| by Mr Credit Card |
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Update -(May 2009) – After a year of being a platinum card holder and documented my various experience, I have now written an official review of the American Express Card
OK – here is the latest from me. After being an American Express Gold Card member for 12 years and after a couple of years of getting offers in the mail and on the phone, I finally bit the bullet and got the American Express Platinum Card.
When I received my card in a nice package, I finally got on thinking as to why I decided to get the card? I felt slightly guilty. Why did I have to get a card with a $395 annual fee? Was it a prestige thing? Was it my ego? Afterall, I was pretty happy with my Gold Card ($150 fee – so I wasn’t exactly starting from $0). I used my membership reward points for airmiles and it has worked pretty well for me for the longest time. Perhaps I was intrigued by their other perks like their concierge service and other stuff. But deep down inside my, I have to admit the card looks cool and it is probably an ego thing for me. It is nice knowing you can afford the card without blinking an eyelid.
But I also convinced myself that since I am Mr Credit Card, how can I not have the Amex Platinum? After all, I review credit cards (lots of them), and this is one card you cannot really do a proper review unless you actually have the card! (I’ll probably write off the $395 annual fee as an expense of running this site!). So unlike any other credit card site, a review of the Amex Platinum will actually come from someone who actually has one!
So I’ll start using this card from now on and my Blue Cash and other cash rebate cards will take a back seat for a while. I will certainly use the concierge service and all the other perks and reports here and the forum my experiences with this card. So watch out this space for more banter on the American Express Platinum Card. A full review will soon be published.
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March 1st, 2007 at 20:37
I got an AMEX platinum for fee free with $100 credit after first charge. I could never see paying $395 for it. But I guess they take it from you and give it to me? I think (know) I will cancel it before the one year promo expires otherwise I get charged a $395 fee!
March 1st, 2007 at 21:47
Well, the first year fee is “pro-rated” since I have already paid up for my gold card. But I will probably expense this as part of running this site. I have a couple of friends who have the amex platinum and then decided not to renew and customer service gave them another year free!. So I think there is a good chance that you will get another one free. Same thing happened to friends who want to downgrade from gold card to blue! CS got supervisor on the phone and waived annual fee!
March 16th, 2007 at 21:14
I just got mine too… and I have to admit it was an ego thing also.
Still, ONE companion ticket pays the fee!
March 17th, 2007 at 20:57
I also started out with a Gold Card and a few months later I kept noticing on the website an offer to upgrade to Platinum and of course my ego kicked in and I soon began to carry the card. I must admit at first I was feeling guilty of the $395 (plus $175 for my wife!) and I called to cancel it and go back to Gold. They asked me why and I told them that I was weary of paying a fee for something I didn’t know if I would use so they waived the first year and I began to use it everywhere! In a few months I racked up about 40,000 points and redeemed them for gift cards and went shopping. A few days ago I got a notice that the fee was going up to $495, I of course would not pay that much so I ended up canceling it. The way I look at it, I ended up winning- I got $400 in gift cards to BR, didn’t pay the fee at first and took advantage of the concierge and airline companion in my first year. I wish they would have waived it again; I kind of got attached to it and now I miss my card. Am getting another one today and I’ll see about having the fee written off next year. American Express is by far the best credit card company anywhere; their prestige is know all over the world, all others are just trying to immitate them.
March 25th, 2007 at 14:06
I am thinking about getting the card, but I hate knowing that someone else got a better deal. I was only offered $150. credit after the first purchase. Is there a way to get a better offer?
March 30th, 2007 at 15:22
Thats not too bad; I was extremely lucky to have the first year waived. They really don’t like to do so- they are stingy! The fee just went up to $450 but if you travel enough you may just off set the fee.
July 9th, 2007 at 04:03
I got this card a few years back. I travel a lot having the concierge service, access to airport lounges, free upgrades on rental cars and the preferential treatment you get makes the annual fee well worth it. The fee is also a legitimate business expense for me.
Now having said that I have to be honest it’s also an ego thing, it’s just really ‘cool’. I like knowing it’s in my wallet when I need it.
July 10th, 2007 at 21:03
I had the Platinum Card for a year, after having the Gold Card for over 10 years. It was up for renewal last month and I decided to cancel it and downgrade back to the Gold Card. I was disappointed for a number of reasons. I tried to use the Domestic Companion Ticket offer, and the agency could not find anything available to fit my itinerary, even after I had gone directly to Delta’s and United’s website and found many available options. The rep assured me nothing was available. I assumed it was just an benefit that was too good to be true. Also, on a recent trip to Europe (Greece and Turkey) I was surprised to find that a number of restaurants and stores would not accept my Amex Platinum card. One merchant finally admitted to me that they don’t like to accept Amex because it charges them higher fees than Visa/MC. I don’t know if the Platinum Card had any extra negative effect on them (or if it looked too unfamilar to them?). I never had this experience with my Gold Card or other Visa/MC during my travels. The final straw that convinced me was when I received a notice that the annual fee was going up to $450. Which for me was not worth any of the so-called benefits. When I called to cancel and downgrade back to Gold, the Amex representative offered to give me a $80 credit and 8000 rewards points if I stayed, seeing that I actually did charge a lot to my card. It was a nice effort, however even with the $80 discount, I still didn’t see much return from their high fees. Personally, I now think that having the Gold Amex with Rewards is a better deal. Yes you still have to pay a premium fee for a premium branded Gold card, but you get a lot of the same benefits you see in the Platinum card (at least the benefits that are actually useful). I would be curious to see more reviews of this card by Mr Credit Card after having used it for a few more months or a year, to see if he thinks its worth the hefty price.
July 13th, 2007 at 02:28
could you tell me the perks of owning an american express platinium card
August 25th, 2007 at 23:15
i got an invitation for the amex platinum, but don’t want to pay for the fee. I’ve noticed others bypassed it…how should I approach it when talking to them while signing up?
August 31st, 2007 at 21:18
I agree with Al C above — I had platinum card for a short while and found the blackout dates on the companion tickets so restrictive that after several tries I gave up and cancelled the card. I guess if something is too good to be true it probably isn’t true — in that anyone with a bit of sense would realize the card is essentially free if you can use 2 of 4 companion tickets. i guess that is not easy to do. i also found the amex travel service to have fewer options and higher prices than DIY on travelocity and expedia. sigh. i had so wanted this to work!
October 3rd, 2007 at 04:03
My wife and I recently upgraded to the Platinum card after years of being gold card members – we were lured by the companion ticket benefit, as we recently moved away from all our family and travel frequently. The first time we attempted to utilize the companion benefit, it was an absolute mess.
The so-called agent that we got on the phone when call the travel # literally laughed at us when we gave them the details of our travel itinerary, and flat out told us (before they even looked into it) that there was nothing that they could do for us, as it related to the complimentary companion fare.
As that was the main benefit we saw to this card, we immediately called Amex to make a stink – they acknowledged that they have had a lot of complaints about this service, and that was about the extent of their response!
For a company that “talks” about customer service, I was astonished at their lack of concern over our horrible experience.
I would advise anyone who is looking to the companion fare as one of the key benefits – IT IS NOT WORTH IT!
Shame on Amex for this poor product!
October 12th, 2007 at 22:36
I tried to book an AMEX companion ticket today for the first time. There were 29 flights available on Expedia, but only 1 flight available from AMEX! And the flight they offered me saved me only 10% over booking my choice of 29 flights online. I spent 30 minutes on the phone. What a scam!
October 12th, 2007 at 22:39
I tried to book an AMEX companion ticket today for the first time. There were 29 flights available on Expedia, but only 1 flight available from AMEX! And the flight they offered me saved me only 10% over booking my choice of 29 flights online and paying for 2 tickets. I spent 30 minutes on the phone. What a scam!
The agent told me a couple interesting things:
1) Amex Executive Business, AMEX Platinum and Amex Centruion (black card) all draw from the same limited pool of companion seat. It’s like trying to find a frequent flyer mileage seat, but perhaps harder.
2) AMEX outsources the booking process to a 3rd party who takes no responsibility for the advertising claims made on the AMEX site. This 3rd party company also seemed to care very little about what my relationship with AMEX.
October 13th, 2007 at 21:05
I called Amex directly and was told that I did not have to have the GOLD card first and that I could apply immediately for 395.00. I am confused because I checked on the things that I cared about to make sure it was the right card and yes it offered the access to the airline club rooms and companion ticket but only when purchasing a business or first class ticket. In reading the blogs, I did not notice anyone indicating that they were buying a first class or ticket. Can someone clarify.
Thanks,
October 18th, 2007 at 04:27
Barbara- On my ‘invitation’ it does not say anything about the ticket needing to be business class or first class to get into the club rooms (even in the small print). As far as companion ticket program, it just states the ticket that is purchased must be of more than $299.00 in value when traveling domestically.
November 9th, 2007 at 18:49
I recently got the American Express Business Platinum card. I upgraded from the Business Gold. I don’t travel much and probably won’t use the concierge service either. I will admit, however, the reason I upgraded is only to satisfy my ego. I carry a Blue Card, a Gold Plus Gold Personal Card and the Bus. Plat. card. Be realistic. How many people have the privilege of carrying cards like these. If you have one its because you have good credit and make enough money. Less than one percent of the people in this world can say they carry an Amex card, even more so the Platinum card. You want to know how I justified it? I don’t wear fancy clothes, jewelry, gamble or waste money on fancy vacations. I figure, if I’m gonna show off something, I want it to be my financial success. I’m not rich; I’m a simple teacher who also has a small business. Paying with a Plat card, or any Amex card for that matter, is a luxury. Everybody here knows that you can get a Discover card or visa fee free and get points with no hassle. I’d rather pay $395 for my Plat card and 150 for my Gold Card than to spend on fancy clothes and the above mentioned luxuries. I think it really comes out cheaper on a per year basis. Some people pay hundreds more a year on luxuries that are not worth it. To me, flashing my Amex card is fancier than flashing a Polo Horsie.
December 29th, 2007 at 06:06
I was thinking about applying for this card but from what I’ve read I couldn’t figure out the difference between AmEx Platinum and world MC.. Both have rewards and no preset spending limit (I have no annual fee on MC).. Should I still apply for AmEx (not counting the ego thing)??
I’m not an avid traveler or a credit card user but I do have relatively good (excellent) credit history. Which one would be a smart move for me?
January 10th, 2008 at 20:21
There is a big diff b/t the Amex Plat and MC World, — MC world does not automatically get you into the airline clubs (big benefit for me)
January 17th, 2008 at 23:04
If you travel on Delta and or American Airlines the respective Crown and Admiral Rooms each cost $500 a year. They cost absolutely nothing if your trips were booked using the platinum card. Thats a huge benefit to a modest traveler, and my wife as well.
January 18th, 2008 at 00:22
My wife and I have the PLATINUM card and the fee was waived the first year and 495 since. Well I must say that I am impressed with the card. We have had some issues with some of the products that we bought with it. When we called American express and put in a claim they have paid it. We have been card members since 2001 and never had a problem with the card. We have used the airport club many times (we had coach seats) and never had a problem getting in. What we have paid in fees for the card has been returned to us many times over. Plus the reward points that we rack up every year, we convert to gift cards and either use them for dinners when we go to Las Vegas or give them to friends at Christmas time. Another benefit is the buying power with the card. I bought a expensive watch with the card with no problems. I would never give up this card and its benefits, I think I would be lost without it.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:52
I got my Platinum about four years ago, after eight years of flawless service with an AMEX gold. I’m based in Italy, although I spend best part of my time abroad: sometimes I don’t come back to Italy for years. Upgrading my gold to Platinum has been a very bad move:
1. a few months ago, my 80 y.o. mother (who receives all the correspondence related to the card), got really crazy in reading that I had become a “bad payer”, and that AMEX was going to denounce me to the Italian credit authorities because my bank had refused to pay a bill. Indeed, my Italian bank had had a few-hour server breakdown (the typical case of force majeure…) , immediately solved. My cards hadn’t even been blocked; the letter, instead, had immediately been sent. The huge amount involved in the unpaid bill was 41 euro (about 50 $)…
2. Last week, act two: my cards have been blocked because on my Italian account there was no coverage for 140 euro of cash withdrawal; it can happen, if you have several different accounts in different places. But nobody called me to warn me in advance (the least you would expect from a Company which knows how to be very aggressive with tele-marketing). As usual, I was abroad, and lucky enough to have my loyal Visa with me.
The question is: after 12 years of excellent relationship, (and more than a few hundred thousand euro regularly paid) do you think this kind of behaviour is coherent with the overall image of Amex? What’s the point in paying several hundred euro per year if the service you get is the you would get from no matter what company? BTW, owning an AMEX in Italy is almost an act of faith: it is true that several shops, mostly low-market, prefere Visa or even cash because of AMEX’s high commissions.
The very last consideration: four years ago, when AMEX called me to offer their Platinum card, they said it was the very privilege they were going to give to their best customers. Nowadays, virtually every gold card owner has been invited to upgrade; and, in the meanwhile, a new “centurion” card is available also in Italy. Bazaar marketing, to say the least…
February 6th, 2008 at 02:29
I have been routinely asked to upgrade my GREEN Card(God forbid) for a Platinum. For me, it is purely a financial transaction – I really don’t believe any sales clerk or jaded airline employee cares what my credit card looks like or my FICO score. So, can someone recommend this card based on moderate domestic/international travel, purchases. Has anyone actually scored hard-to-get tickets to something?
February 6th, 2008 at 20:37
American Express International Airline Program
This is a misleading promotion. They claim if you have a Platinum American Express Card than you can buy 1 business class airline international ticket and receive 1 companion ticket free.
They have a list of 18 international airlines that participate in this program. You must use one of these carriers.
I tried to do this and found out it is a phony program.
First I got the business fare on two of the approved airlines and I was told that you must book thru American Express Platinum Travel Services. When I called them I was told that my fares were not valid because they were not unrestricted. American Express told me that the fare for the flights I wanted would cost me more than the airline price for two Business Class tickets.
I went back to the airlines and priced the cost of unrestricted airfare. The new higher price was $8,434.56 for Swiss Air. When I re contacted American Express they advised me that they did not have any seats in Business Class for my travel dates. There were seats available in Business class but not American Express seats.
I went to Lufthansa and found good flights for a new higher fare of $8744.68. The flights were Lufthansa 463 connecting with Lufthansa 2954. The return was Lufthansa 2941 connecting with Lufthansa 462. This price was for unrestricted business fare. I contacted American Express again, only to be told no good, because Lufthansa flight number 2954 was a code share flight with South African Airways and not eligible.
I tried South African Airways from Washington DC. I got a price of $8424.26. I would have to get my own airfare to and from Washington, but I would be flying only South African Airways which is American Express Approved. This fare is also unrestricted.
Once more I was turned down by American Express. They would book me on the same flights but for a fare in excess of $13,000.00. When I questioned why, American Express said you have to use their own special prices. These fares are not even published.
In other words you can buy one and get one free, but only at a price created by American Express and costing in some cases more than double the airline price.
I am sure this is not only misleading, but a case of fraud.
What do you think?
February 11th, 2008 at 21:51
I opened my Green card account in 2002. Last year, I got suckered into the promotional mailing for a Platinum Card. With the annual fee of $450, I calculated that I would have to spend 45,000/year on the card in order to earn enough points (1% Cash Back) to pay myself back with gift cards. So I downgraded back to the Green Card just before my annual fee hit. I spend about $12,000/year on the Green Card, and I have to spend $9,500/year on the card in order to earn enough points to make it fee-free. So I’ll be netting about $30+ off of the card, but only if I use it enough.
The only reason I have an Amex Charge account is I like to pay everything off every month, and not have the temptation to “let it ride” on interest. I’m really considering canceling the card, b/c there really is no benefit to having it because of the annual fee. I feel trapped in this point game, ah…but that’s what Amex is counting on.
February 19th, 2008 at 14:14
What is the difference between the Citi AMEX platinum and the regular AMEX platinum?
February 26th, 2008 at 11:44
Just got my business Platinum Card last month (Upgraded from the Busines Gold).
The pro’s:
Used the Admirals Club six times on two trips (brought my wife and daughter for free as well). AA wants $450.00 per year for me and $300.00 per year for my wife. Or you can pay $100.00 per visit for 3 people.
Cancelled by Gold card. Saved $85.00 per year.
Fee free Membership rewards. Saved $40.00 per year.
Free Hertz #1 Gold membership. Saved $50.00 per year.
Car rental insurance is an option for $29.00 per rental instead of high $$$ per day through Hertz etc. This is good abroad when your own insurance may not apply.
The Negs:
Tried to book several dates for a domestic companion flight from Bos to Atlanta…No luck for any days…times….rates…. Companion Seats are (supposedly) very limited!! Program is a rip off. Called AMEX and was told to deal with travel company. Yeah right.
I will be trying to book an international flight next month for Feb ’09. I have a bad feeling that I will see same results. This will be through AMEX Travel. I read on other websites as well as this one that prices are bumped up on the purchased ticket to offset the companion ticket savings. We shall see what happens.
So I’ll decide if the pro’s outweight the cons next month.
March 4th, 2008 at 08:09
So I see a lot of questions and not too many answers. I’ll admit, I am a few months new to the Platinum and have been an Amex customer for a couple of years…..thus far, love the card. You have to recognize when you get the card, you have to work for the benefits.
1) Use the concierge service! In my humble experiences thus far, they will indeed work for you quite hard. I moved to a new city this year and don’t have any reputable companies to work with…need a house cleaner, they hooked me up. Need a tax accountant, they hooked me up. Need reservations…of course. Yes, you can get hard to get tickets….yes you still have to pay for them and there may not be a block of 4 together…but you wanted them and you have them.
2) You have to work to make the companion tickets work. If you fly 4 times a year and want to offset the cost of your premium based on those 4 flights…it’s probably not going to work for you. If you travel a lot, know fair market value for tickets, and are willing to do your homework before calling for your companion…yes…you can easily offset the cost of the annual fee in 2 flights tops.
And yes, at the end of the day it’s a ritzy card. I make a modest living and am just now at the point of being able to pay that high of a fee without wincing however at the end of the day I’m financially driven and I can comfortably say that this card offsets that cost in practicality. And, yep, I actually have to use it for what it’s worth….and I mean work for it
March 18th, 2008 at 20:11
I have been reading commentary that you need to have the AMX gold card 1st before getting an offer for AMX platnum card- this is not true. I have had AMX green card since 2001- 7 years- I have paid my balances in full never late…never spent too much…maybe at most 2,000.00 one month out of entire 7 years. I also have AMX blue (have a low balance on it now), & AMX gold Delta sky miles card (no balance on it). For about 3-4 months I have been receiving offers online to get AMX platnum. I will consider this because I like to travel with my boyfriend, and concierge service is a good thing. Also, I have had exeperiance with AMX companion ticket program. My dad had the Gold card- so I was able to use the companion tickets for myself and my boyfriend. It was very easy…really…I could have been anyone, I just called up the # on the ticket and spoke to a travel agent, and planned my vacation to Miami…they didn’t even ask for the code. Also, I didn’t have to be the owner of the card in which the companion tickets were sent I just had to have an AMX card- in my case a green card.
March 18th, 2008 at 20:16
You don’t have to have the AMX gold card to get offers for AMX platnum. If you have AMX green you will get same offer, just pay off balance each month in full, never have late payments, and own the card for (in my case) 7 years- lucky 7?. Unless you travel alot, Platnum card is for people who want to look rich but are not
and will be a waste of money.
March 18th, 2008 at 20:46
Last entry above was a mistake. I didn’t think my commentary had gone through.
From Eddie Solis’s commentary above: If you have one [AMX card]its because you have good credit and make enough money. Less than one percent of the people in this world can say they carry an Amex card, even more so the Platinum card.
I wonder if this is true…or what AMX want people to beleive? I got AMX gold while in college…I had a little job at CSUN- pay rate 7.00$/ hr. A month later I got AMX green, which I have now, and dropped the gold card. A month after that I received two offeres in the mail for AMX platinum. This all happened in 2001. I bet if I had taken the offer for the Platinum card I would have gotten an offer for the Centurion card…Ok I go to far.
March 20th, 2008 at 04:49
Useless…… I have the gold card, but its a waste of time. No benefits that are worth the $150 yearly fee. People worry too much about status…. In all actuality, no one really cares about the color of your card. I see centurian amex black 3 times a day at my Luxury Hotel and no one even blinks. And if you are that worried about flying at a discount and getting buddy passes etc… just date a flight attendant and you will fly free. You can fly like you make $500,000 a year dating a flight attendant, especially booking $10,000 last minute first class round trips to Europe on your days off for $0.00 on an employee companion pass.
March 26th, 2008 at 21:57
There is a point that is being missed by Trek. Like most things in life, there are fancy ways and the practical ways. A credit card transaction will have the same effect on your purchase, whether you pay with a Visa or Amex. But just like you can get from point A to point B with any brand of car, Amex cards are tailored to meet the needs of those who like to be distinguished as succesful. Amex cards are “prestigious” cards. Trying to justify having one is just impossible. I’m not wealthy or conceited, but owning one to me is a sense of accomplisment, not to mention raising my ego. We all want the best things in life, and there is nothing wrong with that. Getting them may take work for some but we can get there.
April 1st, 2008 at 19:07
I have had an Amex Platinum card since last summer. The benefits I value most are for travel, fitness, and the concierge.
I was able to use one companion fare for domestic travel (I have only tried once). The fare for the ticket was the same as on aa.com although I will admit that the travel agency that Amex contracts with does not have the best customer service. It would be easier to book online, but it was worth 30 min on the phone for a free $417-valued plane ticket.
I recently attempted to use the business class companion program for international travel, but I prefer AA which is not on their list.
As a frequent traveler on both AA and Delta, I appreciate the access to the Admiral’s Club (normally $350 after the elite discount) and Crown Room ($325 after medallion discount). I can also get into the lounges when traveling on Continental or Northwest.
Another benefit (which is also available to Gold cardholders) is the ability to pay for part or all of your travel with rewards points. Instead of paying $1500 for a plane ticket, I was able to use 150,000 rewards points and still earn frequent flier miles for the trip. (Side note: I did have some issues with the travel website and spent over an hour on the phone with customer service, but Amex credited my account with $117 for the inconvenience after I complained.)
I recently joined Equinox, and since I paid with the Platinum Card I was entitled to 5 free training sessions (valued at I think $75 each) and a free massage ($110).
Prestige is a noncontributing factor, as nobody ever notices that I have a Platinum card (unless I am bringing him/her into an airport lounge with me). I get more attention from the Gucci wallet I carry it in.
I haven’t managed to get the fees waived, but if you do the math, the membership fee has more than made up for itself. If you are part of a couple who travels frequently and goes to the gym, then the additional $175 for the second card is an even bigger value.
June 19th, 2008 at 22:22
Eddie Solis,
I’m not sure how prestigious this card really is. I graduated from college 1 year ago. 6 months ago I decided to get the AMEX gold card because my AMEX delta card just wasn’t doing it for me. Now 1 month ago I was offered the AMEX platinum. This is less than 1 yr after graduating college. Granted I make a decent living and all of my credit expenses go on AMEX, but I wouldn’t call myself an elite member of society or anything along those lines.
June 25th, 2008 at 03:24
Here’s the golden rule for having an AE card.
If you charge:
$9,500 / year = get a Green Card
$15,000 / year = get a Gold Card
$45,000 / year = get a Platinum Card
If you charge this amount on each card respectively, you will receive enough membership rewards points to offset the annual fee.
If you charge less, you are paying for a charge card, which is a really dumb idea. You could use a Visa / MC for free, it’s accepted everywhere when AE is not. You could pay your balance off on a Visa/MC every month too.
June 25th, 2008 at 03:29
….One more thing
American Express is resting on its past laurels.
There was a time (back in the 60′s, 70′s & 80′s) when it made sense to pay their fees. They provided a “real” travel service and were there if you needed them overseas. But times have changed alot. Credit cards are so universal now, and most all of them are fee free, it just doesn’t make any sense to have these cards anymore. They are “dead products” of a byegone era.
So really, why do you have this card? really??
July 2nd, 2008 at 23:31
The concierge service is actually really, really helpful. They called manager at the Cheesecake Factory and were able to get me in right away with no wait.
July 13th, 2008 at 17:11
I have been an Amex platinum card holder for about 2-3 months. Actually, I have been reading this board because it does seem a little too good to be true regarding the companion ticket feature of the card. But the concierge service, which I have used twice to date, is quite helpful. This past friday I was in Anaheim, California (I live in Los Angeles, and was actually staying in Long Beach on this particular day) visiting family in town from Germany. They were doing the Disneyland thing so I thought it would be great to catch a nice dinner that’s not over the top but good. Quality was a must.
Long story – short, I called concierge and the individual helping me found a good restaurant in disneyland itself (off of the main strip) by the name of Steakhouse 55. They also phoned in my party info and gave me directions. All in all, a helpful service.
I also tried to use the concierge to get ColdPlay tickets, no dice.
Still not convinced the card is for me, but I am probably going to give it through the first year to see how it performs.
July 14th, 2008 at 04:34
I upgraded from my gold reward plus to platinum two months ago. Initially the agent on the phone offered me 25k bonus upgrading points. and i was satisfied with the arrangment even knowing that i will have to pay an annual fee of $450.
but hey…i am not complaining!
A few weeks later, while reading thru some forum, i read someone was offered 50k bonus points for upgrading. so i called and asked for the other 25k points. I got the 25k bonus points a few days later without mush hassle! Also, a few weeks ago, another 25k points was added to my account, and I still am not sure why..
i am 26, and when i show my amex platinum card, ppl always show a weird look…..ego was not the reason why i upgraded this card, i actually needed the points. Another advantage of this card is that you are allowed to advance i think 60k points comparing it to a 25k advanced points from gold.
July 19th, 2008 at 19:22
Im 20 years ol and I have AMEX Platinum AMEX Optima Platinum, and Blue Cash Cards. I usle these regualry and carry a balance of $300 overall.
EGO:
As for ego, when a 20 year old pulls out an American Express platinum, the retailers give me the crazy look like I am crazy, and I drive an 2007 Cadillac XLR so if they see me get in my car they go really wild.
I am not rich, I am a private financial consultant and active duty military. I teach people how to make money with no money they and balance budgets. to secure your financial future.
TIP of Day: SAVE 25% of income per year!
If anyone has questions, contact me at quintero.pitts@sbcglobal.net
July 21st, 2008 at 07:06
I have had my green card since 2007 and was offered to upgrade to the platinum card a few weeks ago. I have been debating whether it would be worth it. I use my card for everything I possibly can so I can get points to use to travel. Have not been able to use it to travel yet. I have 20,000 points and you need to have 25,000 to use it. I called today to find out the difference between my husband’s AMEX Blue Sky card and my green card, and found out his card is actually much better for flights and hotels!! I was so surprised!! With the blue card you get $100 for 7500 points and you can book it with any travel agent and airlines. You book your flight and or hotel and then then they give you a $100 credit for every 7500 points you have and would like to redeem. (must be in increments of 7500 though) on your statement! Its awesome! PLUS, You don’t have to use the AMEX travel service at all, unlike with the green and platinum cards!! With the green card and the platinum card you get $100 (to use for flight) for 10,000 points! I was shocked that the blue sky was better for travel then the green or platinum. You don’t get perks such as the concierge or rooms at the airport, but you can buy whatever ticket you find! The only reason I would want to try the platinum card is to be able to rest in the rooms at the airport, but I don’t know how often I would use that anyway unless traveling really far. otherwise I like direct flights! Still not sure if I am going to get platinum, but I sure am going to start using that blue sky card more often to rack up points for travel!
August 31st, 2008 at 14:46
i need the card to travel
September 5th, 2008 at 16:35
You certainly don’t need the gold card, or even green to get Platinum. I’m 27, just moved to the UK 2 years ago, and am self-employed and was given a Platinum straight away.
September 26th, 2008 at 17:05
Does AMX automatically cove rental car insurance. Should I decline coverage when renting a car in the U.S?
JIM
October 7th, 2008 at 17:15
I just got mine.
I didn’t bat an eye at paying the $450 because it’s purely an ego-trip for which I’m willing to pay.
Having the card and therefore the credit-worthiness that my fellow twenty and early-thirty somethings don’t have is a silly yet pleasurable high.
Besides, I like imagining (nonsensically) that it’s one step closer to the Black card.
October 8th, 2008 at 21:43
Just received a letter today from Amex Platinum that Amex is discontinuing the Domestic Companion Airline Ticket Program on November 15, 2008. I called to complain. They said they won’t be offering annual fee adjustments to cardmembers – or – lowering the annual fee.
I expect a mass exodus out of Platinum Card membership.
October 10th, 2008 at 18:53
I cancelled my Platinum card years ago. Most of the time people think you are stupid to carry a card that costs $495 a year.
Money is money, if you have an high limit on a no name card, the business will be happy to transact with you. There is no status with the Platinum, too many people have it. For ego, go get a Centurion Card.
$495 a year is 5 very nice dinner with your wife or S.O. In ten years the total cost is $4,950. It that wortht the status?
November 9th, 2008 at 23:30
Great card “if” you use all the wonderful services.
November 13th, 2008 at 01:28
By far, the greatest benefit for me in having the Platinum Card is the access to business lounges at airports. With the card, my wife and I have been able to get into lounges during our travels — and when you are on a long journey, this is a HUGE benefit… you get the refreshments, nice couches, nice bathrooms, showers (!), wireless internet, … and all this with economy tickets.
If you travel frequently, then the Platinum card annual fee quickly pays for itself. (A daily pass to the Business lounge can cost your $45 per person).. so if you and your spouse use the Business lounge more than 5 times in a year.. then you have easily justified the Platinum’s annual fee.
November 25th, 2008 at 19:08
If “stupidity” is paying $495 for an annual fee then I guess everybody that chooses a BMW over a Honda is stupid. They both get you from A to B. The Honda is more reliable and cheaper to maintain and purchase. Yet, you still want a BMW. (Replace BMW with Benz, Audi, Jaguar, Lexus, Maserati, etc..)
December 1st, 2008 at 22:36
So, has anyone else experienced this? Today I tried to get access to Northwest Airlines club room in Detroit. I was denied entrance because I had American Express Platinum membership and a Continental Airlines ticket??? I mentioned that I was under the impression that I could gain access with a Continental ticket and I was told I would be able to access the club if I had a President’s Club membership and a Continental ticket….or If i had a Northwest ticket and a Continental Card…but the combination of Amex Platinum and Continental ticket was no good.
As for companion ticket, I’m not surprised that they are pulling the plug…That was a total sham and a source of endless disappointment. The last time I tried to use it I attempted to book six months in advance, during a non- black-out period and with the flexibility of leaving from different airports on different dates. After speaking with numerous representatives, one finally said she could accommodate me and told me the flight would have two stops (newark to san francisco) and the first ticket would cost twice as much as a direct flight!!!!
These experiences really cheapened the whole AMEX Platinum experience. I dont plan on renewing….The only value I find is in the car rental insurance, but that alone may not be worth the frustration and dissapointment.
December 11th, 2008 at 05:58
I have several amex cards, green charge, platinum optima, and platinum buisness card, I am not rich by any means, but I make a good living, work hard, always pay my bills in full and have excellent credit. Regardless about what anyone has said, the type of people who carry amex charge cards are generally a better class of people, this does not carry over to amex credit cards (anyone can get those), but the charge cards are more difficult to obtain (you have to have good credit) and thus they are more prestigious, I travel alot and because of buisness I stay at alot of 5-star hotels and I can state for a fact that when you whip out that amex platinum charge to pay for your room you will get a much better degree of service, from the cute blonde at the reception desk. Having a amex charge (not credit) card means that not only can you afford to pay a high annual fee, but that you also have excellent credit and make enough to pay your bills in full each month. Also, enough with the reveiws about the crappy companion ticket service, if you actually believed that marketing gimic would work when you signed up for the card, then I have a bridge in brooklyn to sell ya.
December 28th, 2008 at 03:13
Wait until you run into the butt end of the credit crisis and Amex passing it off onto you. I have been with Amex since 1992 and have had the platinum for about 10-years now. I easily charge between $100K and $200K per year on it. I take advantage of very few of its “perks” as none really do anything for you. Concierge service? Joke – I gave up trying to get those ‘reserved restaurant seats for members only’. Stuck in Paris w/out a hotel? Good luck. They put on a good show, keep you on hold for a while just to tell you ‘Sorry Mr. Nutstone.’ The Admiral’s club is the ONLY thing I use it for outside of using it as a charge card. The points are OK, but not worth much.
So, after being with Amex nearly 20-years, never having an issue paying my bill, and running up $20K-$30K w/out batting an eye and never having an issue (they may want to talk to me on the phone if I’m charging something for $10K, but that’s it), suddenly I walk into the mall to buy a Rolex for my wife for xmas and it’s an issue. $12K is a major drama fest in the jewelery store. I carry the Platinum and a debit card – that’s it. So after 30-mins of dealing with not the typical platinum customer service and them telling me that I need to make a payment first (mind you the payment is due in January and my balance was only $18K) I am declined. Huh? No limit? My a$$. Further, I was being helped and she was ‘going to get someone from credit on the line to authorize’ and 5-mins later some clueless drone answers “how can I help you?”
We start from the beginning. After her ignoring my statements of tenure, never having an issue paying, etc. I get lectured on my charge history and over the last 6-months it’s been a bit lower (as I tried to explain, I’ve traveled less and just because I don’t charge the same every month shouldn’t matter). Thus, they’ve re-adjusted my limit. I said “I thought you don’t have limits?” – reply is “We don’t” – now I want to bash my head into the glass case while reaching through the phone to rip this person’s waste of a brain out.
I’m polite the entire time as I know what happens when you lose your cool w/Amex (you don’t have to swear, just raise your voice) – they tell you they don’t have to take it and hang up. I’ve had it happen long ago.
Anyway, I asked her, “are you going to approve this transaction or not – that’s all I need to know because you’ve wasted enough of my time and embarrassed me to know end?” Her reply, “Hold on, I’ll get a supervisor to help you.” I told her to wait – I don’t need a supervisor if he’s just going to placate me. “Hold on.” I hold a few minutes and of course a smug supervisor gets on the line with “Hello? What can I help you with?”
Are you kidding me? He had the information and knew what was going on. See, the rep thought she had me on hold and didn’t. I could hear them talking and heard his statement “I’ll get rid of him.”
Folks, this is what you are paying for and it sounds like you are OK with it. However, wait until your ego is popped and you look like a bafoon because American Express is feeling the pain of the credit crisis and frankly, a company I’ve shown a ton of loyalty to (and gotten them a few other customers who I will also take away), now I wouldn’t mind seeing them and their jerkoff reps out of business and out of a job.
Wamu treated me the same way several years ago when I had accounts w/them. I walked and have no sympathy for the company or the employees that made up the company. (for some reason, people seem to think it’s sad for the employees and the company is some entity whose fault it is and it runs itself – sorry, as the saying goes, the employees make the company – that doesn’t end when it goes out of business and they out of a job.
January 4th, 2009 at 17:37
Hi — I was thinking of the Amex Platinum card for assistance in making travel plans, esp since I will be traveling quite often this year. any comments on their service, options offered?
January 8th, 2009 at 01:47
The Platinum card for travel is awesome! no line ups for check in, lounge access, insurance (hotel/motel burg., auto insurance, medical, assist) and the concierge service is superb. I personally never had an issue with companion seats. One thing though, call in and make sure you have all the membership cards that come with the card itself because in some instances even if you have the service, if you dont call to ask for the card, they won’t offer it to you – other than that – enjoy!
January 8th, 2009 at 02:16
As for the note by Bill N – Yes i agree dealing with reps can be a pain and if you do get a bad one then God help you! Its true, using cards at jewelery stores does usually make the charge refer for someone to manually authorize it but I’m pretty sure that if you had another rep then no issues whatsoever. I’ve done everything on my card from booking flight to buying cars and I never had a problem. As for the concierge service – the worst thing they’ve done is recommend a closed restaurant while i was on the road; other than that theyve booked my hotels, restaurants, they even one ordered me a painting that i saw in norway – after i’ve flown back home. Now the rep you delt with is obviously an a$$ and sometimes other reps also pretend to be supervisors but the platinum card usually has it own dep and plus, if the platinum card isn’t enough you can always ask about the black; ya they wont offer it immediately but if you get the right ppl they would be able to provide you with one.
January 24th, 2009 at 23:11
Regarding Bill’s posting for Dec. 28th, . . .
I have had much the same experience with Platinum, except in my case the amounts were HIGHER. After charging 100-200k per month for a number of months in a row, and paying in full BEFORE the “due date”, one mysterious relatively low charge seemed to tipped the bucket and I got declined. I was pissed, and I pressed numerous reps for an explanation, but was simply told that I had been cut off unless I could pay down the balance immediately with a wire transfer. Remember, no history of late payments EVER, AND I had recently provided my bank statements showing a sustained period of high balances at their request. What pissed me off even more was that nobody that I talked to was remotely nice, apologetic, etc. After charging and promptly paying literally $1million+ on the card in the past year, I was being treated as if I didn’t know the first about paying a bill or how to manage my own finances. It was unbelievable.
My card is up for renewal in February, and I’m not planning to renew unless they offer to give me the next year free. I also have an Amex Blue with a very high credit limit. I’ve tried using the various Platinum benefits, but the only thing that I seem to come back to is the airport lounge access. Nothing else really seems to be worth it. Unless you travel a lot on expense accounts . . . I personally don’t think this card is worth the price.
January 27th, 2009 at 05:19
American Express Platinum card is strictly for prestige. The rewards are not anything special, and the concierge service is less then decent.
For people who know what the card is, it buys you respect wherever you use it.
Perks of the Platinum card: Spend what ever you want ,when you want, as frequently as you want. Sky is the limit.
If you cant afford the yearly fee, or feel its to hefty for a credit card then the platinum card is not for you. Perhaps you will do just fine with the green or gold card.
February 19th, 2009 at 12:21
I was thinking about applying for an Amex Platinum. After reading these comments, I don’t think I will. The main thing I wanted it for was getting better tickets to concerts/basketball games (V.I.P. events too) and the airport lounges. Are there any other credit cards that offer those kinds of services? Or, is Amex the only one that does that kind of stuff?
February 19th, 2009 at 16:36
I love my AMEX. I think it pays for itself every year, and plus some, and I don’t need to spend 45K. I have racked up 30K+ points in three months with the 10x points bonus months, I also always get extra points when I know products I have to buy are listed in the bonus mall, I saved over $200 on a car rental for a week in LA, I have lost track of how much I saved on free hotel upgrades, I enjoy the club rooms at the airport, upgrades on my cruise ships, and I think the concierge service is great.
I noticed no one has talked about credit disputes/resolutions on these boards. I originally signed up for AMEX after canceling my Capital One for screwing me on a dispute. I have had similar problems with other cards. However, I have never lost a dispute with AMEX, they give me minimal hassle, and I have even walked away twice with my money and the product (not intended). A perk that should not be overlooked.
Lastly, the rewards program on this card is a great value. I have had various other cards in my life, and none of the rewards programs have compared thus far. I.E For 34,000 I received a round trip ticket to LA with my AMEX. On my HSBC a round trip ticket to LA would have been 40K points, 50K for Capital One, and 60K for Chase. Not to mention the other three cards did not give me any bonus points so I actually had to spend $40,000.00 to get 40K points.
February 22nd, 2009 at 20:43
I had the AMEX Green card from 1976 thru 1986. I upgraded to Gold in 86 and upgraded to Platinum in 92. I found the best balance of fees vs points witht the gold card. When I upgraded to Platinum I traveled a lot and liked the access to the Airport clubs for both business & pleasure. If you don’t travel there is no justification for the the expense of the Platinum card. I recently downgraded to a Preferred Rewards Gold card and I find my spending which includes everything from Dunkin Donuts to Dinner pats for the card plus another $200-$300 in points for me.
F
March 11th, 2009 at 18:42
After using the card for a year I’ve come to the conclusion that the plat card is good if your spending 10 – 15k per month. Yes it saved me money on car rental insurance, and yes the card has prestige, and the concierge service is.. decent; it’s not the best but it’s like using a bad search engine – you have to know what you want and have to be very specific when asking for it. I’ve used my card to buy jewellery, put down payments on cars (Benz dealership didn’t let me pay more than 5k with amex because of the high fees they charge), and dinners between 50$ and 1500$ but recently for some reason as soon as i reach 15k in the month any charges get declined, i call and ask why and i get the generic answer that i’m spending more than they thought i would be spending. ?! – is the sky the limit with this card? NO. Is it a good card to have though? sure…. just always have a backup card.
March 28th, 2009 at 23:17
I love the Platinum card! I started out with the Green card and because of the spending habits, I was given the Gold Card within 6 months. After another 6 months, I received the invititation to the Platinum Card. The $495 annual fee was a little scary, but it is worth it if you use the card correctly. I travel 3 or 4 times a year, and using my Platinum, I am given access with 2 companions in the airline clubs. Love that! In December my husband and I made a quick decision to fly to Australia to spend the holidays with his family. I contacted Quantas to book a flight and could not believe the pricing! Economy seating from LA to Sydney was just over $8000 per person! YIKES! Quantas informed me that I if I would have booked a flight, say, 6 months prior, pricing would have much better. I then made a call to the Platinum Travel Services and they were able to get me on a flight with Quantas at $2800 and then proceeded to give me a FREE companion ticket for my husband! I made the reservation with them, received the companion ticket by Federal Express, which in turn I had to Fed Ex it to Quantas in Arizona. After Quantas received the companion certificate they then emailed me my two tickets. DONE! What would have cost me over $16k in airfaire only cost me a grand total of $3250 (including taxes and fees). That was a total savings of over $12,750! As I look at it, my annual fee of $495 is covered for over 25 years with that savings! Now, next month we are traveling to Las Vegas and with the Platinum card we were able to book a really nice suite in a luxury hotel for the price of a regular room. Another savings of just over $400 per night. Platinum Travel Services and the Conceirge were also able to get us front row seating to the shows we wanted to see and they have also arranged a luxury SUV to accomodate our travel to and from the airport. Not to mention the additional amenities that we will receive from AMEX during our trip. We have another couple that will be going to Vegas with us and they do not have an AMEX account…no problem! AMEX is granting the couple the same amenities as long as I use my AMEX to pay. The couple will then pay me back at the time of the transaction. I LOVE AMEX! They are truly the best credit card company!
April 5th, 2009 at 22:03
I have had a platinum AE for years. No limit; just pay the bill. Well this little perk ended without any notification from AE. Customer no service told me they reviewed epedia and just decided to give me a credit limit of only $5000. Kinda hard when bills in my office are $6,000+. Never a day late or a problem at all. Then when I told them I needed to go ahea and cancel the useless card, please give me my $400 back as they changed the agreement. After prorating the cost they were nice enough to give me $260 back after 4 months. They never notified me of this change in writing, email or by calling me ; they just did it and then they cancelled my card and told me afterward that I will lose my 117000 points accumulated. because my card was now “overdrawn” I couldnt transfer the points because it cost $56. So they deducted 11000 pnts and finally did it. Total time dealing with them today;;; about 2 hrs. Thank goodness I have other cards and sources of credit. Someone just trusting them could go out of business.
April 24th, 2009 at 09:10
I could never understand the delusion of some people that think carrying an AMEX Platinum gives them an aura of prestige or worse, that AMEX cares deeply about its card holders and their “loyalty” will be recognized. Anybody with an okay credit (meaning less than 30% debt-to-available credit and no late payments/collections in the last two years and no serious delinquency in the last 4-5 years) willing to pay their annual fee will be probably welcomed by AMEX, but years of exemplary charge and payment history means absolutely nothing to them when their computers detect a “risk” in your spending behavior (which shouldn’t be surprising since delinquency rates of even their super prime -this includes Centurion members- customers has gone up lately).
When there are Visa cards that offer 2% cash back on all purchases (Schwab. No spending limit and no foreign transaction fee, too), AMEX charge cards really don’t make good financial sense. Even if you travel often enough to take advantage of some of their partner offers, why charge everything on it when you can get better rewards with other cards?
May 8th, 2009 at 19:05
well I got suckered into upgrading the platinum from gold. It is costing me $81.00 for 3 months until my normal renewal date. the only reason I am trying this is I need to do some traveling & they offered me 35000 bonus points to try it. so I guess spending $81.00 & getting $350 in return isn’t that bad. I will try & use some of the extra services.
May 15th, 2009 at 16:16
I’ve had Amex since 1983, and in the last 10 years have been using it a lot for business expenses, sometimes 50-60K/month, always paid in full. I had a Platinum personal card, and one for my wife, and a Platinum card for my business with one additional cardholder. As soon as the financial crisis hit, Amex decimated my credit limit (yeah, right, no specific limit), then again recently to $6K, which is frankly useless. Luckily, I have other alternatives for both business and personal – but I can’t see the point in paying $495 + additional cardholder fees for something that has less buying power than the lowliest Visa card and has practically no prestige, it seems a lot of people are feeling the same. Anyhow, today I downgraded all my cards to Gold, and saved myself nearly a thousand dollars a year. I’d encourage everyone else to do the same, there’s no benefit to platinum, the concierge is less useful than a chocolate teapot, the rewards are just as good on the gold card (although given the limits, it’s a moot point).
Downgrading was actually a really painless process. I might drop Amex altogether in the not too distant future, it’s virtually valueless.
June 11th, 2009 at 12:59
I agree with Brett Jaffe. The so-called “two for one” complimentary business class ticket for international flights is a complete scam. I’ve had two experiences where I went online to find the cheapest business class fares on approved airlines in the AMEX program (here too , however, be very careful because many sites such as kayak.com give “cheap price” quotes only to give you a “flight currently sold out message” after actually selecting those cheap flights–which is another scam in and off itself). Thinking that the two-for-one deal quote given to me by the AMEX rep would be similar to the online quote, I was unpleasantly shocked when I was given quotes SUBSTANTIALLY higher than that quoted to me by online sites. For example, my total cost for Dallas to Florence Italy via the AMEX rep quote was $10,500…as opposed to less than $4000 online.
August 25th, 2009 at 12:45
This is not a very helpful review. The only reason to buy this card is because of the perks: companion tickets being the most notable. But are there other perks that this card has that one really can use that might justify the $450 annual fee(according to today’s info at the Amex site)?
October 13th, 2009 at 19:57
Ive had it for years……….Platinum is useless unless:
1) You travel weekly and 2) You travel weekly
- Any one of the airport lounge access membership fees is the same price as the Platinum fee. ( Wish they would get United )
- Companion pass is worthless unless you are flying last second and plan to pay full fare anyway, then the companion is nice because your tickets are outragious anyway…I bought 2 econo+AA points upgrade to business… CHI – FRA for 499 round trip (1000 total)… they wanted 12,500$ for First class plus companion. Not all Flights are covered… only select flights on select carriers… the fine print doesnt actually let you know if the flight is ‘eligable’ you have to call.
- Extra baggage insurance… (lost my bag 3 times BEFORE) i got the card, never after.
- Medical Travel Coverage (Fly you to the best Hospital very useful outside the US… not so much in)
- Points sucks, I have spent over 500k on this card and if I had a citi platinum plus or something with more points purchase bonus I’d be at millions.
- Concierge sucks, its virtually the same service as Centurion and 10 times more expensive than handing a bouncer 50 bucks in vegas. But when i try and book limos they will charge 150$ for something i can get online for $50, or if I want to get tickets to a game they charge double what I could scalp. The ONE thing that you HAVE to take advantage of is the ability to pre-purchase tickets before they go on sale through AMEX… then you get great seats for the same price as everyone else.
- Purchase Protection, this is awesome… I love this… can I tell you I love this??? Bought a pair of skis, broke them on a jump replaced them the next day through AMEX. Bought tickets to a private halloween ball… party was missmanaged and got shut down… AMEX credited me back… they double your manufacture warranty and cover pretty much anything up to 90 days…
- Can you buy shit like a car… no I tried… no retailer wants to pay the 1.75% CC transaction fee Amex will charge them
December 6th, 2009 at 11:12
I may have missed this, but if you are going for points, isn’t Gold much better than Platinum? You get triple for plane tickets and double for gas and groceries? You don’t get this with Platinum do you?
I don’t care about a few peanuts and a free cocktail at the clubs when traveling………..
December 8th, 2009 at 16:45
I am probably in the small minority who is very happy with the Platinum. Since 1999, I’ve used the companion ticket about 6 times and these were for international tickets (5 to Asia and 1 to Europe). These were all business related and I took my staff on the companion ticket. I own a boutique consulting firm so I am able to bill the cost to the client but it’s still cheaper than if we had purchased two unrestricted business tickets. This was something my client appreciated over the years.
Most memorable time was when I used it to buy a distressed condo property in Thailand last year. Since I couldn’t charge the downpayment on a condo to the AMEX, I purchased a new BMW ($58K, half of the price) for one of my client who gave me Thai Bhat in return. Of course I got hit 2% for the foreign exchange fee but how can you put down 20% cash on property in matter of hours. Besides, the bank would have charged me 3-4% to wire the funds and to convert the dollar plus at least a 2-3 days to clear paperwork. I am sure I was violating some foreign exchange laws but still very SWEET…
For a “typical situation”, I used the purchase protection back in 2005 for a camera during a cruise. I bought the camera in Vancouver for $2900 but lost it in Whittier; replaced it with no questions asked. I think the limit now is $1000 per incident.
Of course, the unlimited miles and airlines program is great. I’ve collected 4 million plus over the past 10 years and funded several exclusive events and countless vacations all over the world. But I still need 19 million points to go the sub-orbital space trip in 2030 before I turn 60.
You need a very good reason for a Platinum and if you are doing for prestige, don’t, that’s why I’ve turned down the Centurion.
December 9th, 2009 at 10:24
The BOGO business class is USELESS! You have to book fully refundable fairs, so it’s MORE EXPENSIVE than booking two regular first class tickets.
For example, I called about a round-trip ticket from Boston to Aruba.
Through AMEX program, the price was $2,764 for 2 people (including the companion’s tax fees). That’s $1,382 per person.
I checked Delta’s website and you can book a first class ticket to Aruba for $1,170 per person.
So, unless you need to book a refundable ticket, you end up spending more. It’s not a deal.
January 14th, 2010 at 12:22
I’m not impressed. American Express conveniently leaves out the $40 booking fee they charge when describing their travel services. They don’t offer any special perks or discounts with any carriers. I just ended up paying more for a flight that I booked through AMEX than I would have if I had booked it on my own through the carrier’s website. This is after I paid $400 to upgrade to Platinum.
Food for thought: If you book 10 flights a year through AMEX Platinum travel you will be charged $400 dollars annually. Added to the $400 annual fee, that’s $800 dollars a year to have your AMEX Platinum and use just ONE of it’s services.
I’m thinking of calling and canceling.
February 2nd, 2010 at 22:04
I’ve had the A/E Platinum Card for 26 years.
For years I was pleased with the many perks.
Today I feel a few of the programs are bogus, like the Companion Ticket Program. It is impossible and will cost you more!
I like the Fine Hotels and Resorts program, but the majority of the time I can score a better deal working directly with the resort or hotel!
Having said that, the late checkout and breakfasts are nice!
A/E is a reputable company.
When I have an issue with my bill they will dispute the charge and go to bat for me!
I like that!
I haven’t used the emergency evacuation service, thank God, but it sounds like a nice feature.
The ticket service has worked well for me!
I like the concierge service!
I have booked restaurant deals for my clients on the run!
Even A/E could not help me score a table at the Sky Bar in Los Angeles, but hey even they missed out for I entertained my A list guests at the “Chateau Marmount” and had a fantastic time without being surrounded by hoodlums!
Overall it troubles me to hear that A/E has offered others incentives, when I have not.
I have paid the fee they have required for 26 years.
I would like an incentive!
If this is the case, A/E should create a level playing field.
In truth with this terrible economy, A/E should lower their card fee to around $100.
I do not read the “Departure Magazine” and if they took a poll, would probably discover that the majority of their members would rather have a lower membership fee than a magazine.
March 19th, 2010 at 21:43
I have a business for 8 years,& my DNB score is very high
Do AE also check your personal credit for a business card,or just your company credit
Thanks Sean
March 20th, 2010 at 08:58
definitely your personal credit, not too sure about the business side though I suspect they also check.
June 6th, 2010 at 23:40
I had the Gold card years ago before Amex went downhill. They sent me a pre-approved platinum offer that gives 100k MR points after charging $1000 in the first three months. It appears to be a standard offer for new members. The 100k points alone are worth more than the $450 fee, so I took the offer. The club lounge access will be a bonus too. I doubt I’ll keep it beyond year 1, but we’ll see.
September 16th, 2010 at 19:32
I have a question:
If you get the Platinum card and cancel it within the 1st year, can you keep using the card to get access to the airport clubs? Then when the card expires, apply for it again. I’m assuming it’s only free for the first time, but just cancel it within a year and keep using it. Do you think that would work?
October 29th, 2010 at 18:07
Am planning to bail on Platinum now as Continental is removing themselves from the Platinum “family” (no lounge access, no easy transfer of points for miles). And, coincidentally (not!), Continental is now offering their own ‘elite’ card the Presidential Plus Card which has lounge access, concierge service…a lot of other little things–comparable to the Platinum Amex card. Since I focus all my travel on Continental this seems like the way to go for me…
November 8th, 2010 at 13:28
I need to report a lost credit card I had from 2007Sept.
Wish to have a new 1
updated with all credit info included
from 2007-2010
I used a few times only
maybe once…
December 21st, 2010 at 12:33
A long time ago, when I was a young sailor with a very expensive vehicle, the other young guys would say things like, “Man, if I had a car like that, I would ‘pull’ all the women!” And I would ask how would a car in the parking lot have anything to do with you ‘pulling’ a woman out of the club? Sometimes, I would ask, are you going to wear a picture of the car around your neck?
To me, it’s the same way with the American Express Platinum card. Pretty much all my life, I have owned a ‘fine’ vehicle. I never considered getting a AMEXPC before, but not long ago, I purchased the flagship model of the Mercedes Benz. It is really a fine vehicle. I enjoy driving it immensely. While doing some research for other things, either an AM commercial came on TV or a message popped up on my screen. Either way, I applied for the Platinum card. I have never owned an American Express card before. I will say that I have high limits on my other credit cards and I typically pay off my balance each month. But I bank with NFCU and BofA. I clicked the button and 60 seconds later, I received the Congratulations notification, I had been approved for the AMEXPC. I will admit, I was pleased and it feeds the ego a bit. But there are not many other people with limits as high as mine on my personal credit cards either. Also, as I mentioned, I had just purchased a very expensive vehicle. Nonetheless, I do not intend to walk around showing people my credit card. People do not go around talking about their credit scores, but those with good scores have the peace of mind in knowing they are paying better rates on some purchases. So, I said all that to say that while it is a nice perk to be able to get into the airport clubs without paying for them (two visits pays the price of the annual AMEX PC fee), and to have the extended checkout times in hotels, and auto upgrades, what one does with his or her AMEX PC is their own wishes and desires. Just as you applied for one, you can cancel it. I do appreciate the comments here, because they have provided areas for which I can be prepared. I intend to enjoy the card while I have it (just like my Benz!) and when it’s too much of a pain or a hassle, I will send it on its way. But none of my friends know I have one — but they do know I have the Benz. I just thought the two kind of went hand in hand. So far, I am satisfied. As far as the customer service comments go, how many times have we all experienced poor customer service. Next time, just say to the rep, “Hey, let’s switch places for a moment. Is that how you would like me to handle your situation if you were in my place.” See if that gets them to change their attitude. Remember, you can always hang up and call to get another rep as well. Yeah, you’ll have another way, but you’ll have some other things to do while you wait (like go to the bathroom) and believe me, it will be worth the wait.
Happy Holidays.
January 12th, 2011 at 20:20
Some people may think the card brings prestige. yes, Amex does market it as an elite product. but whether that marekting affects you probably has more to do with how you see yourself and worry about how others see you, rather than any true value.
The card itself does have real benefits, but you should consider the fee to see if you get your money’s worth. I think this card is geared for travelers. I get the value for the annual fee because I travel with my young kids (nothing exotic, just visiting extended family around the country) and the $200 baggage fee reimbursement and the access to lounges which I would otherwise have to pay $50 a person for, quickly get recvered, and then some.
I would not agree with those who say the fee is justifiable if you spend $45k and get 45k in membership reward points. Spending money to save money does not make any sense. The card either delivers hard dollar value to you or not. If you dont get hard dollar value for the fee, get a low cost/no cost card.
As for the Intl Airline program, we have used this with great satisfaction. Yes – it only covers their 23 partner airlines (but that gets you a lot), and yes, it is for full fare refundable business tickets. But if you are buying large dollar tickets and have risk in your itinerary, then its sensible to look at refuindable fares anyway. In the 3 times we have used this program, the total cost of the full fare with companion ticket was less than 2 non-refundable business tickets. So it has worked for us. But I always check the discount travel websites for myself to make sure.
Finally, it has been helpful to have their service when were in foreign countries, esp,. Asia. with language and cultural differences, I have found it hard to get local help when logistics go wrong. amex can always make things right, whereas my Visa providers cannot.
October 7th, 2011 at 18:01
Fairly happy Plat user here, a bit over 10 years. Have had 2nd thoughts a couple of times as the fee has gone up, but I do think it’s a decent value for me.
Obviously you have to use the perks…I find the prestige argument kind of silly.
I’d make the case that the benefits are most valuable to those who travel a moderate (or maybe moderate+) amount but at the “higher end.” The real road warrior types are going to have top level status in other loyalty programs without having to pay a fee to get it.
But for someone who travels a couple of times a month on business at most–but including international trips–and takes a few personal trips–and likes the luxury hotel experience, the Amex Plat definitely eases the way and pays for itself.
Airport lounge access has been great…though disappointed about CO dropping out, they’ve added Priority Pass Select (which is best for international use), so we’ll see.
The new $200 airline credit easily gets consumed with any amount of travel: a change fee here, a couple of in flight meals/drinks there, also can go toward lounge day passes or baggage fees.
I also find the rental car and hotel elite status benefits are worth something. Starwood is a good program anyway (imo) but being assured of gold whether I get 10 stays in every year is nice. Have gotten some great upgrades (5 nights in Vienna in a $700/night suite at a $300 standard room rate stands out).
Probably use the Fine Hotel program once or twice a year (for pleasure), and while other forms of haggling or deals can pay off too, it usually provides more than trivial value, esp as you can often combine with other promotions (such as 3 or 4th night free)…but of course you need to enjoy plush hotels and feel they are at least somewhat worth the going rates to begin with. The “value” of a free $50 Four Seasons hotel breakfast might not be that high, but it counts for something, and I’ve had pretty good luck with upgrades though this program too (again–not the only way to get one…)
Most people are probably not going to get much out of the companion airfare program unless they’d otherwise be buying a full-fare ticket (and it was always clear to me that you needed to be buying an unrestricted fare for the offer to apply). But I’ve used it twice to Asia (Tokyo on JAL on Hong Kong on Cathay P.) and it was definitely a several thousand dollar savings in each instance for tickets that would have been purchased anyway (i.e. they weren’t for a “discretionary” companion). I actually signed up for the Plat card to get the Tokyo deal way back when as my travel agent said that was really the only way she could think of to significantly reduce the cost of 2 tickets.
But have also come up empty a few times…they don’t always have the seats and certain itineraries seem to cause problems.
Would also agree that Amex service for any kind of billing issues has been excellent, esp as compared with other CC issuers. Not that I’ve had much to test them with.
Think i used the concierge once and it was fine, but I would not apportion much of the annual fee as being justified by that service.
The biggest issue is consistently taking advantage of the benefits. I had a couple period of relatively little travel over the last 10 years and felt like a bit of chump for paying the fee. (In light of some of the above, probably should have tried to get a concession, but maybe I’ll leave that for the next renewal).
January 26th, 2012 at 12:12
Hey Amex is now offering 50,000 points with the platinum card!!!
March 14th, 2012 at 12:19
395$ !!! they charge 750$ + you get the airport lounges card i thinit its called priorty card ! or previlage !!! i am not sure. i have just applied for it, i did that because i am a frequent flyer and my aim was getting the lounges access.
i will evaluate if it worth 750$ a year or not!!!!!!! yes yes yes this is what they charge us in the middle east i bit they say we have a lot of oil around here ! but still this is too much after a year if it turn out it doesn’t worth the money i will downgrade to gold.