2025 Amex Membership Rewards Devaluation

[mrtupperware]

Same here, although given my travel patterns I decided on 60% CX (with the. current transfer bonus) and 40% Avios.

Incentive to keep the plat card now has dropped significantly.

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I dont think the CX transfer bonus applies to Amex transfers?

 

[Human]

I dont think the CX transfer bonus applies to Amex transfers?

It did apply to AmEx. Of course, the transfer bonus period is finished now.

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[Jack_OC]

So I didn't realise that existing unused Accor Stay Plus benefits were going to suddenly disappear on 1 Oct. I still hadn't used mine for this membership year, and I had it still showing in my account with an expiry of Dec 2025 at the start of last week. I logged in to try to use it at the weekend and found it's gone. I contacted Amex and they first claimed that it definitely wasn't gone and the changes wouldn't take effect until December - which turned out to be complete nonsense. They have now confirmed it's gone and said there is nothing they can do. After I complained, they then offered me 280k points as compensation - but not until January (coincidentally after my next annual fee is due). I think this is basically the final straw for me.

 

[Daver6]

So I didn't realise that existing unused Accor Stay Plus benefits were going to suddenly disappear on 1 Oct. I still hadn't used mine for this membership year, and I had it still showing in my account with an expiry of Dec 2025 at the start of last week. I logged in to try to use it at the weekend and found it's gone. I contacted Amex and they first claimed that it definitely wasn't gone and the changes wouldn't take effect until December - which turned out to be complete nonsense. They have now confirmed it's gone and said there is nothing they can do. After I complained, they then offered me 280k points as compensation - but not until January (coincidentally after my next annual fee is due). I think this is basically the final straw for me.

I assume your Accor Plus year ends Sept 30?

 

[Jack_OC]

I assume your Accor Plus year ends Sept 30?

Nope. It ends in December.

My understanding is that all Accor Plus memberships transferred to the new Explorer scheme on 1 Oct, and if anyone had an unused “old” Stay Plus benefit (regardless of expiry date) they have lost it.

 

[Daver6]

Nope. It ends in December.

My understanding is that all Accor Plus memberships transferred to the new Explorer scheme on 1 Oct, and if anyone had an unused “old” Stay Plus benefit (regardless of expiry date) they have lost it.

You should have had that unused night converted to two StayPlus nights under the new scheme. There have been multiple emails from Accor Plus about this change over plus much discussion here ALL Accor+ Explorer Membership Discussion

Not sure how this is Amex's fault either. Contact Accor Plus and get them to sort out your two free nights under the new scheme.

 

[Jack_OC]

You should have had that unused night converted to two StayPlus nights under the new scheme. There have been multiple emails from Accor Plus about this change over plus much discussion here ALL Accor+ Explorer Membership Discussion

Not sure how this is Amex's fault either. Contact Accor Plus and get them to sort out your two free nights under the new scheme.

I have received the new benefit, but it isn’t two free nights. It’s two “buy one, get one free nights”, which is a far inferior benefit, and in my particular circumstances it’s unusable before the end of December, as I will not be staying two nights anywhere before then.

None of the emails I received said anything about the existing free night in my account disappearing, and even when I contacted Amex customer services about it they initially said that I can still use my existing fee night before December. Furthermore, your initial reaction to my comment was that my Accor year must have ended on 30 September. As such, it’s a bit odd that you’re now claiming it was clear to everyone what was happening.

 

[ishfrem]

What's the best option to change amex rewards too before devaluation? Avios? Cathay?
Currently Aeroplan has an Marriott bonus of 15% so it works out to be about 0.3 Aeroplan for 1 amex points but looks like a lot of the benefits of Aeroplan are gone now that Singapore airlines isn't releasing flights on Aeroplan as much for Australia.

 

[Human]

What's the best option to change amex rewards too before devaluation? Avios? Cathay?

There's no simple, or one-size-fits-all, answer. I discussed it a little bit in this post but it really depends on where, and when, you want to travel.

I'm hedging a little and transferring to both Qatar avios and Cathay; I'm pretty sure that I'll be using both in the coming years.

I would say that overall Avios is better for Europe; Cathay is better for Asia. However, Qatar hasn't been releasing "saver" awards for the European summer for a few years now, so if you want to use points to travel to Europe from about late June to September, I'd transfer to Cathay.

But remember that you're being speculative by definition so there are no guarantees.

 

[birthdy]

I guess we got until 15 Dec. In the meantime hopefully some bonus point transfer to QR or CX

 

[Bell21]

I have received the new benefit, but it isn’t two free nights. It’s two “buy one, get one free nights”, which is a far inferior benefit, and in my particular circumstances it’s unusable before the end of December, as I will not be staying two nights anywhere before then.

None of the emails I received said anything about the existing free night in my account disappearing, and even when I contacted Amex customer services about it they initially said that I can still use my existing fee night before December. Furthermore, your initial reaction to my comment was that my Accor year must have ended on 30 September. As such, it’s a bit odd that you’re now claiming it was clear to everyone what was happening.

I understood it as @Daver6 said - I was clear from AMEX / Accor comms that our free night was getting replaced by 'one free night as part of a 2 night stay' (my membership ended 30 Sept), but good to hear that AMEX said you can still use your existing free night - hopefully Accor honours that too.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

good to hear that AMEX said you can still use your existing free night - hopefully Accor honours that too.

I wouldn't go in with particularly high expectations. The comms from Accor that I reviewed and linked in the notice from Amex were quite clear that any unused Stay Plus nights would be converted as of 1 October, regardless of one's membership dates. It's what triggered me to use mine last month.

I hope to stand corrected, but I suspect Accor will deflect the mistake to Amex, who will not be prepared to own it beyond a, "We're sorry for any confusion and inconvenience however only Accor can control their benefits..."

 

[Jack_OC]

I understood it as @Daver6 said - I was clear from AMEX / Accor comms that our free night was getting replaced by 'one free night as part of a 2 night stay' (my membership ended 30 Sept), but good to hear that AMEX said you can still use your existing free night - hopefully Accor honours that too.

To be clear - Amex initially said I can still use my "old" free night, but that turned out to be incorrect. Via online chat, Amex told me I had to call the Amex Platinum travel team for help in booking it (which sounded very odd). I then phoned the Platinum travel team who also said that I can still use my free night, but I had to call Accor. Before I got around to doing that though, Amex got back to me to say they had got this wrong, and in fact I could no longer use the free night - it had to be booked prior to 1 Oct.

I wouldn't go in with particularly high expectations. The comms from Accor that I reviewed and linked in the notice from Amex were quite clear that any unused Stay Plus nights would be converted as of 1 October, regardless of one's membership dates. It's what triggered me to use mine last month.

I hope to stand corrected, but I suspect Accor will deflect the mistake to Amex, who will not be prepared to own it beyond a, "We're sorry for any confusion and inconvenience however only Accor can control their benefits..."

The emails that I received from Accor and Amex said nothing about unused free nights being replaced. They made it clear what will happen in the new program, but it did not say anything about existing free nights. And as I said, even the Amex staff (plural) that I dealt with didn't know that's what was happening. Amex have also apologised and offered compensation.