card for some reason, I'm not sure if that is possible.
I hate the Platinum metal and have been meaning to call Amex to see if there's any alternative I can use on my Platinum account.
Oct 10, 2018, 6:42 am
#704
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
Moderator action
Oct 11, 2018, 12:23 am
#705
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 515
For those of you with a Platinum and other Amex cards.... when you call customer service for, say, your Gold Card, do you call the Platinum number for ALL your cards problems/questions? Or simply when it pertains to the Plat? Just wondering if you've noticed a better quality of service for all your Amex cards by utilizing the Platinum CSRs versus the standard customer service number...
I avoid calling as much as I can though, chat is just so much easier, especially when you're overseas, and I get a response within minutes 100% of the time.