It’s now March 30th, meaning that the planned changes for the American Express Platinum Personal & Business cards has now gone into effect. I know that readers will have many questions about these changes, so this post will be your reference post. I’ll be splitting this post into two sections: one section will be relating to the personal cards and it’s different variations and the other will be relating to the business card.
Personal Platinum
Before we get started it’s important to remember that there is more than one Personal Platinum variation, these changes apply to all variations of this card.
Quick Overview of Changes
- Annual fee has been increased from $450 to $550 per year.
- Up to $200 in annual Uber credits for rides within the U.S. and VIP status where available
- Card Members will receive $15 in Uber credit per month, with an additional $20 bonus in December, when they add their American Express Platinum Card as a payment method to the Uber app
- 5x Membership Rewards points for hotel bookings booked on amextravel.com
- New card design and metal card
- Complimentary additional gold cards for no annual fee
- Up to two guests can access Priority Pass lounges
- Limited to two guests that can access Centurion lounges
- Change in sign up bonus
Annual Fee Increase
For existing cardholders the change will be implemented as follows:
- Existing cardholders that have their annual fee due before August 31st, 2017 will get billed $450 for this year
- Existing cardholders that have their annual fee due on or after September 1st, 2017 will be billed $550
For some reason the Mercedes-Benz card is still showing a $475 annual fee. I was previously told this would also be increased to $550 as well. Wait & see… Showing the correct annual fee now
Uber Credits
These credits are now live and you have only two days (March 30th and March 31st) to use this months $15 credit. We’ve created a dedicated page that answers F.A.Q. about these credits (one piece of good news is that it’s currently working for UberEats).
If you live in an area that Uber doesn’t service, you’re out of luck. I directly asked American Express about this and received a less than satisfactory response (our cardholders travel).
Metal Card
You can now request a metal card online (Account services > Card management > Replace Cards (Damaged, Lost, Stolen, or Name Change)). At the moment cards are showing as deliverable in one days time (March 31st).
5x Membership Rewards Points On AmexTravel.com Hotel Bookings
As mentioned previously, this benefit is entirely worthless. You can read my thoughts on why here.
Gold Cards For No Annual Fee
My understanding is that these cards also get a PreCheck/Global Entry credit as well as earning 2x points on dining (a category the Platinum doesn’t earn a bonus in).
Lounge Access Changes
This is actually in two parts:
- You’re now allowed to bring two guests into Priority Pass lounges for free. No need to enroll or do any other changes. Previously you received free access and had to pay $27 per guest.
- You’re now limited to bringing two guests into Centurion lounges. Previously you could bring in two guests and immediate family members. This is a huge negative for travelling families, but might bring some relief to overcrowded lounges (I’ll reserve judgement until we see whether this actually happens or not).
Change In Sign Up Bonus
Here’s a detailed post on these changes.
Business Platinum
Quick Overview of Changes
- Annual fee will be staying at $450 per year
- No Uber credits
- Up to two guests can access Priority Pass lounges
- 5x Membership Rewards points for hotel bookings booked on amextravel.com
Lounge Access Changes
This is actually in two parts:
- You’re now allowed to bring two guests into Priority Pass lounges for free. No need to enroll or do any other changes. Previously you received free access and had to pay $27 per guest.
- You’re now limited to bringing two guests into Centurion lounges. Previously you could bring in two guests and immediate family members. This is a huge negative for travelling families, but might bring some relief to overcrowded lounges (I’ll reserve judgement until we see whether this actually happens or not).
5x Membership Rewards Points On AmexTravel.com Hotel & Airfare Bookings
As mentioned previously, the hotel benefit is entirely worthless. You can read my thoughts on why here. Airfare is useful though.
Final Thoughts
I will add to this page if readers have specific questions that they would like answered. My overall thoughts are that these changes are lackluster and for the majority of people they don’t change the value proposition of keeping the card long term. I say that with two major exceptions:
- Families of 4Â or more that travel together with only one Platinum card basically no longer have access to the Centurion lounges for their full family. I don’t have kids, but the idea of some of a family going into a lounge and others being stuck outside isn’t going to fly. For a lot of families (especially with a Centurion lounge at their home airport that travel frequently) this could be a reason to cancel the card.
- Cardholders that will use the Uber $200 credit. If you value Uber credit at 90% of face value then you’re basically reducing the annual fee on the card by $80 per year. Obviously the more/less you value Uber credit the more/less it’ll adjust the annual fee.
- Cardholders that live in an area Uber doesn’t service. Sorry, your annual fee just went up by $100 and you get no tangible benefits from it.
In my opinion American Express have completely missed the mark (and market) with these changes. I understand the inclination to increase the annual fee and bring in benefits with high ‘breakage’ (e.g Uber credits not being redeemed) but you’re left with a lot of confused cardholders/potential cardholders that can’t easily grasp why the card is actually great. I’ll write further thoughts/ramblings on this later.
I believe that Amex has quietly eliminated their free companion ticket for International. I tried to book one yesterday and was informed that the policy change occurred recently (last week?) without notice to cardholders. I was checking fares with them just a few weeks ago, and they made no mention of the impending demise of the long-time program.
This change wrecked my family’s summer vacation plans. Particularly unfair and objectionable is the fact that they did it without notice. CSR’s are telling me that the program is being “expanded”, but as far as I’m concerned, they just eliminated BOGO and took away a $7000 ticket for the promise of more flexibility.
Anyone else had this experience?
Sorry, what benefit are you talking about/ Would like to follow this up with American Express for you.
Flying from sfo to mia to puj with wife and two kids (5 and 2). At 6:30am in Miami we went to the centurion lounge not knowing the new rules. Amex receptionist charged me $50 for my 2yr son who was sleeping (still on pacific time). A rule is a rule only when you make an exception. Great customer service is knowing when to make the call. Obviously Amex screwed up.. $50 for the privilege to sleep in mommy’s arms while at the centurion lounge.
Gold Cards For No Annual Fee
My understanding is that these cards also get a PreCheck/Global Entry credit as well as earning 2x points on dining (a category the Platinum doesn’t earn a bonus in).
Can you confirm this is accurate?
Upcoming post on this.
My Plat card and my spouse’s separate Plat card are both Business cards. Wow. I thought the $550 fee was for all Plat cards. Seriously, they are the same price as currently? $450? I could care less about Uber. I was planning on cancelling them, or maybe keeping 1 of them. I do like the Plat card though.
The MB Plat card, well, that I will cancel.
Business card fee is $450 and no Uber benefit.
Is there still $200 airfare credit? I’m looking specifically at the Platinum Mercedes Benz… Are there any links to the old offer for MB card? Incognito mode?
Yes & yes.
Can u pls help me out how to get the link? It doesn’t work with incognito. Much appreciated!
If you have the Ameriprise Platinum,can you get the regular AX Platinum ?
Yes
I added myself as an AU, but then I got a message saying they received my application but can’t make a decision at this time.
The hell? Since when is adding an AU an “application”? Anybody else encounter this?
I think you should be fine. I added a second PRG card for the same authorized user and got that same message.
The card came within a couple of days
You were right – I just got the card in the mail.
Will sign up for the Biz version later this year and cancel the Pers before the annual fee next year.
Can I add a gold card for myself? If so, I guess that would count as a new account (for 5/24 purpose)?
Yes & yes
Is the Uber credit only good for the US?