New Amex Platinum hotel benefits launched – but a shock exit too

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• JFSV says:

  6 Feb6 February 10:52

  Stupid question perhaps but for Accor Plat benefits, one must place the hotel booking necessarily through accor website to enjoy the benefits? i.e. you don’t get the upgrade and other benefits if your booking is through a third party? That´s what I was told anyway when I stayed at an M Gallery hotel.

  Thanks

  • Rob says:

    6 Feb6 February 11:15

    Yes. In practice some hotels may voluntarily give benefits on a 3rd party booking but definitely no points.

    Corporate travel agent bookings are ok, only wholesalers like Expedia are out.

• Will says:

  6 Feb6 February 11:35

  An alternative route to platinum is simply to book stays when (assuming they continue) Accor run bonus point promotions.

  I book happy Monday rates at the local ibis and the bonus points count towards platinum.

  Until now the bonus points have been of the same value or more than the cost of the room.

  I love Accor simply for Happy Monday’s – saved me a fortune!

• AGD says:

  6 Feb6 February 11:36

  For me the game changer for Amex Plat would be BA status.
  £450 for BA silver would definitely represent good value for the leisure traveller who accumulates Avios through non flying activities but struggles to achieve enough TPs especially following recent decreased earnings on cheap economy tickets.

  Will a re-run of Cathay Gold ever likely happen or would that have upset BA?

  I’m always surprised that even the extremely expensive Centurion does not offer any BA status.

  • Stuart F says:

    6 Feb6 February 14:05

    Given Air Berlin’s recent status matching and free Silver (OneWorld Ruby) status give-aways I would have thought they might be interested in providing an Amex benefit, they seem to need the money. As you say, it’ll boil down to what the BA agreement says about exclusivity.

• Janice Edgar says:

  6 Feb6 February 12:29

  As someone whose Accor platinum account is still (b)locked since the quiz in December despite phone calls, emails, tweets and Facebook posts, I say good riddance.,Also still waiting for my introductory points bonus from Platinum Amex so that I can cancel that.

  Murderous just doesn’t quite express how angry I am, especially having spent 11 days at an Acfor hotel in December and not getting any points because of the quiz issue.

  • Nigel says:

    8 Feb8 February 20:13

    You are not alone.
    Mrs has the same experience.
    Total shambles.

    I’ve encountered awful customer service on a few occassions too.

• Alan says:

  6 Feb6 February 14:27

  Very disappointing re. Accor Plat – Melia is a poor replacement for sure. Particularly in Australasia Accor has been fantastic. Hilton Gold would have been handy if most of us hadn’t already snagged Diamond for next year 😉 Will be good for the year following that though I guess. Had status with Shangri-La before and never found it of much benefit either given the limited footprint.

  I wonder when Amex are going to get round to informing customers?

• Jono says:

  6 Feb6 February 15:13

  On the Shangri-La status it says: “Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Golden Circle Jade Membership benefits include:
  • Priority upgrade to the next available best room category if the reserved room type is not available at check-in”

  So… they aren’t saying you get an upgrade if an upgrade is available, but that you will if they room you’ve booked isn’t available… Which is not impressive.
  Makes me wonder what they would do if you didn’t have this status – give you a worse room than the one you had booked…?!

  • Todderz says:

    7 Feb7 February 10:42

    Pretty useless. Much like the “free breakfast for a companion” if, like me, you travel solo.

• Smid says:

  6 Feb6 February 15:58

  Accor plat made the Sofitel T5 the choice of airport hotel, but Hilton was missed much more when it went. I rated Accor less than the others, barely any difference on Ibis or Novotel hotels, then again a free drink once in a while, but certainly no brekkie.

• Chewbacca says:

  6 Feb6 February 15:59

  Diamond status via HfP link is still working in and got Diamond status the other with Hilton (though took 4 emails n asking to be escalated to manager)

  Is Hilton Diamond on par with Accor Plat, do you get free breakfast and lounge access? I just aplied for Hilton platinum if I spent the required £750 in the next week or so (have various reneweals to allow me to do this) would I get the points in a few days for the free night? I need to book two nights in New York in late Feb. I’m amex Platinum and see good Avios on Kaligo as well, any recs for good central hotels in NY, was thinking Waldord Astoria or not worth it and look at something cheaper? Or go mad and book Peninsula for £600 and 20,000 avios?

  • James says:

    6 Feb6 February 16:30

    What’s this link you talk of?

    • Chewbacca says:

      6 Feb6 February 17:15

      It’s the daily article that Raffles did about Hilton match status which I think was due to end late Jan, search Hilton should bring it up. Still works though if you email them, though must screen shot the Accor or which ever status into a word doc and then when they say they cant see attachment ask to escalate to a manager, then gets done in 30 minutes!

  • Rob says:

    6 Feb6 February 16:39

    Free night cert will take 6 weeks or so to arrive.

    Diamond is lounge access, yes.

    • Chewbacca says:

      6 Feb6 February 17:17

      If I made the £750 spend do you think it worth calling if I said I wanted to book something in the Hilton hotel chain or it takes 6 weeks irrespective end of?

    • Chewbacca says:

      6 Feb6 February 17:21

      BTW Raffles thank you, flying to US in late Feb on business in BA and returning in first on BA. Your articles and this site allowed me to build up the points…. Just blew them all so now need to rebuild 🙂

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