Update 5/24/19: American Express is sending out more BLADE gift cards, this time for $295. Blade rides are currently $120 from Manhattan.
On occasion American Express sends out gifts to select Platinum cardholders, for example last year they sent out Amazon Echo’s. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of rhyme or reason why some cardholders are selected and others aren’t (e.g even those with really high spend aren’t always if ever targeted).
Some TPG readers have reported receiving a $250 gift card to BLADE. BLADE provides helicopter transport and airport transfers via helicopter. Rides start at $195 for scheduled flights between JFK and Manhattan, a BLADE Ultra passport will set you back $20,000 (but comes with $20,000 in BLADE credit and other freebies).
From the datapoints I’ve seen, only personal cardholders are receiving this $250 gift card and it seems to be highly targeted as well. It’s also not a true gift card as it expires on July 15th, so the window to use it is small. It would also be useful to know how this arrived if any readers also received one. I like these freebies, but I don’t think it’s a smart play to send out high value items to only a few select cardholders as it ends up causing resentment across the cardholder pass. I think Discover does a better job of this by sending small occasional gift cards to some cardholders.
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It's not eligible for the $195 flights from Manhattan to/from JFK
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If someone has an code to trade for an Amazon gift card, let me know!
Actually, I have the Amex Gold Personal card, and I received a $295 Blade gift certificate coupon.
First person to reply to this comment can have a $295 blade code that a reader generously agreed to share. Expires July 1st, so only reply if you can 100% use it before then.
Please!
I can use the code!
Me!
I have a flight out. Would appreciate if i can get this
Winner winner chicken dinner, I'll e-mail you
send me the code
I feel like this is going to crash.
What you did there, I see it.
So my boss just handed me one of these that expires July 15, 2018.
Do you think I will be able to use it. It does say non transferable but curious if it is enforced. I do have a platinum card.
Your boss gave you a gift certificate that expired a year ago? How generous!
Timestamp, pal.
Hahaha. I didn't realize this was an update of an old post. Doh!
to clarify it's 195 from Manhattan TO JFK. Not available other way around
Not available at all the other way round? That's the more useful routing...
100 percent agree haha
You know, considering the targeted "offers" we all get from AmEx, I'd bet these are extensions of the same program. That is, it's not American Express purchasing and providing these "gifts" but an advertiser targeting their desired demographic.
Alexa is just another way to bring the Amazon point of sale into the home and remove barriers to spending money. A $250 gift card won't get you a free helicopter ride, but it might get you to try the service, and I'm sure every trip is profitable.
Luggage tags and stickers with advertisement are only extra things I received from Discover.
Wait, Discover sends out bonus gift cards? I have 2 Discover cards that are 20+ years old and have never seen one.
A bit over a year ago I got a $5 Starbucks gift card from them, but that was about it. It seems pretty random and I have no idea what triggers it. Had a Discover card for ~7 years.