Amex Offer

[14 months and counting]

This morning I received an offer on our American Express card for a $ 250 statement credit if we spent $ 1000 on Holland America. This offer appears on the "Amex Offer and Benefits" after the posted transactions on our online account. You must click on the offer and add it to your card BEFORE you pay Holland America the $ 1000.

 

I called my travel agent and asked him to pay $ 1000 on our upcoming July 2016 Konningsdam sailing. He called Holland America, paid the $ 1000 on our AMEX card and I have already received an email from American Express notifying me of the credit I will be receiving.

 

Not everyone receives the same offers. Last month, there was an offer for Celebrity Cruises, pay $ 1000, receive a $ 250 credit. We did not receive this offer.

 

Hope many on this forum will be eligible for this great savings.

[joepeka]

Thank you for the heads up. Unfortunately, when I checked just now, that offer is not among the ones listed under our card accounts. :( But I will keep checking!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Which American Express card do you have?

I doubt that American Express would give us an extra $250 on top of the $300 shipboard credit we already get when we use our Platinum card to pay for cruises.

Maybe that is why some of us don't get those offers???

[SeaBands]

and receive enough miles to fly to Europe or the Far East.

[POA1]

Which American Express card do you have?

I doubt that American Express would give us an extra $250 on top of the $300 shipboard credit we already get when we use our Platinum card to pay for cruises.

Maybe that is why some of us don't get those offers???

The offer is one of the ones you have to register for online. When you log in to your Amex account, scroll down the page until you see something that says "Your Offers" or something like that. (Sorry. Not at my computer right now.)

 

There will be a list of offers for you to choose from. If you have more than one American Express account, toggle between them because they often have different offers. (We have both personal and business accounts. The offers are often different.) Once you choose an offer, it's linked to that particular card.

 

When you use the linked card to make a qualifying purchase, you automatically get a statement credit in whatever amount the offer was for. If you are familiar with the Amex Platinum luggage fee benefits, it works the same way.

 

Since it's a statement credit, it's stackable with the AX Platinum OBC. :) I'll have to check to see if we have that offer in our list of available ones. Hopefully you will. Good luck,

[Jade13]

When does the offer end?

[14 months and counting]

We have the Blue Cash Amex card - the offer showed up this morning and is in effect til 12/31/15.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The offer is one of the ones you have to register for online. When you log in to your Amex account, scroll down the page until you see something that says "Your Offers" or something like that. (Sorry. Not at my computer right now.)

 

There will be a list of offers for you to choose from. If you have more than one American Express account, toggle between them because they often have different offers. (We have both personal and business accounts. The offers are often different.) Once you choose an offer, it's linked to that particular card.

 

When you use the linked card to make a qualifying purchase, you automatically get a statement credit in whatever amount the offer was for. If you are familiar with the Amex Platinum luggage fee benefits, it works the same way.

 

Since it's a statement credit, it's stackable with the AX Platinum OBC. :) I'll have to check to see if we have that offer in our list of available ones. Hopefully you will. Good luck,

 

 

We each have our own AMEX cards -- not linked to each other.

I do check from time to time about offers -- but have never seen anything like what OP talked about.

[StartrainDD]

I have over eighty (mostly) useless offers on my Amex card, but not this one! I could really use it for future cruise deposits on our upcoming cruise.

 

Mostly using my Sam's Club MC for travel spending as it gives 3% back. But 25% is better than 3%!

[POA1]

We each have our own AMEX cards -- not linked to each other.

 

I do check from time to time about offers -- but have never seen anything like what OP talked about.

 

If it makes you feel better, we got nuttin' on any of our accounts. We used to love AX Plat, but it's getting to the point where there's not a lot of value. I think we get a $5 statement credit at Panera Bread. Between you an me, that's not cutting it.

[sail7seas]

If it makes you feel better, we got nuttin' on any of our accounts. We used to love AX Plat, but it's getting to the point where there's not a lot of value. I think we get a $5 statement credit at Panera Bread. Between you an me, that's not cutting it.

 

I agree the Platinum Benefits have steadily diminished.

 

Do you remember when Am Ex Platinum used to let us book HAL cruises by paying the price of category "B" cabins as the cabins on "S" and "R" ships Verandah Deck used to be labeled and at the time of booking we got an immediate upgrade to Category "S"? We could select which S" (Neptune Suite) cabin we wanted right then. That was an amazing benefit. When HAL and Am Ex discontinued that benefit is when they instituted the $300 OBC.

 

[POA1]

I agree the Platinum Benefits have steadily diminished.

 

Do you remember when Am Ex Platinum used to let us book HAL cruises by paying the price of category "B" cabins as the cabins on "S" and "R" ships Verandah Deck used to be labeled and at the time of booking we got an immediate upgrade to Category "S"? We could select which S" (Neptune Suite) cabin we wanted right then. That was an amazing benefit. When HAL and Am Ex discontinued that benefit is when they instituted the $300 OBC.

 

 

Yes. That was when there was S, not SA, SB, SC, etc. It really was a good benefit.

 

Nowadays, there are so many "categories" it's not funny.

[cruz chic]

Hey, I can't even see offers on mine. Looked all over once I signed in. That said I don't need any help spending more money.

[jimd909]

Well, that offer doesn't show up on my platinum Delta Skymiles Amex. Guess I'll keep checking.

[sail7seas]

Sometimes (often) the offers apply to Am Ex Platinum card that is not partnered with Delta or Costco or some other entity. It is for the Am Ex direct card for which there is something like $450 annual fee.

Edited December 2, 2015 by sail7seas

[POA1]

Sometimes (often) the offers apply to Am Ex Platinum card that is not partnered with Delta or Costco or some other entity. It is for the Am Ex direct card for which there is something like $450 annual fee.

You're absolutely correct. That's why I recommended toggling through all your Amex accounts. The offers are often different. Real life example: My cell phone bills to my business AX. I never see a T-Mobile offer there. Our personal AX always, or almost always, has a T-Mobile offer.

[CruiseReg]

If it makes you feel better, we got nuttin' on any of our accounts. We used to love AX Plat, but it's getting to the point where there's not a lot of value. I think we get a $5 statement credit at Panera Bread. Between you an me, that's not cutting it.

 

I nuked my personal Plat Amex for this very reason! $475 + $175 annual fee needs to provide far more value than we were seeing. The main reason I justified it was the airport lounge access and while the Centurion Club at SFO is decent, that's the only airport that had a club I could access with my travel.

 

Regarding this offer, I also don't have it across 3 different Amex accounts :( Congratulations for those that have it, it's the best offer I've heard of.

[cruisun]

I agree the Platinum Benefits have steadily diminished.

 

Do you remember when Am Ex Platinum used to let us book HAL cruises by paying the price of category "B" cabins as the cabins on "S" and "R" ships Verandah Deck used to be labeled and at the time of booking we got an immediate upgrade to Category "S"? We could select which S" (Neptune Suite) cabin we wanted right then. That was an amazing benefit. When HAL and Am Ex discontinued that benefit is when they instituted the $300 OBC.

 

 

This year my platinum Amex OBC was reduced to $200 and no longer includes the free dinner at Pinnacle on the first night:(

 

My second booking includes Explorer 4 in my cruise fare which I feel was a good deal, however Amex OBC was not "combinable " with that offer so NO OBC or Pinnacle dinner.

 

My third booking is as a solo and although I'm paying 100% single supplement my Amex Platinum OBC is $100

 

This is my first time back on Hal in a few years. I used to get $300 and the free Pinnacle dinner on every cruise regardless of other promotions or whether I was sailing solo or not.

 

Still get the $300 OBC or more when sailing on Crystal.

 

It's unfortunate that benefits keep being reduced. I suppose one has to evaluate if the annual fee is worth it each year when it is time to renew.

[ICUQT]

I just have a regular Gold AMEX Card (not Platinum) and have activated the offer from the list good through 12/31.

[cat shepard]

I had to keep adding more offers to my list before I found it - but there it was. And now it is safely added to my card awaiting my booking. :)

[sambamama]

I have an AMEX platinum, AMEX business platinum, AMEX gold, and AMEX everyday. It was only on my everyday card, which is the one I use the least. Go figure! But thanks for the update! I have mine saved, and the $1000 pays for my 15 night TA next November!

[CruiseReg]

I just added this to my Gold AMEX. Before this morning, the offer was not available across 3 different AMEX accounts, so those that haven't had it show up, keep looking!

[morpheus4356]

 

I called my travel agent and asked him to pay $ 1000 on our upcoming July 2016 Konningsdam sailing. He called Holland America, paid the $ 1000 on our AMEX card and I have already received an email from American Express notifying me of the credit I will be receiving.

 

Not everyone receives the same offers. Last month, there was an offer for Celebrity Cruises, pay $ 1000, receive a $ 250 credit. We did not receive this offer.

 

Hope many on this forum will be eligible for this great savings.

 

I also received the offer on my Amex blue card. How does the payment through a travel agent work? When you book through a travel agent do you get billed by them or Holland America?

 

I found a travel site through the popular site that gives you different quotes for cruises with a cheaper price than advertised on Holland America and it would be great to book through them.

Edited December 5, 2015 by morpheus4356

[sail7seas]

Most of us do not permit a TA to put the charge through their agency.

When we authorize any payments, HAL must be credited directly. Your monthly

AmEx bill will reflect the charge (payment) was made to HAL, not your TA. Be sure to verify with the on-line TA that is the only way you will permit a charge on your credit card.

[joepeka]

I also received the offer on my Amex blue card. How does the payment through a travel agent work? When you book through a travel agent do you get billed by them or Holland America?

 

I found a travel site through the popular site that gives you different quotes for cruises with a cheaper price than advertised on Holland America and it would be great to book through them.

 

Most of us do not permit a TA to put the charge through their agency.

When we authorize any payments, HAL must be credited directly. Your monthly AmEx bill will reflect the charge (payment) was made to HAL, not your TA. Be sure to verify with the on-line TA that is the only way you will permit a charge on your credit card.

Agree with Sail7seas. When it comes to payments, our TA is simply the middleman in that they hand off the handling of the charge to our Amex card to the cruise line (HAL in this case) - the agency never makes the credit card charge to themselves then pays the cruise line from their funds. Some TA's may do that, ours does not.

Edited December 6, 2015 by joepeka