No more AMEX Membership Rewards
Oct 1, 2005, 11:11 am
#16
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Wilmington, NC, USA
Posts: 49
Given that Amex pays (I assume) Usairways for the miles, why would USairways not want to continue with the program?
Oct 1, 2005, 11:42 am
#17
Moderator: American AAdvantage & Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: PHX
Programs: American ExPlat; Marriott/SPG Lifetime Plat; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 8,119
Originally Posted by bosco
Given that Amex pays (I assume) Usairways for the miles, why would USairways not want to continue with the program?
Oct 1, 2005, 11:51 am
#18
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: USA
Programs: AA2, DL2, Amtrak2, US2, SPG1, MAR2
Posts: 2,550
Originally Posted by AZ Travels the World
That must be a big assumption. So many airlines no longer, or have never, participated, that I suspect AMEX demands such a low price that it just isn't worth it to them. If the price was fair, there'd be no reason not to participate.
There is a chance that AWA's existing infinity and mileage relationships restrict them from this kind of relationship with Amex, or they want to re-negotiate b/c of their higher FF membership base with the combined carrier (there are economies of scale in this area that they should take advantage of with companies like Amex), or any number of other reasons. Let's hope at the end of the day they keep this relationship in tact.
Oct 1, 2005, 12:02 pm
#19
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Louisville, KY, USA
Posts: 2,583
Looks like December is the time to transfer miles needed for 2006 to US. Hopefully by then, US and AMEX will have made a deal.
Oct 1, 2005, 12:04 pm
#20
Moderator: American AAdvantage & Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: PHX
Programs: American ExPlat; Marriott/SPG Lifetime Plat; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 8,119
Originally Posted by DrivingRain
Airlines make a pile of money from infinity cards and mileage relationships. It's one of the few profitable areas of US Air. The credit card companies make money too. Amex's 9-figure financing of DL through MR b/c of the Skymiles card hammers that point home. . .
It is certainly possible that deals like that include clauses preventing the airline from participating in programs like AMEX MR, as they're viewed as competitive. The message: If you want to earn miles from credit card purchases, you've got to do it with our card.
Additionally, though, I remember talking to a senior marketing guy at HP many years ago about about why they didn't participate in AMEX MR when it first came out. He said that the price AMEX was willing to pay for the miles just wasn't competitive.
Oct 1, 2005, 2:59 pm
#21
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Stuck Between the Moon and CLD or SAN, Your local Taco Bell
Programs: AA EXP/LT PLT, DL PM, UA Silver, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,510
Wasn't this kind of a crap conversion rate anyway? something like 2k points = 1k miles? There are far better values for these points, regardless....
Oct 1, 2005, 3:53 pm
#22
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Washington, DC USA
Programs: UA; Amtrak
Posts: 2,002
Originally Posted by McFlyPHL
Wasn't this kind of a crap conversion rate anyway? something like 2k points = 1k miles?
Oct 1, 2005, 4:30 pm
#23
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Wilmington, NC, USA
Posts: 49
This makes we wonder whether Usairways will also cancel their automatic "gold" membership with Amex Centurion card holders. I'll definitely switch to Delta if that happens, as they are the only other major airline to serve ILM.
Oct 1, 2005, 8:47 pm
#24
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Ellington, CT
Programs: HH Diamond, MR Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 69
Originally Posted by bosco
This makes we wonder whether Usairways will also cancel their automatic "gold" membership with Amex Centurion card holders. I'll definitely switch to Delta if that happens, as they are the only other major airline to serve ILM.
Oct 1, 2005, 9:17 pm
#25
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: CT (NYC Suburbs), Gulf Stream, FL
Programs: United Premier 1K, American AAdvantage Gold
Posts: 3,089
If this is accurate, it would be another indication that the new management is making decisions based on its belief that it knows what's wrong with the place, and that it simply intends to implement changes as it sees fit. For their sake, I hope they are right.
Oct 3, 2005, 8:07 am
#26
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Atlantic Beach, Florida, USA
Posts: 1,001
Originally Posted by RDU-Man
page 5 of my statement
. . . effective January 1, 2006, USAirways will no longer participate in the Membership Rewards program . . .
. . . effective January 1, 2006, USAirways will no longer participate in the Membership Rewards program . . .
Page 5 of my AmEx bill was filled with charges by my wife and daughter. I'll happily trade with you.
Oct 3, 2005, 7:38 pm
#27
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: CHS
Programs: UA Premier, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,113
"Page 5 of my AmEx bill was filled with charges by my wife and daughter"
Ouch!!
I started moving to Diners Club this year for their much larger variety of partners. The last straw for me was when Amex and Marriott parted ways. Diners
Ouch!!
I started moving to Diners Club this year for their much larger variety of partners. The last straw for me was when Amex and Marriott parted ways. Diners
Oct 4, 2005, 2:36 am
#28
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,788
Originally Posted by bosco
This makes we wonder whether Usairways will also cancel their automatic "gold" membership with Amex Centurion card holders.
Whew, I breathed a sigh of relief on that one!
Susan
Oct 4, 2005, 2:44 pm
#29
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Brit expat lo these many years: Now in CT USA
Programs: BA, DL, *wd, IC
Posts: 214
On my flight yesterday from LAX to CLT, the FAs were promoting a USAir Visa card from BoA -- offered some attractive benes. Maybe they make more $$ that way that with Amex MR...
Oct 4, 2005, 4:21 pm
#30
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Phila Delta ex-PM, ex-UA-PE
Posts: 2,659
A few years ago USAirways was supposed to be leaving MR at the end of the year, but due to 'overwhelming customer demand', then remainder. There's the possibility that could happen again, but since circumstances are different now (new management), I'm not sure I see it happening.
Question for people: it's been mentioned that AMEX hasn't wanted to pay the cost per mile that USAir (and other airlines) want. Would it be that bad for MR to have "2nd tier redemption rates", ie. still have 1 MR point = 1 Delta Skymile, but maybe 3:2 or 4:3 MR points to Dividend Miles. That at least still provides some decent conversion to other airlines. Other than Delta it seems like they are don't have affiliations with most of the big US carriers.
Jeff
Question for people: it's been mentioned that AMEX hasn't wanted to pay the cost per mile that USAir (and other airlines) want. Would it be that bad for MR to have "2nd tier redemption rates", ie. still have 1 MR point = 1 Delta Skymile, but maybe 3:2 or 4:3 MR points to Dividend Miles. That at least still provides some decent conversion to other airlines. Other than Delta it seems like they are don't have affiliations with most of the big US carriers.
Jeff