The Black Amex thingy...
Aug 1, 2007, 10:29 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Tampa
Programs: Delta Gold, Hilton Honors Gold, All on my own dime.
Posts: 5,182
The Black Amex thingy...
Rumor has it also that by touching the hem of the cardholder's garment, the lame have walked and the blind have seen.
Way to go, guys!!! ^
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-bud...me-Credit-Card
Way to go, guys!!! ^
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-bud...me-Credit-Card
Aug 1, 2007, 10:44 am
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Living the dream in Antigua and the nightmare in Florida
Programs: AA PLAT 2MM, *A Gold, WN detractor
Posts: 49,858
Aug 1, 2007, 11:53 am
#6
Join Date: May 2006
Location: New York, London, Sydney
Programs: United GS/2MM, DL*P, VS*G, AA*EXP, Avis CHM, Hertz Platinum, Sixt*D, HH*D, HGP*P, Starwood*P
Posts: 9,847
That's silly.
It's a value for money equation.
At $1000, getting Starwood Plat, Hyatt Diamond, US Gold, Continental Gold, Delta Gold, Avis Presidents Club, and others I'm sure I'm forgetting, for someone who travels as often as I do, made total sense.
At $2500, it's more of a matter of not wanting to give up the aforementioned perks (now slightly modified) that I've now grown accustomed to.
Originally, the value for money was great (Who cares about the snob appeal? I find the various comments about the card annoying.) Now it's marginal, at best. We'll see.
It's a value for money equation.
At $1000, getting Starwood Plat, Hyatt Diamond, US Gold, Continental Gold, Delta Gold, Avis Presidents Club, and others I'm sure I'm forgetting, for someone who travels as often as I do, made total sense.
At $2500, it's more of a matter of not wanting to give up the aforementioned perks (now slightly modified) that I've now grown accustomed to.
Originally, the value for money was great (Who cares about the snob appeal? I find the various comments about the card annoying.) Now it's marginal, at best. We'll see.
Aug 1, 2007, 12:02 pm
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 13,344
True Story
I was out for lunch with a friend just after this card was introduced. It was her turn to pay the bill, out comes the Black Amex Card. Decent, mid to upscale restaurant - they refused to accept the card. The waiter had never seen one before and thought it was fake.
Over comes the manager, he too had never seen one and despite our assurances it was real, he would not call AMEX to verify the card's legitimacy (after all his chart never showed a black card
). I had to pay for lunch on my cheapie free VISA.
We never went back there, despite it being close to our office and us going there 1 or 2 times a month... there stupidity cost them tons of future business.
I was out for lunch with a friend just after this card was introduced. It was her turn to pay the bill, out comes the Black Amex Card. Decent, mid to upscale restaurant - they refused to accept the card. The waiter had never seen one before and thought it was fake.
Over comes the manager, he too had never seen one and despite our assurances it was real, he would not call AMEX to verify the card's legitimacy (after all his chart never showed a black card
). I had to pay for lunch on my cheapie free VISA. We never went back there, despite it being close to our office and us going there 1 or 2 times a month... there stupidity cost them tons of future business.
Aug 1, 2007, 12:05 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 8,222
True Story
I was out for lunch with a friend just after this card was introduced. It was her turn to pay the bill, out comes the Black Amex Card. Decent, mid to upscale restaurant - they refused to accept the card. The waiter had never seen one before and thought it was fake.
Over comes the manager, he too had never seen one and despite our assurances it was real, he would not call AMEX to verify the card's legitimacy (after all his chart never showed a black card). I had to pay for lunch on my cheapie free VISA.
We never went back there, despite it being close to our office and us going there 1 or 2 times a month... there stupidity cost them tons of future business.
I was out for lunch with a friend just after this card was introduced. It was her turn to pay the bill, out comes the Black Amex Card. Decent, mid to upscale restaurant - they refused to accept the card. The waiter had never seen one before and thought it was fake.
Over comes the manager, he too had never seen one and despite our assurances it was real, he would not call AMEX to verify the card's legitimacy (after all his chart never showed a black card
). I had to pay for lunch on my cheapie free VISA. We never went back there, despite it being close to our office and us going there 1 or 2 times a month... there stupidity cost them tons of future business.
Aug 1, 2007, 12:08 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Sacramento
Programs: UA 2MM/GS; SPG Lifetime Plat; MHC Lifetime; Tar Heel forever; and I "Dig the Pig" at Piggly Wiggly
Posts: 12,152
Aug 1, 2007, 2:47 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: Delta Skymiles
Posts: 98
Or check-in lines at airports.
(we may have missed our flight home from Maui last June (Delta changed the departure time w/o notifying us) had I not been upgraded by AMEX) and used the First Class/Medallion line at the ticket counter and avoided the hour long line.
And that "free" upgrade into a suite for one night (best one in the hotel actually) in St. Thomas USVI a couple of weeks ago was pretty nice, considering we paid for a cheap standard room (which looked pretty crappy when we walked by one with the door open).
So were the upgraded first-class airline seats (at coach prices) on the last several flights we've made.
The travel agent service would've been especially nice when we were stuck in Chicago Midway Airport for 30+ hours due to weather last February and needed a much coveted hotel room that we couldn't get (b/c the Platinum people were too overwhelmed and understaffed by the time our flight was canceled and we couldn't get an agent on the line to get us a room/ride out of the terminal).
Those chairs in B9 are damned uncomfortable to sleep on.
I've only had mine for 4 months (got in just before the new rate btw), but I like it already.
Yeah...it's expensive, but it's worth the price to me already.
Oh...and I've NEVER been declined with it. I've seen those stories before, but it hasn't happened to me yet.
I get alot of questions, and alot of cashiers saying...."wow...I need to get one of these", but noones ever declined it.
(we may have missed our flight home from Maui last June (Delta changed the departure time w/o notifying us) had I not been upgraded by AMEX) and used the First Class/Medallion line at the ticket counter and avoided the hour long line.
And that "free" upgrade into a suite for one night (best one in the hotel actually) in St. Thomas USVI a couple of weeks ago was pretty nice, considering we paid for a cheap standard room (which looked pretty crappy when we walked by one with the door open).
So were the upgraded first-class airline seats (at coach prices) on the last several flights we've made.
The travel agent service would've been especially nice when we were stuck in Chicago Midway Airport for 30+ hours due to weather last February and needed a much coveted hotel room that we couldn't get (b/c the Platinum people were too overwhelmed and understaffed by the time our flight was canceled and we couldn't get an agent on the line to get us a room/ride out of the terminal).
Those chairs in B9 are damned uncomfortable to sleep on.
I've only had mine for 4 months (got in just before the new rate btw), but I like it already.
Yeah...it's expensive, but it's worth the price to me already.
Oh...and I've NEVER been declined with it. I've seen those stories before, but it hasn't happened to me yet.
I get alot of questions, and alot of cashiers saying...."wow...I need to get one of these", but noones ever declined it.
Aug 2, 2007, 12:24 am
#11
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: NW Plat / SPG Gold / HH Gold / Amex Plat
Posts: 54
upgrade procedure
Or check-in lines at airports.
(we may have missed our flight home from Maui last June (Delta changed the departure time w/o notifying us) had I not been upgraded by AMEX) and used the First Class/Medallion line at the ticket counter and avoided the hour long line.
So were the upgraded first-class airline seats (at coach prices) on the last several flights we've made.
(we may have missed our flight home from Maui last June (Delta changed the departure time w/o notifying us) had I not been upgraded by AMEX) and used the First Class/Medallion line at the ticket counter and avoided the hour long line.
So were the upgraded first-class airline seats (at coach prices) on the last several flights we've made.
Aug 2, 2007, 12:49 am
#12
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Living in SIN™
Programs: TK/SQ Gold, QR Plat, Marriott/Accor Plat, IC Dia Amb, HH Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 6,706
Aug 2, 2007, 1:56 am
#13
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SNA
Programs: Bonvoy LTTE/AMB, AmEx Plat, National EE, WN A-List, CLEAR+, Covid-19
Posts: 4,964
Cheapest Black Amex card: http://dbs.com/sg/personal/cards/dbsblackcard/
Aug 2, 2007, 5:50 am
#14
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: SDF
Posts: 3,302
The Citi Amex Platinum is also black & free, if you really care that much.
https://www.citicards.com/cards/wv/c...o?screenID=927
https://www.citicards.com/cards/wv/c...o?screenID=927
Aug 2, 2007, 7:15 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,123