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Received an email today summarising the changes incoming on 23 September:
– Annual fee for primary card holder increased from £195 to £290
– Additional cardholder fee remains £60
– You can now access complimentary Airport Security Fast Track at participating airports worldwide via Mastercard Travel Experiences powered by DragonPass. This applies to any additional cardholders too (need to register separately). Fast Track Access will apparently also give discounts (10-15%) in various airport bars and restaurants…Is that all? I don’t think I’ll be keeping my WE card if that’s all they’re giving for the £100 price increase…
Yikes. I hope they don’t start charging me!
It is a very underwhelming change for a fee paying cardholder like me!
The annual fee is now basically the same as the Amex BAPP, without offering any benefit close to their 2-4-1 voucher. Makes the card feel quite uncompetitive to me.
The addition of the fast track feature presumably costs HSBC buttons in comparison to the £95 (49%) annual fee hike.
Here in Guernsey we don’t even have access to the full benefit platform, with the annual Avios bonus conversion etc., so for me I will at the very least be cancelling, waiting six months, and then earning the bonus again as that will make it relatively cost neutral for another 2 charging cycles.
The airport fast track etc. is here: https://airport.mastercard.com/ if you have a decent portfolio of Mastercard plastic, you may find you already have an eligible card.
So priority pass membership will flip to a dragon pass membership. Does that mean end to dining credits?
Well there goes the HSBC card!
@travelersolo, not surprising as many banks have started restricting restaurant access anyway.
Heathrow not included, so not that great.
And from what I can see, it’s limited to three visits a year. If that’s all, it’s now a pretty trash card.
The airport fast track etc. is here: https://airport.mastercard.com/ if you have a decent portfolio of Mastercard plastic, you may find you already have an eligible card.
I suggest people don’t say which cards get this but I would encourage you to try every single Mastercard you have because It almost certainly isn’t supposed to be working for the cards I have it with.
I haven’t got an email yet. Where did they send it to? Your usual email address?
My annual fee usually is taken on 6th Sept, so I presume I will get this latest fee taken at the old rate.I was anticipating such a size of rise, but expected more: either a permanent increase to 1.25 avios/£, or an increase (?2 avios/£) on airline spend or somesuch. Seems very light on the ground – I’m not sure I will be carrying it on at the new rate. Especially if it loses the restaurant credits.
@points_worrier my update came from the Channel Islands & Isle of Man team, given my card is issued from Guernsey, so perhaps they have jumped the gun on the announcement!
Well, there goes my hopes of this card being something to get. Once we get a full picture, people can judge the value of it. For me, who wanted to get this card once eligible, it’s probably not something enticing anymore. £350 annual fee for two seems bonkers when the Lloyds/Halifax World Elite card exists – just pair that with Barclaycard Avios and be sorted.
That is poor.
Got an email that they are ‘demising’ the island privileges.
For those who don’t know, island premier customers used to get local offers with some freebies or discounts.
Got an email that they are ‘demising’ the island privileges.
For those who don’t know, island premier customers used to get local offers with some freebies or discounts.
That’s rather odd terminology for them to use as the verb ‘demise’ would normally have a positive sense – in granting or transferring something to you! I take it however, they are removing benefits from you.
Anyway, it seems one needs to wait for the full changes that come with this UK WE card fee increase as that aspect seems to be all we know so far.
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