Jul 1, 2021, 1:23 pm
Last edit by: Global Adventurer
*Equinox $25 Credit will not be issued for ANY products you buy online at their merchandise Shop which is coded as "Equinox The Shop". However, it appears that you can purchase Gift Cards straight off the site, but lowest denomination is $100. Gift cards can be used for merchandise and memberships.
USA personal Platinum annual fee increase to $695, July 2021.
Jul 19, 2021, 10:40 am
#796
Join Date: May 2002
Location: EWR/JFK/LGA
Programs: DL Silver, AA, UA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 389
It is all about $$$ and AmEx does not even care what demographics they want to attract.
When AmEx announced the new changes, all of those partners were very happy. Their hyped stock prices (already IPO'ed) jumped. Goldman stated AmEx stock was going to jump. I laughed at that Goldman analyst. He certainly does not read FT.
AmEx gets little or almost no cost with offering Peackcock TV, NY Times, Equinox, Uber, Grubhub etc.... Yes AmEx wants to jack up the AF.....
When I called AmEx about canceling Platinum card, that analyst appeared to be very concerned. He knew exactly what I was talking about. All the new changes. It seems more people are cancelling the Plat card.
When AmEx announced the new changes, all of those partners were very happy. Their hyped stock prices (already IPO'ed) jumped. Goldman stated AmEx stock was going to jump. I laughed at that Goldman analyst. He certainly does not read FT.
AmEx gets little or almost no cost with offering Peackcock TV, NY Times, Equinox, Uber, Grubhub etc.... Yes AmEx wants to jack up the AF.....
When I called AmEx about canceling Platinum card, that analyst appeared to be very concerned. He knew exactly what I was talking about. All the new changes. It seems more people are cancelling the Plat card.
Jul 19, 2021, 10:52 am
#797
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Jul 19, 2021, 10:58 am
#798
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: JFK/LGA/BDL
Posts: 419
I was chatting with Amex this morning, commenting on my displeasure with the offers being provided on my account and it seems that there is absolutely no relationship to my buying habits and that there are no longer offers for mega points for a certain spend threshold at a specific merchant. I mentioned that I do not believe the platinum card suits my needs anymore and am investigating other options. They immediately asked if I was looking to cancel my card and I mentioned it is a possibility when the AF hits (at the end of the year). The reply was that they would hate to lose me after 30+ years and before I cancel to contact them because there may be some promotions available to encourage me to stay with Amex. I also got the feeling that the tone changed significantly as soon as I mentioned I was considering cancelling the card.
Jul 19, 2021, 11:36 am
#799
Join Date: May 2002
Location: EWR/JFK/LGA
Programs: DL Silver, AA, UA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 389
This is a pretty standard dialogue/interaction with a Customer Service Rep. The conversation of "I don't like the Offers I am receiving" and "I no longer like this card" are two very different conversations. After you mention that you would like to cancel (or are considering cancelling) they will transfer you to a Retention Specialist. There is a retention offer thread with a wealth of information here. I hate to say it, but if you really want to cancel then they aren't going to trip over themselves to keep you (even after 30 years).
Jul 19, 2021, 11:53 am
#800
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,399
Explains why peacock didn't credit to my account, It's a service I probably won't even use but just didn't want the credit to go to waste.
Jul 19, 2021, 11:56 am
#801
Join Date: May 2002
Location: EWR/JFK/LGA
Programs: DL Silver, AA, UA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 389
Sure - just off the top of my head I can think of the following:
My platinum card and all of my AU cards (gold) had an offer of 25,000 points with a $1000 spend on Crystal Cruises - charged our cruise using four different credit cards, got 100K points
Bergdorf Goodman - 15,000 points with a $500 spend
Saks Fifth Avenue - 20,000 points with a $600 spend
I use to have lots of these types of offers, in the last year or two (pre-Covid) they are few and far between. The above three offers were all in 2019. The current offers on my account, of the 100 available, 11 are for wine (I have never purchased alcohol with my Amex nor do I drink), three are for pet products (don't have a pet), six are for various cosmetic items (I have never purchased cosmetics with my Amex). Except for Best Buy, which is one extra point earned per dollar spent, the remaining 99 offers are all statement credits, most for $25 or less. I understand that the offers are an advertising program but one would think they would try to match with my shopping habits.
My platinum card and all of my AU cards (gold) had an offer of 25,000 points with a $1000 spend on Crystal Cruises - charged our cruise using four different credit cards, got 100K points
Bergdorf Goodman - 15,000 points with a $500 spend
Saks Fifth Avenue - 20,000 points with a $600 spend
I use to have lots of these types of offers, in the last year or two (pre-Covid) they are few and far between. The above three offers were all in 2019. The current offers on my account, of the 100 available, 11 are for wine (I have never purchased alcohol with my Amex nor do I drink), three are for pet products (don't have a pet), six are for various cosmetic items (I have never purchased cosmetics with my Amex). Except for Best Buy, which is one extra point earned per dollar spent, the remaining 99 offers are all statement credits, most for $25 or less. I understand that the offers are an advertising program but one would think they would try to match with my shopping habits.
Jul 19, 2021, 12:30 pm
#802
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,043
There is a point of diminishing returns on the psychological madness of feeling you need to extract every singe cent of "value" out of a credit card. If you join a service you don't need/want/intend to use, the credit still went to waste even if it somehow makes you feel good to see it clear on your statement...
Regards
Jul 19, 2021, 1:22 pm
#803
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Spend $500 or more, get 10,000 Membership Rewards® points Valentino - Luxury Fashion & Accessories
Spend $1,000 or more, get 30,000 Membership Rewards® points - American Queen Steamboat Company
Spend $500 or more, get 12,500 Membership Rewards® points - Norwegian Cruise Line
Spend $500 or more, get 10,000 Membership Rewards® points - Loro Piana
Spend $750 or more, get 15,000 Membership Rewards® points - Jimmy Choo
Jul 19, 2021, 2:10 pm
#804
Join Date: May 2002
Location: EWR/JFK/LGA
Programs: DL Silver, AA, UA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 389
These types of offers still exist. I see:
Spend $500 or more, get 10,000 Membership Rewards® points Valentino - Luxury Fashion & Accessories
Spend $1,000 or more, get 30,000 Membership Rewards® points - American Queen Steamboat Company
Spend $500 or more, get 12,500 Membership Rewards® points - Norwegian Cruise Line
Spend $500 or more, get 10,000 Membership Rewards® points - Loro Piana
Spend $750 or more, get 15,000 Membership Rewards® points - Jimmy Choo
Spend $500 or more, get 10,000 Membership Rewards® points Valentino - Luxury Fashion & Accessories
Spend $1,000 or more, get 30,000 Membership Rewards® points - American Queen Steamboat Company
Spend $500 or more, get 12,500 Membership Rewards® points - Norwegian Cruise Line
Spend $500 or more, get 10,000 Membership Rewards® points - Loro Piana
Spend $750 or more, get 15,000 Membership Rewards® points - Jimmy Choo
Jul 19, 2021, 2:16 pm
#805
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Jul 19, 2021, 2:31 pm
#806
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,579
To be honest, I've been fed up with AmEx with all its "benefits" like Uber, Grubhub/Seamless (Gold), Saks, now the Clear, Equinox, Digital Entertain, etc. The same with the piece"meal" $10 dining benefit where some members order like $200 meal with those cards. They made us like bean counters.
Premium cards with a $600 or $700 annual fees should not be anything like this. If AmEx does not want to give out those benefits, just make it straight. I'm not going to continue to dance with AmEx on those "benefits".
I have multiple personal Platinum cards. Also the corporate Plat card. Family members have Plat cards too. Plan to cancel multiple of them. We are not heavy alcohol drinkers. So Centurion lounges are not something we have to have. Some of my family and friends are in the same situation.
AmEx Platinum card has lost its luster as a premium travel charge card. It is ruined by all the AmEx marketing "gimmicks". Those AmEx marketing team members are not genius, but a bunch of fools....
Folks are not foolish enough to blindly pay the $695 annual fees without calculating the benefits they get out of this card. It is even worse to alter lifestyle because AmEx "benefits" lead us this way.....
Premium cards with a $600 or $700 annual fees should not be anything like this. If AmEx does not want to give out those benefits, just make it straight. I'm not going to continue to dance with AmEx on those "benefits".
I have multiple personal Platinum cards. Also the corporate Plat card. Family members have Plat cards too. Plan to cancel multiple of them. We are not heavy alcohol drinkers. So Centurion lounges are not something we have to have. Some of my family and friends are in the same situation.
AmEx Platinum card has lost its luster as a premium travel charge card. It is ruined by all the AmEx marketing "gimmicks". Those AmEx marketing team members are not genius, but a bunch of fools....
Folks are not foolish enough to blindly pay the $695 annual fees without calculating the benefits they get out of this card. It is even worse to alter lifestyle because AmEx "benefits" lead us this way.....
Jul 19, 2021, 2:40 pm
#807
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: SAN, BOS
Programs: AS MVPG100K, BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, Bonvoy Plat,
Posts: 2,282
I don't even understand where you're coming from, unless you're playing the game (I am not knocking the game), why would you have 'multiple personal Platinum cards' to begin with? There is a pretty big diminution in value of having more than a single Platinum card for anyone who values many of the travel benefits, that is both before and after the recent changes.
But to say they don’t want to play the game, while also holding multiple plat cards and engaging in MS isn’t consistent. It seems like Amex just changed the rules and OP doesn’t want to play this version of Amex’s game anymore. Which is fine, but quite annoying to read the same iteration of “it doesn’t work for me so it shouldn’t work for everyone and Amex is a failing company” rant for every other post in this thread
Jul 19, 2021, 3:48 pm
#808
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,897
Confirmed: my $2.18 water charge at Equinox generated a $2.18 credit under the Equinox benefit.
As a reminder, I registered for the benefit from the Amex website, which confirmed that I had an eligible membership (All Access or above) to trigger the benefit. I also made the water purchase at the gym. It would seem tough to get around those requirements but it seems like you can get reimbursement for non-membership fee charges as long as you can activate the benefit itself
As a reminder, I registered for the benefit from the Amex website, which confirmed that I had an eligible membership (All Access or above) to trigger the benefit. I also made the water purchase at the gym. It would seem tough to get around those requirements but it seems like you can get reimbursement for non-membership fee charges as long as you can activate the benefit itself
Jul 19, 2021, 3:50 pm
#809
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: SAN, BOS
Programs: AS MVPG100K, BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, Bonvoy Plat,
Posts: 2,282
Confirmed: my $2.18 water charge at Equinox generated a $2.18 credit under the Equinox benefit.
As a reminder, I registered for the benefit from the Amex website, which confirmed that I had an eligible membership (All Access or above) to trigger the benefit. I also made the water purchase at the gym. It would seem tough to get around those requirements but it seems like you can get reimbursement for non-membership fee charges as long as you can activate the benefit itself
As a reminder, I registered for the benefit from the Amex website, which confirmed that I had an eligible membership (All Access or above) to trigger the benefit. I also made the water purchase at the gym. It would seem tough to get around those requirements but it seems like you can get reimbursement for non-membership fee charges as long as you can activate the benefit itself
Jul 19, 2021, 3:53 pm
#810
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: San Francisco
Programs: HH Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 137