Over the last week or so, I've been seeing lots of discussion regarding this card on other popular travel message boards.
Its seems travelers are having widespread problems getting cash from foreign ATMs, but not domestically. And if you read the AMEX website, its says they reserve the right to revoke any or all ATM usage at any time to any individual for any reason without prior notification.
Gee, that sure makes me feel secure!

Well - I've never understood the reason for these cards anyway - except to make a profit for AMEX.

Why not just use your regular ATM? Your own bank can;t revoke usage of your card for any reasons at all - as long as you've notified you're going aborad - and it;s way cheaper.

So, lets see if I understand how this works.
I give them my money.
They decide if I can access it.
If they don't allow me to access my money while traveling, I have to pay them to give it back when I get home.

AmEx was running an airfare deal connected with the purchase of a check card of at least $300 or cheques of $1000 so that might make it worth the purchase. FREE companion airfare deal.
www.americanexpress.com/companionair.

The companion airfare is for flights within the US only (48 states). Aside from this companion airfare deal I would not want to sign up for this card.

And if the companion airfare deal is like the other ones I've seen from American Express, it is only good if you pay about twice as much for the first ticket than you'd pay getting any kind of regularly available "super saver" type fare. In other words, it isn't worth much if anything at all.

I didn't actually look at the AmEx offer on their website. I just read about it in my local newspaper. It said the buy a ticket for at least $349 for travel between 9/15/2005 and 1/15/2006 or $379 between 1/16/2006 and 9/14/2006. I think for some of the people that have been talking about getting these for their students/teenagers this summer they might was well try to take advantage of the free fare.