Centurion card (USA) refresh. Some benefits removed/added. $5k annual fee.
#796
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,103
Maybe an upcoming step is to hike up the Centurion card fees even higher, let that drive up churn of the customer base, and even perhaps shrink the customer base to an even less-value-focused subset of current and prospective Centurion card holders?
Even obsolescence of the product isn't out of the question were Amex's cost to keep a specialized product to exceed the value of the halo effects of the product. A decline in service levels may be one way to get closer to making a product obsolete -- whether by design or by neglect.
Even obsolescence of the product isn't out of the question were Amex's cost to keep a specialized product to exceed the value of the halo effects of the product. A decline in service levels may be one way to get closer to making a product obsolete -- whether by design or by neglect.
#797
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Southern California
Programs: Alaska MVP 75K, Delta Plat, Bonvoy Ambasador, Hilton diamond.
Posts: 526
You are probably spot on
Maybe an upcoming step is to hike up the Centurion card fees even higher, let that drive up churn of the customer base, and even perhaps shrink the customer base to an even less-value-focused subset of current and prospective Centurion card holders?
Even obsolescence of the product isn't out of the question were Amex's cost to keep a specialized product to exceed the value of the halo effects of the product. A decline in service levels may be one way to get closer to making a product obsolete -- whether by design or by neglect.
Even obsolescence of the product isn't out of the question were Amex's cost to keep a specialized product to exceed the value of the halo effects of the product. A decline in service levels may be one way to get closer to making a product obsolete -- whether by design or by neglect.
I wonder if I can resell my useless equinox membership to a millennial “hipster” on Facebook market place 🤪
#798
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: AMEX Business Centurion
Posts: 418
#799
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,723
It has all become a dumpster fire, and that’s very unfortunate because I think of the lost opportunities of new leadership happening at a time when there’s a drastic shift in the economy and the way people work. Some thoughtful long term strategies could have been a boon to Amex and earned a recommitment from longtime cardmembers as well as appealing to a new generation of businesspeople.
That's basically it, en masse--we're all doing it. So, I don't blame Amex for doing the same thing, and I suspect somewhere deep in the recesses of the C-Suite, a few realize what's going on.
LOL...why not? I mean, I've read where someone was able to sell an invisible piece of art for about $30K usd? Not sure if it was one of those Onion type pieces, and I didn't care enough to conduct any DD; but, if true, this era of peak stupidity has got to be near its apogee.
#800
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,742
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/29/10414...-denmark-blank
#801
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,723
It is true although it was closer to US$84k. It was in Denmark.
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/29/10414...-denmark-blank
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/29/10414...-denmark-blank
#802
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
I’m close to ditching my Centurion card. It is in all respects pretty hopeless. My relationship manager was nice but pretty much useless, most of the things I asked her to do either didn’t work out or were easier done myself. I don’t really understand the point of this card anymore.
#803
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: 48,880
#805
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,103
The US is my neck of the woods. [I only stay at hotels in Denmark, unless using the homes of friends. Unlike housing markets elsewhere in the Nordics, the Danish housing market hasn't been a playground for me. ]
There are other situations not so different from that in other countries, at varying price ranges.
The Centurion qualification account spend in the UK during parts of the pandemic were the lowest I've seen -- lower at times than even the qualification account spend amounts in Sweden and Denmark during this same time. Even the US seemed to lower a bit. I think the relatively lower spend amounts for Centurion account qualification for some in 2020 and 2021 don't really bother Amex since Amex is all about the fees everywhere. And Amex is more about the fees than it is about the benefits -- especially when the benefits are those that cost Amex and not a marketing-partner-funded "benefit". Expect more of this rotating basket of "benefits", since Amex seems stuck on the carousel of using partner-funded "benefits" to try to make the direct benefit value proposition of the Centurion card appealing to those already paying the high fee.
It is true although it was closer to US$84k. It was in Denmark.
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/29/10414...-denmark-blank
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/29/10414...-denmark-blank
The Centurion qualification account spend in the UK during parts of the pandemic were the lowest I've seen -- lower at times than even the qualification account spend amounts in Sweden and Denmark during this same time. Even the US seemed to lower a bit. I think the relatively lower spend amounts for Centurion account qualification for some in 2020 and 2021 don't really bother Amex since Amex is all about the fees everywhere. And Amex is more about the fees than it is about the benefits -- especially when the benefits are those that cost Amex and not a marketing-partner-funded "benefit". Expect more of this rotating basket of "benefits", since Amex seems stuck on the carousel of using partner-funded "benefits" to try to make the direct benefit value proposition of the Centurion card appealing to those already paying the high fee.
Last edited by GUWonder; Jan 19, 2022 at 7:52 am
#807
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ATL, BHM, DUB, County Wexford
Programs: DL DM, AA ExPlt, Diamond HH, HY, BW, & Titanium Elite Marriott
Posts: 4,850
It is getting very hard to justify an AF, as you are not really getting anything, you are just prepaying for benefits that you may or may not use. Definitely a YMMV now.
#808
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,681
I just want to add in hope that someone at Amex reads this thread. Centurion is so out touch with their customer base and the current system does not work for their customers. I feel dumb paying the annual fee when I can get better benefits with other cards. I have been told changes are coming and hang in there but when changes are some stupid leather band with RFID NFC I feel stupid that I let a company like Amex try something they tried long ago that failed. Yep the RFID NFC was done with key chain dongles and Amex gave up. I wonder if Amex keeps a history book of failures so they can say we spent X millions on this and it failed.
Last edited by Centurion; Jan 22, 2022 at 11:29 pm
#810
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA PLT/5MM; AS MVP GLD 75K; DL DM; EK SLV; HHonors DIAM; Marriott GLD
Posts: 4,089
I just want to add in hope that someone at Amex reads this thread. Centurion is so out touch with their customer base and the current system does not work for their customers. I feel dumb paying the annual fee when I can get better benefits with other cards. I have been told changes are coming and hang in there but when changes are some stupid leather band with RFID NFC I feel stupid that I let a company like Amex try something they tried long ago that failed. Yep the RFID NFC was done with key chain dongles and Amex gave up. I wonder if Amex keeps a history book of failures so they can say we spent X millions on this and it failed.
I've had the Centurion Card for roughly 20 years and it seems like each year brings an additional erosion of benefits. It was awesome in the beginning-- I guess I'm holding now thinking that things will get better. I share your feeling of feeling dumb paying the annual fee and again, the RFID NFC thing was totally bonkers--- I remember opening the box and thinking ...???
Last edited by HKG_Flyer1; Feb 17, 2022 at 5:22 pm