American Express Platinum/Princess rewards

[compozer]

Morgan Stanley is offering the American Express Platinum card and I'm debating getting one. There is an annual fee of $450 but there are many perks - airport lounges, airline fee credits, flight insurance, OBC from cruise ships, etc. I did a search and found a thread from CC - Royal Carribean:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1513204

Then I checked and it looks like Princess also is part of the program.

 

Have any of you used it and received OBC's from American Express Platinum?

[claroquesi]

2 category upgrade

bottle of wine

dinner at a specialty restaurant

OBC (depending on cabin type booked)

 

They also do this on Celebrity, we usually do it this way, it justifies our having the card.

 

It really depends on how much you travel though, this is the estimated breakdown of how much the perks we get with the card cost retail for 2

 

Bag fee return-100

Lounge with cocktails and snacks in airport-100

Cruise perks-300

Upgrade late check out and early check in at post cruise hotel-250

 

So on this one trip we more than justified the fee, but if you don't travel at least once a year, it can be harder to justify.

[ridolphi]

We have it and use it frequently. For Princess and HAL though, the 300 obc only applies to full suites, otherwise its a 2 category upgrade. We got the benefits on our upcoming cruise in April.

 

Agree that it depends on how much you travel.

 

Also, it isn't automatic, your TA will need to sign up with AX if they aren't already, and once deposit is made get a tracking number and then call it to the cruisline. If you use American Express Travel, or if you book thru American Express Platinum Services then they do it for you automatically.

[compozer]

Good to hear it works on Princess. I have a cruise booked for 2013 so if I talk to my TA and she signs up (I think it will be MArch 15 before we can get the card) will it count on that cruise? I have a suite booked.

 

So, next question : If you book an AB mini, does it bump you up to the lowest suite? That is a huge difference in price.

 

I know that maybe ten years ago, one of the cards that the brokerage firm offered, had the airport lounge perk but, if I remember correctly, not that many airports that we traveled to had the lounge so it wasn't worth the fee. Since I've never used any of the lounges, do most airports have them? and are they lounges for certain airlines? I remember there was some type of a lounge in Cancun 20 years ago - it was up the stairs and I hardly saw anyone going up there.

Have any of you been turned away from a lounge?

 

One more question: I thought I heard that not everyone will accept American Express, is that true?

 

Thanks for helping me decide about this card.

[bcnvcanada]

Also two of the best perks. Global Entrance you apply and AMEXPlat pays, and the Priority Pass to airport clubs around the world you apply and AMEXPLAT pays. With the GE and your frequent flyers numbers it gets you to the limited tsa security line GO line at some airports with many coming on board, this will be a real perk. If you fly or travel a lot it is worth it.

[ridolphi]

Compozer - the category upgrade only applies within your category, i.e. mini to mini, balcony to balcony, etc. Booking an AB will not get you lowest suite,, believe me I would have done that if I could. LOL!! We booked AC and got upgraded to AA.

 

As to applying to your 2013 cruise, to get the benefits the entire cruise must be paid with AMEX. Not sure on Princess if this works or not, but we got our card after booking and depositing a Regent cruise, and we were able to refund the deposit to our MC and then recharge it to the AMEX and then we paid the final with AMEX and we got the extra 300 obc, but I don't know if you can do this on Princess or not, I'm sure your TA can find that out. Be nice if you could and I would think it would have to be done asap.

 

The airport lounge thing is iffy. CO/UA no longer participate. You can get access to any USAir lounge whether flying them or not. You can get access to DL as long as you are flying them that day and show your ticket and AX card. We have not used the Priority Pass perk, and those lounges are not airline lounges, can't think of the name, but we might need that one day.

 

I think most if not all cruise lines now accept AX, but not all participate in the Platinum program. I know Princess, HAL, Celebrity, Regent, SilverSea & Seabourn do, but haven't checked about NCL or RCL or Carnival.

[JimmyVWine]

The airport lounge thing is iffy. CO/UA no longer participate. You can get access to any USAir lounge whether flying them or not. You can get access to DL as long as you are flying them that day and show your ticket and AX card. We have not used the Priority Pass perk, and those lounges are not airline lounges, can't think of the name, but we might need that one day.

 

To add to this...American Airlines "Admiral's Club" lounges are included. The Priority Pass lounges differ by location. Sometimes they are affiliated with airlines. Other times, not. For example, at JFK, you have access to a UA lounge and a KAL lounge. Here is the website. Anyone can join. but with Amex Platinum, you get the membership included. http://www.prioritypass.com/ You can search the website to find all the lounges that participate. While participating airline lounges such as DL, USAir and AA are fee, lounges accessed through the Priority Pass system charge $27 per person per visit.

 

Another good perk with Amex Platinum is that each year you can register one particular airline and receive a $200 credit towards expenses incurred with that airline, such as checked bag fees and food purchases in flight (or in the club lounge). Can't use it toward the price of a ticket, but you can use it for any incidentals. So if you use up your $200 credit each year, and make use of the airport lounges, the card comes close to paying for itself.

[Sunviking]

After reading this thread this AM I contacted my travel agent this morning about the 2 cruises we have booked. She got back with me right away with revised booking forms showing an additional $300 OBC for each cruise. :) That more than pays for the cost of the card.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It sounds good...

[mycruz]

We also upgraded our card recently. I was able to apply the benefits to all three cabins we have booked on our cruise in March one of which is a full suite. We have already made back the cost of the card this year on the one cruise. It was

The day after I applied, before I got the actual card I was able to have the benefits applied. Amex had my acct updated immediately so it was eligible for the Platinum benefits.

[compozer]

We really didn't think they would let you jump up to a suite since they usually are double the price. But does that work for suite categories? There also can be a big difference there. SO many questions. I'll call and ask Princess tomorrow.

 

Sunviking - glad it helped you. Did you use FCC for your deposits for your cruises? I'd like to pick out my cabin so I would want to get the upgrade as soon as possible after booking. Or do you pick the cabin you want and then just pay for a cabin two categories lower?

 

I looked up some lounges in different cities - certainly seems like they are iffy.

. FLL is a no and some at LAX but I still think the cruise perks are worth it along with the baggage fee, etc.

 

I always pay off my cruises with my card - love those rewards. I will call my TA tomorrow to see if it will work on my 28 day cruise.

 

I had a doctors appointment today and when I checked in, I noticed a sign that said Mastercard and Visa. I asked and they do not accept AE. I think I need to check out a second one that also has rewards.

[ridolphi]

The two category upgrade does not work if you book a full suite, as then you get the $300 obc.

 

If you book a lower category such as a mini suite, then instead of the obc you get the two category upgrade. You also get a bottle of champagne and a complimentary first night dinner in Sabatini's, but I think you can use that dinner chit any night, even though it says first night. Probably depends on ship, and the Maitre'd involved, but when we were on Sapphire two years ago, one of the couples had the AMEX benefits and used the Sabatini's comp dinner the night we all went together.

[Sunviking]

Sunviking - glad it helped you. Did you use FCC for your deposits for your cruises? I'd like to pick out my cabin so I would want to get the upgrade as soon as possible after booking. Or do you pick the cabin you want and then just pay for a cabin two categories lower?

 

We always use FCCs to book and always book a specific cabin. We spend lots of our time in our cabin so we want one that suits our needs. I think you only get the OBC if you book a suite.

[Host CJSKIDS]

We have used it on many of our cruises and enjoy the perks. Each time we change the champagne certificate to credit towards wine.

 

The Amex FHR program is fantastic. I use that frequently when we travel if I can.

 

My card just renewed and I hated getting the large renewal fee plus the renewal fee for the secondary cards associated with it but the perks have paid off for us very year so it has been worth it.

[compozer]

DA, had a little minor surgery today so I'm not thinking right. Now I got about the suite.

 

Glad to hear I can still use the FCC's. The first year fee will be waived for us and we are given one secondary card free. Now, I'm wondering if the secondary card is just free the first year or every year. Another question to ask my broker.

 

So, is the secondary card fee as much as the first, cjskids?

 

FHR - haven't researched that part of it yet. What are the highlights of it?

 

thanks

[Host CJSKIDS]

DA, had a little minor surgery today so I'm not thinking right. Now I got about the suite.

 

Glad to hear I can still use the FCC's. The first year fee will be waived for us and we are given one secondary card free. Now, I'm wondering if the secondary card is just free the first year or every year. Another question to ask my broker.

 

So, is the secondary card fee as much as the first, cjskids?

 

FHR - haven't researched that part of it yet. What are the highlights of it?

 

thanks

 

I just checked my Jan. statement to confrim the pricing The secondary card is $175 per year. That charge will pay for up to 3 additional cards.

 

The FHR is great. You get early check in if available, guaranteed 4 pm check out, upgrade if available, breakfast each morning and then another amenity depending on the hotel. Many hotels have that be $100 resort credit. The rate is usually the best available rate that you will see on the hotel's website.

The hotels that are in the program are limited though and not every place will have one. I can tell you that in Orlando for instance, it's The Ritz Carlton, Waldorf Astoria and Loew's Portofino.

 

You can use the FCC, we have done that every time.

 

Hope you are feeling well after your surgery.