Canadian SPG American Express

Old Jun 29, 2018, 10:21 am
  #1981  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: YXT
Programs: AC*E50, SPG Plat,
Posts: 575
Originally Posted by Bravada04
I called them last night.......said I wasn't happy being a long term customer. Explained the glaring difference with our card vs. the US card.
The maddening part for me is that there's clearly an attempt to align the Canadian SPG Amex with the (non-luxury) US SPG Amex, but still insist on shortchanging the Canadian version. The earn rate on Marriott hotels is lower, but at least that's explainable with the CAD/USD differences. But basically everything else is the same except not giving cardholders 15 elite nights. Yes, one can point to Canada and US being different markets for credit card offerings and benefits available, but it's galling if they match the US card save the elite nights benefit.
somedude3210 is offline  
Old Jun 29, 2018, 1:37 pm
  #1982  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 227
No nights credit — is that a sure thing?

Originally Posted by Cana2013
I really hoped they offer 15 elite night credits.
this would be the key feature for me, even more important than the points per dollar spend .


i am not sure if it is a sure thing. I have looked at all of their marketing, and there certainly is no mention
of nights credit, and there is mention of silver elite.

i do however notice that the us chase cards give more prominence to mentioning silver elite than
mentioning the night credits in their marketing.

so maybe they will grant the credits, maybe it is not seen as an important feature to them or to most cardholders.

i think that it is the case that it is crucially important to their top spenders .


in the meantime I am running my card through plastiq as often as possible, to get enough points to make platinum next year and the year after with luck.
Jared Ito is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2018, 7:16 am
  #1983  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: YYZ
Posts: 365
if my anniversary date is in July and the new program for for marriott/spg starts in Aug (the email from AMEX even states from August). Would i receive my anniversary free night this year after August 2018?
sxc234 is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2018, 10:28 am
  #1984  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: BC, Canada
Programs: Marriott LTP
Posts: 138
No parity is unacceptable

I urge my fellow Canadians to voice your displeasure with AMEX and Marriott regarding their poor treatment of Canadian members.

Extra offensive to me is the perpetual adds for the American card products on Marriott.com during login and logout processes. Marriott should have the basic IT competency to identify when a member is Canadian, and/or their web session is originating from Canada.

If I don’t see any amendment to the benefits set for this card, I will be taking my $500k annual spend on the card elsewhere...
yeunganson and Eagle_traveler like this.
smokie is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2018, 10:36 pm
  #1985  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 336
I'm only 7 nights away from Platinum (challenge), and I was hoping a new card would help make this jump with elite night credits. I am looking for a new card anyway. I will be travelling and can stay 3 nights in July, up to possibly 5... but 7 is a stretch.

Ideas anyone?
eracerblue is offline  
Old Jul 1, 2018, 12:03 am
  #1986  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: BC, Canada
Programs: Marriott LTP
Posts: 138
Elite night credits from a credit card wouldn’t have helped you anyway. They are excluded from the Platinum challenges. The only option will be to stay the nights; find the most affordable property close to you and weigh the cost vs the benefits...

Originally Posted by eracerblue
I'm only 7 nights away from Platinum (challenge), and I was hoping a new card would help make this jump with elite night credits. I am looking for a new card anyway. I will be travelling and can stay 3 nights in July, up to possibly 5... but 7 is a stretch.

Ideas anyone?
smokie is offline  
Old Jul 1, 2018, 1:46 am
  #1987  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 336
Originally Posted by smokie
Elite night credits from a credit card wouldn’t have helped you anyway. They are excluded from the Platinum challenges. The only option will be to stay the nights; find the most affordable property close to you and weigh the cost vs the benefits...


Ah ha - thanks! I take it meetings don't count for the challenge either?

The best I can come up with is separately invoicing a few days, then pay/redeem for the cheapest room I can at that place, but not actually use it (leave the region).
eracerblue is offline  
Old Jul 1, 2018, 11:30 am
  #1988  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: YVR
Programs: I'm a nobody everywhere
Posts: 424
Not having Zero-FX really stings with the loss of the Marriott Visa in the market. Sad this has worst of both previous cards.
Having the free night added back to the SPG is an interesting development. Does anyone know which tier and conditions this would likely come with?

Silver elite given away is basically all but useless and costs them absolutely nothing.
teriyaki is offline  
Old Jul 1, 2018, 11:40 am
  #1989  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
Originally Posted by teriyaki
Not having Zero-FX really stings with the loss of the Marriott Visa in the market. Sad this has worst of both previous cards.
Having the free night added back to the SPG is an interesting development. Does anyone know which tier and conditions this would likely come with?

Silver elite given away is basically all but useless and costs them absolutely nothing.
It's a certificate that can be used on a hotel costing up to 35,000 points or night per https://www.newswire.ca/news-release...686796011.html
FlyerTalker70 is offline  
Old Jul 2, 2018, 7:02 pm
  #1990  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,846
Originally Posted by j2simpso


It's a certificate that can be used on a hotel costing up to 35,000 points or night per https://www.newswire.ca/news-release...686796011.html
At first glance, that free cert up to 35,000 points sounds like a better deal than the cat 5/25,000 point value I used to get with my Marriott Visa - BUT when you consider that most cat 5 properties are likely going up to 35,000 as of Aug. 1st, what they're doing is giving us a similar deal - that is, without the 15 night credit.

Instead, we need to spend 30K a year to reach Gold? Gold status isn't much better than Silver - so not worth all that extra spend.

So what IS the Amex card REALLY worth then? We've lost our 15 nights and No Forex, which were the real benefits beyond the free night cert - so I am not sure if it's worth holding anymore.I'll have Plat for 2019 anyway, so I just have to see Aug. 1st if the free night will be worth more than the annual fee. If not - CANCELLED!
pokee is offline  
Old Jul 2, 2018, 9:53 pm
  #1991  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,110
Originally Posted by pokee
when you consider that most cat 5 properties are likely going up to 35,000 as of Aug. 1st
Why not simply look at the new award chart? I think you'll see that you're wrong on that count.

https://points-redemption.marriott.com/category-change

Last edited by mahasamatman; Jul 2, 2018 at 9:59 pm Reason: Added link to new award chart
mahasamatman is offline  
Old Jul 3, 2018, 8:55 am
  #1992  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Quebec and Ontario, Canada
Programs: AC*E50, SPG/Marriott Plat
Posts: 1,916
Well, looks like the free night is usable in some hotels in downtown NY or Paris or some other desirable places... I may keep the card, after all...
However 15 nights instead of free silver would have been nice.
eracerblue likes this.
Yul_voyager is offline  
Old Jul 3, 2018, 10:34 am
  #1993  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: YOW
Programs: AC SE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 395
Originally Posted by Yul_voyager
Well, looks like the free night is usable in some hotels in downtown NY or Paris or some other desirable places... I may keep the card, after all...
However 15 nights instead of free silver would have been nice.
It looks like something is coming.

This is from a letter I just received from Amex in regards to the changes:

Coming Soon - Elite Nights
American Express will be announcing a new annual credit for nights towards Elite status by the new year.
martyYOW is offline  
Old Jul 3, 2018, 2:33 pm
  #1994  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: Aeroplan Diamond, SPG Plat, Hilton Gold, Marriott
Posts: 1,839
Originally Posted by martyYOW
It looks like something is coming.

This is from a letter I just received from Amex in regards to the changes:

Coming Soon - Elite Nights
American Express will be announcing a new annual credit for nights towards Elite status by the new year.
Great! Hopefully 15 nights credit.
Cana2013 is offline  
Old Jul 3, 2018, 2:35 pm
  #1995  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 227
By the new year is a very long time to wait, in my opinion

Originally Posted by martyYOW
It looks like something is coming.

This is from a letter I just received from Amex in regards to the changes:

Coming Soon - Elite Nights
American Express will be announcing a new annual credit for nights towards Elite status by the new year.

Did the letter say anything else?

wondering if that annual credit is the automatic and free 15 night credits that they have us begging for, or some small number of night credits based on large spend , such as one elite night credit for say five thousand dollars of spend.

i hope they won’t makes us wait for six months why would they make us wait more than perhaps another week or so more?
Jared Ito is offline  

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