Centurion card (USA) refresh. Some benefits removed/added. $5k annual fee.
Oct 31, 2019, 11:54 am
#46
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: DL DM, UA MM, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, Hertz Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 97
Doesn't look like the AU gets the Saks. I was able to register my AU for Equinox but not Saks. On my page it does say call to add other users so I'll see what that means!
I've never understood why both are $2500 (now $5K) but benefits differ. Hindsight says my AU should have just got her own card since it's the same fee.
I've never understood why both are $2500 (now $5K) but benefits differ. Hindsight says my AU should have just got her own card since it's the same fee.
On with customer service now. Fee increase applies to all additional cards. Business and Personal AU's are all getting hit.
The Saks benefit is for all cards so everyone gets it. You have to call in to enroll AU's.
The Equinox and Clear benefits start immediately. The Saks benefit does NOT start until Jan 1, 2020. Sorry folks, no Christmas shopping this year.
Oct 31, 2019, 11:59 am
#47
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: DL DM, UA MM, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, Hertz Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 97
But does it? I know here in NYC there are only 3 maybe 4 locations that you need a Destination membership for, out of probably 40 in the city, so you're getting a marginal increase locally plus the international locations. I don't know how much a Destination membership costs normally.
Looks like the Destination membership is around $220/ month which will get you access to clubs when you travel as well.
So worst case, you're offsetting $2280 and possibly getting a better gym membership.
Oct 31, 2019, 12:02 pm
#48
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: DL DM, UA MM, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, Hertz Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 97
My corporate card benefits section doesn't list GoGo any longer (also was offering ten passes per year), so I think it's going away for all cards, period. As I said, this was a good benefit and I used it a lot.
CLEAR costs me $79 per year (and ironically just renewed four days ago) because I'm Delta Platinum courtesy of Centurion, so that puts the value into perspective.
Points Guy article states: "In addition to these new benefits, Amex is also enhancing some of the less-concrete perks on the card. One of these involves the personalized service offered to cardmembers. I get a ton of value from my personal Centurion concierge, but of course he has to sleep sometimes! So since he’s not accessible at all hours of the day and night, American Express is now expanding this dedicated team of experts to offer 24/7, individualized support. That means when Ray isn’t available to help, another highly-trained individual will be able to step in."
Doesn't seem new to me, I've been able to access other concierges when my assigned concierge is not on duty.
CLEAR costs me $79 per year (and ironically just renewed four days ago) because I'm Delta Platinum courtesy of Centurion, so that puts the value into perspective.
Points Guy article states: "In addition to these new benefits, Amex is also enhancing some of the less-concrete perks on the card. One of these involves the personalized service offered to cardmembers. I get a ton of value from my personal Centurion concierge, but of course he has to sleep sometimes! So since he’s not accessible at all hours of the day and night, American Express is now expanding this dedicated team of experts to offer 24/7, individualized support. That means when Ray isn’t available to help, another highly-trained individual will be able to step in."
Doesn't seem new to me, I've been able to access other concierges when my assigned concierge is not on duty.
Also, I agree that I was always able to get to a concierge 24/7. I actually used to get handed off regularly b/c my main use is dinner reservations and my concierge would hand me off to the fine dining team anyway.
Oct 31, 2019, 12:14 pm
#49
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Global Entry
Posts: 2,825
What a joke of a product. Aside from the prestige of being able to carry one, it's been steadily losing an actual purpose.
The new AF is for you to prepay Saks and a luxury gym membership. Why would anyone do this?
The new AF is for you to prepay Saks and a luxury gym membership. Why would anyone do this?
Oct 31, 2019, 12:15 pm
#50
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
Oooops. The Saks benefit is not what I thought. It's $250 per quarter, so you have to shop at Saks a lot to maximize this benefit.
Shop the season’s trends with your Centurion Card at Saks Fifth Avenue and receive up to $250 in quarterly statement credits – up to $1,000 in credits each year. And, get access to exclusive shopping experiences.
Simply use your Centurion Card in-store and online. There’s no minimum purchase required. Enroll here and enjoy.
As a Centurion Member you have access to an exclusive collection of shopping experiences.
Select Saks Fifth Avenue stores will open for you. Enjoy services such as early morning makeovers or late-night private shopping with after-hours access.
Basic alternations within 3 days with complimentary expedited service
Complimentary same day local delivery on in-store purchases.
Or am I misunderstanding it? Can the credits stack up so I could use them all at once?
Shop the season’s trends with your Centurion Card at Saks Fifth Avenue and receive up to $250 in quarterly statement credits – up to $1,000 in credits each year. And, get access to exclusive shopping experiences.
Simply use your Centurion Card in-store and online. There’s no minimum purchase required. Enroll here and enjoy.
As a Centurion Member you have access to an exclusive collection of shopping experiences.
Select Saks Fifth Avenue stores will open for you. Enjoy services such as early morning makeovers or late-night private shopping with after-hours access.
Basic alternations within 3 days with complimentary expedited service
Complimentary same day local delivery on in-store purchases.
Or am I misunderstanding it? Can the credits stack up so I could use them all at once?
The benefit being structured this way is meant to decrease the likelihood of the whole credit being used and minimizing Amex’s own costs for this benefit feature.
I suspect that the Saks $1000 credit benefit will cost Amex less than $600 even for the subset of Centurion customers who use the full $1000 credit. And I suspect that on average the advertised $1000 Saks credit won’t cost Amex more than $300 per average US Centurion account. It could be worse for customers if Amex structured this like it does the Uber credit.
Last edited by GUWonder; Oct 31, 2019 at 12:21 pm
Oct 31, 2019, 12:24 pm
#51
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
I have also been informed by family that we will be keeping the account, although I am really wondering why. It’s a conspicuous consumption good/service at this point, from my perspective, and that really isn’t my thing.
Oct 31, 2019, 12:25 pm
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Well let's remember that we've been paying $2500 AF for several years now (was $1000). And you have to assume that we accepted that fee because we received enough benefit to justify it. Each of us has different reasons. For some DL Plat is great, or Hertz Plat, or the extra FHR benefits at some hotels, etc. Some of us might have valued $5000 per year for these things without the new benefits they have thrown in. And the Centurion members from other countries already pay more than $5000 for even less benefits. Each of us has our own reasons and some will surely not continue at the new fee. And some will.
Oct 31, 2019, 12:35 pm
#54
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: BOS
Posts: 2,315
The Equinox membership goes for $250/mo. I actually have an “executive membership” and am being told that I should just have to pay the difference. So as an existing member this sounds like it will be worth $3k/annually to me but we shall see how they actually implement it. I also will lose my health insurance gym reimbursement which covers 3 months of health club fees so deduct $750 from the value.
With the clear discount, saks and equinox it looks like the increase will be a push for me. The LAX club costs $2,700 a visit (that’s the member price) so I don’t expect to use that regularly.
Nice that they are adding some benefits but they still haven’t fixed the problems where we get the same benefits as platinum. Would be easy to increase Uber benefit and add Gogo passes for example. And yes I have the “$1,000 grandfathered letter too”
With the clear discount, saks and equinox it looks like the increase will be a push for me. The LAX club costs $2,700 a visit (that’s the member price) so I don’t expect to use that regularly.
Nice that they are adding some benefits but they still haven’t fixed the problems where we get the same benefits as platinum. Would be easy to increase Uber benefit and add Gogo passes for example. And yes I have the “$1,000 grandfathered letter too”
Oct 31, 2019, 12:42 pm
#55
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,952
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...plat-card.html
Oct 31, 2019, 12:49 pm
#57
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 47
The only way to use the Saks credit all at once will be to do what Amex doesn’t want done: buy Saks $250 in gift cards each quarter at the physical stores quarter and then use multiple gift cards all at once for a $1000+ purchase after having done this four times per calendar year.
The benefit being structured this way is meant to decrease the likelihood of the whole credit being used and minimizing Amex’s own costs for this benefit feature.
I suspect that the Saks $1000 credit benefit will cost Amex less than $600 even for the subset of Centurion customers who use the full $1000 credit. And I suspect that on average the advertised $1000 Saks credit won’t cost Amex more than $300 per average US Centurion account. It could be worse for customers if Amex structured this like it does the Uber credit.
The benefit being structured this way is meant to decrease the likelihood of the whole credit being used and minimizing Amex’s own costs for this benefit feature.
I suspect that the Saks $1000 credit benefit will cost Amex less than $600 even for the subset of Centurion customers who use the full $1000 credit. And I suspect that on average the advertised $1000 Saks credit won’t cost Amex more than $300 per average US Centurion account. It could be worse for customers if Amex structured this like it does the Uber credit.
Oct 31, 2019, 12:56 pm
#59
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
I’ve never understood the Uber benefit. You pay thousands for the card, presumably live a comfortable lifestyle, and then look for a discount to ride in the back of someone’s six-year-old Camry that smells like sweaty chicken nuggets.
Oct 31, 2019, 1:07 pm
#60
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
Also, I don’t know about all others but I know that there are times where a taxi or Uber are what I need and want and the alternatives aren’t all that better .... whether or not it means a six-years old Camry that smells like McDonald’s food.
I like to get value for money and prefer not to pay way more for things I don’t value all that much.
I guess it’s now time to see when Amex tries to hike up the Plat card fee in the US by 50-100% When is $999 in the future for US Amex Plat accounts? I guess we will have a recession to thank for delaying that.