The AMEX Platinum is by Invitation Only, but as Law Lord stated, they may indeed send you one if you meet their basic crtieria.

It used to be (and still may be)

2 years of membership with stellar payment history

income of at least $100,000 USD per year

A stellar credit report with no late reportings or payments over 30 days late.

This is what I remember, there may be more, and as I said they may have made the maderequirements more easily met.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

For what it's worth, I had been using a UK issued Gold Amex occasionally for a couple of years and suddenly received the offer of the Platinum. No way was...er...that should be is... my income 100,000+, but I gather from a few conversations, the computer trawls the bills looking for a decent payment history and regular overseas charges...

In the USA the Amex Platinum Card is NO LONGER by invitation only. You can apply for it and it's not hard to get. We have a newer product, the Centurion Card. It gives you elite memberships (first tier only) in several FF programs among other benefits for only US$1000 per year! You have to spend (and pay off) about $150,000 a year--just called them so I know I could never get one!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif
Nobbi

The Centurion elite benefits are not first tier, they are mostly next-to-top.

Forgot to post that I did get a very apologetic letter from their station manager at LHR and he included on the letter that "internal discipline procedures" had been "instigated".

And that wasn't just empty talk either; When checking in at LHR for my flight back home, I noticed she was no longer serving First Class, but Economy Class this time. (and should stay there too http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif )

Had the reverse happen. SQ F NRT-LAX. Check-in counter forgot to take the flight coupon. They page me at the Silver Kris lounge for the coupon 20 minutes later. The rep at the lounge pull the itineary page and returned the ticket to me. I eventually hand the flight coupon with the boarding pass over at the gate.

Good ending, stargold.

If it should have happened at NRT, I guess nothing good would be resulted, because most of ground staffs there at NRT are contractors (except JAL staffs, I guess) and it is known ANA Japan side don't take issues of ground staff quality seriously.

But actually, my experience with Japanese ground staff and F/As has always been excellent... much better than most of my encounters in the US or Europe.

I think it might just be that foreigners are treated better by staff than natives.

I think I would say that I am treated with much more respect (well kindness rather, I guess) when dealing with staff at e.g. LHR, EWR or ORD than in CPH and ARN.

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Goldlust

[This message has been edited by Goldlust (edited 04-18-2001).]

Sent to the eternal hell of economy check-in.... Bet that kept you from sleeping! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif