yeunganson

The wonderful thing about our country is it is quite free. You have better ideas how to make things better, you can spend the time writing to American Express.

Through my years with AMEX, I found various times my writing made (or help contribute to ) change. In early high school/university days, you get the AMEX Platinum and Aeroplan Plat and you had to pay twice the annual fees. I wrote and soon enough a new policy came about that you can keep both cards by paying for one (that policy has discontinued). When I wrote about the idiocy of having the Plat card ($1 to 1.5MR to 1 Aeroplan) out-earn the Aeroplan Plat ($1 to 1.35 aeroplan miles as Chartered member), they did responded by reducing the Plat card earning rate. Bad for me but the system got better I think. Later in life, I wrote to the AMEX ombudsman about application approval and it got answered by marketing manager in response to the Ombudsman and it was dealt with fairly. I wrote about the double dip of AMEX plat travel credit and why I had to keep changing cards by self referral. There was then a overall fair change to how AMEX applies the annual fee credit and travel credit changed to once per year upon card fee renewal (and not calendar year). I don't think it's because of me that changes happen, but I think there are those like me that does provide feedback (but don't post on flyertalk) thus these changes happen.

Positive changes happen when you voice your opinion to AMEX and what you would like reasonably to happen. Complaining here is not going to make the Bonvoy AMEX better.

There are also other parts of the whole credit card system, fees and how small businesses try to not take credit cards if purchase is too small. The whole eco-system of rewards, merchant fees, middle-man charges...that needs some limits - like what EU is doing. That's another topic not with AMEX but with the Member of Parliament representing my district.

jagadishgandhi

Amex Canada website still shows SPG Amex. I have been waiting to sign-up after they launch Bonvoy card in Canada to avoid any confusion with mapping SPG Number to Bonvoy Number. The current application still asks for SPG number.

Any insights into when they are officially launching in Canada?

yyjregular

I was waiting as well but bit the bullet and applied, hoping the 15 elite night credits will appear this year. Used my Marriott number on the application with no issues and got a quick approval.

margarita girl

yeunganson

oh. You mean to take advantage of all the offers and then pull the plank so others can't board the ship? Is that how we roll. It's not the first time you deal with our kind of hypocrisy logic.

A solid card is designed so it's good enough not to get churned and a kept for wallet use and not on the drawer. I don't accept what is given as unchangeable so I go about my way to change it - be it credit card or government policy. Those who speak up and lobby influence change. One can totally have a straight face and tell Prime Minister not to introduce Bills to cap credit card merchant fees because the points are very lucrative for flyertalker consumers. One can also write to AMEX to encourage them never to implement american style once a lifetime welcome bonus because one enjoys churning their cards for welcome bonus.

Overall I think the Bonvoy AMEX is heading the right direction by having a free night cert at the end of the year after you paid the annual fee of year 2. This makes the more attractive to keep than to churn. Some more enhancements in points earning front would make it better every day use. I prefer to have a better Bonvoy card so it can be my default everyday spending card that SPG AMEX was before so I write and lobby AMEX to induce positive change.

Xtah927

mjrobson

New Bonvoy Card on the web with a 60k sign up now. Same 10k referral bonus. Card in my account also changed to show Bonvoy.

prmetime

$3000 spend required to obtain bonus with referral.

mjrobson

Apparently you get 61000 points from a referral link now...

lewis_m

15 bonus nights were posted today.

prmetime

Yes. I saw that but with twice the MSR hardly worth it for an extra 1k. Contemplating if the 10K referral is even worth it. I will wait and see what the GCR or other offers might be.

canesfan

The Canadian Marriott Bonvoy AMEX states the following language:

So they are saying once you transfer 60K points and receive 25K airline miles, you will get back 15K Marriott points?

prmetime

What this means is when you transfer 60K points they will add 15K points to give you a total of 75K points. These points transfer then to airline miles at a rate of 3 Bonvoy points to 1 airline mile. So for 60K points you get 25K airline miles. There is no rebate.

canesfan

Ok it's basically worded differently that the U.S. They say when you transfer 60K points, you receive 5K bonus airline miles, while the Canadian language is the opposite, for whatever reason.

transportprof

I had an Amex SPG card, but canceled it last year in anticipation of the new program. If I apply for BonVoy card now, will I get the sign up bonus (assuming I meet spending limit)?