American Express Centurion Card
 

I was wondering if anyone has heard of this card. I was told it has a lot of travel perks.

I have one.<BR>Probably won't renew it.<BR>AmEx Platinum gets you almost the same amenities, at one third the cost ($1000 for Centurion, $300 for Plat):<BR><BR>--free room upgrade (space permitting, we have received the upgrade maybe 35-40% of the time over the past 5 years)<BR><BR>--daily continental breakfast...frequently this ends up being a $20 room service or restaurant credit, which gets you a lot more than just a roll and coffee<BR><BR>--guaranteed late check out (4 PM)<BR><BR>--an 'amenity' at each hotel, which is anything from guaranteed noon check in to $50 gift certificate, to a spa pass, etc.<BR><BR>--free companion international air tickets in Business and First Class. That is, you buy one ticket, the second is free (2 for 1). This alone, if you fly overseas, can pay for several YEARS worth of annual fees for the credit card and is one reason I have this card to begin with. I've saved thousands and thousands of dollars this way).<BR><BR>--'free' membership in the members' clubs for Hertz/Avis/National. That is, I'm a #1 Gold Club member at Hertz but pay no annual fee (normally $60), also Emerald Aisle with National, etc.<BR>This I use a lot.<BR><BR>--Flying Northwest and Continental you may use their airport club lounges for free.<BR><BR>--AmEx holds a table reservation for cardholders at many of the best restaurants in the US and they can often get you a res at booked restaurants. They once got us a prime time Valentine's Day table on short notice at a 5 star restaurant which had been booked solid for weeks. I have used this infrequently so I don't know how often thay can come through.<BR><BR>--other things I don't use like free personal shoppers, rewards programs at Neiman Marcus/Saks, free shipping of items purchased at these places, frre financial advice<BR><BR>--the travel concierges will apparently attempt to do virtually anything you ask...get you seats at any event (Wimbledon, Olympics, theater...) and arrange any type of outing for you, and they are apparently pretty successful. But they'll charge you accordingly. They offer package vacations that range from $25,000-100,000 each. I've never used this service.<BR><BR>Unique to the Centurion is membership in the mileage elite air programs at Delta, USAir and Continental (none of which I use)<BR><BR><BR>One other thing, I don't know what the criteria are, but AmEx claims they are very restrictive regarding Centurion Card screening. My impression is that income below $250,000 a year is one of the exclusion criteria.

Thanks for the illuminating post, Byron. I've never heard of the card, but I'm not in the income class where it'd be offered. However, your views and observations carry a lot more weight than Amex corporate hype for anyone who's interested.

Most people don't know about the Centurion Card because American Express does not advertise its existence.<BR>It is offered to a small % of their cardholders who they think might be interested in having one.<BR>So there isn't any hype or fluff.<BR>The people who get one tend to be people who are already sold on American Express in the first place.

I have heard that the card now costs $2500 per year.

I have heard that the card now costs $2500 per year.

I believe the platinum version is up to either $375 or $400 annually now. If a person has an avoided cost for airport club membership via the card, then that goes a long way toward cost-justifying the expenditure. It also offers the two for one premium class international tix and some of the other bennies mentioned.

They raised the Platinum fee this year but you get the amount of the increase refunded if you book at least one $2000 trip thru AmEx.<BR>$150 refund for Centurion Card holders as well.

You can use your points for virtually anything. Even paying you bill.