I just applied online and got this message...
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We're sorry-- the system is not responding so we are unable to provide you with a decision at this time.

However, we have all of the application information needed for processing. Your application will be processed offline, and we will notify you of the decision by mail in just a few weeks.
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I wonder if it means the 10,000 has been reached. I guess I will call the 800 number in a bit to see if they know.

edited

I had an AMEX Corporate Card with a employer from 1993 to 1996 and received Membership Rewards with it, even for the direct bill airline and rental car charges that showed up as $0, I still received the miles for the original amount involved. My employer changed the AMEX contract right before I quit, but I was still making membership reward miles off the non-zero charges at the end. Some Corporate Cards are eligible, it's worth a look. Amex Membership Rewards states for some Corporate Cards:
1. There is a $40 annual fee for the Membership Rewards program. Some Corporate Cards, some Optima® Cards and American Express Credit Cards are not eligible. Fees and terms for Corporate Cards may vary. For Platinum Card® members, Rewards Plus Gold Card members and Corporate Platinum Card members there is no annual program fee for the Membership Rewards program.

2 There is an additional $10 fee for each Corporate Charge Card and for each Small Business Corporate Charge or Optima Card linked to a Membership Rewards account with other enrolled charge cards.



[This message has been edited by outoftown (edited 10-22-2000).]

edited

I just got the same e-mail too. Let's not go crazy and over-discuss this, or they might send a correction out. (Doesn't matter to me, since I can send them any of 4 statements from Sept. 2000 with at least 50,000 miles on them).

Djlawman

Yes, I got the congratulatory e-mail and noticed the September 2000/01 thing.

Just a typo as the official T&C says the statement should reflect any FF account as of September, 2000.

Good to know that I am definitely one of the 2000. Already spent the 10k too.

Now I just need to remember to send in the statement this Summer (it says that you need to await notification that you spent 10k.

I received the same e-mail. I hope it is Sept. 2001. I'll have a much better chance of getting the whole 50,000 by then.

I received the same E-mail!!!!!
Should the statement date of mileage summery be dated september 2000,do you think a copy of an on-line statement will do???...I don't save my paper statements...do you think united or american can supply me with a "paper statement???

Given that the AMEX Web site no longer lists this promotion, where can I find a copy of the complete terms and conditions? I'd like to find out if cash advance checks qualify as purchases for the purposes of meeting the $10,000 spending by May 31, 2001, since that's pretty much the only way I'm going to make it there.

(Kill two birds with one stone... qualify for this promotion and pay down my mortgage and/or student loans! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif )

sjk--I would ask for the paper statement now, rather than later. If they are going to have the ability to do it, it will be best now, before they potentially purge any information.

Djlawman

Am I missing something here? Did you get your student loans from loan sharks? Cash advance fee 3% and then 19% interest vs. 8%-10% for a student loan.

You don't have to work on Wall Street to see that you might as well purchased the 50,000 miles with $$$.

The details on the offer is still on the AMEX site.
http://home3.americanexpress.com/cor...ays-double.asp

seawolf: thanks for the pointer. But what that URL points to is really just a press release and not the "fine print" of the official terms & conditions that I'm looking for. Guess I'll have to call and talk to a CSR and try to get something in writing anyway.

As for your point about normal student/mortgage loan interest rates vs. the cost of a cash advance plus the interest rate charged by the SkyMiles card, no, I don't work in the financial industry, but we're not talking about hedged arbitrage on currency futures here. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The interest rate charged by the Optima card is irrelevant if one is prepared to pay off the balance immediately. (I.e., if I was thinking about paying off my students loans and/or paying down my mortgage some anyway, I could write a convenience check to my lender and simultaneously writing a personal check to pay off my SkyMiles card account. This results in minimal interest accruing given that I don't carry a balance on this credit card normally. I subscribe to LBYM -- Living Below Your Means -- one of whose tenets is that "Long-Term Credit Card Debt Is Bad".)

As for the former, of course I would review whether the percent cost of the cash advance would make this whole thing worthwhile. Is the normal cost of a cash advance 3% for an Optima card? I know that I often get promotional convenience checks from my other C/C's, some of which waive the usual cash advance fee that they would charge. But even at 3%, that's a maximum* of $300 on $10,000, which isn't a bad price for 50,000 miles, especially since in my case, it tops off my SkyMiles account to the point where a whole world (pardon the pun) of possibilities open up on the award chart.

* Maximum since I would be able to charge some of the $10,000, and therefore wouldn't have to solely depend on cash advance at 3% in order to make it to a total of $10,000.


[This message has been edited by pshuang (edited 02-01-2001).]

You might want to double check that. I believe interest starts accumulating the moment a cash advance check hits the account. There is no grace period for cash advances. But let said you time your payment to arrive before the cash advance hits, i guess then you could avoid the interest issue if you carry always carry a credit balance before your cash advance check. If everythin works, then I guess you are right and that you'll just pay the 3% cash advance fee.

Got the same e-mail. The term of sending in the September 2001 must be either a typo or AMEX is trying to get out of giving the 50,000 Skymiles since the terms include mailing the statement by September 15, 2001. Since when do airlines mail the paper statements within 15 days of the end of a month?? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I have one question:

Regarding the $10,000 spending, does it mean $10,000 since we received the card? It just says by May 31. I hope it doesn't mean starting NOW until May 31st.