2021 Has anyone actually received a Centurion Card invite?
Jan 18, 2021, 9:11 am
#31
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,752
In the case of Mr. Buffet, given the assets known to them (not to mention single largest shareholder) whatever that mythical highest NPSL territory would be, he'd likely have it. As mentioned above, there were years when we'd have to make those 99,900 multiple payments before the due date (still prefer the true net 30), and it wasn't until we agreed to allow more of our assets to become known to them before those limitations were lifted.
I'm not suggesting financial disclosures to exceed $100k would be required for every cardmember, and allow for the possibility that Amex may have different policies and practices which are cardmember dependent and applied at their sole discretion.
Jan 18, 2021, 10:09 am
#32
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: DEN
Posts: 13
possibly, we will see what other people say if they have the same experience. Sounds like other people have had the same issue though. But they told me on the phone last year that they won’t allow any platinum card to spend over 100k without wiring first. They 100% made it seem like a product issue with instead of a limit where they will only allow me 100k. Do you have any experience with them allowing more than 100k without a wire first?
Jan 18, 2021, 2:04 pm
#33
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,132
Jan 19, 2021, 1:55 pm
#35
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 61
In the past 3-4 years ago, My Gold, Platinum and Plum cards exceeded $100k. Nowadays my Centurion has a lower allowed limit than my Gold, Platinum and Plum once did.
Jan 19, 2021, 4:33 pm
#36
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,021
Isn't the main point of Flyertalk forums how to hack money and travel? How to get above averages returns, treatment, and experiences? Cost-benefit analysis and personal experiences are relevant.
I have had the Centurion card in the past. When I got it there was no initiation fee, and the annual fee was $2000. It got you top tier status on Delta, USAir and Continental. It got you top tier status at SPG and Hilton. It had superior benefits to the Platinum card in every way. Hertz Platinum service meant something. Priority Pass didn't come with any limitations, it got you into lots of lounges in USA and included restaurants with PP started adding them.
I can't say that I could totally figure out whether the value was worth it, but the odd times that I strayed to another airline either because of IRROPs or they were most convenient, it was good to have access to better seating and usually priority lanes, and to generally always have someplace to credit flights with partnerships, and to have partner lounge access across alliances.
Over time the benefits were whittled away, again and again. Sometimes it was Amex's decision, sometimes external actors. US and CO are gone and I have lifetime status on UA and AS now, and DL Platinum is really Platinum light and at best a mid-tier status. Hertz Platinum is no more. The U.S. airlines largely eliminated domestic Priority Pass lounge access with the creation of PP Select, and Amex went one step further with eliminating the restaurant benefit. Amex added 5x points on airfare purchases to the Platinum card but not the Centurion. They put Gogo inflight on the business Platinum but not the Centurion. They took away $200 airline fee credit from Centurion but not Platinum. And then they doubled the annual fee from $2500 to $5000. For me that was the straw that broke the camel's back (together with their no-common-sense denial of honor my request to credit the Nexus fee in lieu of the Global Entry benefit as Nexus includes Global Entry.)
The hotel program benefits have always been marginal in my experience. You can get similar results from Virtuoso agents or the partner programs for Park Hyatt, Four Seasons, etc. if you want to stay at those properties. And there are often considerably cheaper corporate rates than the rates required for the hotel program benefits.
I can't find the value in Centurion. So the question would be, and why the topic is interesting, am I missing benefits? Does someone else find hidden value? If it's just for boasting, they are targeting a different person than me and it's a mismatch. I did cancel my card after figuring out how to max a few of temporary benefits in 2020.
I have had the Centurion card in the past. When I got it there was no initiation fee, and the annual fee was $2000. It got you top tier status on Delta, USAir and Continental. It got you top tier status at SPG and Hilton. It had superior benefits to the Platinum card in every way. Hertz Platinum service meant something. Priority Pass didn't come with any limitations, it got you into lots of lounges in USA and included restaurants with PP started adding them.
I can't say that I could totally figure out whether the value was worth it, but the odd times that I strayed to another airline either because of IRROPs or they were most convenient, it was good to have access to better seating and usually priority lanes, and to generally always have someplace to credit flights with partnerships, and to have partner lounge access across alliances.
Over time the benefits were whittled away, again and again. Sometimes it was Amex's decision, sometimes external actors. US and CO are gone and I have lifetime status on UA and AS now, and DL Platinum is really Platinum light and at best a mid-tier status. Hertz Platinum is no more. The U.S. airlines largely eliminated domestic Priority Pass lounge access with the creation of PP Select, and Amex went one step further with eliminating the restaurant benefit. Amex added 5x points on airfare purchases to the Platinum card but not the Centurion. They put Gogo inflight on the business Platinum but not the Centurion. They took away $200 airline fee credit from Centurion but not Platinum. And then they doubled the annual fee from $2500 to $5000. For me that was the straw that broke the camel's back (together with their no-common-sense denial of honor my request to credit the Nexus fee in lieu of the Global Entry benefit as Nexus includes Global Entry.)
The hotel program benefits have always been marginal in my experience. You can get similar results from Virtuoso agents or the partner programs for Park Hyatt, Four Seasons, etc. if you want to stay at those properties. And there are often considerably cheaper corporate rates than the rates required for the hotel program benefits.
I can't find the value in Centurion. So the question would be, and why the topic is interesting, am I missing benefits? Does someone else find hidden value? If it's just for boasting, they are targeting a different person than me and it's a mismatch. I did cancel my card after figuring out how to max a few of temporary benefits in 2020.
Jan 19, 2021, 4:37 pm
#37
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,021
possibly, we will see what other people say if they have the same experience. Sounds like other people have had the same issue though. But they told me on the phone last year that they won’t allow any platinum card to spend over 100k without wiring first. They 100% made it seem like a product issue with instead of a limit where they will only allow me 100k. Do you have any experience with them allowing more than 100k without a wire first?
Jan 22, 2021, 6:14 am
#38
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: LHR
Programs: Centurion BA GGL IHG Diamond
Posts: 134
Hey guys! New to the thread. I believe I got what you would call an informal invite? I had someone from Centurion (UK) call me Wednesday Evening making sure I was getting the most out of platinum etc. Then the nice gentleman goes on to talk about centurion and the benefits it could offer me if this would be something of interested. He explained the initial fee of Ł3000 and an annual fee of Ł2200 (Correct me if I'm this is from memory) he asked if this would be of interest. I said yes, and he would forward the application to the relevant person. He also added to expect a formal invite in the post sometime next week. Is this normal for the UK to be approached by phone? I always thought you'd get the invite in the post randomly. My annual spend is about Ł300K on my platinum mainly high-end shopping and I have a gold card which I put my day to day spend Starbucks, Amazon, Uber eats etc. Which is around Ł15K-20K Hopefully gives the guys in the UK data point
Jan 22, 2021, 7:02 am
#39
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA GfL & GGL, LH Sen, EK & VS Gold, Amex Cent
Posts: 1,719
Sounds about exactly right and a legit approach from the UK. And you have the spend in the range that interests them. Paperwork comes through, send it back, credit check (you won't even know), card issued.
Data points people will ask is for how long you had 300k spend (or lets say spend over 125k and over 250k), ie what was it the year before? How many years did you have Plat? Did you actively use Concierge/Travel Services. Did you travel a lot abroad (and use abroad)?
Data points people will ask is for how long you had 300k spend (or lets say spend over 125k and over 250k), ie what was it the year before? How many years did you have Plat? Did you actively use Concierge/Travel Services. Did you travel a lot abroad (and use abroad)?
Jan 22, 2021, 7:15 am
#40
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
Hey guys! New to the thread. I believe I got what you would call an informal invite? I had someone from Centurion (UK) call me Wednesday Evening making sure I was getting the most out of platinum etc. Then the nice gentleman goes on to talk about centurion and the benefits it could offer me if this would be something of interested. He explained the initial fee of Ł3000 and an annual fee of Ł2200 (Correct me if I'm this is from memory) he asked if this would be of interest. I said yes, and he would forward the application to the relevant person. He also added to expect a formal invite in the post sometime next week. Is this normal for the UK to be approached by phone? I always thought you'd get the invite in the post randomly. My annual spend is about Ł300K on my platinum mainly high-end shopping and I have a gold card which I put my day to day spend Starbucks, Amazon, Uber eats etc. Which is around Ł15K-20K Hopefully gives the guys in the UK data point
Jan 22, 2021, 7:22 am
#41
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: RDU
Programs: DL(PM), UA(Silver), AA(EXP) Marriott(Ti), HH(Gold), Hertz(PC)
Posts: 2,650
While this is purely speculation on my part, I suspect Amex's NPSL is a combination rolling 12 month (or, was it 6) average charges and assets known to them. I suspect yours was a question the rep couldn't address, and may have reflexively recalled the experiences of many bus plat caredmembers with the $100K imposed NPSL.
Jan 22, 2021, 7:48 am
#42
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: LHR
Programs: Centurion BA GGL IHG Diamond
Posts: 134
Sounds about exactly right and a legit approach from the UK. And you have the spend in the range that interests them. Paperwork comes through, send it back, credit check (you won't even know), card issued.
Data points people will ask is for how long you had 300k spend (or lets say spend over 125k and over 250k), ie what was it the year before? How many years did you have Plat? Did you actively use Concierge/Travel Services. Did you travel a lot abroad (and use abroad)?
Data points people will ask is for how long you had 300k spend (or lets say spend over 125k and over 250k), ie what was it the year before? How many years did you have Plat? Did you actively use Concierge/Travel Services. Did you travel a lot abroad (and use abroad)?
Did you recently get an increase in price like the US Centurion? If so the UK will probably follow suit
Jan 22, 2021, 8:09 am
#43
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: LAS ORD
Programs: AA Pro (mostly B6) OZ♦ (flying BR/UA), BA Silver Hyatt LT, Wynn Black, Cosmo Plat, Mlife Noir
Posts: 5,992
Jan 22, 2021, 8:44 am
#44
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
I've had the platinum nearly 3 years the annual spend on that has always been above Ł200K with year on year increase. I would use the Concierge to book restaurants once or twice a month around London (typically of the AMEX dinning collection). I would also use them to book long multi-city BA tickets 4/5 a year and EU BA Club seats typically around 20-30 return trips in a given year (didn't do a whole lot of travel last year). I have not used the concierge for anything else. I would do a lot of heavy spending in Italy and Switzerland in luxury stores. For restaurants and cab fairs I would use my gold card.
Did you recently get an increase in price like the US Centurion? If so the UK will probably follow suit
Did you recently get an increase in price like the US Centurion? If so the UK will probably follow suit
Jan 22, 2021, 9:13 am
#45
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,752
I was told recently (two months ago) that they look at the last six months of expenses and payments to determine the limit. During the same call I was told that my pay over time limit was $75K and "that should give me an idea of how much I can spend between payments". I started my business with Amex with the green card in 1986, over time it got upgraded to gold in 1990 and eventually to platinum. Besides it, I have the Delta Plat Amex ($50K CL), and over the years I've had corporate Amex cards from a few employers. I've never had any problems like late or bounced payments, and I've never exceeded the credit line on the credit cards (the Delta card I just mentioned and I did have an Optima at one point, when it first came out). My FICO score is 820 currently.
This isn't true for me currently - checking my spending power via the website suggests a limit that's higher than it's ever been, but I've spent virtually nothing on the Plat in the last 12 months. I actually had a credit balance for most of 2020 from all my refunded travel, until I requested a check. I suppose it's possible that the spending power checker is inaccurate, or that AMEX is using a different algorithm given the pandemic.