You can bring in guests with the AMEX plat, and any FT'er worth his salt knows how to get in even when not flying.

My wife and I are both silvers and we got the invitation yesterday. We both also have the regular black World MC.

I would actually consider this card since the biggest benefit we get as Silver Elites is the priority boarding and check-in. We would effectively be trading the hope/chance of an upgrade for the regular use of the PC. The card would cost $375 and we would not need to spend the extra $500-$1500 on flights that we pay more to fly CO or flights of questionable necessity to make sure we hit that 25K goal.

If we didn't already qualify for 2007 elite I really think I would do it and just fly less or fly other carriers. Either way, for now it would be useless so into the shredder it goes.

Another thing that goes against this card is that Amex Platinum has some prestige to it which this does not.

For now i'm sticking with Starwood Amex and as soon as the 5% is over that card will be gone.

Keba

Amex Cent/Black Card???
 

I've noticed this Amex Cent/Black card mentioned a few times. Can anyone tell me what it is??

The AMEX Centurion Card has been discussed ad nauseum in the FT Membership Rewards forum. Do a search there:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=410

I don't believe the same-day Elite Access status of the new card would supplant your status as Silver. Thus, you should still have upgrade chances.

If you're one who typically comes up a bit short of EQM's for status, then I agree that this card could be very useful. Indeed, the opportunity to earn a modest number of EQM's is the most distinctive feature of the card and this feature would be most beneficial to those who often fall a bit short at the end of the year of their desired elite tier. But for those who easily quality for elite status, or aren't even close, the card is less appealing.

As for the prestige (aka "wallet candy") factor of the AMEX Platinum card, I can tell you from experience that it's virtually nonexistent. There are SO many credit cards out there, half of them silver/platinum in color with the word "platinum" (or "diamond," or "signature," or some other such nonsense) emblazoned on the plastic, that 99% of clerks/waiters/etc. don't pay a bit of attention when they quickly swipe your card through a magnetic reader and then immediately hand it back to you. And that's not to mention the numerous self-swiping machines out there in which the clerk never sees or touches your card. The AMEX "prestige" hype is just pushed to sell you on the card. Of the thousands of times I've used my card I can recall only one instance in which the person took notice of the card and said something like "Oh! We don't see many of these."

Nobody seems to have mentioned that if you take CO up on this offer you will recieve an exclusive gift.

I have to say that the offer has nice packaging -- as long as you're not from Cleveland it won't offend you :D

I thought the exclusive gift was the luggage tags

Exactly. I have had an Amex Platinum (AP) card for several years. I got it initially when they offered miles, retained it when they offered more miles, and eventually got spoiled and kept it. When the annual fee went up I called to cancel and was surprised that they wouldn't offer more miles to keep it, but they suggested other Amex cards in place of it and I held off while deciding which to get -- eventually didn't switch at all.

When I got this new offer, I decided that since the real benefit of the AP card was the president's club -- and that was only honored at "real" CO lounges but not affiliates like Amsterdam -- paying the same fee to get a real PC membership and eliteaccess (I failed to qualify this year for the first time in years) was a big win. I'll downgrade Amex to another cheaper card so I can shop at Costco and such.

I agree the failure to give bonus miles is absurd. I had only recently received my first Chase CO MC, so I should already be entitled to those bonus miles despite upgrading to this one.

Ooops. Looks like the graphic people forgot something or someplace. Maybe it's a message? (Just joking Cleveland)

More details please

The inside of the package has a simplified route map printed on it. I shows many routes out of EWR and IAH but only 5 routes out of CLE. Like I said, it's a very simplified route map made to look nice more than have any sort of accuracy to the point there isn't even a flight from EWR to IAH.

I Like Continental as an airline. And I'm coming up short this year by about 6000 miles and I'm bummed about it, but there is no way I would put the $75,000 of spend on this card needed to get back to Elite, because then I would have another 75000 CO Miles to add to the 300,000 miles I can never use. This card was a real disappointing offer.

Certainly not the most savy of travelers here, but I get along well...I am still rying to figure this out since most of the PC's are past security, right?

So, riddle me this Batman, how would one go about getting in the PC club when not flying?

1. Buy a refundable ticket.
2. Go to the club on your way to the flight.
3. Change your mind and ask to be de-boarded (so CO can sell the seat to someone else)
4. Refund the ticket.

Actually, if you plan on doing this often, just have them change the date of the flight in step #4. It's a lot easier than charging/refunding over and over.

Ditto on the "no way" I would charge a zillion dollars for a few miles part. I got one of these today and think it's a real w@nker of an "offer". If I was that desperate for the main benefit - few thousand miles - I'd lay on a quick trip somewhere. And charge that much on the card for that few "flex" miles? No way.

The paranoid part of me is a little worried by the new class of miles that is debuting here. Are more differences going to be drawn between these and the "classic" miles we all have in our accounts? For example, are the far more expensive "flex" miles going to find a "flex" awards twin that is subject to looser capacity controls? Just an example. In other words, are "flex" miles ultimately going to devalue our already "inflation"-prone "classic" miles?


.

PC members are (or at least were, as of July) permitted throught security to access clubs when not flying. See the thread here.

Originally Posted by TheMan View Post
...the card... dilutes the entire elite program


To TheMan -
don't get too worked up...this card is a dud before its launched; I don't know a lot about butt in seat flying, but I do know a thing or two about credit card affinity programs and what works, and what does not. This is as still-born as Diner's Club Montage a couple of years ago...fancy announcement/invitation packaging...I looked it (the Montage) and predicted it would fail within five minutes of reviewing the affinity perks. Too bad it took Citibank a couple of years to figure out what I knew in ten min (ok, five min), but then that's why they pay those Wharton grads the big bucks and avoid every soliciting input from their 6 and 7-figure/annum affinity customers. Their loss.

Ditto for this one - it will never pass muster w/ any aggressive chargers that I know, or anyone that can do simple math to figure out the true hidden costs vis a vis perk package.

To really burden this card, its coming from Chase, which is, as so many have pointed out, the most greedy of the major banks, and then it rides on the coattails of the worst affinity program around (with respect to award availability) - Nonepass, the gutless wonder of affinity programs, where one can EARN the miles but DON'T PLAN ON USING THEM unless one is ok w/ the DOUBLE MILE AWARDS.

As for me ? My Continental/Chase card sits on a shelf collecting dust...and only when Chase, in those rare promotions, offers double miles, does this card get dusted off and used.

Doubtful there will be much dilution that you fear so much.

He was asking about Amex Plat holders-not PC members.

The actual text in the letter...
 

I got the offer today and the letter says:

"We're honored to have you as a Platinum OnePass Elite member. We would also like to thank you for being a Presidents Club member and for using your Continential Airlines MasterCard."

I'm curious how (or if) the personalization was on other offers. Did everyone get the same level of detail? For example, if you are just a PL, did your letter say that? What about P-Club (only, non-elite) folks?

FWIW
DLM

Thank you ^ ...now, outside of picking someone up, I need to start finding a reason to hang out. $1 p/h parking has to be worth a drink or two while I work.

The PC is a good study spot. Free booze, no family to distract and whenever you need a break, you can just wander around, watch the planes and catch lunch at Pappadeux's (sp). Makes for a good study day IMHO... in fact, maybe that's what I'll do tomorrow for LSAT class...

LOL!!! Nothing like boozing it up while studying. ;)

Mine made reference to my status and the fact that I have a Chase MC (though it is now the free one).

I noticed that Cleveland was missing but it looked like an international-only route map.

I agree. In order to make this worth it for me it would need to include true elite status (i.e. silver elite for example) and all of the privileges that entails so long as you maintain the card. Not just elite security line and boarding, but seating, upgrade potential, award availability, etc... Something along those lines would seriously have me considering either replacing my Amex w/this card or adding it as a second card.

Higher status based on spend would be nice, but certainly not a "gotta have" for me.

As I compare this to my Amex plat, I had to say "no" to this because frankly Amex provides virtually the same benefits and more for the same (or similar) price, which makes this card of limited value to me.

Yellow77,

You are correct. When I received the flyer the first thing I did was contact Chase to get clarification on exactly that. I was fully prepared to immediately cancel the card if they had :-)

Amex Plat card holders may also bring guests at no charge into the club.

Careful
 

I beleive the AMEX program requires that you are flying the airline that matches the club you are entering. The reciporacal nature is different.
For example, if you are in New Orleans flying Continental, you cannot visit the Delta Crown room. With PC, you can.

Spot on for the AMEX Plat (the Cent is different though IIRC)

Moreover, a full blown PC membership allows more access: PC'ers can access CO/NW/DL clubs without tickets, BR (Alaska's Board Room) with either a AS or CO ticket, request security passes, etc.

Chase Screwed Up
 

I had a feeling I would be posting something like this...

I posted earlier in this thread after calling Chase to get them to "upgrade" me to the Pres Plus card. The new card was suppossed to arrive this week (as promised by the CSR) but never showed up....I just phoned chase and discovered that the card won't even ship for another 2 weeks. My next flight is the 24th so I told chase to cancel the upgrade. So basically im going to just buy the club access direct from CO.

If I order online from CO tonight will I get my PC card by the end of next week? I work in downtown Houston...can I just buy it at Smith St.? I just want to assure that I'll have access for the 24th

Thanks!

I believe that once your PClub membership is bought it is noted to your OP account. Therefore, if you do not have the card you can reference you OP number at the desk and the agents can verify your membership status. I think when you buy it online it's good to go immediately... but having never done it myself (only second hand reports on this from non-FT'ers) I can't confirm this.

This is correct... as soon as you sign-up and pay, your account is active. You don't need the card to enter the club. They have your details in their system.

All Amex cards that provide PC access work the same way. The Centurion card is no different from the Platinum card in that regard. The only difference with Centurion when it comes to Continental is that it gives you OnePass Gold status.

You can buy the PC membership right at the front desk of the club.

They'll give you a temporary (1 month) card. The info is in the system anyway. The temp card could be useful for non-CO lounges though.

My mistake, should have been clearer. I seem to recall thinking the cent. card also came with membership in PriorityPass (hence the previous comment) - not sure if they still do - but if so, that would offer a different venue for accessing the club.

Amex Platinum and Centurion benefits vary by country. Some of the non-US ones come with PriorityPass. See the Amex forum for details.

Annual Flex EQM cap?
 

Is the 28,000/year cap on flex EQM's per OnePass number or per credit card?
If it's per card, can I earn 56,000 flex EQM's per year by getting two Presidential cards?

e-mail invite
 

not only did I get the fancy invite I just got an e-mail invite too. Looks like all the info is the same except the e-mail is not as fancy and does not have the annual fee

PC access after application
 

I apologize if this has been addressed already, but I read through the pages in this forum and could not find it.

In CO Insider's description of the card benefits, it stated that one would be able to access the PC before receiving the card via OP number and photo ID. I just applied for the card (despite the conflicting opinions, in my situation, it is a good deal), but was told my account would not be activated for 10-30 days. I asked the rep (she didn't tell me this limit until after the application went through) about how to access the clubs when I fly tomorrow, and she said I cannot. Honesly, had I know this way the case, I would have waited until I hit Gold tomorrow to renew my PC membership.

Has anyone had experience with trying to access the PC soon after applying for the card? Thank you in advance.

Hi skipie, thanks for bringing this up. I'll re-verify exactly how quick the Presidents Club privileges take effect. In the mean time, if you'd like, please PM me with your OnePass number and we'll see to it that you have immediate access to our clubrooms.