ZbadhabitZ

While they do not always have success, there certainly are times that concierge can come in handy. For the most part, it is a great benefit to have, especially when you don't know where exactly you want to go. Every place AMEX has recommended to me has been top notch (and I feel like I've been treated better because it was booked through the concierge). With the exception of a few restaurants their NEITHER CENT or PLAT could come through for, I have no complaints.

jcherney

I've used them for making restaurant reservations where the restaurant won't do so until 30 days out (or whatever their policy is). I'll call months in advance, then Amex calls me back with the confirmation when the window opens up. It's also especially useful in countries where I don't speak much of their language to make a reservation.

My son has used them all over the world for club access. He's had impressive service from them.

ZbadhabitZ

^ Good call about restaurants internationally!

Psyclone*Jack

In Los Angeles, I've tried Mossa Pizzaria, Ketchup, Katsuya and Geisha House. And was turned down at all. I do always call the establishment first, but was trying to see if PlatConcierge could wield some additional leverage, after I couldn’t get in.

Most trendier restaurants in LA will hold tables for high end entertainment clientele. Not that they have reservations, just in hopes someone high profile will show up. If you know someone or talk to the right person, sometimes they will give less noticeable customers those tables. I was hoping PlatConcierge could convince them to do so in this instance. But I did not have any luck.

sartech

In addition to some typical restaurant/club requests over the years in which they've been generally helpful, I've had them come through when I needed to find an open flower shop late in the evening just after I landed. I also compete in various types of outdoor mountain bike/paddling races, and once managed to have them help me find a piece of equipment we were missing at a store near the highway between us and the race venue on VERY short notice.

Steve

sbm12

I once called collect from Germany to have them make a reservation for me across town. I don't know any German and was out around town so getting the hotel to do it for me wasn't an option. Plus, it was a fine dining place and I didn't really remember the name but I remebered enough about it so that when I described it the CSR figured it out. Great use of the service that day ^

onlyforleisure

Not sure if any of you have used this but I called the other day asking if a specific concert was a gold card event and was told no, but they said if you call before an event goes on sale they will go online and try to get you tickets for no additional charge. Seems like a great benefit if you are unavaliable when tickets go on sale,

ZbadhabitZ

To Psyclone*Jack, I wonder if CENT would have any more pull than PLAT for those places. Like I said about Nobu, neither PLAT or CENT had any luck for a table on short notice, although I was fortunate enough to have met the manager who gave me his card directly when I needed to get in at the last minute. He kind of gave me the impression that he didn't like it when the concierges called, he would rather just take care of me directly. I'm not a big spender, so not sure why he gave me the special treatment, but not complaining. By the way, how is Katsuya? I haven't gone yet.

Very good information about the tickets, onlyforleisure. That's a great point that I'm sure a concierge could handle time sensitive things (like needing to be in front of a computer at 10am to buy tickets for a concert) when you might not be able to have internet access. Might be a good idea if you're flying on Southwest and want to check in exactly 24-hours in advance.

As a side note, I recently had a conversation with a Ticketmaster executive, and got into the subject about how they handle the Gold Card events. Ticketmaster apparently now has a new feature where, for a higher price, you can buy the "best" seats yourself, rather than just picking from a generic "Best Available" and taking what is being offered. You have the option of seeing exactly which seats are available for which price range. Concierges are apparently now buying some of these "best" seats and holding them for customers, even though it might cost more, still a good idea. Better than trying to get them off eBay or something.

chewy3

This is true, however, if you are gunning for the best seats it is better if you do it yourself.

Psyclone*Jack

Zbad. I'd like to know also if CENT has more pull in LA. Not surprised that your contact at Nobu does not like dealing with conceirges. Most of the managers at LA places take pride in who they let in and why, and they don't like to be bullied.
Went to Katsuya Hollywood over the weekend, the food was great, give it a try!

G-BOAC

I used them the first time the other week. I wanted to book a restaurant (not exactly too posh, i.e. Michelin Bib not Stars) for Saturday night for just 3 people. When I call them they said they could do 2 or 4 not 3 A call to AmEx aftwards about 5pm and the next morning they called back saying they'd booked it no problem. It wasn't one of the ones on the list above either.

On the night, the idiot staff had taken my name down wrong but after some checking they found the guy who had spoken to AmEx and confirmed it was my table they had. Worse, there were plenty of tables free for 2-4 people that night anyway - the food and service was good but the front of house staff need to climb down out their arses a bit, clearly! Still, I was pleased with AmEx ^

boulderlaw

* Activities/Spa recommendations in Crested Butte, Colorado - useless; the info was less useful than what I found with Google.

* Gift certificate for a restaurant that wanted me to mail them a check cross-country ten days before Christmas (I assume the gift would have arrived sometime around Feb.!) - flawless; the concierge worked out a solution with the restaurant and charged it to my Card.

* Christmas list; after handling the gift certificate issue, the concierge asked if she could email me a Plat. gift idea list. It actually has one or two good ideas that I will use next year.

lcohen999

I just came back from a weekend in NYC.

I couldn't, for the life of me get a table at any good steak house in the city.

Amex Plat got me into AJ Maxwell's at the time I wanted.

The next revservation they made for me on sunday night was garbage, and we walk away after looking at the menu.

Hit or miss, but a good supplement to all the travel planning I've grown quite good at.

ZbadhabitZ

I think it's great people are reporting their experiences here. Very information.

Psyclone*Jack, in my experiences, CENT really had no more pull than PLAT. Prior to my PLAT card, I had used CENT to get me reservations that I couldn't get myself, but I'm very much led to believe that had I used PLAT I would have had the same success/failure rate. Still, PLAT concierge has been so useful in recommending restaurants, activities, gifts, etc.

I was in Las Vegas this past week, and used PLAT concierge to have me put on a guestlist at a nightclub. They did this no problem (I had called about two days in advance). Tried calling at the last minute as I had changed my mind on what club I wanted to go to, and was told that the club I wanted didn't do guestlists, so they wouldn't be able to help me. Neither club had any wait at all so guestlist would have been pretty pointless, but seemed like concierge has some good connections in Vegas if you know where you want to go. And as I side note, I've noticed more and more than if you use your PLAT or CENT card in Vegas (at hotels, restaurants, etc.) they seem to give you a little bit extra attention. ^

RMINIONE

Plat Concierge was able to get me a 8pm table at Gordon Ramsay at the Claridge this past weekend.