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Do badly chosen American Express promotions cheapen their brand?

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I accidentally started a mini-debate at Flyertalk yesterday when I criticised a new American Express promotional offer.

If I take a look at my American Express Platinum account online, two new cashback deals have appeared:

£20 cashback when you spend £100 at Premier Inn (expires 16 December, 5000 cardholders only)

£50 cashback when you spend £100 at Thistle or Guoman Hotels (expires 16 December, 10000 cardholders only)

These offers follow on from the classic:

£10 cashback when you make any transaction with Ryanair (expires 31 October)

Whilst I have these offers on my Platinum card, you may well find them showing under your BA or SPG Amex account.  The Thistle / Guoman deal would probably work on a large bar bill or a restaurant meal, depending on how it is processed by the hotel, and for one of their regional hotels represents a pretty decent deal.

The issue I raised at Flyertalk was this – ‘Is Amex diluting the Platinum card brand with offers like these?’

Or, looked at another way, is offering someone a discount at Premier Inn really a good way of convincing them that Amex understands their Platinum customers and that their £450 fee is well spent?

I booked two nights in an upmarket hotel yesterday using the American Express Platinum ‘Fine Hotels & Resorts’ programme.  That is the sort of benefit that I expect and appreciate from Platinum – it got me free breakfast and a guaranteed 4pm check-out, which I needed.

Let’s be clear.  I don’t have anything against Premier Inn (I stayed in one last year and was very positive about it) or Ryanair, who I flew many times when they used the airport nearest my parents in law.   I stayed in enough dingy B&B’s when I was younger to appreciate the revolution in low-cost lodging that Premier Inn, Travelodge, Holiday Inn Express etc have brought about.  I also grew up in an era when flying was too expensive for the average family, and I admire Ryanair’s part in changing that.

What I don’t understand is why American Express fails to understand how deals like this distort the Platinum brand.  You could argue that ‘the more the merrier’ – Amex should throw out as many deals as it can negotiate and if the majority are irrelevant to your lifestyle then so be it.  However, you can also argue that Amex should be presenting me with a carefully curated set of offers.

(Here is another way of looking at it.  If Ryanair or Premier Inn attempted to advertise in Vogue or GQ, they would be told to go away.  Publications like that understand that their advertisers help the set the tone for the whole package and need to be curated in the same way as the editorial.)

The irony, of course, is that – as a card company – Amex knows exactly where its Platinum cardholders shop and is better placed than any other luxury brand to serve up promotions which hit the spot perfectly.  But they don’t ….

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Comments (82)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • JohnG says:
    14 Oct14 October 08:58

    It depends who you are considering value for. If I already shopped at Waitrose then I would appreciate a voucher that gave me £10 off there, or a free meal for two with my next shop for example.

    As the Amex platinum charges a considerable ownership fee the offers should provide value to the owner, not just the company the offer works with. Personally I have no issue with offers for things like Ryanair flights etc.

  • DV says:
    14 Oct14 October 09:38

    I think it might damage the Platinum brand. After all, Amex has to persuade people to pay £450 pa for this card. The offers usually for businesses that are not doing very well. Debenhams has a permanent sale on, constantly offers discounts, and is in financial difficulties. Who would go there when you could go to John Lewis? The Savoy is offering deals on Groupon. It’s no longer a serious luxury hotel. Who would go there if you can go to the Dorchester? The restaurant deals are usually for places past their sell by date, or dodgy chains being bled dry by VCs (as is Debenhams come to think of it). Basically, the companies willing to offer deals through Amex are basket cases desperate for cash. I’m not sure it does Amex’s brand much good by associating itself with them.

    • Polly says:
      14 Oct14 October 11:40

      Both Ryan air and w h smith are doing very well thank you, and I managed to buy 4 x Ryan air flights o/w to Dublin. Very much appreciated. Halved my spend. So I don’t think they are all on the way out! Hope they bring in even more of these offers. Helps take the pain out of our annual plat fee too!

  • Mr Bridge says:
    14 Oct14 October 09:55

    heres the thing, I have a BAPP, and the plat amex we flip every year.
    My partner has the fee BA amex, which we keep purley to maximise amex offers, without the fee.
    The offers appear on this account too, so if they were not on amex plat, I might want to know why i didn’t get them after paying £450 fee!!!

  • Andrew S says:
    14 Oct14 October 10:58

    I think times have shifted considerably, if you work outside of the city the cost constraints on business travel have meant company policy dictates the cheapest “brand” hotel. In fact the budget chains have become so good these days, in excellent locations that they actually become much more convenient to stay in. I no longer “turn my nose up” at this type of accommodation when paying out of my own pocket. It meets my needs.

    Let’s remember if you live outside of London, you have to fly Ryanair or other low cost airlines, especially short haul. So the perception of many will be different to the London centric. It is an airline, there is no choice so nothing has been devalued.

  • Mike says:
    14 Oct14 October 11:23

    Heh, I was thinking about this last night. What actually bugs me is the claim that these sorts of promotions are ‘targeted for you, a platinum card holder’ when they are clearly not.

    That said, the MASH promotion earlier this year was pretty good. If they had a few more of those a year (rather than the boring ‘glass of champagne’ which apparently every restaurant has) I’d be pretty happy.

  • David Butcher says:
    14 Oct14 October 11:29

    I fall into the “more the merrier” camp. After all, you don’t have to use them.

    I regularly use my Platinum in such upmarket locations as our local CoOp so I have no qualms about making the most of offers from the likes of Primark and Ryanair.

    I am also far more likely to use these offers than the esoteric offerings in the glossy mag that Amex send me regularly, full of stuff I will never be able to afford.

  • oyster says:
    14 Oct14 October 13:08

    OT sorry, but does anyone know how long it will take from applying for the Amex plat to receiving both supplementary cards (for insurance coverage) and priority pass cards, for lounges?

  • Nick says:
    14 Oct14 October 13:18

    Do you think if I phoned up they would add the Gouman hotel offer to my card?
    I’m actually staying in one of there London properties next week but am unable to see the offer on my BA Amex premier plus offers!

    • Rob says:
      14 Oct14 October 13:40

      Have you tried looking on Foursquare to see if the offer is there? These deals sometimes copy across to FS.

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