Unless you have a special promotion, or an old card with different benefits - none of the current Ink cards offer both 5x and cell phone protection.

Is this CLEAR benefit official now? I am flying out on Monday July 5th. Should I go ahead and enroll CLEAR at the airport and expect the membership refunded by Amex Plat on my next statement?
I am not worrying about biometrics. Dept. of Homeland security has your face metric already now in pre-check/global entry program.

Mine went to a fail screen but when I went back it showed as activated anyway.

IIRC you start the Clear process before you go and the first time you use it they send you to a special area to scan your eyes and fingers.

I didn't have time to read the whole thread to find the answers, but has anyone checked to see what benefits were removed?

That's all I care about atm because that's what affects the value immediately. Then I can play the game of seeing of their new benefits offsets anything lost.

As someone who is recently retired I'm pretty sure my demographics are different than most on this thread. While I am disappointed in the increase, perhaps I use the IAP program more than others. We have no other cash airfare discounts available to us. Between the domestic discounts on American and a couple of personal international travel trips a year (post-COVID) we generally save at least $2,500 in airfare each year. That alone pays for the card for me. As an aside, an old fart like me enjoys reading the NYT on Sunday so I will be able to use the $20/month benefit for that.

I believe nothing was removed, though a few seem to say the Saks credit may be missing, it does still show on my benefit page though

Just waited 60+ minutes at PHX to get into the Escape Lounge since the Centurion Lounge closes at 5pm.

Two thumbs down, AMEX.

I am about to retire, and I am anxious to make use of the IAP program myself!

Lol, my Excel spreadsheet has become more and more complex over the years, especially in 2020 with all the temporary credits and offers.

Like many others, I was initially disappointed by the limitations of the entertainment credit, but now I’m looking at it as an opportunity instead. I had SiriusXM for many years and recently switched to the $5/month plan for one vehicle. I was thinking about adding it to another vehicle a number of times before, but didn’t because I didn’t drive it that often. Now I can do that. I don’t use Audible, but have considered buying some credits in the past. Now I can choose to do that.

The hotel credit is another opportunity for me because I go to conferences every year so I can try to use it for FHR, even for just one night to save money as I don’t mind switching hotels during the conference.

I have been getting Clear through my Amex Green so that’s getting the ax once it comes up for renewal in December.

Overall, like many others I don’t like this card becoming an even more complicated travel plus coupon book product, but I do see opportunities to explore in greater detail and since I have the MS version with the engagement bonus, the sting of the annual fee increase is mitigated for now.

Get and acknowledge that about the government. I have Global Entry. And not hard to find.

Clear is a private, for profit, entity, no?

I currently have the Schwab and Morgan Stanley Platinum cards and plan to cancel the Schwab in August, unless I am fortunate enough to get a retention offer.
Regarding the $200 FHR hotel credit, I need to book a night in New Orleans for November and don't mind paying in advance. If I prepay now to use the Schwab hotel credit, does anyone know what may happen if I no longer have access to that credit card in November?

Considering it's prepaid, I am thinking the hotel wouldn't care if I give them a different card at check-in for incidental charges. However, I want to avoid any issues from American Express and/or the hotel.

Tiny sample size but I haven't had issues with using my CSR at check-in for prepaid FHR reservations. I don't recall data points on FHR reservations after canceling a Plat but wouldn't be surprised if they've been posted somewhere here on FT.

I agree with you.
For me -
$179 CLEAR -- already get for Free as UA 1K (lifetime). United owns part of CLEAR.

$200 Airline Credit - not been able to use this for ticket - AA gift cards no longer work for me. Have Elite on UA and AA - don't pay for baggage. Have used for AA upgrade $40 coupons - but hard to use for companion - so not really much value. Get free Food on UA. Maybe for food on AA since dropped to Plat Pro from EXP.

$200 Uber benefit - rarely use Uber - only a couple times a year - so only $30-45 benefit for me.

Lounge access - Centurium lounges are crowded - have to wait to get in at some airports. Food gone down hill. Don't fly DL, have membership in UA and AA clubs.

Coupon Benefits - have used telecomm, BestBuy, HomeDepot, Paypal this year - but these are now gone.

Other comments above the same.
Hilton Gold - use that - but breakfast benefit is changing. Usually stay are Marriott's but have gotten Lounge access at some Hilton international hotels on occasion.

But - overall doesn't make sense for me - I plan to drop back down to Green (like I had before) or maybe Gold.

None of the new benefits are appealing to me. I was expecting something better. However, will keep the card for IAP and MR.