Reduction in Amex lounge benefits

[Dave G]

Yeah - But grandfathered -
$1250 fee - $850 travel credit, $400 dining - rest is for gratis - for now

 

[SydneySwan]

$1450 minus dining credits, minus travel credit makes this a $600 card.
Losing PP companion membership and Avis upgrade only leaves Accor membership as a sweetener for me.
I'm looking at alternatives. Maybe Amex just goes back into the churning list.

First post after being a member since 2013! Welcome to 'active' AFF membership..

 

[Ozchorlton]

You can thank stupid RBA surcharge ban and interchange reduction, with card revenues down they have to cut costs and some benefits to be able to fund any rewards. Im sure research showed that big spenders valued points more than lounge perks given most big spenders on travel would have status and hence airline lounge access anyway.

Amex is not covered by the RBA surcharge changes

 

[Aeryn]

Amex is not covered by the RBA surcharge changes

Yet - RBA have specifically announced they are next, they just getting ahead of the chnages.

 

[ramboflyer]

Domestically I think my Amex Platinum Velocity card is reasonable value for $440 annual fee. I get lounge access every time I fly Virgin. I get 2 guest passes every year so my wife can join me. I get 1 free flight each year, 100,000 sign on points and 1.25 earn rate. I also get 2 guest lounge passes each year with my Velocity High Flyer card.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

$1450 minus dining credits, minus travel credit makes this a $600 card.
Losing PP companion membership and Avis upgrade only leaves Accor membership as a sweetener for me.
I'm looking at alternatives. Maybe Amex just goes back into the churning list.

Minus comprehensive international travel insurance… which is worth several hundred dollars.

 

[albyd]

I don’t believe the RBA regulates Amex fees does it? so it hasn’t impacted.

They don’t but Amex has to compete with MC & Visa. They have to cut their fees to merchants or we’ll have Amex cards with high point earn but nowhere to use them.

 

[paultiffen]

Part of the benefit would be travelling with kids that if you have you as the main card holder and your wife as a supplementary then you can each guest 1 kid in. Now I believe for most Priority Pass lounges (not the AMEX ones) you would need to pay. If you have prebooked travel then what do you think the chances are that AMEX would agree to cover the lounge access fees as a credit if you were able to charge additional guests to the card?

Also is the travel insurance of any value when travelling on award flights mainly? Or does it need to be a paid ticket to kick in.

 

[albyd]

I turned up at the VA lounge with my two kids. They wouldn’t let me guest more than one. I was welcome to pay the $55 or whatever they asked for entry. The attendant helpfully suggested I should be able to pay for it with my fancy Amex. I didn’t think it was good value. I just bought breakfast for me & the kids in the public areas.

I emailed my Amex RM and she didn’t respond so I take that as ‘no response is a response’ and while I might try again with VA will accept the days of going to the lounge for a mediocre experience are over. YMMV.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Part of the benefit would be travelling with kids that if you have you as the main card holder and your wife as a supplementary then you can each guest 1 kid in. Now I believe for most Priority Pass lounges (not the AMEX ones) you would need to pay. If you have prebooked travel then what do you think the chances are that AMEX would agree to cover the lounge access fees as a credit if you were able to charge additional guests to the card?

Also is the travel insurance of any value when travelling on award flights mainly? Or does it need to be a paid ticket to kick in.

It covers Award tickets too

 

[ChrisFlyer]

I turned up at the VA lounge with my two kids. They wouldn’t let me guest more than one. I was welcome to pay the $55 or whatever they asked for entry. The attendant helpfully suggested I should be able to pay for it with my fancy Amex. I didn’t think it was good value. I just bought breakfast for me & the kids in the public areas.

I emailed my Amex RM and she didn’t respond so I take that as ‘no response is a response’ and while I might try again with VA will accept the days of going to the lounge for a mediocre experience are over. YMMV.

Could you request an additional card for one of your kids, set a spending limit of $100 (can be done through Amex online for the charge card), and if they're not old enough or trustworthy enough, keep hold of the card yourself and use it at times like this, so that they have their own card and entitlement to entry?

 

[albyd]

Could you request an additional card for one of your kids, set a spending limit of $100 (can be done through Amex online for the charge card), and if they're not old enough or trustworthy enough, keep hold of the card yourself and use it at times like this, so that they have their own card and entitlement to entry?

That's a good idea though they're 11 and 14 so AMEX has told me 18 or no dice.

 

[asterix]

That's a good idea though they're 11 and 14 so AMEX has told me 18 or no dice.

16 is the minimum age and AMEX asked for a copy of her ID when I got a supplementary for my daughter.

 

[albyd]

16 is the minimum age and AMEX asked for a copy of her ID when I got a supplementary for my daughter.

thanks for the heads up. I'll get my eldest a supp when he has his 16th birthday ... no doubt, he'll also be looking for his license heheh.

 

[burneracc]

thanks for the heads up. I'll get my eldest a supp when he has his 16th birthday ... no doubt, he'll also be looking for his license heheh.

You may also have some luck if you apply for your other eldest child who has the same name but was born 2 years earlier. ID is not required.

 

[albyd]

You may also have some luck if you apply for your other eldest child who has the same name but was born 2 years earlier. ID is not required.

Good thinking. I might do as you suggest

 

[Arowana]

For those interested AMEX have added a summary table of the changes on their website, link below

https://www.americanexpress.com/en-au/credit-cards/membership-benefits/the-platinum-card/travel/lounge-updates/

 

[csg001]

For those interested AMEX have added a summary table of the changes on their website, link below

https://www.americanexpress.com/en-au/credit-cards/membership-benefits/the-platinum-card/travel/lounge-updates/

Whoa hang on, the table suggests additional cardholders are not eligible for Virgin domestic lounge access, surely that's not right?!?! When did that change?!

(X under heading Platinum Personal & Platinum Business Card: Additional & Employee Card Member Access)

 

[bits]

Whoa hang on, the table suggests additional cardholders are not eligible for Virgin domestic lounge access, surely that's not right?!?! When did that change?!

That has always been the case, as per the existing T&C wording https://www.americanexpress.com/au/credit-cards/membership-benefits/travel/airport-lounges/

However, in practice it doesn't seem to be enforced because Virgin doesn't do anything with your card (other than sighting it in my experiende). They also can't distinguish an additional card from a primary one since there are no specific markers for additional cards.