CX to offer Amex Centurion Cardholders from Certain Countries MPC Diamond status
 

http://www.australianfrequentflyer.c...s-27783-6.html

There are conflicting reports on the forum. So I will let you be your own judge to decide whether this is reliable source or not.

Conflicting reports don't seem to be whether or not Centurion cardholders will receive Diamond membership - I am dead-set against it, as I believe strongly in CX's (now previous?) stance to make elite status attainable only through the 'butt-in-seat' miles.

Unfortunately, it appears that now this benefit will be extended to Centurion cardholders who may have never flown on CX before. This increase in the number of DM's will sure upset everyone in the op-up/ elite status chain, except VIPs and of course DM+.

What is not clear is if all cardholders will be invited, or only select few. I am crossing my fingers for the latter, but with already increasing numbers of elites on CX, this move won't be good for any of us.

Wow, CX giving away DMs. Well, not exactly, I'm sure AMEX is going to share with them much of the revenue that they get from those Centurion fees. But yeah, I agree, it kind of cheapens the top tier of CX FFP a bit...

At least it's not DM+ :p

Still, DM+ has been like the Centurion level for MPC...

I always loved how there was no other way to have elite status on CX other than strictly thru flying (excl. VIPs etc obviously) but really this is a step in the wrong direction and towards programs like AAdvantage, where you could get lifetime Executive Platinum thru spending, etc...

My mistake - but still a pretty significant tier, seeing as it is the second highest tier. While everyone's opinion may vary, I hope this is not the route CX is envisioning it's program going!

+1. I hope those rumors are not true. As I am a true believer of FFP status should only be earned through BIS miles and certain amount of BIS miles should be on the carrier people having status with.

If CX starts giving away DM to non-HK residents so cheaply, then why should I bother painstakingly coordinating my travel time and spend with CX to attain GO status when others can just pay an entry fee and jump ahead of the queue?

Why not just jump ship to another airline that doesn't whore out its status?

For CX sake, and the amount of customer bad-will that this will cause, I hope this rumour is wrong. They will disturb and annoy all of their core revenue passengers in order to please a few people who don't value the status in the first place and who don't have any butt-in-seat miles?! Sounds like a bad dream.

And yes, although I'm not as F/J traveller, the MPC benefits do entice me to always buy at least V class tickets, where in many/most cases lower non-mileage accruable tickets would have suited my needs just fine. So there is definitely extra revenue going CX's way ONLY because of MPC, which in it's current form, I value a lot. If they start handing out DM like this, that changes everything.

I think if they would do it for Centurion members with MPC background of at least Gold membership, I think it is reasonable to give them DM afterwards..

Giving it from scratch is just downright idiotic.

Unconfirmed rumors that it will be available to UK and HK residents, possibly more in the future, but UK & HK for now. Also, they will only be given to certain Centurion members, eg. those who have ridiculous spending even among Centurion or those already with a flying history.

Again, unconfirmed rumors coming from a very frequent traveler and Centurion card holder, but I guess no one knows for sure until it is officially published.

The sales rep from AE Taiwan also told my friend the same. That this is currently being "negotiated" and they are looking to give away the Diamond status with the selected black card holders in Taiwan...

Does that mean it's not too late to send in the concerns and complaints to CX from other MPC members' point of view? I doubt they will listen but I guess worth a try?

Definitely worth a try. If enough CX GO's and DM's send in their views, I'm sure it will be worth something.

Please write to CX and MPC if you have the time, regardless of your status, to share your views.

It's such a slap in the face to their customers in HK. CX takes the HK customer base for granted, I guess. Hopefully HK Airlines can make an impact at some point...

Maybe GO would be more acceptable, but giving away the highest tier (save DM+, with its 100 or so members) takes away from the point of the program....for MPCs to give more revenue to CX. With SQ, at least everyone knows it's a revenue-based system (which I think is the most fair style of system, regardless). However, knowing CX used to be be butt-in-seat, fine. Everyone can live with it. Now it is "butt-in-seat" + "other-people-not-in-HK-we've-determined-are-a-good-potential-target-customer".

Even better, for those of us premium travelers based in HK who are already DM (or Centurion card holders who maybe fly J or F once or twice a year but don't have DM), it's such a blatant "you can't do anything about it" move. It's basically a bet that the incremental gain from the premium travelers gained abroad is greater than the negative consequence this will have of pi$$ing off local premium flyers (who aren't DM, but hold Centurion) and of cheapening MPC. I hope all non-DM HK-based Centurion cardholders find out and choose to fly someone else, I think I know one at least who won't be pleased. He brings his girlfriend on most of his flights, about 3-4 long hauls a year on full fare F and J. So he's directly responsible-he pays with his Amex I believe, no less-for over $50k in revenue a year (his tix + girlfriend), and yet he's just GO. I can't wait to tell him. He's already bummed about not being DM because he doesn't fly enough, but now that as a Centurion cardholder it seems like every other one in the world EXCEPT him will be allowed to be DM, I hope that changes his flying habits.

Are they really that badly in need of incremental premium pax?