Amex Netherlands removes many Membership Rewards redemption options.
Jul 18, 2019, 5:27 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: Delta PM, Hilton Diamond, Starwoord Gold, Amex Centurion, Global Entry
Posts: 227
Amex Netherlands removes many Membership Rewards redemption options.
The Dutch MR site has been adjusted and all rewards have been removed, except:
- Donate to charity (pay with points, but only 4 charities are listed accepting points)
- Transfer to KLM
When contacting the American Express Centurion service, they stated "we have removed all rewards based on our customer input. You can still earn and collect point, and transfer these to charity "
https://www.americanexpress.com/nl-nl/rewards/membership-rewards/Winkelen/
I guess that is the end of the MR programme in the Netherlands.
- Donate to charity (pay with points, but only 4 charities are listed accepting points)
- Transfer to KLM
When contacting the American Express Centurion service, they stated "we have removed all rewards based on our customer input. You can still earn and collect point, and transfer these to charity "
https://www.americanexpress.com/nl-nl/rewards/membership-rewards/Winkelen/
I guess that is the end of the MR programme in the Netherlands.
Jul 18, 2019, 5:55 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy LTTE, HH Dia, HY Expl
Posts: 4,651
Jul 18, 2019, 8:58 am
#5
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Why would AMEX want to kill itself off in the Netherlands? I don’t foresee it doing so unless and until Amex decides its worth killing off card issuance in smaller and comparably high income (or lesser) markets in Northern Europe than the Netherlands. Once Amex is in a market, unless the macroeconomic situation is a mess or tenuous, pulling out may just not be worth it after hitting a certain size of installed base.
Transfers of Dutch cardholders’ MR points to AF-KL, BA and Radisson are still available as of the last few minutes at least.
Transfers of Dutch cardholders’ MR points to AF-KL, BA and Radisson are still available as of the last few minutes at least.
Jul 18, 2019, 9:38 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: Delta PM, Hilton Diamond, Starwoord Gold, Amex Centurion, Global Entry
Posts: 227
Yes, thats about it. It went from hundreds of options to a handfull reward options. I guess if you're into booking points to hotel/airline you don't mind, if you use the MR points for anything else, it's all removed now. Except for charities.
Jul 18, 2019, 9:02 pm
#7
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: Delta PM, KLM Gold
Posts: 15
Nothing really life changing for me...
The options that were available previously consisted mainly out of gift cards which were a terrible redemption anyway (like 40k points for $100 on bol.com). I guess they were removed since nobody used them.
In regards to OP: All previous transfer partners are still there for me, but it does trigger me that the amount of partners is so limited with AMEX in NL. In almost every other market there are at least twice the amount of airlines and the redemptions are also much better. 3:1 on Delta is absolutely ridiculous (it's a 1:1 transfer in the UK).
The options that were available previously consisted mainly out of gift cards which were a terrible redemption anyway (like 40k points for $100 on bol.com). I guess they were removed since nobody used them.
In regards to OP: All previous transfer partners are still there for me, but it does trigger me that the amount of partners is so limited with AMEX in NL. In almost every other market there are at least twice the amount of airlines and the redemptions are also much better. 3:1 on Delta is absolutely ridiculous (it's a 1:1 transfer in the UK).
Last edited by iamjesse; Jul 18, 2019 at 11:10 pm
Jul 19, 2019, 6:35 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
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Posts: 4,651
Jul 19, 2019, 8:31 am
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
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I would have sort of expected that. The macroeconomic situation in Portugal tends to be more tenuous than the macroeconomic situation in the Netherlands. The population of the Netherlands is not only close to 70% more than the population of Portugal, the employment and income situations in the Netherlands tend to be substantially stronger and more stable than in Portugal. While pulling out of a national market may just not be worth it after hitting a certain size of installed base, perhaps Portugal never got to a large enough installed base of Amex customers; and even if it did get a large enough installed base for some period, if the customer portfolio isn’t all that stable and reliable in meeting Amex’s goals from card membership accounts, then staying in the market may just not be worth it. In other words, I would be hesitant to conclude that Amex is going to pull a Portugal in the Netherlands.
Jul 19, 2019, 8:41 am
#12
Moderator
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American Express did not directly issue cards in Portugal. Under EU regulations Amex-network cards issued by other parties are subject to interchange caps the same as MasterCard and VISA network cards, and that appears to be the specific reason for the closure.
Cards issued directly by American Express are not subject to the cap, unless they are co-branded with an airline, hotel chain or other partner.
As reported to holders of American Express® Cards issued by Millennium bcp, following changes to European Regulations, Millennium bcp ceased to issue American Express Cards on September 30, 2018, and they ceased to operate on December 20, 2018. January 2019.
Regardless of whether American Express® ends issuing cards in the European Economic Area through bank partners and centralizing this activity exclusively within itself, there will continue to be massive use of American Express Cards in Europe. In this way, Millennium bcp will continue to perform the functions of Acquirer of American Express exclusively in Portugal with a view to accepting the cards of the thousands of foreigners who visit Portugal every year. Thus, the use of American Express Cards in Portugal will remain a reality. Thus, this cancellation of Card Issuance in no way affects acceptance by American Express Card Establishments which remains unchanged and fully functioning.
If your American Express card had the associated Membership Rewards Program, please be aware that as reported, the Membership Rewards program ends on March 31, 2019, so you have until that date to redeem your points.
Regardless of whether American Express® ends issuing cards in the European Economic Area through bank partners and centralizing this activity exclusively within itself, there will continue to be massive use of American Express Cards in Europe. In this way, Millennium bcp will continue to perform the functions of Acquirer of American Express exclusively in Portugal with a view to accepting the cards of the thousands of foreigners who visit Portugal every year. Thus, the use of American Express Cards in Portugal will remain a reality. Thus, this cancellation of Card Issuance in no way affects acceptance by American Express Card Establishments which remains unchanged and fully functioning.
If your American Express card had the associated Membership Rewards Program, please be aware that as reported, the Membership Rewards program ends on March 31, 2019, so you have until that date to redeem your points.
Jul 20, 2019, 12:22 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Rotterdam
Programs: AMEX Platinum, BA Gold, Flying Blue Platinum, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 1,279
I can still see all previous airline partners for transfers. Which is my only use for MR points. I can still see Krisflyer, Asia Miles, Delta, etc.
Jul 20, 2019, 5:56 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,665
https://www.americanexpress.com/nl-n...ravel/airlines
Alitalia Millemiglia, Asia Miles, BA Exec Club, Delta Skymiles, Finnair Plus, Flying Blue, Iberia Plus, SAS EuroBonus, SQ KrisFlyer all present and correct as Airline transfer partners....
Jul 22, 2019, 8:50 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Somewhere between AMS and ANR
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, United Platinum Premier, AF/KLM Platinum
Posts: 266
Maybe it was just a mistake on the Amex IT part when updating the website.
Let's hope these transfers will still be there and even be improved promotions, as we in The Netherlands are kind of screwed compared to what Amex is offering in other countries.
Let's hope these transfers will still be there and even be improved promotions, as we in The Netherlands are kind of screwed compared to what Amex is offering in other countries.
Last edited by mia; Jul 22, 2019 at 9:09 am Reason: Rule 16: https://www.flyertalk.com/help/rules.php
