V-Flyer

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=519226

'I received a call from CS at Centurion yesterday and again today and they have confirmed that SPG Plat is no longer a benefit for UK Centurion card holders as of Jan 16th.

SPG has not been totally dropped, the level of membership has been put down to Gold.

For me this signals then end of my relationship with Centurion once the membership fee is due.'

[n]

Interesting, but not good news - it is being replaced by Priority Club Plat [?]

When I had an Amex Plat, SPG Gold was a perk for that level of card.

Nick

Now this is going to be VERY interesting if Starwood take over ICHG...! [:0]

Bit of reverse engineering required in that case!

ok,so what is the difference now between the US Plat card and the UK black card?

Originally posted by jetwet1
ok,so what is the difference now between the US Plat card and the UK black card?

All sorts of differences:

1) One is the name colour as my VS credit card, the other is the same colour as my CoBarclayCard.
2) One confers magnificent social status, the other is just buys stuff
3) Lots of people have the plat, where as you have to do something really exceptional to get the black.

You may be able to work out my views are somewhat prejudicing my answer.

What's SPG?

Mat xxx

Starwood Preferred Guest (See http://www.spg.com)

Just nipped in Sarah in front of me


previous post deleted

Well FWIW as of 10:45 27th Jan Centurion Travel know nothing about this....

Is this another case of 'Make Believe from FT'?

I hope so, since SPG Plat is one of those few benefits of Centurion I actually use

Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
Interesting, but not good news - it is being replaced by Priority Club Plat [?]

When I had an Amex Plat, SPG Gold was a perk for that level of card.

Nick

Nick, I thought Priority Club Plat had been a Centurion benefit for some time?

No it is true, and I am furious with the idiots at AmEx. They have no clue whatsoever, if there ever was an award on not knowing your products own benefits they would win it.

SPG Plat is going for all Centurion markets, we get to keep it until 28th Febraury 2007 - if at that point you have not made the necessary 25 stays they will drop you to SPG Gold - handy AmEx hint, "but if this happens you're obviously not using the benefit". Absolute morons, not a clue on how loyalty programs work and why this is such a loss to the program. I spent 45 minutes on phone to customer relations trying to simplify it for them, but to no avail.

If you are not happy with the change, then please do me a favour and call them up (customer relations) and tell them how stupid they are. They seem to think that the change is no big loss. They would appear to have some scripted q&a's to use with customer that have been written by a marketing monkey that is a whole new breed of incompetent. They are so flawed its not even funny, jsut like some of the expalnations and justifications given by CR, more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese.

Thanks,
Richard

Not sitting on the fence with this one then, Richard??? [}:)];):D

Nick

Well for what it's worth Priority Club sucks,im still almost one year later trying to get credit for a suite we stayed in for a week in Mexico last year,not that it makes that much of a difference but it just one of those things that I now most get the point on principle,of course SPG is also in the red with me for close to 5k so they are not in my good books either.

Just a note,added benefit for UK Centurion card holders.

McDonalds is now upgrading you to a large coffee or sode with the purchase of a meal using your Black Amex card [:w]

Originally posted by jetwet1

McDonalds is now upgrading you to a large coffee or sode with the purchase of a meal using your Black Amex card [:w]

LOL

Nice.

That benefit should easily outweigh the loss of SPG Platinum.

On a more serious note, where's the announcement of the fee reduction to take account of this dilution? Oh there isn't one...? [:I]

I doubt there will be one...on second thoughts...no I know there will not be one.

Assuming this happens, I will be binning the black card when my current year runs out. Not acceptable, frankly.

BC

Thats seriously bad news. That was one of the two benefits of Centurion that I really used.

Graham

Anyone affected by this might want to take a look here...

... you are not alone.

Strangely enough I have just got back from San Francisco to find a new SPG Plat card on my doormat. The last one expired 02/06, so this one takes me right through to early 2007. I'm sure I haven't stayed in Starwood properties enough to renew, so I presume that either I am being lucky or that Centurion has relented...[:?]

BC

Thats as expected BlackCat, any Uk Cent that was already enrolled in SPG Plat prior to Jan 2006, has automatically been kept as a SPG until Feb 2007.

Thanks,
Richard

Originally posted by RichardMannion
Thats as expected BlackCat, any Uk Cent that was already enrolled in SPG Plat prior to Jan 2006, has automatically been kept as a SPG until Feb 2007.

Good -- it means I can just cancel my Centurion card in Jan next year then!

Thanks Richard.

BC

Just received my renewal too valid until Feb 2007.