After having had an American Express (AMEX) credit card I was more than happy with the level of service I had been receiving and decided to make the move to their Platinum charge card.
The card comes with an annual fee of £300 and includes a whole host of benefits, including comprehensive travel insurance for you, your children, additional Platinum cardholder and 5 supplementary cardholders, (gold or green) and their children up to age 18.
The travel insurance includes travel inconvenience cover, which provides you with £150 should your departure be delayed by more than 4 hours, including missed connections, the same amount is payable should your baggage be delayed more than 4 hours, and the same amount again after 48 hours, (excluding your return journey).
You also receive free priority pass membership for both you and your supplementary Platinum cardholder providing you with access to a large network of airline lounges, car hire insurance (applicable when your trip involves a flight or hotel stay) meaning you can decline many of the extra insurance products car hire companies try and sell you and there's no excess to pay.
There's a host of other benefits too, accelerated status with hotel and car hire programs, preferential rates on travel, access to the Eurostar lounges, personal concierge and overall outstanding customer service.
While the card may seem pricey, if you travel several times a year and take advantage of the free additional Platinum card and/or supplementary gold or green cards (also free) the benefits quickly add up. It's also worth remembering that this is a charge card and not a credit card, and you should expect to clear the balance monthly. While there is no published credit limit for your account, the amount you can spend is based on what you can afford, the more you spend (and clear) the greater your limit.
If you intend on carrying a balance on your card you really should consider a credit card, you will receive a much more competitive APR.
As others have pointed out, the acceptance of AMEX cards within the UK can be inconvenient, therefore don't ditch your Visa/Mastercard just yet.
Take time to read through your welcome pack, know your benefits and when the opportunity arises you'll be able to make the most of any travel inconvenience.
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I've thought about this -it seems good if you travle a lot as I believe as we;; as travel insurance it includes free vip lounge access. It may be worth asking Caio to create sub-category if it doesn't already exist for this specific type of American Express card " Platimum Charge card2 but your title clearly states that so consumers shoukd find it. Useful review, hope it's still working well for you, regards -CH
lona 16.06.2007 00:45
Lots of outlets won't accept American Express as they charge the companies 3% interest per transaction. I had one but stopped using it for that reason.
Advantages: Probably the most exclusive card you can get, numerous travel benefits Disadvantages: Not accepted that widely, very difficult to apply for
Advantages: Good cashback, no annual fee good opportunity to build credit rating with Amex Disadvantages: No option to pay in full each month by direct debt, not as widely accepted as other cards, won't get you laid
Briz_Hatchings 10.10.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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Jun 16th, 2007
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