louie-m

A quick question please.... transfers from Amex MR to BA Avios. I know the minimum is 1,000 MR but is there any restriction apart from that, ie do they have to be in 1,000 MR increments, 500 MR increments etc?

louie-m

And the answer is minimum 1,000 in increments of 500....

Cap'n Benj

That happened to me in LAS recently, went up to the Delta lounge to see if I could get me and a friend in, showed my PP card and Amex Plat, she said the PP would allow me to get in a desk, no mention of cost, but a £15 charge, for a glass of OJ, Coffee and a Bagel!

I guess with both of us in there £15 wasn't too bad, considering it was comfy enough, £7 in starbucks would have probably got me nicer fayre though!

Geoggy

Many thanks for this. I had to speak to BAEC about something else so I asked the agent to look into doing this for me.

She said "i can try" and she did and it worked. Booking is still in MMB, and checkmytrip shows both membership numbers - although the CX number is before BA - not sure if that is anything to worry about~?

SteveF

Me too. Not only that but I got another set from my BA Amex PP today . The 4x fast tracks are no use to me, but the £40 of duty-free vouchers certainly are.

hingeless

I only got round to spending last years vouchers this month. I got a bottle of vodka for making cocktails for £3.99. I gave one to mother for her tipple.

I shall be spending these ones quicker.

Roger

indeed.

I've not been using my Plat for a few months - in addition to the 'enhancement' problem there was an issue with missing MRs which took an age and a half to resolve - but got the plat tokens, however the BAPP has been working overtime recently. I hope this doesn't disqualify me from an unexpected bonus.

SteveF

That's a good point; I haven't been using my Plat or BAPP for three months (I wonder why? ) so maybe that's why I got both.

EDIflyer

Have you contacted the Amex UK Twitter team about this? My impression is they're doing their best to look sympathetically on those who have had lounge entries since the literature went out but before the new benefit comes into effect...

chistery

After receiving a 2nd delay letter, I've just had the final resolution letter through... Complaint not upheld. Card is good value as it provides products valued at nearly £1500. Marco Polo is for a year but at the discretion of Cathay Pacific if they extend. The increase is more than justified by the extra benefits. Now go away.

No call back to discuss like I requested, no mention of marketing spin or apology for poorly worded literature.

So it's what I expected but still annoying.

Roger

Yes, me too.

The notional £1,500 value for equivalent insurance and concierge benefits is clearly nonsense (unless you make superhuman use of the concierge service). Benefits reduce but at higher cost.

The letter mentions 'entry to over 1,000 airport lounges'. Prioritypass.com lists 'over 600'. I wonder where the extra 400 are? It won't be the bmi lounges. Is this an unannounced benefit of using AA, DL etc lounges when flying those airlines, something which I've never seen as an official benefit of AmEx UK cards?

The misleading promotional bumf describing CX gold and HH gold, the reason for my writing, is overlooked.

The 'Executive Customer Relations Consultant' offers FOS referral. Don't the ASA and the OFT deserve a look in?

magyaar

Extra benefits being...? Sorry still don't see it.

The benefits that are actually worth something to me are:

- travel insurance, which is probably worth £100 max (it is in fairness quite good)
- ongoing SPG, Carlson, Accor Gold/Plat membership. I travel quite a lot but corporate travel policy prevents me being particularly loyal to any hotel, so this is quite good. Hard to value, but let's call that £100 too.
- access to Priority Pass lounge. I rarely use these, but my wife does, and let's be generous and call it six times a year x £15 = £90.

So I kind of got that this was worth £300 to me. Quite how this can stretch to £450 I have no idea.

I simply don't get who Amex are now marketing this to. I should be a perfect customer, I have a pretty good salary and spend too much of it. I travel a lot on business and when I travel for leisure I am at the higher end. More likely a Sheraton than a Savoy, but then again this is Platinum we're talking not Centurion.

magyaar

Sadly, no. The ASA's web site says:

Financial advertising

We have powers to investigate financial advertising on TV and radio, but complaints about product-related claims in non-broadcast ads for mortgages, general insurance, investments, pensions, cash savings and bank accounts are dealt with by the Financial Services Authority.

OFT is more about anti-competitive behaviour, unfair terms in contracts, that sort of thing.

magyaar

In reality I think there is only one thing anyone can push Amex for here, and that is an extension to the CX or Hilton on grounds that 'had you known it was just for one year, you would have waited to apply'.

All that the FOS would do is look to put someone in the position that they would have been had the error not been made, and this would appear to do that.

FLT001

They did send me some fast track vouchers today..lucky I opened it as I normally through AMEX post in the bin!

One extra benefit I guess