Amex Plat – FHR benefits for additional cardholder issue

[BOSSMANTRAVELS]

My partner is an additional card holder on my Amex Platinum (charge card), Previously she has been able to book via FHR but now when she tries a message pops up saying only entitled to book Hotel Collection. Has this benefit gone OR is it an Amex bug? She is also a gold card holder but she has made sure Plat is default card. The chat wasn’t able to pass us over to the travel team!

[Froggee]

I had exactly this months ago (Mrs Froggee platinum, me gold) so gave up and got Mrs Froggee to book the hotel.

Cannot answer your question but it isn’t just you!

[TGLoyalty]

The benefit is for both main cardholder and supplementary cardholder so it’s absolutely a bug. I’ve had it before and I think I used a browser on private mode.

[JDB]

I have checked in the Platinum handbook and FHR does apply to supplementary cardholders. Whether it’s a benefit, hmmm.

[jj]

Whether it’s a benefit, hmmm.

I understand your cynicism as I (a) usually prefer non-chain hotels, and (b) try to get a better deal by approaching the hotel directly.

But twice this year I have been travelling to a destination where the hotel that best suited me was listed on FHR, the FHR price was lower than any alternative website, and the hotel was unwilling to match the FHR rate. Total FHR savings in 2024: we’ll north of £500, excluding the late checkout, F&B credit, etc.

[JDB]

jj wrote:

Whether it’s a benefit, hmmm.

I understand your cynicism as I (a) usually prefer non-chain hotels, and (b) try to get a better deal by approaching the hotel directly.

But twice this year I have been travelling to a destination where the hotel that best suited me was listed on FHR, the FHR price was lower than any alternative website, and the hotel was unwilling to match the FHR rate. Total FHR savings in 2024: we’ll north of £500, excluding the late checkout, F&B credit, etc.

@jj – you have mentioned this before, but I have not seen anyone else making the same claim. I use the FHR rate amongst others as a benchmark to make sure I’m getting a good deal and have never found it to be remotely competitive vs what a hotel will offer. I accept you may have come across others, but I’m talking from years and years of direct booking hundreds of hotels.

On the basis that the hotel controls the price and that as soon as you introduce a middle man (FHR, OTA, Virtuoso agent etc), that middle man needs to be paid a commission or fee, so it would appear that you have come across a hotel that’s rather cussed or strictly applying the agreements they have with Amex/OTA or simply you didn’t find the person with authority. Personally, I would be very disappointed to be paying FHR or the effing high rate as it’s known in the trade. The ‘benefits’, like Plat dining credits etc, are just giving you back a little of your own money on the hotel’s terms to distract from the super high price.