Centurion card (USA) refresh. Some benefits removed/added. $5k annual fee.
Oct 31, 2019, 8:07 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 153
Centurion card (USA) refresh. Some benefits removed/added. $5k annual fee.
Logged in to the website this morning and the following new benefits are advertised:
1. Complimentary CLEAR membership for member ($179) and family members ($50).
2. $1,000 Saks credit per year.
3. "Equinox Destination Access Membership" – need to figure out what this is.
4. The Private Suite at LAX – membership (but need to pay per visit).
1. Complimentary CLEAR membership for member ($179) and family members ($50).
2. $1,000 Saks credit per year.
3. "Equinox Destination Access Membership" – need to figure out what this is.
4. The Private Suite at LAX – membership (but need to pay per visit).
Oct 31, 2019, 9:13 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,774
Nice find. Coincidentally I logged into my Centurion account yesterday, first time in months, and it was still the old website. It may have been months before I logged in again, but based on this post, I logged in just now and the website has been completely updated, including features of these new benefits. The Equinox benefit looks excellent but I'll have to read the fine print.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Oct 31, 2019, 10:21 am
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Oct 31, 2019, 10:29 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 118
Honestly I'm not surprised, I have the German version and we had a 5k annual fee for over 2 years now. But we also get a free AU card - maybe US members get that now? Would be crazy if they charge 5k/AU
Oct 31, 2019, 10:30 am
#11
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
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Posts: 102,095
The Saks credit I consider useful to some degree. Equinox has no value for me unless I was already paying for Equinox or would consider substitution into Equinox from alternatives. CLEAR? I want to see it disappear, not support it.
Are these additional benefit features a benefit worth the fee increase? Not really, as Amex does this fee increase association with additional benefit feature introduction knowing full well that it’s part and parcel of making Amex more money from its installed customer base rather than to provide customers additional value for the Amex fee amount.
Are these additional benefit features a benefit worth the fee increase? Not really, as Amex does this fee increase association with additional benefit feature introduction knowing full well that it’s part and parcel of making Amex more money from its installed customer base rather than to provide customers additional value for the Amex fee amount.
Oct 31, 2019, 10:31 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Racine Wi
Programs: Amex Centurion
Posts: 60
OP didn't give the full story:
No doubt! This is the straw that broke the camels back. Im so done with the Centurion card.My Amex platinum business card does nearly all of this for a fraction of the price.
No doubt! This is the straw that broke the camels back. Im so done with the Centurion card.My Amex platinum business card does nearly all of this for a fraction of the price.
- They removed the $200 airline credit
- They doubled the annual fee to $5,000.
Oct 31, 2019, 10:34 am
#13
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Out West
Programs: AA lifetime Platinum, Marriott lifetime Titanium Elite, Avis Chairman, most programs from the start
Posts: 9
Centurion Wants you to go away!
Every year the Centurion benefits get a little bit worse. I would guess that most Centurion card members already have many of the travel "benefits" that come with the card. In the beginning most hotels and airlines were included and upgrades on airlines and upgrades in hotels were the rule not the exception.
What other cards should current Centurion members consider switching to?
What other cards should current Centurion members consider switching to?
Oct 31, 2019, 10:38 am
#15
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: DL DM, UA MM, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, Hertz Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 97
Also took away Boingo and Gogo for Business cards. Which is pretty terrible as that was an incredibly useful benefit.
Could make an argument Clear helps offset that loss for business travelers. Clear was already discounted for Delta Plat which you get with Cent so discounted Clear vs Gogo subscription.
So question is occasional Equinox use plus shipping at Saka worth $2500? Pretty clear that’s no.
I expect a fee increase of some kind was coming no matter what. If it’s per authorized user, ouch indeed.
Could make an argument Clear helps offset that loss for business travelers. Clear was already discounted for Delta Plat which you get with Cent so discounted Clear vs Gogo subscription.
So question is occasional Equinox use plus shipping at Saka worth $2500? Pretty clear that’s no.
I expect a fee increase of some kind was coming no matter what. If it’s per authorized user, ouch indeed.