May 16, 2017, 12:07 pm
Last edit by: Zorak
False alarm:
We want to clarify that the Miles Boost benefit and how it is awarded has not changed. The notification that American Express Card Members received was intended to explain how the Miles Boost benefit worked if multiple card accounts were linked to the same SkyMiles account. To clarify:
AMEX T&C change: max of two Miles Boosts per year
May 12, 2017, 12:09 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta DM, 2MM
Posts: 1,254
I am an attorney in the financial services industry. I used to be the principal credit card attorney at a major issuer.
I will lay large odds that nothing has changed. That is, if you have a Business card and a Personal card, you can get 2 mileage boosts each (4 total). If you have two personal cards, however, you can only get 2 total.
The reason I think this is the case is that AX's statement notice indicated this was a "clarification." What that generally means from a legal perspective is that they haven't always enforced this (i.e., people with two Plat Personal accounts have sometimes gotten 4 boosts in the past) but they are going to start enforcing it now.
If this was a change - i.e., if you have a personal card and get two boosts, getting a business card will do you no good in terms of additional boosts -- they would have labeled it a "change," not a "clarification." AX has excellent attorneys; they would get this right every time.
Just my two cents; I hope I'm right.
I will lay large odds that nothing has changed. That is, if you have a Business card and a Personal card, you can get 2 mileage boosts each (4 total). If you have two personal cards, however, you can only get 2 total.
The reason I think this is the case is that AX's statement notice indicated this was a "clarification." What that generally means from a legal perspective is that they haven't always enforced this (i.e., people with two Plat Personal accounts have sometimes gotten 4 boosts in the past) but they are going to start enforcing it now.
If this was a change - i.e., if you have a personal card and get two boosts, getting a business card will do you no good in terms of additional boosts -- they would have labeled it a "change," not a "clarification." AX has excellent attorneys; they would get this right every time.
Just my two cents; I hope I'm right.
I hung up the phone with the feeling that this wasn't a revolutionary change, but rather just a clarification. Ironically, it's a clarification that has caused a lack of clarity in some respects!
May 12, 2017, 12:30 pm
#17
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Seattle
Programs: SPG Platinum, HHonors Diamond, DL Diamond Medallion
Posts: 244
I actually had you in mind when I first saw this news.
What worries me is the first part I bolded above. I'm not sure whether Amex would consider an upgrade from Plat to Reserve as a new/separate Card account, or just an upgraded version of the same card account. The only evidence I have for this is that when I upgraded my personal Plat to Reserve, I kept the same card number when I log into the Amex website, clicking through the Reserve card still gives me access to all my account history/statements/etc. going back to its origin as a Plat card. Amex clearly knows the two are one and the same.
For the second bolded part, I would hope that that agents interpretation is correct. But again, I thought that name matching would generally prevent, for example, a husband and wife to each hold personal Plat accounts under their separate names/SSNs, but then link both accounts to a single SM#. The most likely scenario for two Amexes being linked to the same SM# is a personal + biz setup tied to the same individual.
I guess we'll see. Looking forward to hearing your experiences...you may be one of a few who knows this stuff well enough AND has an existing setup to be able to test it out!
What worries me is the first part I bolded above. I'm not sure whether Amex would consider an upgrade from Plat to Reserve as a new/separate Card account, or just an upgraded version of the same card account. The only evidence I have for this is that when I upgraded my personal Plat to Reserve, I kept the same card number when I log into the Amex website, clicking through the Reserve card still gives me access to all my account history/statements/etc. going back to its origin as a Plat card. Amex clearly knows the two are one and the same.
For the second bolded part, I would hope that that agents interpretation is correct. But again, I thought that name matching would generally prevent, for example, a husband and wife to each hold personal Plat accounts under their separate names/SSNs, but then link both accounts to a single SM#. The most likely scenario for two Amexes being linked to the same SM# is a personal + biz setup tied to the same individual.
I guess we'll see. Looking forward to hearing your experiences...you may be one of a few who knows this stuff well enough AND has an existing setup to be able to test it out!
I guess we'll only find out for sure when one of us try it out, after upgrading from Plat to Reserve and spending another 30k.
May 12, 2017, 12:36 pm
#18
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Seattle
Programs: SPG Platinum, HHonors Diamond, DL Diamond Medallion
Posts: 244
My FT claim to fame is soon going to be but a distant memory. :-(
Yeah, I am very skeptical about the use of the word "account." What is stupid, of course, is that I could just open up a reserve account this year if I am barred with the "two boosts per account rule." I guess that would have me paying more annual fees since I don't get the prorate of having the platinum for some portion of the year. Although with the new choice benefits and lack of a complimentary sky club membership, I guess I could keep a card reserve full year, gain club access that way, and instead of selecting the club membership choice benefit, I can get miles or a voucher, worth equal value.
It sucks that this is being done overnight, with no warning and this early in the year. I have a work around with opening a new reserve account and getting at least 30k MQMs out of that, but it would have been nice to be able to have a little time to plan out the future strategy, especially for a program based on the calendar year. I don't need these boosts to maintain DM this year, but I have already planned future travel assuming I would have a nice roll over.
Does anyone have the language from the updated terms and conditions of the reserve card? It would be interesting to see if it has similar language regarding "if you have two reserve cards linked to one skymiles account, you can only earn two boosts."
Yeah, I am very skeptical about the use of the word "account." What is stupid, of course, is that I could just open up a reserve account this year if I am barred with the "two boosts per account rule." I guess that would have me paying more annual fees since I don't get the prorate of having the platinum for some portion of the year. Although with the new choice benefits and lack of a complimentary sky club membership, I guess I could keep a card reserve full year, gain club access that way, and instead of selecting the club membership choice benefit, I can get miles or a voucher, worth equal value.
It sucks that this is being done overnight, with no warning and this early in the year. I have a work around with opening a new reserve account and getting at least 30k MQMs out of that, but it would have been nice to be able to have a little time to plan out the future strategy, especially for a program based on the calendar year. I don't need these boosts to maintain DM this year, but I have already planned future travel assuming I would have a nice roll over.
Does anyone have the language from the updated terms and conditions of the reserve card? It would be interesting to see if it has similar language regarding "if you have two reserve cards linked to one skymiles account, you can only earn two boosts."
It sucks not only because they change the terms overnight, also because the new terms are not clear at all.
May 12, 2017, 12:50 pm
#19
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,913
May 12, 2017, 1:36 pm
#20
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: CT
Programs: DL DM 2MM, MR LTT, Hilton D, Hertz PC. National Emerald Exec, UA Silver(thanks to Marriott)
Posts: 2,026
I will get my statement in the next couple of days for my personal Reserve, I have already met the 2 boosts for my Business card so I am curious with the new term language will it still have the statement of how much spend you have towards the boost, which seems to me contrary but should be honored.
May 12, 2017, 1:49 pm
#21
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,205
I'll find out just that later this month when the Bus Reserve (upgraded two weeks ago) statement closes, do the 2x15K boosts post or not (add'l 60K spend past Plat 50K is done and should all post on upcoming May statement, incl. the 2x15K MQM boosts).
May 12, 2017, 2:18 pm
#22
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta DM, 2MM
Posts: 1,254
Eagerly waiting for you to post these results.
May 12, 2017, 2:46 pm
#23
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,205
Just as I am eagerly awaiting to see that it posts normally. I did specifically ask and had a rep verify (but I didn't save the chat) that all spend over first $50K on Plat will count towards Reserve two MQM boosts, so I have that to back it up (alas, just not in writing - didn't take a screenshot, as last year it was fine, and I never expected this ambiguity that AmEx has just introduced here with this nonsense [total lack of] "clarification").
May 12, 2017, 4:21 pm
#24
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,393
Can an individual have more than one business AmEx card of the same color if they have multiple businesses?
May 12, 2017, 5:18 pm
#25
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Seattle
Programs: SPG Platinum, HHonors Diamond, DL Diamond Medallion
Posts: 244
This may be why they are cracking down, for people having >1 business card of the same color.
May 12, 2017, 7:34 pm
#26
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 126
After reading Boarding Area I am more confused. After my original fear, and then after rethinking it I thought they meant 2 per card. Meaning you cant spend lets say $200K on 1 Reserve card and more get more than the 2 bonuses. AMEX really needs to state, clearly, what's going on.
May 13, 2017, 5:57 am
#29
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: SJU
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 152
I have a personal Reserve and a business Reserve, and my wife has a personal Reserve. So we share the 90k MQM's each year. I chatted with Amex this morning, and they confirmed that I will still receive the four total boosts from my personal and business cards. So I'm not sure to whom this change affects.
May 13, 2017, 7:33 am
#30
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: BHM LEX NYC
Programs: 3MM DM, DL Reserve, HH Diamond, Nat Exec Elite, SPG, PC, etc...
Posts: 440
How does one go about getting clarity on this? I have a personal reserve and a business reserve. I'm ditching one of them if I'm not eligible for both MQM bonuses on both cards. I may ditch Amex altogether if they in fact are changing the rules mid-year, after I've already spent about $40K on each card.