Medical evacuation benefit with USA Platinum ?
Nov 29, 2017, 5:32 am
#76
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,457
AMEX Plat Global evacuation benefit for AU?
Thinking of getting the AMEX plat again- parents are still traveling a lot but getting older. Was going to add them as AUs but wondered if the Global evacuation benefit applied to AU or just the primary card holder.
Thanks!
FDW
Thanks!
FDW
Nov 29, 2017, 8:57 am
#77
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,953
Nov 30, 2017, 5:43 pm
#78
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,065
This is not a transport service for home they will only transfer you to the nearest medical facility to accommodate your needs. I have a service www.globalrescue.com which transports you home. Although I am a member I have never needed the service (was close once and they were great) and I hope I never use it.
Nov 30, 2017, 8:47 pm
#79
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 503
That's a pretty important point. Medical evacuation via airplane or helicopter must be enormously expensive. If you're in, say, an Indonesian jungle, they're probably not going to fly you to the USA mainland, Honolulu or even Singapore. You're heading to Jakarta. That's probably a very big improvement over the nearest town's medical facilities, but it might be inferior medical care than what you might be able to arrange in places like Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, etc.
Nov 30, 2017, 9:29 pm
#80
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
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It might be back to the USA, according to this clause: "Medical transport and evacuation will be provided, at no cost, to the covered Card Member or family member, to another, more appropriate medical facility, or from point of origin back to a hospital near their home as determined by the Premium Global Assist Hotline designated physician"
Amex promises only to pay for your transportation to a competent hospital. Amex is not promising you a private jet, destined to the Mayo Clinic, with the world's best surgeons, ready to operate upon your arrival.
Dec 1, 2017, 10:17 am
#81
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 503
It might, indeed. But you've got to be in the boondocks, and you must have quite the unusual emergency medical needs before this Amex benefit kicks in.
Amex promises only to pay for your transportation to a competent hospital. Amex is not promising you a private jet, destined to the Mayo Clinic, with the world's best surgeons, ready to operate upon your arrival.
Amex promises only to pay for your transportation to a competent hospital. Amex is not promising you a private jet, destined to the Mayo Clinic, with the world's best surgeons, ready to operate upon your arrival.
Dec 21, 2017, 9:34 pm
#82
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,265
The evacuation benefit is for "the Card Member or another covered family member (your spouse or domestic partner, dependent up to age 23, or age 26 if full-time student)" ... but let's say I add my father and siblings as additional Platinum cardholders onto my Platinum account, will they then be entitled to the evacuation benefit as well?
Mar 18, 2018, 9:38 pm
#86
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: BDL, BOS
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, AA EXP, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 627
No, you do not. I used this last year after I suffered a concussion on vacation and I was flown from the Bahamas to Miami. Amex handled the triage, booked and paid for all the flights and ground transport. No part of the trip was charged to the Platinum card. The benefit is for the cardholder, period. Was so impressed with this benefit that I made my entire family additional cardholders so when they travel they will be covered as well.
Mar 27, 2018, 11:39 am
#87
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Posts: 59
No, you do not. I used this last year after I suffered a concussion on vacation and I was flown from the Bahamas to Miami. Amex handled the triage, booked and paid for all the flights and ground transport. No part of the trip was charged to the Platinum card. The benefit is for the cardholder, period. Was so impressed with this benefit that I made my entire family additional cardholders so when they travel they will be covered as well.
Mar 27, 2018, 12:36 pm
#88
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
MedEvac can be very expensive, so it’s a great benefit. Particularly useful if traveling in one of those places (PNG, Vanuatu, parts of Indonesia etc. come to mind) where the solution is “when in pain, take the plane”. I know a few who have been evacuated with the Global Assist® agent (I maintain annual TCII and medevac through Divers Alert Network), and it works well. You must contact the company to arrange it all, however.
Mar 27, 2018, 5:06 pm
#89
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: BDL, BOS
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, AA EXP, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 627
My situation wasn’t a literal Medevac in that it was not a private transport helicopter or plane. I was booked on the next commercial flight out which departed in just a couple hours from the local airport. Had I had to pay for the two tickets (myself and my wife) I believe they would have totaled about $800.
if you are wanting to know the cost for additional cardholders - with the personal Platinum it is 3
additonal cardholders for $175 flat fee.
Feb 9, 2019, 11:05 am
#90
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There was no cost to me - Amex covered all the costs.
My situation wasn’t a literal Medevac in that it was not a private transport helicopter or plane. I was booked on the next commercial flight out which departed in just a couple hours from the local airport. Had I had to pay for the two tickets (myself and my wife) I believe they would have totaled about $800.
if you are wanting to know the cost for additional cardholders - with the personal Platinum it is 3
additonal cardholders for $175 flat fee.