jimbob

I received an email from Continental today (a day after activating the card). Below is the unformatted text. I wonder how they could have "automatically enrolled" me. I checked my existing Hyatt account and I was still gold.

familyflier

I'm wondering the same thing - I've never had a Hyatt account before. So does a new one get created for me?

Cupertino

[[*]What if I'm a lifetime member of the Presidents Club? Lifetime Presidents Club members are not yet included in this offer, but we're working on it. In 2007, we'll introduce a special low rate for lifetime Presidents Club members.


Anything on this, yet?

wrose99

I don't think anything on the card you received has been at all in dispute. The misinformation that has been disseminated by one person and one person only is the claim that the new program allows top-tier status (diamond) at Hyatt with 6 stays and then renewable annually with 6 stays. Much time has been wasted on the phone by poor trusting flyertalkers as a result of one, and only one, person's efforts to put out this claim, apparently with no evidence whatsover, not even a pointer to where he supposedly heard or read it. The person disseminating the information says he's just passing on what he heard elsewhere, but after diligent searching I can find no one, in any thread, besides that person, has said anything about Diamond. It looks like even poor Gleff took the bait:

"a friend emails that the card comes with complimentary Platinum status with Hyatt and fast track to Diamond status (top level Hyatt status in just 6 stays). This benefit isn't mentioned anywhere on the card website, and I haven't verified it, but if true would be a real world-class offering that on the whole would seem to justify the price for a Continental flyer."

Three guesses who emailed Gleff with the claim about diamond?

PforPlatinum

Lifetime member can get Presidential Plus card with $100 annual fee. ($275 discount.)

I got mine in May this year with CO Insider's help - you need separate invitation for lifetime member to enroll with discounted fee.
There is another thread I complained about not offered discounted rate as lifetime, then Scott helped me and I got invitation with discounted fee a few days later. (Here is the thread - see post number 63 and 64)

UA Insider

Hi Weatherboy, our current Hyatt offering with the Presidential Plus card currently involves a complimentary upgrade to Hyatt Platinum status. This does not, however, include a fast-track to Diamond status, at least not at this time.

Hi vdostoi1, all current Presidential Plus cardmembers are automatically upgraded to Hyatt Platinum status. All cardmembers who weren�t already (or didn�t appear to be) Hyatt Gold Passport members have been automatically enrolled in the program. Cardmembers will be receiving their Hyatt Platinum credentials within the next couple weeks. Enjoy!

Hi jimbob, you�re correct. The Avis President�s Club and Hyatt Platinum benefits aren�t yet included in the benefits guide that come with your new card. In December, we'll be sending all current Presidential Plus cardmembers an updated benefits guide, which does outline both the Avis and Hyatt benefits. As mentioned above, the Hyatt Platinum enrollment is automatic. The Avis President�s Club benefit, however, does require enrollment online at http://avis.com/presidentialplus. As for the Continental Presidents Club membership credentials and the luggage tags, you'll indeed receive those separately.

Hi jimbob, for each cardmember we did attempt to match up to an existing Hyatt Gold Passport account and upgrade the status to Platinum. In many cases, however, we weren't able to make an absolute match, and a new account was created. In the event a new account was created for you in error, please contact the Hyatt Gold Passport service center to merge the two accounts.

Scott6067

Wish I would have seen the discounted notes (for lifetime PC members) on the the Presidental Card as I would have gotten the card to get the extra miles in my mileathon for this year. Oh well, I know that information for next year.

manorton

I just got a mailer announcing the "new" Hyatt Gold at Platinum level benefit. Looks like anyone who already has the card is going to get it.

Anyway, What's left for "real" Continental frequent flyers if your average Joe can buy into Elite access and Platinum level? Think about how many times you have people who obviously never fly get in front and hold things up because they don't follow any proper security procedures, act confused, go through the metal detectors multiple times, forget to look at their boarding passes before boarding then get lost, block isles with luggage, take 10 minutes to figure out how to put a bag in an overhead, etc. Elite Access got us past some of this. Platinum level used to mean upgrades into first.

What's left for those of us who really do fly a lot? Are our lives going to become more difficult because of this?

PforPlatinum

I think you are still mixing up "Platinum"...

Do you think those people will apply to $375 card?


Well, PPlus card will give Hyatt GP Platinum level, but not OnePass Platinum Elite status.
And just being Hyatt GP Platinum won't get upgrade to First on CO flight, at least.

manorton

Not most, but there will be some. Hopefully it is next to none.


The way I read how the card works is that you get miles toward Elite based on spending levels. Spend enough and you can get up there. Correct?

jimbob

You can earn up to 28,000 flex EQMs per year. You earn 2,000 for every $25,000. To get those you'd have to put $350,000 on the card. So if you put $350k on the card this year, $350k on the card the year after, and then another $250k on the card in the 3rd year, you'll get Platinum. So it'll take $850k and over 2 years from no flying to Platinum for 1 year. I don't think we'll have to worry about much dilution... I imagine these EQMs are more likely to be used as bridges to the next level when you're already relatively close. I also expect that those kind of spenders are probably looking at different ooh-you-must-make-a-lot-of-money-and-be-so-powerful cards.

Frisky

Bear in mind that the $25,000 threshold is reset on the anniversary of your card, when you pay a new annual fee! This means that you could easily lose, on average, $12,500 of credit, or 1,000 EQM, each year.

I had a long chat with a very helpful Chase rep today on this topic. I said that a) they should make it very easy to see where you stand relative to the $25K threshold and the anniversary date, so you don't get caught off-guard, and (b) they really should just do away with the reset and let people accumulate across years. In my case, for instance, I just hit $25K and have no great incentive to use this card until my anniversary date a month from now!

wrose99

Ok so the Hyatt Diamond rumor is officially dead. CO Insider's response does imply a potential desire to offer that benefit in the future. Personally, I can't imagine the high price that Hyatt would require to destroy the top tier of its program by offering it so liberally to airline programs that have many times more members. But if Hyatt decides to do so, I will be the first to take advantage of the offer by moving my business to other chains without fear of losing my Hyatt Diamond status!

Hartmann

I signed up for this card during the promotion for 3,000 EQMs. I was already a Chase Continental card holder (but signed up separately). To this day I haven't received the EQMs.

Anyone in the same boat?

After talking with Avis they said they enrolled me in the Presidents Club but not Preferred Service (so I still have to go in and sign for the car). It still has not shown up in my account so another call may be due.

OPFlyer

Scott, does the Avis Presidents Club membership and the Hyatt Platinum status stay with you while you have the card or do you have to requalify for it?