Amex Platinum to end Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade Membership from April 2021

[yzstyle]

Bad news to start the year.

Was booking for an upcoming trip and realised my Golden Circle membership has been downgraded from Jade to Gold.

Called up both Shangri-La and Amex Platinum services, apparently the partnership will cease from April this year, so no more free breakfast with the hotel.

Talking about reducing benefits while keeping the fees....

I'm quite sure Amex has no intention to either reduce the annual fee or add new partner in the current environment.

 

[muppet]

Didn’t you get an extension of your status until 31 December 2021?

I got an email about it in October, along with points not expiring etc...

 

[SeaWolf]

I've never used this particular benefit, but it does feel to me like the Platinum card is getting progressively devalued here in Australia. First the $400 travel credit from the Reserve card, then the Local Champions program, now this. I'm not seeing anything much getting added in return to boost the value. In fact I'm kind of getting the feeling that AmEx would prefer we all just ditched the Platinum cards and got a credit card instead.

The US seems to be adding on more ongoing statement credit offers, but we're not seeing anything like that here. Even something like removing the foreign currency fees would be a real positive and probably not even cost them that much since everyone I know avoids using the card for foreign transactions anyway.

 

[Daver6]

This is disappointing. It also means the loss of the fast track to status with Singapore Air

 

[sudoer]

Was booking for an upcoming trip and realised my Golden Circle membership has been downgraded from Jade to Gold.

Called up both Shangri-La and Amex Platinum services, apparently the partnership will cease from April this year, so no more free breakfast with the hotel.

31 Mar is the last date for new enrolments which will expire in 2022, according to this link:

Shangri-La Golden Circle - Jade membership

American Express ICC Platinum Cardmembers can enjoy exclusive Shangri-La benefits with their Card when they book through their Platinum Travel service.

www.americanexpress.com

Effective 1 April 2021, Shangri-La’s Golden Circle Jade membership will no longer be a benefit of the Platinum® Card. Cardmembers can visit americanexpress.com/icc/benefitstatus to enrol in the benefit. Cardmembers who are enrolled in Shangri-La’s Golden Circle Jade membership as of 31 March 2021, will continue to have access to this benefit in line with the expiry date set out within your Golden Circle Membership, which can be found by logging in to your membership account at shangri-la.com/en/corporate/golden-circle/.

 

[samh004]

Looks like I'll probably have Jade until 2020 in that case, and then will re-evaluate, but not like there is anywhere to go right now, nor are there many properties (2) in Australia to visit. Shame that the fast-track to SQ will be lost, but at the same time, if I end up transferring some miles to SQ in the future I'll most likely book premium anyway and their program doesn't give me F lounge access anyway so not a huge loss.

 

[fantastikforce]

This is sad news. I've just had a stay recently at the Shangri-La and it was amazing!

I wonder why Amex's partnership with Shangri-La will be ending? Has there be a case before where they've announced something similar but have extended their partnership afterwards?

If they don't renew or reinstate their partnership with Shangri-La, hopefully they will add in another hotel program such as World of Hyatt to make up for this loss.

 

[oz_mark]

All of these partnerships are agreements for a fixed period of time. My guess is that Shangri-La wasn't seeing much benefit at the moment, so haven't renewed.

Sometimes the partnership returns down the track. I think Accor was gone for a while, and then returned.

 

[ole nimeton]

I've never used this particular benefit, but it does feel to me like the Platinum card is getting progressively devalued here in Australia. First the $400 travel credit from the Reserve card, then the Local Champions program, now this.

and the loss of restaurants on Priority Pass....
I'm coming up for renewal soon and am seriously considering if its worth it with the constant downgrades.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

All of these partnerships are agreements for a fixed period of time. My guess is that Shangri-La wasn't seeing much benefit at the moment, so haven't renewed.

Sometimes the partnership returns down the track. I think Accor was gone for a while, and then returned.

Amex inks these partnerships under the guise of 'we bring high-value customers to your business', when in reality - it's the other way around. Think about it - in the absence of elite status perks, would you pay the annual extortion fee?

The loyalty programs are waking up to that Amex needs to be paying for these elite status benefits.
I posted publically about this a few weeks back - Mark Ross-Smith on LinkedIn: #hotels

Expect more elite status perks to disappear IMO

 

[andye]

Enjoyed the worm

Amex inks these partnerships under the guise of 'we bring high-value customers to your business', when in reality - it's the other way around. Think about it - in the absence of elite status perks, would you pay the annual extortion fee?

The loyalty programs are waking up to that Amex needs to be paying for these elite status benefits.
I posted publically about this a few weeks back - Mark Ross-Smith on LinkedIn: #hotels

Expect more elite status perks to disappear IMO

Enjoyed the wormhole of looking at some of your previous LinkedIn posts. Looking forward to them becoming emore meaningful again (though recognise the non flight components are keeping airline afloat even now)

 

[samh004]

Amex inks these partnerships under the guise of 'we bring high-value customers to your business', when in reality - it's the other way around. Think about it - in the absence of elite status perks, would you pay the annual extortion fee?

The loyalty programs are waking up to that Amex needs to be paying for these elite status benefits.
I posted publically about this a few weeks back - Mark Ross-Smith on LinkedIn: #hotels

Expect more elite status perks to disappear IMO

Perhaps that's what a lot of people do, but I have chosen places to stay for myself or family based on the benefits provided, and thus directed business to a particular chain that I otherwise would not have. When my mother and sister visited India at the start of last year, they stayed at the Shangri-La because one of them had a subsidiary card of mine, and had activated the status at Golden Circle. They certainly wouldn't have stayed there otherwise. Likewise, I have stayed at their chain in Manila because of the status, and my mother used it to leapfrog to SQ Silver (should now be SQ Gold in her 3 weeks of HK quarantine hell).

If my status drops with them, I will quite happily choose another chain, such is my life now that I am that fickle when choosing a bed for the night

Obviously, if there were no benefits, no one would pay the high fee for a piece of stainless steel, but different customers find value in different ways. I am not sure I could place a high value on, what is it, 5 hotel statuses every year. The only one that actually gives true value is Accor Plus if you use your free night at a Sofitel that has been renovated, like I did last year in Singapore. The rest can be very hit and miss with upgrades and free amenities and how much they are worth to you.

I think the reality is that the Platinum card has been a travel card for many years, but now we can't travel they've been slow to pivot to it being a domestic card. Perhaps this is because too many of us are just accepting the poor value and not willing to close our accounts, and as such they believe they can get away with it. At some stage travel will resume and the card will again hold value, or that is what they're hoping.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Perhaps that's what a lot of people do, but I have chosen places to stay for myself or family based on the benefits provided, and thus directed business to a particular chain that I otherwise would not have. When my mother and sister visited India at the start of last year, they stayed at the Shangri-La because one of them had a subsidiary card of mine, and had activated the status at Golden Circle. They certainly wouldn't have stayed there otherwise. Likewise, I have stayed at their chain in Manila because of the status, and my mother used it to leapfrog to SQ Silver (should now be SQ Gold in her 3 weeks of HK quarantine hell).

If my status drops with them, I will quite happily choose another chain, such is my life now that I am that fickle when choosing a bed for the night

Obviously, if there were no benefits, no one would pay the high fee for a piece of stainless steel, but different customers find value in different ways. I am not sure I could place a high value on, what is it, 5 hotel statuses every year. The only one that actually gives true value is Accor Plus if you use your free night at a Sofitel that has been renovated, like I did last year in Singapore. The rest can be very hit and miss with upgrades and free amenities and how much they are worth to you.

I think the reality is that the Platinum card has been a travel card for many years, but now we can't travel they've been slow to pivot to it being a domestic card. Perhaps this is because too many of us are just accepting the poor value and not willing to close our accounts, and as such they believe they can get away with it. At some stage travel will resume and the card will again hold value, or that is what they're hoping.

Agree with all you say!

Minor tidbit..... Amex pays for your Accor Plus membership (that includes free hotel night+Accor Silver). Amex doesn't necessarily pay for the other benefits.

 

[daft009]

Perhaps that's what a lot of people do, but I have chosen places to stay for myself or family based on the benefits provided, and thus directed business to a particular chain that I otherwise would not have. When my mother and sister visited India at the start of last year, they stayed at the Shangri-La because one of them had a subsidiary card of mine, and had activated the status at Golden Circle. They certainly wouldn't have stayed there otherwise. Likewise, I have stayed at their chain in Manila because of the status, and my mother used it to leapfrog to SQ Silver (should now be SQ Gold in her 3 weeks of HK quarantine hell).

If my status drops with them, I will quite happily choose another chain, such is my life now that I am that fickle when choosing a bed for the night

Obviously, if there were no benefits, no one would pay the high fee for a piece of stainless steel, but different customers find value in different ways. I am not sure I could place a high value on, what is it, 5 hotel statuses every year. The only one that actually gives true value is Accor Plus if you use your free night at a Sofitel that has been renovated, like I did last year in Singapore. The rest can be very hit and miss with upgrades and free amenities and how much they are worth to you.

I think the reality is that the Platinum card has been a travel card for many years, but now we can't travel they've been slow to pivot to it being a domestic card. Perhaps this is because too many of us are just accepting the poor value and not willing to close our accounts, and as such they believe they can get away with it. At some stage travel will resume and the card will again hold value, or that is what they're hoping.

Yeah same here.
I only look at and book the hotels which have given me status via the platinum.

Traders hotel in KL was a favourite of mine

 

[auflier]

All of these partnerships are agreements for a fixed period of time. My guess is that Shangri-La wasn't seeing much benefit at the moment, so haven't renewed.

Sometimes the partnership returns down the track. I think Accor was gone for a while, and then returned.

yeah, gone as a platinum back as silver

 

[sudoer]

Could someone who has applied for Shangri-La status through their Amex please confirm whether status is applied for a full 12 months, or if it's until the end of calendar year?

Trying to work out if there's a benefit to leaving enrolment until closer to March, or if I should just enrol now. No planned stays in next 3 months.

 

[Actos]

Could someone who has applied for Shangri-La status through their Amex please confirm whether status is applied for a full 12 months, or if it's until the end of calendar year?

Trying to work out if there's a benefit to leaving enrolment until closer to March, or if I should just enrol now. No planned stays in next 3 months.

The unusual thing is when I first applied through AMEX (in 11/20), it listed my Shangri-La membership as being valid only until 11/21, with a note on needing to achieve the 10 stays before this date to continue maintaining status. So yes, 12 months when I had applied - but my situation was quite different to two of my friends who immediately had their status show up as valid until 31/12/2022. We all applied and were approved within the same week.

At the time it struck me as unusual that only I had to maintain a stay requirement to extend it beyond 12 months, but sometime between then and now, my app has updated my membership to the same expiry. I'm not quite sure what happened...

A bit unusual in my instance, so I'm not sure if this answers your question directly.

 

[Daver6]

Could someone who has applied for Shangri-La status through their Amex please confirm whether status is applied for a full 12 months, or if it's until the end of calendar year?

Trying to work out if there's a benefit to leaving enrolment until closer to March, or if I should just enrol now. No planned stays in next 3 months.

Mine shows as


Make of that what you will. I think I applied for it mid year in 2017. My current points balance also expires then too.

 

[mikedesign]

Mine is also valid through 12/21, applied in 06/19. Bear in mind the upgrade to Jade is not instant and you should allow extra time for it to process. Can't recall how long it took but I stayed at the Shangri-la Fiji in July 19 and hadn't been given Jade status at that point.

 

[sudoer]

I ended up enrolling a couple of weeks ago, membership activation link came through today. Not complaining about the expiration date...