Amex platinum Charge annual fee increase

[somebol]

Apparently they no longer offer the plat edge as a companion card, I was only offered the Qantas discovery card. When did this change?

 

[nlagalle]

Apparently they no longer offer the plat edge as a companion card, I was only offered the Qantas discovery card. When did this change?

It was usually the reserve card you got for free..

 

[somebol]

Ah. ok. But they no longer have the reserve, so Qants Ultimate is the only choice.

So if I get a plat edge card in addition to my plat charge, will points from both cards go to the one account?

 

[nlagalle]

Ah. ok. But they no longer have the reserve, so Qants Ultimate is the only choice.

So if I get a plat edge card in addition to my plat charge, will points from both cards go to the one account?

Don't they? I wasn't aware they had cut the reserve off?

 

[somebol]

I called the plat line and the CSR advised that the Qantas Ultimate was the only available companion card.

 

[nlagalle]

I called the plat line and the CSR advised that the Qantas Ultimate was the only available companion card.

Either the CSR is wrong ir the website is:

https://www.americanexpress.com/australia/microsite/the-platinum-card.shtml#sub4

I've heard nothing about them dropping the reserve CC, i have one and i get it fee free.

 

[somebol]

Hmm.. looks like a call back is in order.

 

[lovestotravel]

Apparently they no longer offer the plat edge as a companion card, I was only offered the Qantas discovery card. When did this change?

I was pretty sure you can have either the Reserve or Edge card for free as a companion card, it was like this when I rang about 2 months back

 

[dcooper]

With the killing off of the australian call centre how can they justify this increase? Surely their costs have decreased?

 

[vet]

How have the benefits eroded over the last 5 years?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

How have the benefits eroded over the last 5 years?

Well I no longer have the card...but when I did I used to compared to now a few key "enhancements" have been "deal-breakers" for me are:

* Earn 1.5 points on all spend - now it is from 0.5 to 3.0 - so depending on one's spend pattern it can good, bad or the same - for me it is very bad as I have other cards that I can earn the same of better rates on, and so from a point earning perspective the card had no use for me at all.

* Get the fee either waived, or partly waived - now it is full whack at an increased $1200

* Travel Insurance - use to be free just by having the card, and was regardless of spend & was a very good policy.....and importantly anyone who had a sup card also had their own separate TI and did not have to be travelling with me to be covered. With 3 kids and a wife who can travel at different times to me, this used to a major plus of the card. (for insurance I now use the Westpac Black which is free for me, and only requires $500 per person spent on the card and to possess return flights to Aust before departure, but which do not have to be purcased on the card or by points earnt on it)

 

[dcooper]

How have the benefits eroded over the last 5 years?

reward points decreased (I have lost significant points on this). I would understand if the MSF rates went down but they didn't as part of this. The merchant is getting charged the same msf rate that they did before so we are still being surcharged and getting lees points.
insurance decreased
service levels decreased
lost AA lounges
reserve credit card only if you can get one many people cant seem to get one. the international flight options are terrible. Whats the point???
Whilst we gained a 'few extra' benefits such as the travel discount of $200 for OS flights only on certain airlines apparently and a free nights stay at an accor hotel there are too many exclusions and no one seems to know anything about this offer.


The main issue I have with the new fee structure is that it is not aligned globally. The Australian version of the card is the most expensive card in the world. The US card has much better features such as no FX fee etc at a much better rate. If we are now being serviced out of the US then why are the benefits not aligned to them. I'm not paying $1200 per year and not getting the service that I expect. 1 we should have been communicated to that the call centre was closed as platinum customers we expect our issues to be solved in Australia. Not the US where they want to call us back on their time zone.

 

[mini2]

You will be pleased to find out our situation is identical over in Hong Kong - similar erosion of benefits and a massive fee hike. We aren't the only ones peeved off with the situation. So what on earth is Amex trying to do now if we aren't the only victims?

 

[dcooper]

And yet does Amex actually listen to anyone. They seem to have lost the plot.

 

[mitwg]

You will be pleased to find out our situation is identical over in Hong Kong - similar erosion of benefits and a massive fee hike. We aren't the only ones peeved off with the situation. So what on earth is Amex trying to do now if we aren't the only victims?

I'll trade you my $200 travel credit for the $300 credit at a Shangri La property and ofcourse, the bottle of bollinger for my birthday

 

[dcooper]

Agreed mitwg... We in Australia get duped, terrible service and benefits but high cost.

 

[mini2]

Beyond lost the plot - they can't even lodge a chargeback properly. Bought something, didn't receive it as it's clearly stated in my comms with them yet the idiots managed to lodged it as unauthorised tx. Killed my PayPal account in the process. E-mailed them number of times to get their dispute idiots to sort it out to no avail.

I still haven't written that complaint letter for the exec customer relations but definitely will get around to it this week. Think I had enough.

 

[basso]

I'm not paying $1200 per year and not getting the service that I expect. 1 we should have been communicated to that the call centre was closed as platinum customers we expect our issues to be solved in Australia. Not the US where they want to call us back on their time zone.

Surely what you want is your problem to be solved. It is up to Amex how they go about doing that. I see know reason why they should tell you when they move the call centres around...

 

[mitwg]

Surely what you want is your problem to be solved. It is up to Amex how they go about doing that. I see know reason why they should tell you when they move the call centres around...

I am sort of with basso on this one. I don't exactly care where the service centre is based, providing that they deliver on my requirements correctly.

Although, I think geographic location does play a part to an extent as well. A concierge based in the city will have no problems recognising the various landmarks I refer to when I make a request whereas for a overseas based crew, I would have to be spelling these out and having them google the results. Time zone is obviously another concern.

But providing I don't have the above problems, I couldn't care less whether my relationship manager was an 'Aussie', as long as they provide good, consistent service.

 

[dcooper]

Basso part of the reason I had a platinum card was for the localised experience. The US call centre so far hasn't been able to solve anything. There last comment was I'll log an issue but no one will get back to you. The Australian call centre would have followed it through. The guys in the us don't really care about surcharging etc. if it's cheaper to process a call in the us then why the increase in fees? It's all about minimising costs for Amex it seems. Plus if I've been dealing with the Australian call centre for the last 12 years then I do expect some sort of communication as it has been a selling point of platinum for a very long time