Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel credi

[dscorpcom10]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

Thanks for the clarification: makes sense

 

[andye]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

Intersting, $400 travel credit is the same you get for the Explorer - I wonder if AMEX is finally pulling the plug on Reserve and replacing them with Explorer...?

Amex still happy to send me out a form for complimentary Reserve yesterday. I would probably have delayed my application but got twitchy that the offer might not be available for much longer

 

[lobo76]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

Do the flight credits earn Velocity Status Credits when used to book flights on Virgin?

 

[oz_mark]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

Do the flight credits earn Velocity Status Credits when used to book flights on Virgin?

I imagine that SC are more likely when using a credit, rather than the existing flight bookings (which I never got, but some say they did)

 

[albyd]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

My understanding is that the old flight redemptions don't earn status credits but using your $400 credit is like using cash to buy a revenue fare at a travel agent (like Amex) and should earn status credits as a revenue fare.

 

[andye]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

My understanding is that the old flight redemptions don't earn status credits but using your $400 credit is like using cash to buy a revenue fare at a travel agent (like Amex) and should earn status credits as a revenue fare.

Will be fine for flights but travel credit may mean no status recognition/points if used for hotels

 

[serfty]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

I imagine that SC are more likely when using a credit, rather than the existing flight bookings (which I never got, but some say they did)

I found earn (points/SC's) happened on international 'free' flights.

 

[M@rcoPolo]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

I found earn (points/SC's) happened on international 'free' flights.

Never happen for me with "free" flights to NZ!

 

[serfty]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

Never happen for me with "free" flights to NZ!

Such is life - I reasoned it was due to Points being awarded on distance for international flights.

I didn't do many - a TT return trip every two years.

 

[Haplo]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

I called Amex yesterday and they told me pooling of travel credit is possible but ONLY if it is booked via Platinum Travel Services, i.e. it is a Platinum Charge cardholders only.

 

[albyd]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

That's great to know as I have three cards with travel credit now and am Platinum charge holder.
Will we be able to spend it a little at a time or need to spend the lot in one booking? I have $1100 in credits don't want to have to spend them in one go unless I'm say booking flights for family annual holiday otherwise best to redeem them one at a time.

 

[andye]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

Suspect there are many who hold both Edge & Explorer who will be unhappy

 

[M@rcoPolo]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

I called Amex yesterday and they told me pooling of travel credit is possible but ONLY if it is booked via Platinum Travel Services, i.e. it is a Platinum Charge cardholders only.

Sounds good and it looks like they don't charge booking fees for Platinum Travel Credit bookings

 

[edman]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

Never happen for me with "free" flights to NZ!

Worked for me for 2 years, then not in 2016

 

[nickc83]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

I called Amex yesterday and they told me pooling of travel credit is possible but ONLY if it is booked via Platinum Travel Services, i.e. it is a Platinum Charge cardholders only.

Would be great to hear a confirmation from someone that they have actually succeeded in doing this. I have just given it a try over the phone and the rep didn't know about it, may have failed as it didn't sound like an Australian team member. I have sent an email to the australian address, will see how I go.

I'm starting to loathe Amex travel credits. Booking hotels for a Germany trip the Amex travel site is a pain to deal with including timeouts, errors, hotels missing on one search then found the next, lousy amount of hotels covered, frequent overpriced rooms compared to other booking sites, rooms that are found online that platinum travel can't see themselves over the phone and its inability to recognise two travel credits.

No matter what people tell you travel credits are not equivalent to cash unless you're very lucky in the hotels you select. You will more likely find yourself compromising on hotel selections or paying a little bit more per night just use the credit.

 

[anat0l]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

Got the flyer some time ago telling me about the change.

Truth be told, I can see a silver lining in all of this. I'm based in BNE, so as far as using the free flight vs credit goes, except when the air fare prices are crazy expensive, there's not much difference between the two, even to NZ. So I'm not losing out on too much at all, and gained a bit of flexibility. For example, if I really want to fly QF, I can. I guess I could even use it for international travel (even though there are things like using FC price beats, and so on...)

If this pooling ability actually works, that'd be pretty cool.


They say that if your anniversary of the flight benefit comes before the cut over date (in March), you can still redeem a free flight if you want before the benefit turns into credit. I assume that you can't "double dip" this, i.e. redeem your free flight now, and then after the cut over date, you won't get $400 of travel credit?

 

[Haplo]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

The lady on the phone told me as the Edge/Reserve cut over is not until end of March there will be more clearer information coming out as how combining travel credit via PTS will work.

 

[nickc83]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

As an update: After sending Amex an email they said they were willing to combine my explorer and platinum travel credits together and use them for one booking as a gesture of goodwill. They also mentioned to request the Online Travel Services team to do it in the future as the Platinum travel team cannot at the moment. It seems far from a standard service though - the process is they apply one travel credit on booking, charge the remainder to my card then refund it for the value of the other travel credit.

Will be nice when they get around to pooling credits properly in the future.

 

[coolstepslg]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

My annual fee is due on Feb 8th so i'm going to book a Nz flight then. i guess those that have a reduced annual fee of $295 for the reserve card will still get a $400 travel voucher from March? So will i have to wait until the follow year feb 2018 on the anniversary of my annual fee to access the $400 travel voucher? What if i cancel my card upon my return in late Feb will i avoid the Annual fee or still be liable for it since i took the flight? Since you cant apply for the platinum reserve any longer can you still reinstate closed Amex accounts within 60 days? if i did manage to reinstate it, will the annual fee start from the date of reactivation or the original Feb 8th?Does Amex allow you to still do product transfers over the phone or do you need to close unwanted card account make a new application and take another hit on the credit file? i wonder can i move my Amex Membership Rewards to Gateway points to Membership Rewards Ascent after March? or does points automatically change to Gateway points?

 

[dannnnl]

Re: Platinum reserve flight changed to travel credit and pooling of multiple travel c

that's good hear, thanks