Delta141

Can anybody confirm the status of the program in the US? Also, does anybody know if cash and points are counted as qualifying stays? Lastly, please keep this thread strictly to information reporting. Moderator, please close the thread if it gets cluttered with irrelevant stuff.

gleff

No, they're not. At least they're not supposed to. I've occasionally had them post as qualifying stays, but that's because the hotel mistakenly had the rate flagged as earning Starpoints.

mesadler

Is it true that Centurion no longer offers SPG plat? Is this thread title a statement or question?

MoreMiles!

SPG Platinum will not be offered to US CENTs as of Feb '07. This was just confirmed by 2 CS agents. Both admitted very openly that they realize hotel benefits have been greatly diluted over the years - Hyatt Diamond disappeared first, confirmed Ritz Carlton upgrades at booking and RC suite upgrades came next - along with downgraded amenities at quite a number of FHR hotels, and now SPG Platinum is going. IC Platinum is almost worthless, as very few if any of us ever stay at Holiday Inn hotels, and the status means very little at most Crowne Plaza hotels. Hilton & SPG Gold status are given out to most frequent flyers, and thus have very few real benefits.

The agents suggested that we should all contact Mark Bigos, who overseas the benefits for the Centurion program. He can be reached at [email protected] . If the few hundred CENT Flyertalk members all send him e-mails and tell him exactly how we feel about the constantly diluted benefits, he may opt to keep maintaining some of them for us ! I haven't even touched on the diminishing value of Membership Rewards points...

mia

If this is a valid email address I imagine Mr Bigos will be very displeased to have had it posted on a public messageboard because it may well generate an ocean of spam in addition to legitimate customer feedback.

dennis

NickW

For relevant information about this topic, please go here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...0&postcount=71

From NYC

It’s been my understanding that not all Centurion cardholders around the globe have SPG Platinum benefit, to the consternation of those that don’t; and that dropping everyone to SPG Gold status is to standardize the award. AMEX Plats will remain with SPG Gold. Since I’m AMEX Plat, and have held SPG Plat due to my hotel habits, the doesn’t really matter to me, but I can understand how you Centurions feel.

Rather than downgrade for standardization, AMEX could’ve upgraded the standardization to include those not getting SPG Plat.

jchand

That makes no sence to be honest.

As a few people are P..... off we will P.....s you all off.

Sounds like a lame excuse.

Centurion is slipping down the pan. Unless they come up with something to replace then they will loose alot of card holders.

MoreMiles!

Couldn't agree more. So my suggestion remains the same - share your thoughts with Mark Bigos

Delta141

Does anybody know if SPG would revoke Platinum status mid term should one drops his/hers AMEX Centurion?

BeantownFlyer

Having e-mailed Mr. Bigos last year when they dropped the Hyatt Diamond perk, I can tell you its pretty much a waste of time.

My first two e-mails he didn't even have the courtesy to acknowledge, let alone provide a substantive response. Only after my tone changed from one expressing constructive criticism and seeking to engage in a dialogue, to one suggesting that if I didn't get that dialogue I would be forced to escalate things further (i.e. take legal action) did he respond. At that point he actually called me, and we did have a good conversation.

However my biggest complaint last year was that I had planned a week long stay out beyond the February expiration date of my current Diamond status, based on the assumption I would get the Diamond perks. It was inexcusable that they essentially gave no notice. So here we are a year later, and they are doing the same thing again with SPG.

These program changes don't happen overnight, and there is no reason they can't be providing fair notice to cardmembers. I can tell you that my stays at SPG properties will substantially decrease if this is indeed true. At least this year I don't have any week long SPG trips planned based on the assumption that I would be Platinum SPG.

Edited - Well I just saw DrivingRain's scan of the Centurion letter giving notice (why I get these things later than everyone else is another issue). Looks like they are providing one year advance notice, so they did learn something from last time around with Hyatt. So maybe, just maybe, Bigos did hear some of my comments?! In any event I am very unhappy that this perk is going away, but at least pleased that AMEX has taken steps to do it in a fair manner with respect to notice.

g50

I am willing to take the chance. Amex would have to inform spg of the cancellation, and I don't think they would do that.

stevens397

Assuming that this is all true (and I sadly do - my favorite perk), it's unforgivable that they have not updated this info on the Centurion AMEX site. It still says what it did months ago - Starwood Platinum, period.

ironmanjt

...and it likely will say that until February, 2007, which is supposedly the end-date of the program. Calls to two different customer service reps this morning got me the same answer. "Unfortunately, it is true."

sdix

So, I'm grandfathered in at the original annual fee. If SPG Plat is dropped, I for the life of me have trouble justifying what I'm paying. How possibly can you justify $2500 for the current benes? Surely they must be adding something?