beta1607

They made Valentine's Day reservations for me and then confirmed the reservation a couple of days before with both me and the restaurant. The concierge also got a copy of the restaurant's special pre-fix menu for me. All stuff I could have done on my own and maybe would have taken 20 minutes but was accomplished with a 30 second email instead.

RedPanda5

got me reservation for 4 at the French Laundry for my preferred date and time! i'm also going to see if they can get me a kitchen tour

onetess

With my brand new platinum card, I decided to call concierge to get some help with finding a restaurant.

I was on hold for five full minutes before I decided to hang up and try again.

The second time I got through quickly, and explained that I was looking for a restaurant between two particular points (I'm meeting a friend and we live about an hour from each other) so that it was convenient for both of us.

It's now a little after noon and the concierge told me they would get back to me by 3:00.

Wow...I think I can probably do this myself within the next half hour or so! For some reason, I thought it was the kind of thing that could be done on the phone. After all, I wasn't asking for a live elephant at my kid's party...

beta1607

I've had good experiences with the concierge. I recommend emailing them your request. It isn't that you couldn't do what they do a lot of the time, its that you have more valuable things to do with your time than to research restaurant locations.

Often times I'll email the concierge several reservations I'd like them to make at one time, it takes me 30 seconds to write the email but it would have taken me 20 minutes to look up all the restaurants phone numbers and call or to search for availability on Opentable for that many establishments. Plus I get just one confirmation email back listing everything as opposed to multiple confirmations from multiple places to keep track of.

onetess

If I'm in another country (but US based), can concierge help me get restaurant reservations there too? (I'm mainly thinking London or Paris at this point.)

FlyMeToTheLooneyBin

How do you email them? and do you put your credit card number on the email to verify you are who you are? Or is your identification based on the sending email address?

mia

See here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/13497004-post10.html

...and never include your card number in an email

EmptyKim

I've only used Conceirge a couple times, the last time i used it was for a bachelor party. The best man wanted to make reservations at Commanders Palace in NO, when he called they told him they were booked for the weekend and did not have anymore openings. I called Amex conceirge, who called the restaurant while I was on hold and made a reservation for us at 9pm on a Sat. This was also during Marti Gras.

FlyMeToTheLooneyBin

I've called the concierge twice for reservations at restaurants in the DFW area, and both times, they couldn't get me anything. I'm just wondering, besides the time-saving of me having to call (which I did do before and called concierge afterwards), do they really have extra pull? Can they force the restaurants to make space available?

mrredskin

they don't have to do **** if they don't want to, unless it's in a contract or agreement.

BLV

How do you suggest they force the restaurant to do that? Rrestaurants first and foremost take care of VIPs and regulars and the color of your card means absolutely NOTHING. Even if you had a Centurion, it would still mean nothing. A restaurant would not be forced to magically make a table appear. Want for that to happen? Become a regular (or a VIP) and that's when that WILL happen

mia

American Express evidently contracts with some restaurants for guaranteed availability:

https://axptravel.americanexpress.co...id=-1&ctyid=-1

BLV

And provided a platinum member calls the restaurant on the list and the table isn't available b/c it's already taken by another member, you think Amex will make the restaurant produce a table?

mia

Cardholder isn't supposed to call the restaurant, must go through American Express.

No, but doesn't matter what I think, American Express says: Reservations are provided on a first-come, first-served basis, so please call as early as possible. All cancellations must be made by calling Platinum Card Concierge at least 24 hours in advance of the reservation. Otherwise, a $15 per person cancellation fee ($60 minimum, $120 maximum) will apply.

mia

See also this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...hy-change.html

My understanding is that American Express has contracted availability at some restaurants. Likewise, American Express and its outsourced concierge service has a relationship with some restaurants. If the place you want to dine happens to be one of those establishments they can help you. Force is too strong, except in the sense that they can place you at their reserved table.