American Express Platinum - UK cards

[gingernut9999]

Quite a few people have mentioned the benefits you get if you pay your onboard account with your Amex Platinum card. Does this apply just to US cards, or could i use my UK Amex Platinum card and get the same benefits. Cunard tell me yes, but Amex here in the UK know nothing about it... :confused:

Could anyone shed some light on the situation for me please?!

 

And how do you go about getting the benefits? Just by registering your Amex Platinum card as the credit card with which you want to pay your onboard account with, or is it more complicated than that?

 

thanks in advance :)

Donna

[wotec]

In the US, after our travel agent has paid with our AmExp Platinum card, she gets from Cunard the booking #, she then calls AmExp w/the booking #. There has always been (on every cruise line we've ever used) a thank you card from AmExp Plat Travel Services when we get on board, with a questionaire to mail to AmExp at the end of the voyage and sometimes a bottle of wine from AmExp. A few days after being underway we have the Purser's Desk check to be sure our $300 per stateroom shipboard credit has appeared on our account. You have to call AmExp Plat to find out what their special arrangement is with each cruise line - sometimes $300 per stateroom. The Cruise Line cannot give you this information. Hope this helps.

[Crouton]

I think you have to pay for your entire cruise with Amex, not just your onboard account....but I have no experience.

[juneann]

You're right Crouton!! You have to book your trip through Amex platinum and then use your card to pay for the trip, you then receive certain perks as well as an onboard credit, etc.

[CharlotteVale]

The cruise fare must be paid with an American Express Platinum card in order to receive the onboard credit, bottle of wine, etc.

 

However, the trip does not have to be booked through American Express Platinum Travel Services. I do the same as wotec. I book a trip (usually while onboard) and my Travel Agent contacts Amex and I get the credit. Until a few years ago a voucher was included with the ticket and now it is printed on the ticket.

 

One's onboard account may be settled in any way.

 

To the original poster.... Go back to Cunard and let them know you are having a problem with the credit. If they said yes, hopefully they will be able to help.

 

Miss Vale

[juneann]

Perhaps you're right but my experience was somewhat different. By booking through Amex platinum I also received 25,000 free miles and a $150.00 credit to my Amex account, that in addition to a $300 onboard credit and a bottle of wine waiting in my cabin.

[djcruiser]

Whether you get the AMEX perks or not depends on several factors. On a QE2 crossing booked though AMEX I got essentially what juneann did except I only got 5000 points, but did get $400.00 on board credit ( a "special" from AMEX brochure mailing which included business class airfare ), bottle of wine in cabin, and $150.00 credit on my account. When booked though a "regular" travel agent and payed for with AMEX platinum you get the perks but not the "specials" - you will get the wine, $300.00 on board credit (and if booked though AMEX Travel or an AMEX Travel Service agency an additional $150.00 account credit which can only be used once in a calander year ). However, I booked my QM2 crossing with Vantage Travel and DO NOT get the onboard credit or account credit since Vantage is considered a " tour packager" and not a "regular" travel agent. You do not get the credit if you book directly with Cunard either. Your travel agent can tell you if their agency qualifies for the on-board credit or not.

[godfreyb]

Two years ago I booked direct with Cunard and paid by AMEX platinum and received the $300 onboard credit and the bottle of wine

[djcruiser]

oops!! I stand corrected. When I called AMEX platinum to question why I didn't qualify for the $300.00 credit by booking with Vantage Travel I was told by the rep that Vantage was a "packager" and not an agent. I then asked, "What if I had booked with Cunard?" and was told that wouldn't have qualified either, it had to be a "regular" travel agent or AMEX Travel. This proves you can't always trust what a rep says - probably now more than ever before because of "outsourcing". I dont know if AMEX "outsources" or not.

[gingernut9999]

Thanks to everyone for their very useful information. i'll let you know how i get on! (QE2 Nov. '04 and Jun '05 booked)

 

Donna

[Elizanessie]

Sadly in the UK we don't get the benefits that our USA buddies get when using our Amex Plat Cards.I have asked and asked about it but Amex here says"No".They have different offers in the USA to the UK and sadly there isn't anything we can do about it.Maybe if a lot of cardholders were to write/e-mail/phone Amex about it then perhaps in the future we might get them to change their minds.When/if you contact them ask them for a written explanation,then they might take more notice.I don't think it is fair at all that our offers are so different.After all we all pay the hundreds of pounds/dollars for our cards.

 

Regards

Elizabeth

[wynkys]

As a holder of an Amex Platinum card who has recently travelled both Cunard and Silversea and paid for both trips on the card, I received absolutely nothing in the way of benefits.

When I asked the so-called 'executives' who man the phone lines at Amex Australia, I was informed that all travel had to be booked with their own travel agency and any rules that applied overseas were not relevant to Australia.

So good luck from this soon-to-be ex-American Express member.