AMEX Priority Pass will exclude Restaurants (August 2019)
May 28, 2019, 11:24 am
#16
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
This seems like an overreaction to a limited problem (that problem being the churners with multiple PP accounts). A pathetic cost savings measure when they could have done something less irritating, like a "one non-lounge visit per XXX hours". Or maybe they could have started issuing PP membership per cardholder not product (i.e. you have both Plat and Hilton? That's still one PP account).
When will my AF drop back down to $450? I'll even give up the Uber credit again which is a hassle to use (per the other thread).
When will my AF drop back down to $450? I'll even give up the Uber credit again which is a hassle to use (per the other thread).
May 28, 2019, 11:28 am
#17
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 28
Thank you for the info!
I recently received my PP Prestige membership through a new AMEX. While researching which card to get, I included the PP Prestige membership in my list of Pros. DEN is my home airport and the only PP benefit is a restaurant. After August that value will be gone. Especially since we typically book nonstop flights and won’t have much use for it elsewhere.
I had already planned to review the benefits and their value to me before the next AF. Clearly I’ll be adding this to the Con list.
I recently received my PP Prestige membership through a new AMEX. While researching which card to get, I included the PP Prestige membership in my list of Pros. DEN is my home airport and the only PP benefit is a restaurant. After August that value will be gone. Especially since we typically book nonstop flights and won’t have much use for it elsewhere.
I had already planned to review the benefits and their value to me before the next AF. Clearly I’ll be adding this to the Con list.
Last edited by HardToConcentrate; May 28, 2019 at 11:34 am
May 28, 2019, 11:45 am
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
You'd think that the US cards wouldn't get this cut due to how weak PP is here, but I guess the restaurants have proven to be way more popular than AmEx anticipated (or perhaps there is more abuse than I'd have expected). At least there's still Chase's PP membership for the time being as others have mentioned.
May 28, 2019, 12:04 pm
#20
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,947
Sadly I did not have similar foresight, but I was able to tell from the expiration dates since I got my CSR PP card well before my two AMEXes (one unbranded Plat and one Bonvoy Brilliant). My numbering pattern matches yours.
May 28, 2019, 12:22 pm
#21
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: SNA
Programs: MARRIOTT TITANIUM / HILTON GOLD / UA SILVER / AMEX PLAT
Posts: 609
So lets review what I get as an AMEX Plat cardholder:
-$550 Annual Fee: Highest of all the cards.
-Centurion Lounges: Often Crowded. This will make it worse as people who may go to restaurants (e.g. Timeberline in Denver, P.F. Change @ LAX) will now crowd the lounge.
-Hotel Program: Bonvoyed! and Hilton
-PP Lounges: Amex Plat make up a significant percentage of PP membership. Now, instead of being able to use restaurants to alleviate pressure on lounges or get a bite to eat when PP lounges are at capacity, either we crowd the PP lounge more or we are left in the cold.
-Uber: $10 per month. Enough for perhaps one ride.
-Airline credit: That I can only use for incidentals.
-Saks Credit: Useful for some but I shop at Banana Republic and find Sak's overpriced.
Seriously, we are paying for an upper tier premium product, I would expect to be treated as such.
-$550 Annual Fee: Highest of all the cards.
-Centurion Lounges: Often Crowded. This will make it worse as people who may go to restaurants (e.g. Timeberline in Denver, P.F. Change @ LAX) will now crowd the lounge.
-Hotel Program: Bonvoyed! and Hilton
-PP Lounges: Amex Plat make up a significant percentage of PP membership. Now, instead of being able to use restaurants to alleviate pressure on lounges or get a bite to eat when PP lounges are at capacity, either we crowd the PP lounge more or we are left in the cold.
-Uber: $10 per month. Enough for perhaps one ride.
-Airline credit: That I can only use for incidentals.
-Saks Credit: Useful for some but I shop at Banana Republic and find Sak's overpriced.
Seriously, we are paying for an upper tier premium product, I would expect to be treated as such.
May 28, 2019, 12:28 pm
#22
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,623
Thank you for the info!
I recently received my PP Prestige membership through a new AMEX. While researching which card to get, I included the PP Prestige membership in my list of Pros. DEN is my home airport and the only PP benefit is a restaurant. After August that value will be gone. Especially since we typically book nonstop flights and won’t have much use for it elsewhere.
I had already planned to review the benefits and their value to me before the next AF. Clearly I’ll be adding this to the Con list.
I recently received my PP Prestige membership through a new AMEX. While researching which card to get, I included the PP Prestige membership in my list of Pros. DEN is my home airport and the only PP benefit is a restaurant. After August that value will be gone. Especially since we typically book nonstop flights and won’t have much use for it elsewhere.
I had already planned to review the benefits and their value to me before the next AF. Clearly I’ll be adding this to the Con list.
May 28, 2019, 12:36 pm
#23
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,417
So lets review what I get as an AMEX Plat cardholder:
-$550 Annual Fee: Highest of all the cards.
-Centurion Lounges: Often Crowded. This will make it worse as people who may go to restaurants (e.g. Timeberline in Denver, P.F. Change @ LAX) will now crowd the lounge.
-Hotel Program: Bonvoyed! and Hilton
-PP Lounges: Amex Plat make up a significant percentage of PP membership. Now, instead of being able to use restaurants to alleviate pressure on lounges or get a bite to eat when PP lounges are at capacity, either we crowd the PP lounge more or we are left in the cold.
-Uber: $10 per month. Enough for perhaps one ride.
-Airline credit: That I can only use for incidentals.
-Saks Credit: Useful for some but I shop at Banana Republic and find Sak's overpriced.
Seriously, we are paying for an upper tier premium product, I would expect to be treated as such.
-$550 Annual Fee: Highest of all the cards.
-Centurion Lounges: Often Crowded. This will make it worse as people who may go to restaurants (e.g. Timeberline in Denver, P.F. Change @ LAX) will now crowd the lounge.
-Hotel Program: Bonvoyed! and Hilton
-PP Lounges: Amex Plat make up a significant percentage of PP membership. Now, instead of being able to use restaurants to alleviate pressure on lounges or get a bite to eat when PP lounges are at capacity, either we crowd the PP lounge more or we are left in the cold.
-Uber: $10 per month. Enough for perhaps one ride.
-Airline credit: That I can only use for incidentals.
-Saks Credit: Useful for some but I shop at Banana Republic and find Sak's overpriced.
Seriously, we are paying for an upper tier premium product, I would expect to be treated as such.
Add DL lounges when flying DL and the Escape lounges (perhaps others) that no longer accept PP.
PTS (including the improved IAP) and FHR can be very valuable, depending on your travel patterns. I think there's still the Fine Dining restaurant reservation program, but I haven't used it recently.
Limited emergency and concierge services. Generally good phone service. No foreign exchange/transaction fees.
Rental car coverage worldwide with few exceptions for particular countries or cars.
MR points.
PTS (including the improved IAP) and FHR can be very valuable, depending on your travel patterns. I think there's still the Fine Dining restaurant reservation program, but I haven't used it recently.
Limited emergency and concierge services. Generally good phone service. No foreign exchange/transaction fees.
Rental car coverage worldwide with few exceptions for particular countries or cars.
MR points.
May 28, 2019, 12:45 pm
#24
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: SNA
Programs: MARRIOTT TITANIUM / HILTON GOLD / UA SILVER / AMEX PLAT
Posts: 609
Add DL lounges when flying DL and the Escape lounges (perhaps others) that no longer accept PP.
PTS (including the improved IAP) and FHR can be very valuable, depending on your travel patterns. I think there's still the Fine Dining restaurant reservation program, but I haven't used it recently.
Limited emergency and concierge services. Generally good phone service. No foreign exchange/transaction fees.
Rental car coverage worldwide with few exceptions for particular countries or cars.
MR points.
PTS (including the improved IAP) and FHR can be very valuable, depending on your travel patterns. I think there's still the Fine Dining restaurant reservation program, but I haven't used it recently.
Limited emergency and concierge services. Generally good phone service. No foreign exchange/transaction fees.
Rental car coverage worldwide with few exceptions for particular countries or cars.
MR points.
I can't wait for the Ask Shebby! financial autopsy of the new Plat's benefits.
May 28, 2019, 1:32 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
I just paid an annual fee to AMEX in January based on a promise of full priority pass access for the next 12 months. If AMEX is now revoking restaurant access, aren't they breaking the deal and shouldn't a I get a refund of the annual fee I paid in January? Has anyone raised this argument with AMEX yet?
1) Canned response that card benefits can change at any time (and esp. sub-benefits, as this is arguably not much different than lounges being added/removed from the PP program in general)
2) Canned response about how the benefit remains intact for most of the year still
3) Canned response about all the other benefits of the card
If you push enough, I would expect at a minimum that Amex allows people to cancel their cards and receive a prorated refund of the AF. Of course, make sure you tidy up your MR account as needed before cancelling.
May 28, 2019, 1:32 pm
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: San Francisco/Tel Aviv/YYZ
Programs: CO 1K-MM
Posts: 10,762
While the benefit for PP was a good thing I think, it seems to translate too directly into $ and cents for people, whereas a "lounge" visit was more nebulous. Personally I find it more useful to get a proper meal than to sit and munch on whatever junk food is lying around most PP clubs. (Cent club excluded, their spread is quite nice).
May 28, 2019, 1:56 pm
#29
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: RDU
Programs: DL(PM), UA(Silver), AA(EXP) Marriott(Ti), HH(Gold), Hertz(PC)
Posts: 2,669
It's $15/mo (a little higher in December, can't remember how much). "Enough for perhaps one ride" is probably the wrong way of looking at it. It reduces my Uber bill by $15/mo, times 12, that's $180 offset off the annual fee.
May 28, 2019, 1:58 pm
#30
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,720
I assume this is also true for non-US AMEX cards. I would presume so, though as we have so many fewer benefits in the first place it might be nice to keep it.
