Plat Charge - complimentary Priority CLub Gold membership

[simongr]

Hi all

Just checking on the Amex website and am a little confused. they describe the complimentary PC Gold membership as:

As a Platinum Card member, you're entitled to Priority Club® Rewards membership. The world's first hotel loyalty program includes over 4,100 hotels worldwide. This highly valued membership usually requires that you qualify for Gold Elite status. However these qualifies are bypassed thanks to your American Express Platinum Card membership.

But then on the same page:

You must requalify each calendar year for the next year’s Gold Elite status. Priority Club Rewards Gold Elite status will be awarded to you if you have a minimum of 15 eligible room nights or if you have earned at least 20,000 Priority Club points during a calendar year. Terms, conditions and Gold Elite status benefits are subject to change without notice.

https://www.iplatinum.americanexpress.com/prospect/australia/FrontServlet?request_type=PriorityPass

Any idea which of the statements is correct? Do you get Gold once and then have to requalify?

 

[soapsud]

Hi member
I have one of those comp priority cards and have been using it like nothing else. (I love the Shangri La Hotel). I am hoping that I will make the limit at the end of the year and if not I will plead with them to give me the card Back!!!! or I may have to get rid of my Plat. Amex

 

[oz_mark]

Do you get Gold once and then have to requalify?

This is how I read it (although being PC Plat, I have no reason to find out). In any case you can buy gold status for USD50

 

[NM]

... or if you have earned at least 20,000 Priority Club points during a calendar year.

Should not be hard. I earned 39K for my last PC hotel stay .

 

[soapsud]

Sorry guys the Shangri la program is the Golden Circle, my most coveted card, I forgot the Priorty club is the intercontinental chain and Priorty Pass is the airline lounge pass all given stasis by the Plat amex. Whew!! to many, programs

 

[medhead]

Thanks Simongr you asked half my question only a much more eloquently. (I'm really stuggling to keep up using only a netbook, instead of the home PC.)

I think I got a slightly different answer so it might have to be a case of suck it and see.

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...ds/amex-plat-charge-card-questions-21487.html

 

[straitman]

This is how I read it (although being PC Plat, I have no reason to find out). In any case you can buy gold status for USD50

I read it the same way as oz_mark.

 

[oz_mark]

I think I got a slightly different answer so it might have to be a case of suck it and see.

I did get the SPG gold card, and that was valid for two years. In addition, the T&C's don't seem to say anything about needing to requalify for SPG. Sometime next year I guess I will find out

 

[Keith009]

Hmm... that's a bit bizarre. I always thought you get the status for "free" so long as you remain a Plat charge card holder.

I got the PC Gold card for my stay at the IC Wellington which is valid through end of 2010. Not too big of a loss if I don't requalify as I don't see myself ending up in places with only ICHG properties that often. However, this might all be moot as I'm thinking of dropping down to the Plat credit card come fee renewal time as I've not been entirely satisfied with the service, especially with the level of annual fee required to upkeep the card.

 

[mick]

I did get the SPG gold card, and that was valid for two years. In addition, the T&C's don't seem to say anything about needing to requalify for SPG. Sometime next year I guess I will find out

My SPG Gold card has an expiry printed on it of 02/28/2010 (it was only valid for one year) but I've been told by Amex Platinum Travel that as long as I'm a Platinum Charge cardmember, SPG Gold status would remain.
This is important to me because I'll be staying at the Sheraton in the U.S. next month and hope to obtain a couple of the Gold benefits, eg. room upgrade and bonus points.

 

[i_drive]

I was thinking about this as well, and it would appear that for Platinum Charge holders you do get to have Priority Club Gold membership regardless if you stay in enough hotels to qualify for Gold - got my PC Gold in 2009 and despite only staying in IHG hotels for about 8 days in the whole year (not enough to re-qualify) I am still a Gold member in 2010!

mick, the SPG Gold was definitely useful when I went to the US for holidays last year - got upgrades to larger rooms at the Sheraton in Niagara Falls and Orlando, as well as nice one at the W Los Angeles - and racked up some free weekend nights and FF points too

 

[markis10]

I was thinking about this as well, and it would appear that for Platinum Charge holders you do get to have Priority Club Gold membership regardless if you stay in enough hotels to qualify for Gold - got my PC Gold in 2009 and despite only staying in IHG hotels for about 8 days in the whole year (not enough to re-qualify) I am still a Gold member in 2010!

Gold is only 20000 points to requal, anyone who requals based on nights rather than points is not reading the forums hard enough or registering for promotions, for instance the current 1000 bonus points per night would give you 8000 of the 20000 you need. At 11 points per $ spent, the points come pretty quickly without the promos.