"Enhancements" to MR earn on Platinum Card, Reserve & Centurian

[FuzzyAUS]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

After the phone call with my AMEX Rep yesterday i can confirm

- Will effect Cent cards too
- Same points earn up to 750k, then max 1pt per $1 (but less for Govt charges)
- Was told based off my spend i would be better off, due to high travel/restaurant spend, that i would end up getting more points.
- My ATO spend will mean .5pt instead of the 1.5
- Suggested maybe get the Qantas Ultimate as that is 1.5pt per $1 uncapped, however it is a credit not charge card.
- Cent membership fee will go up just under 20%
- Fare guarantee’s with 12 airlines
- 2 more Hotel chain's coming on board, Accor and another i forgot the name.

My comments in return
- Not impressed the membership fee going up while the benefits were decreasing significantly
- Access to the Virgin lounge doesnt mean a lot when i am Plat in both Virgin and Qantas
- Re-iterated that i thought the move away from Qantas wasnt a good thing overall
- The First & Business Guarantee doesnt do a lot for me when 90% of my flights are with QF, QF isnt covered
- Understood it wasnt him, told him that i had no issue with him but asked him to relay my strong feelings and that i believe they would lose some significant spend.

I will review my cards in the next 6 months (will start after the changes come in, i may just move my ATO/Utility spend to the QF Ultimate and leave the rest where it is.

So overall not so happy, but if the numbers on the travel spend/international purchases/food are right then i could end up with more points, will just move the ATO payments over to something else.

Fuzz...

 

[k3nnis]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Do you actually get a dedicated account manager for amex plat charge?

 

[greenfrog86]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Do you actually get a dedicated account manager for amex plat charge?

It is not a standard feature, however I understand that some customers who also have a business relationship with Amex may have their personal cards managed by their Relationship Manager.

FuzzyAus and some others who have posted here have Centurion cards where it is standard for you to have a dedicated relationship point.

 

[FuzzyAUS]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

FuzzyAus and some others who have posted here have Centurion cards where it is standard for you to have a dedicated relationship point.

Not always, it did take me 3 or 4 years i think before i got one, and that only came after they requested feedback so i gave it to them!!! Said their travel and concierge team were often useless...

 

[greenfrog86]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Not always, it did take me 3 or 4 years i think before i got one, and that only came after they requested feedback so i gave it to them!!! Said their travel and concierge team were often useless...

My friend managed to get one without trying - it was only after a while he realised that when he called he was speaking to the same person lol

She then eventually introduced herself more formally and explained her role a bit I guess.

Its certainly more common for Cent than Plat to have a relationship point though

 

[deluxeflyer]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

After the phone call with my AMEX Rep yesterday i can confirm

- Will effect Cent cards too
.......
- 2 more Hotel chain's coming on board, Accor and another i forgot the name.

For Plat it appears SPG Gold has been dropped,
and all car hire.

I'm disenchanted with these disenhancements.

 

[greenfrog86]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

After the phone call with my AMEX Rep yesterday i can confirm

- Will effect Cent cards too
- Same points earn up to 750k, then max 1pt per $1 (but less for Govt charges)
- Was told based off my spend i would be better off, due to high travel/restaurant spend, that i would end up getting more points.
- My ATO spend will mean .5pt instead of the 1.5
- Suggested maybe get the Qantas Ultimate as that is 1.5pt per $1 uncapped, however it is a credit not charge card.
- Cent membership fee will go up just under 20%
- Fare guarantee’s with 12 airlines
- 2 more Hotel chain's coming on board, Accor and another i forgot the name.

My comments in return
- Not impressed the membership fee going up while the benefits were decreasing significantly
- Access to the Virgin lounge doesnt mean a lot when i am Plat in both Virgin and Qantas
- Re-iterated that i thought the move away from Qantas wasnt a good thing overall
- The First & Business Guarantee doesnt do a lot for me when 90% of my flights are with QF, QF isnt covered
- Understood it wasnt him, told him that i had no issue with him but asked him to relay my strong feelings and that i believe they would lose some significant spend.

I will review my cards in the next 6 months (will start after the changes come in, i may just move my ATO/Utility spend to the QF Ultimate and leave the rest where it is.

So overall not so happy, but if the numbers on the travel spend/international purchases/food are right then i could end up with more points, will just move the ATO payments over to something else.

Fuzz...

I called Amex the other day and told them that the website updates were awful - bad formatting, incorrect links to terms and conditions and just a generally poor implementation of the changes...

Looks like they have tidied it up a little (at least on the platinum section) and its now ambit clearer...

Sounds like there is a difference in the caps for Cent and Plat - Fuzzy has given the Cent details above and the Platinum cap is now 300,000 however it reverts to 0.5pts after that (makes sense given the base earn is now 1pt)... Guess this makes the card less attractive to very large spenders.

Perhaps they will try and move more of the very high spending platinums onto Cent??

 

[k3nnis]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Hi,

Where did you get confirmation that spg gold has been drop for Plat?

For Plat it appears SPG Gold has been dropped,
and all car hire.

I'm disenchanted with these disenhancements.

 

[wafliron]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

- 2 more Hotel chain's coming on board, Accor and another i forgot the name.

I think it's Accor and Club Carlson, and they may already be on-board. Also available for Platinum cardholders too I think.

Quite by chance I logged onto the Platinum website yesterday and noticed Club Carlson status match was now listed. Went to submit one, and the list of options which hotel chain(s) you were submitting a status match for included Accor as well, although it's not mentioned anywhere else on the site. Submitted the match for both Accor and Club Carlson... will see how it goes.

Sounds like there is a difference in the caps for Cent and Plat - Fuzzy has given the Cent details above and the Platinum cap is now 300,000 however it reverts to 0.5pts after that (makes sense given the base earn is now 1pt)... Guess this makes the card less attractive to very large spenders.

I think you've misinterpreted the changes / website wording - after the first 300k points/year Platinum earns 1 point per $1 on all spend except utilities / government (which is 0.5 point per $1 at all times).

 

[greenfrog86]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

I think it's Accor and Club Carlson, and they may already be on-board. Also available for Platinum cardholders too I think.

Quite by chance I logged onto the Platinum website yesterday and noticed Club Carlson status match was now listed. Went to submit one, and the list of options which hotel chain(s) you were submitting a status match for included Accor as well, although it's not mentioned anywhere else on the site. Submitted the match for both Accor and Club Carlson... will see how it goes.



I think you've misinterpreted the changes / website wording - after the first 300k points/year Platinum earns 1 point per $1 on all spend except utilities / government (which is 0.5 point per $1 at all times).

Was just about to post the same thing about the hotel programs...

No, I have not misinterpreted. Have a think about it - the base earn on the Platinum Card will now be one point per AUD$1 spent up to 300,000 points. (the base points earn has changed from 1.5pts to 1pt per dollar)

After that, it reverts to 0.5 points per AUD$1 spent, otherwise the card would be uncapped at 1pt/$1.....

 

[wafliron]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

No, I have not misinterpreted. Have a think about it - the base earn on the Platinum Card will now be one point per AUD$1 spent up to 300,000 points. (the base points earn has changed from 1.5pts to 1pt per dollar)

After that, it reverts to 0.5 points per AUD$1 spent, otherwise the card would be uncapped at 1pt/$1.....

Where are getting the "reverts to 0.5 points per AUD$1 spent" from though? As far as I've been told (by my account manager) / have read on the Amex website / etc, it is still uncapped 1pt/$1... same as it was before, except for the reduction to 0.5pts/$1 for utilities / telco / government.

To quote, from the Amex website (Platinum page, "Platinum Rewards" tab):

...After which [October 1] you will earn:
3 points per $1 spent at restaurants in Australia1 listed here
2 points per $1 spent on:
Airlines, accommodation, major cruises and tour operators paid directly or through travel agents1 listed here
Spend in foreign currency when overseas and online1

1 point per $1 spent everywhere else excluding utilities, insurance (except insurances offered by American Express), telecommunications providers and government bodies in Australia where you will earn 0.5 points1.

Earn rate threshold is 300,000 points per year, reverting to 0.5 to 1 point per $1 spent thereafter15.

The final sentence confirms it's "0.5 to 1 point per $1" for all spend after the first 300,000 points per annum, uncapped. It does say 0.5 points to 1 point, but to me that looks like them saying it's still 0.5 points per $1 on utilities / telco / government and 1 point per $1 on everything else.

 

[cove]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Qantas Amex Ultimate is unchanged.

 

[Pumbaa]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Qantas Amex Ultimate is unchanged.

While this is true cove, the burn rates on Cathy and Singapore Airlines are a lot better than Qantas! Points stored in Membership Rewards are by far the most place to warehouse them

 

[Deleted member]

I think I am being taken for a ride by Amex. I wonder if the centurion was worth it after all ?

 

[cove]

Pumbaa we go on quite a few QF runs between PER -SYD - MEL in J so that chews up quite a number of points.
I have a pretty large Citi Select points warehouse for SQ points.
Amex cards of all types are now getting a lot less than half of my credit card transactions as better products came along.

 

[greenfrog86]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Where are getting the "reverts to 0.5 points per AUD$1 spent" from though? As far as I've been told (by my account manager) / have read on the Amex website / etc, it is still uncapped 1pt/$1... same as it was before, except for the reduction to 0.5pts/$1 for utilities / telco / government.

To quote, from the Amex website (Platinum page, "Platinum Rewards" tab):



The final sentence confirms it's "0.5 to 1 point per $1" for all spend after the first 300,000 points per annum, uncapped. It does say 0.5 points to 1 point, but to me that looks like them saying it's still 0.5 points per $1 on utilities / telco / government and 1 point per $1 on everything else.

Its not clear - I've already complained to Amex that this website is not clearly worded and should be revised to clearly state what the points earn is...

I get your point re the 1pt/$1 - maybe it is one point thereafter and no bonus points for anything else

 

[Ricardo]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Its not clear - I've already complained to Amex that this website is not clearly worded and should be revised to clearly state what the points earn is...

I get your point re the 1pt/$1 - maybe it is one point thereafter and no bonus points for anything else

They have lost me with this, and my membership ....

 

[kamchatsky]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

I will definitely drop Plat Charge and also Plat Reserve after this change. I really only need Plat Edge as I won't travel much next 2 years.

I think the whole change is to flush out all the average transactors and people with their own ABNs to pay ATO bills etc. They want Amex Plat Charge card to be used for frequent travellers, and reinstate its "class" above other average CCs. In Asia they see Amex Plat Charge card as high status hence they probably want to reinforce it.

I am hoping that Citi will upgrade my existing fee free Citi Plat visa to Select very soon. Oh well, my wallet will be lighter after this change.

 

[deluxeflyer]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

For Plat it appears SPG Gold has been dropped,
and all car hire.

I'm disenchanted with these disenhancements.

Hi,

Where did you get confirmation that spg gold has been drop for Plat?

Operative word is "appears".
SPG is not mentioned in the card benefits page whereas PC is.
SPG does still appear on the Plat only website though.
Amex is slow to update consistently and thoroughly,
so I'd expect more changes.

Edison makes a good point about flushing out average transactors.
Yes it does seem that Amex is pursuing lifestyle purchases rather than everyday purchases.
But the disconnect is this: in order for us to spend on restaurants, hotels and Louis Vuitton,
we need to generate income which invariably entails telcos, rates, utilities, taxes.

Amex is saying effectively we only care about your lifestyle (discretionary) purchases,
we don't care about your everyday requirements.

I've been offered Cent twice in the last 6 months.
I'd be mightily pi$$ed off if I had outlaid $4300 only to get my points earning reduced by 50-66%.

 

[kamchatsky]

Re: "Enhancements" to Membership Rewards scheme for Platinum Card / Platinum Reserve

Operative word is "appears".
SPG is not mentioned in the card benefits page whereas PC is.
SPG does still appear on the Plat only website though.
Amex is slow to update consistently and thoroughly,
so I'd expect more changes.

Edison makes a good point about flushing out average transactors.
Yes it does seem that Amex is pursuing lifestyle purchases rather than everyday purchases.
But the disconnect is this: in order for us to spend on restaurants, hotels and Louis Vuitton,
we need to generate income which invariably entails telcos, rates, utilities, taxes.

Amex is saying effectively we only care about your lifestyle (discretionary) purchases,
we don't care about your everyday requirements.

I've been offered Cent twice in the last 6 months.
I'd be mightily pi$$ed off if I had outlaid $4300 only to get my points earning reduced by 50-66%.

Well remember Australia is a very small market so they probably don't care anyway. In Asia (especially China), the market for luxury items/travel is so huge they probably throw all their resources to it right now. Having Plat Charge card in Asia is like a statement of wealth, and take that card out will tell your friends that you are richer than them.


Amex probably can get much higher margins in upscale stores/travel, hence the drive for users to use Amex Plat/Cent Charge Cards for that purpose.


Also with the change it helps them with proper market segregation (eg Edge for average transactors, Reserve for higher rate shoppers, Plat Charge for deluxe flyers/shoppers), which is important as they don't want to mix deluxe flyers/shoppers with average transactors. 0.5 point per dollar spent on ATO bill is masterstroke to flush out people who took advantage of this every few months and not much in return.


It probably makes sense for Amex with this change but unfortunately it hit minorities like us. Obviously this strategy is working for them already as some AFFers commented that they will benefit with the change, and they are the people who are travelling regularly.