Homer
Established Member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2006
- Posts
- 1,420
[Edit: I just found a discussion about this in one of the other threads. Sorry for the duplicate post.]
I apologise if this has already been posted, but I couldn't see it in this thread.
I've just received a little package from AMEX advising that from August the annual fee will rise to $5,000. They have also added a $5,000 joining fee for new memberships.
There's a new points earning table from 1 October: 3 points per $1 spent at restaurants; 2 points per $1 spent on airlines, hotels, forex, etc, and 1 point per $1 on everything else except for utilities, insurance, telcos and government bodies (eg ATO) where the earn rate will be half-a-point per $1. The points threshold increases to $750,000 per year whereupon the points earning rates all drop back to 1 point per $1 except for the half-a-point per $1 categories.
There are a handful of new benefits thrown in but there's little for me in there. They've rolled out the Relationship Managers to everybody, added guest access on the Priority Pass card plus access to VA lounges when you're flying with them. There are some new hotel loyalty memberships but at hotels that I don't frequent.
Oh and there's a signed, limited edition print enclosed :!:
Personally I'm not all that concerned by the annual fee increase. If you're currently paying the $4,600 (is that what it is?) then I figure $5,000 won't make you cancel unless you were already thinking about it. That's probably how they arrived at the fee... For me it's all about the service that I receive. There's a great guy in the Sydney office Lifestyle Team and so long as they keep him on board, or replace him with somebody just as good when he leaves, then I'll probably continue to stick with it.
Now...discuss!
I apologise if this has already been posted, but I couldn't see it in this thread.
I've just received a little package from AMEX advising that from August the annual fee will rise to $5,000. They have also added a $5,000 joining fee for new memberships.
There's a new points earning table from 1 October: 3 points per $1 spent at restaurants; 2 points per $1 spent on airlines, hotels, forex, etc, and 1 point per $1 on everything else except for utilities, insurance, telcos and government bodies (eg ATO) where the earn rate will be half-a-point per $1. The points threshold increases to $750,000 per year whereupon the points earning rates all drop back to 1 point per $1 except for the half-a-point per $1 categories.
There are a handful of new benefits thrown in but there's little for me in there. They've rolled out the Relationship Managers to everybody, added guest access on the Priority Pass card plus access to VA lounges when you're flying with them. There are some new hotel loyalty memberships but at hotels that I don't frequent.
Oh and there's a signed, limited edition print enclosed :!:
Personally I'm not all that concerned by the annual fee increase. If you're currently paying the $4,600 (is that what it is?) then I figure $5,000 won't make you cancel unless you were already thinking about it. That's probably how they arrived at the fee... For me it's all about the service that I receive. There's a great guy in the Sydney office Lifestyle Team and so long as they keep him on board, or replace him with somebody just as good when he leaves, then I'll probably continue to stick with it.
Now...discuss!
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