AMEx Platinum OBC?

[trvlfan]

We booked our fall Med cruise directly with Oceania, through their online booking, paying in full (deposit, final payment, plus other prebooked extras) with our AMEX Platinum card. Does O honor the AMEX offer of $300 OBC, when you book directly with them? The Oceania package was a "Your World Your way" which included stuff like prepaid gratuities, unlimited internet and a $500 shipboard credit... There is no additional AMEX OBC listed on our invoice, but we still would have gotten the same package if we had booked through AMEX Platinum Travel plus the AMEX OBC of $300. Did we screw ourselves out of the extra $300, by not using AMEX or another TA that would have honored the perk?

 

Anyone have experience with getting the AMEX OBC when booking directly with "O"?

[rogfam]

I booked through my TA with my Amex Plat. card on Marina that included "Your World Your Way" perks. Didn't receive the $300 from Amex. After calls to Oceania and Amex was told it was either take the $300 from Amex or the perks from Oceania, not both. I feel that one should not have anything to do with the other. Gather Oceania gives the $300 credit, not Amex.

[trvlfan]

Thanks Rogfam for the answer. It sounds like you followed it up, with the very concern I figured might be the case! However, I do have a spring cruise also booked that is not a "YWYW", and has no OBC, so I will push the TA I booked it with, to at least get one set of OBC!

[Paulchili]

I booked through my TA with my Amex Plat. card on Marina that included "Your World Your Way" perks. Didn't receive the $300 from Amex. After calls to Oceania and Amex was told it was either take the $300 from Amex or the perks from Oceania, not both. I feel that one should not have anything to do with the other. Gather Oceania gives the $300 credit, not Amex.

 

That was my experience in the past as well - only 1 OBC offer can be used. Pick the better one :)

Have little use for the Plat. Amex as I avoid Delta like the PLAQUE :D . I get better return from my Sapphire card.

YMMV

[jpalbny]

Have little use for the Plat. Amex as I avoid Delta like the PLAQUE :D . I get better return from my Sapphire card.

YMMV

 

Paul - You've been hacked! Welcome back, LionelFlyer! ;)

[Paulchili]

Paul - You've been hacked! Welcome back, LionelFlyer! ;)

 

I was hoping someone would get it :)

[jeffreys1]

I booked a Your World Offer on Riviera thru my travel agent in August for a July 2014 sailing and got the OBC that was part of the Your World package of benefits AND the $300 Amex Platinum credit. It's printed right on the Oceania Guest Statement I received confirming payment of the deposit and including all of the perks including the "$300 Amex platinum credit and wine tasting."

AMEX.pdf

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Not all Amex Platnium Cards qualify for the OBC; The branded ones like Starwood or Costco do not qualify for the credit. Also your TA has to register the OBC with Amex and all the payments must be on AMEX cards.

[JimandStan]

Not all Amex Platnium Cards qualify for the OBC; The branded ones like Starwood or Costco do not qualify for the credit. Also your TA has to register the OBC with Amex and all the payments must be on AMEX cards.

 

Ah but Chatkat, occasionally you will find Oceania offers which ARE combinable with Starwoods Platimum Visa, and when that happens, JUMP ON IT!

We always find that it pays to ask first, all that they can say is no.

[pacheco18]

My TA has told me that he will not know if the Amex Platinum perks apply until he plugs it into the system at final payment. It depends on the "deal" he has been able to get from the cruise line.

 

From my point of view, if I already have a substantial OBC from my TA, the small Amex OBC is not worth it. As someone posted, I get double miles on travel from my Chase Sapphire card -- which ultimately gets me free business air. Way better deal IMO.

[ronrick1943]

It shouldn't make a difference, an offer is an offer. American Express wants you to use their card---so they should make good on the offer (no matter what you get from you TA or "O") unless they state the facts period.

Rick

[wripro]

Another reason to always use a TA instead of booking directly. The TA calls Amex to get you the OBC. He gets a tracking number which he submits to Oceania. A good TA will fight for it while Oceania will fight to keep you from getting it.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Except that the OBC you get for using the AMEX Card comes from Oceania - not AMEX so Oceania said you can have one promotion in our case. We could not get the AMEX $300 OBC and the Prepaid Gratuities.

[ronrick1943]

Shouldn't make any difference who pays for it, if American Express advertises it as an American Express promotion for using their card-then you should get both. Oceania should pay or give you what they advertise and American Express should give you what they advertise. If they don't, they should advertise one program and give you a choice-not hide what they are doing.

Rick

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Shouldn't make any difference who pays for it, if American Express advertises it as an American Express promotion for using their card-then you should get both. Oceania should pay or give you what they advertise and American Express should give you what they advertise. If they don't, they should advertise one program and give you a choice-not hide what they are doing.

Rick

 

They have lot's of fine print on their promotions.

[Twocoasts]

Shouldn't make any difference who pays for it, if American Express advertises it as an American Express promotion for using their card-then you should get both. Oceania should pay or give you what they advertise and American Express should give you what they advertise. If they don't, they should advertise one program and give you a choice-not hide what they are doing.

Rick

 

Amex Platinum benefits fall into different categories. There are CARD benefits and there are TRAVEL benefits. The OBC is a TRAVEL benefit for Platinum card holders. You only get the benefit if you book through Amex Travel. It's the same with hotel upgrades--you only get the benefit if you book through Amex Travel.

[JimandStan]

Amex Platinum benefits fall into different categories. There are CARD benefits and there are TRAVEL benefits. The OBC is a TRAVEL benefit for Platinum card holders. You only get the benefit if you book through Amex Travel. It's the same with hotel upgrades--you only get the benefit if you book through Amex Travel.

 

I don't know how it works in the rest of the country, but here in Connecticut, there are a number of seemingly independent Brick & Mortar Agencies which are affiliated with Amex Travel, and offer all of the same benefits.

[zz19]

I don't know how it works in the rest of the country, but here in Connecticut, there are a number of seemingly independent Brick & Mortar Agencies which are affiliated with Amex Travel, and offer all of the same benefits.

 

Jim and Stan, you are correct.....In my experience, a cruise does not have to be booked only through Amex Travel.....Any travel agent can contact Amex to cross-reference your cruise with them. :)

[ronrick1943]

Your right, you don't have to book with American Express direct, a lot of agents are connected to American Express. But you must charge your cruise to American Express.

 

Rick

[Paulchili]

Jim and Stan, you are correct.....In my experience, a cruise does not have to be booked only through Amex Travel.....Any travel agent can contact Amex to cross-reference your cruise with them. :)

 

zz19,

Great to see you back on CC - you've been missed :D

You are correct (as usual). In addition, one does not have to use the Plat. card itself for booking the cruise. Rather one can use any or combination of Amex cards (to pay for the entire cruise) but one must have a Plat. card to be eligible for this benefit.

That is how I understand it.

[pacheco18]

zz19,

Great to see you back on CC - you've been missed :D

You are correct (as usual). In addition, one does not have to use the Plat. card itself for booking the cruise. Rather one can use any or combination of Amex cards (to pay for the entire cruise) but one must have a Plat. card to be eligible for this benefit.

That is how I understand it.

 

I was told you have to USE the card to get the OBC.

[fairbourne]

So if you have an UK Amex Plat card, book your Oceania cruise through a cruise specialist TA in the UK (not through American Express Platinum Travel Services), pay for it with your Amex Plat, then you can get the Amex Plat OBC?

 

Of course, I understand it may be quite different here in the UK and I have seen the OBC on the Amex Plat travel offers online, booking with Amex PTS, but from what you are saying it appears you don't have to book through them to get the OBC?

 

Does anyone in the UK know? (I know I could phone Amex Plat!)

 

Thanks! :)

[Paulchili]

I was told you have to USE the card to get the OBC.

 

That is definitely not correct as I have done it the way I described (not using the Plat. card) and got the credit in the past.

Granted, it was a couple of years ago and things change all the time.....

[JimandStan]

pay for it with your Amex Plat

 

Does Anyone-

Still use.....

A Plat?

 

Sorry, just couldn't resist! :D

[RJB]

Your right, you don't have to book with American Express direct, a lot of agents are connected to American Express. But you must charge your cruise to American Express.

 

Rick

Sounds correct to me. We have gotten the benefit and not booked directly with Amex travel.