Merry Generic Winter Day-Off With No Religious Content

[greatwhitenorthchick]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
I still have a green card. I just can't figure a reason to pay for the benefits from the others. Since they mail you the black, I assume it is free. is it? And it's unlimited credit AND acess to all airport clubs. What other benefits are there from these cards?

I am really talking out of my ass here but I thought that with a black, you *had* to spend a certain amount each month or they would take it away from you. Which seems a little silly, even if it does offer wonderful benefits (and I don't know what those are).

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by bold_n_brazen
Right. That's the thing. You need to be a long time Amex customer. I am. My card says Cardholder since 1989. You need to spend a buttload of money on the card. My monthly nut doesn't cut it. Hell, my mother's monthly nut doesn't cut it. And then there's so magic voodoo thing that needs to happen.

The only person I know who actually carries a black card is a real tool. Uncle Ron's card was platinum, last time he took me to dinner anyway.

I know an entertainment lawyer with one, and a retired-before-40 and single software guy with one. Yes, both are tools. They are so proud of their cards you'd think they were Yale degrees.

I thought the number was more like $250-300K, but as a minimum. You don't have to be a long-time customer - 20 something rappers are a target audience.

[Flinty_McFlint]

Originally posted by greatwhitenorthchick
I am really talking out of my ass here but I thought that with a black, you *had* to spend a certain amount each month or they would take it away from you. Which seems a little silly, even if it does offer wonderful benefits (and I don't know what those are).

If I were rich enough to have a black card, wouldn't I be too rich to carry around a wallet? I'd just have someone paying for everything.

[greatwhitenorthchick]

Originally posted by Flinty_McFlint
If I were rich enough to have a black card, wouldn't I be too rich to carry around a wallet? I'd just have someone paying for everything.

Exactly. When I am that rich, I will just hire an official purse-carrier. People will line up for the job.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
I still have a green card. I just can't figure a reason to pay for the benefits from the others. Since they mail you the black, I assume it is free. is it? And it's unlimited credit AND acess to all airport clubs. What other benefits are there from these cards?

The black membership fee is at least $1,000/yr.

The initial draw with the platinum card was the companion ticket when you buy an overseas flight through them. Hell, you could buy one first class ticket and get two seats. Perfect. But I found out that was a fucking scam when every vacation spot island in the Atlantic and Pacific doesn't fall under the definition of "overseas." And they just mark up any other international plane ticket to the point where you might as well buy two on your own anyway.

If you travel enough, the airport club access is worth it alone, though.

TM

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by greatwhitenorthchick
Exactly. When I am that rich, I will just hire an official purse-carrier. People will line up for the job.

I'd be happy to be your purse carrier, if and when you get that rich. I"m sure it'd be more interesting and pay better than what I do now.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally posted by greatwhitenorthchick
I am really talking out of my ass here but I thought that with a black, you *had* to spend a certain amount each month or they would take it away from you. Which seems a little silly, even if it does offer wonderful benefits (and I don't know what those are).

The only benefit I can think of for people who can afford one (that they couldn't pay for on their own for less) is immediate recognition of how rich they are.

TM

[bold_n_brazen]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
I still have a green card. I just can't figure a reason to pay for the benefits from the others. Since they mail you the black, I assume it is free. is it? And it's unlimited credit AND acess to all airport clubs. What other benefits are there from these cards?

Things I like about my Platinum Card:

1. Platinum Travel. Not just the bit about getting a compnion ticket for free when I buy a first class ticket, but the travel concierge, the upgraded rooms and the fact that they can often get me stuff that I can't get myself.

2. Emergency evacuation assistance. I actually almost used this once.

3. The replacement card thing. I got a new card once delivered to my hotel in 3 hours after I'd been pickpocketed. Amazing.

4. The airport clubs. 'Nuff said.

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
You have to spend at least $100,000/year for five years to get an AmEx Black or you have to be someone rich enough and high profile enough that you'll get an offer without doing that.

TM

they may have changed it, but it used be $150K in one year (with some flux), but with the added component that I forget above, that unless you are hi-profile you need to be a kong time customer. I did hear stories about people getting several additional platinums and giving them to extended family to use to run their expenses through the card to trump the charges for a year.

[Flinty_McFlint]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
The only benefit I can think of for people who can afford one (that they couldn't pay for on their own for less) is immediate recognition of how rich they are.

TM

Which is why I spray painted my costco card black and wave it around when I'm feeling pushy. The paint only cost $3.

[bold_n_brazen]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
The only benefit I can think of for people who can afford one (that they couldn't pay for on their own for less) is immediate recognition of how rich they are.

TM

It's like having your own personal TM to walk around beside you and say "Translation: I'm rich, bitches." every time you pay for something.

[Adder]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
The only benefit I can think of for people who can afford one (that they couldn't pay for on their own for less) is immediate recognition of how rich they are.

TM

Which I personally wouldn't want people to know anyway.

[bold_n_brazen]

Originally posted by Adder
Which I personally wouldn't want people to know anyway.

Said just like someone who isn't rich, bitches.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally posted by bold_n_brazen
1. Platinum Travel. Not just the bit about getting a compnion ticket for free when I buy a first class ticket, but the travel concierge, the upgraded rooms and the fact that they can often get me stuff that I can't get myself.

I did some research on this once. I went through them and asked them how much I would pay for the room before an upgrade (and what gift the hotel would give me -- free breakfast or some shit). Then I went directly to the hotel to see how much the room AmEx would be upgrading me to would be. It was like $50 less per night than the room one step below that I would be paying for (and then get upgraded from) through Platinum Travel.

TM

[patentparanyc]

Originally posted by bold_n_brazen
Said just like someone who isn't rich, bitches.

I'm not rich, and I'll never have a black amex card, but the machinations and the requirements sort of fascinate me. it's this whole intricate formulae. very interesting.