No more "Always Double Miles"

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Update:  I called and requested a product change to Blue Sky.  Done in five minutes.  I'm supposed to receive my new card 7-10 days after my next statement date.

So long, Delta.  It was fun while it lasted.

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Glad to hear it was a hassle-free experience, Cheddar!

I've been chewing this one over... SO not worth it to me with that AF given the unimprovements in the rewards, but I'm also very very leery of any conversation with AmEx CS - don't want to bring on that CLD any sooner than necessary just by, y'know, talking to them. But I'm not going to pay $95 for a card that will instantly become of far less value to me than it was WITHOUT the fee, just because I'm scared of upsetting big bad AmEx.

So... I think it's going to be the Blue Sky for me too, most likely. Can't see any point going for any of the other fee-free cards, so the Blue Sky's as good a choice as any.

Hmm, better call them before they put a stop to product changes, just like they did with credit line reallocations.  

[Anonymous]

Hmm... I do have an "invitation", received last week (about the seventh such invite that AmEx has sent me) to upgrade to the Platinum Delta card. The letter specifically mentions "Always Double Miles on everyday purchases and purchases with Delta" - in addition to the 10,000 bonus miles they promise upon making your first purchase. If I'm going to have to call them anyway, I may enquire about this... I wonder if they have any powers to let you keep your double miles for a year or something if you upgrade...? It definitely appears that the Platinum Delta card is no longer offering the "always" double miles, which (when combined with the general crappiness of airlines and their frequent flyer programs these days) makes it a pretty undesirable card unless you use it for booking Delta flights on a VERY regular basis. 

[Anonymous]

I completely understand your hesitation about calling them for any reason, fevmlo.  The only reason I did it was because I was fully prepared to close the account if they said the product change wouldn't be allowed.  I'm not sure I would have called them if I were actually concerned about keeping my account.

Hmmm, I don't know if they'd let you keep the double miles on the Platinum SkyMiles for a year.  There is a provision that recently opened accounts get to keep the Always Double Miles benefit until the card's first anniversary.  I would imagine it's probably already too late to take advantage of that, though, since they have published the "unimprovements" (nice word, btw) on their website and made them public knowledge.

I agree that they may eliminate product changes, too, which is why I jumped on the opportunity as soon as I knew it was available to me.  (Aside from the fact that my $95 AF is set to bill any day now.)

For the record, here's the note from my Gold Delta SkyMiles statement:

"You will continue to accumulate double miles for qualifying Delta Airlines purchases.  However, we are eliminating all other categories of "Always Double Miles purchases."  For billing periods that begin on or after January 1, 2009, the definition of "Always Double Miles purchases" in the Agreement Regarding the Accumulation of Delta Miles in Connection with Your Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express is deleted, and the reference to "Always Double Miles purchases" in the second, third and fourth paragraphs of that Agreement are deleted and replaced with "Delta purchases."

"If your Card Account was opened on or after November 1, 2007, this change will not go into effect for your Card Account until one year after the date your Card Account was opened."

Message Edited by cheddar on 11-05-2008 06:28 PM

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I completely understand your hesitation about calling them for any reason, fevmlo.  The only reason I did it was because I was fully prepared to close the account if they said the product change wouldn't be allowed.  I'm not sure I would have called them if I were actually concerned about keeping my account.

Hmmm, I don't know if they'd let you keep the double miles on the Platinum SkyMiles for a year.  There is a provision that recently opened accounts get to keep the Always Double Miles benefit until the card's first anniversary.  I would imagine it's probably already too late to take advantage of that, though, since they have published the "unimprovements" (nice word, btw) on their website and made them public knowledge.

I agree that they may eliminate product changes, too, which is why I jumped on the opportunity as soon as I knew it was available to me.  (Aside from the fact that my $95 AF is set to bill any day now.)

For the record, here's the note from my Gold Delta SkyMiles statement:

"You will continue to accumulate double miles for qualifying Delta Airlines purchases.  However, we are eliminating all other categories of "Always Double Miles purchases."  For billing periods that begin on or after January 1, 2009, the definition of "Always Double Miles purchases" in the Agreement Regarding the Accumulation of Delta Miles in Connection with Your Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express is deleted, and the reference to "Always Double Miles purchases" in the second, third and fourth paragraphs of that Agreement are deleted and replaced with "Delta purchases."

"If your Card Account was opened on or after November 1, 2007, this change will not go into effect for your Card Account until one year after the date your Card Account was opened."

Message Edited by cheddar on 11-05-2008 06:28 PM

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So strange... I got my statement in the mail on Monday,  and there was no mention of any of this - I had to get the envelope out of the trash especially to make sure I hadn't missed anything, but nope! I find that particularly odd, especially given that my card will be reaching its first birthday in, ooh, three weeks from now, and the fee will therefore hit when my next statement closes at the end of the month. When were they planning on telling me they'd 'unimproved' (I love making up words, me, dictionaries be d*mned!) the rewards structure? After I'd already paid up, I guess.

I will be calling tomorrow about that product change - just wish there was a card I actively wanted to PC to! I was quite happy with the Delta until this, even though it hasn't seen much action lately. I was planning to use it to book flights (Delta ones, of course - not that we have much choice given our local airport) for the trip we're possibly-but-not-definitely taking to Europe next year, and the double miles on a few appliance purchases at Lowe's would have been nice - it was the thought of double miles on a new fridge and dishwasher (in addition to the montly Verizon bill) that made me think the card was worth having even without being anything like my 'main' card. 

I'll just have to grit my teeth and call... if only I really didn't care about EITHER of my AmExes - but I don't want to lose the (short, but short is all I've got!) history on this (although not to the extent that I'll pay that kind of AF for negligible benefits) and reallllly don't want to upset the applecart with my so-far-so-good Blue Cash and have them go all AA-ey on me. Although who knows how long that 'so far so good' will last - or when they'll abolish the 5% categories, cap the rewards or up that $6,500-to-get-the-good-rewards to, I dunno, $16,500?!?! 

[FretlessMayhem]

So do you just lose out on all the Skymiles you earned so far?

Btw, how's the Citi Amex Platinum working out? 

[Anonymous]

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FretlessMayhem wrote:

So do you just lose out on all the Skymiles you earned so far?

Btw, how's the Citi Amex Platinum working out? 

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No, I won't lose my SkyMiles because they're kept in a regular frequent flyer account with Delta Airlines.  It's not maintained by Amex.

The Citi Platinum Amex is working out great.  It's the #1 card in my wallet.  It has some reporting issues, but I knew that when I got it, so I'm not complaining.

Message Edited by cheddar on 11-06-2008 04:05 AM

[Anonymous]

I hate to bump another AmEx thread to the top of an already AmEx-flooded board, but here is my update...

I called the number on my most recent "invitation" to upgrade to the Platinum Delta card to do a little bit of fishing about the offer. And the upshot is, AmEx have finally succeeded in getting me to accept that upgrade - I was actually mildly tempted by it before (increased bonus mileage upon first purchase from 5,000 to 10,000), but the idea of actually having to call AmEx was so unappealing that I'd decided against it. But as I was going to have to call them to PC anyway, I thought I'd find out about the upgrade offer first...

Turns out that because the upgrade offer is still valid and specifically promises "Always Double Miles", I will still get to keep that benefit for the next year. The rep did say that it would "go away" after that (in which case, so will my card, most likely!) but verified that because that's included as part of the upgrade offer, the Always Double Miles still stand.

So... instead of a product change to something fee-free I'm now going to be giving AmEx $150. The way I look at is that it means nothing's really changed from before - I'll still have exactly the same card I did, basically (which I was expecting to pay the $95 AF for in a couple of weeks, until they reduced the rewards on it), and in exchange for an additional chunk of fee, I'm getting 10,000 SkyMiles.

Meh. So, my upgrade is really no upgrade at all!

But just a heads-up for anyone who might actually care about keeping their SkyMiles card, complete with double miles - if you have one of those upgrade invites, you might just think "what the heck" and use it.

Now, if they CLD me to $500, I am going to be reallllllly annoyed, and requesting a PC to any card, I don't care what card, so long as it has no AF. (And I bet that'll be the day they put a stop to PCs!!)

[WhirledPeasPlease]

Heads up Cheddar --

They went ahead and charged me my AF for the DSMG even tho I called before it was billed.  They also told me it would take about two weeks for the card to switch over to the Options version (at the end of my billing cycle).

I called after a few days b/c the AF had not been reversed, and at that point they said it could take up to ANOTHER billing cycle to adjust off.  It took about a week.

[Anonymous]

Congrats, fevmlo!  Honestly, I think you made a wise choice.  I am surprised that they're letting you keep the ADM benefit for a year, but I'm happy to hear it worked out for you.

So, you're getting 10K additional bonus SkyMiles, and you're paying an aditional $55 for the privelege.  Even at the one-cent redemption rate you get with the Pay with Miles program, 10K SkyMiles are worth $100, so you've come out ahead right there.

In addition, don't forget about your domestic coach companion certificate, the little bonus that comes with the Platinum but not the Gold.

I definitely think you played this hand well.   Nice going!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the heads up, Peas.  They did tell me that when I did the product change.  They said that my AF would bill sometime before my next statement, but that I should call when I activate the new Blue Sky card, and they will credit the AF back, which will take up to another month to accomplish.

Thanks again for the tip, though.