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One of the perks of Amex Plat.

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djrez4
Established Contributor

Re: One of the perks of Amex Plat.


@ElCamino wrote:

@NJTurnpike wrote:

keep in mind the "new amex" account will show up back dated to match your oldest amex account. so the real cost is the HP. unless of course your relationship with amex just started as well.


And a denial is only a SP is it not?


You are correct.

 

Amex will also reimburse for NEXUS, which expedites transfer between the US and Canada.  It's half the price of Global Entry.  There are also rumors that a NEXUS application gets you Global Entry.

Message 11 of 20
koalablue
Frequent Contributor

Re: One of the perks of Amex Plat.

Hmmmm.....That is good food for thought.  I forgot about the backdating.  I got the PRG in July of last year, so I think I have to have it 13 months before being eligible for a bonus on another charge card.  The Plat bonus is huge though - probably worth waiting for.

Message 12 of 20
CreditScholar
Valued Contributor

Re: One of the perks of Amex Plat.

I'll be the lone dissenter here and say that yes it's a benefit, but frankly it's not a very large one. Global Entry isn't something you apply for every year, so once you use that $100 value that's it. For me I'd just pay the $100 since its not enough to alter my decision as to whether or not to get a card. If it was a reoccurring yearly $100 expense then maybe, but $100 every few years just isn't a big deal. As to your other question, lounge access is great because it gets you away from the plebs and stress in the terminal, plus you can eat, drink, read and just relax. There's also no screaming kids, which is fantastic.
EX 798, EQ 789, TU 784
American Express Platinum (NPSL) || Bank of America Privileges with Travel Rewards Visa Signature - $23,200 CL
Barclays American Airlines Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard - $20,000 CL || Chase IHG Rewards World Mastercard - $25,000 CL
Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Signature - $12,700 CL || Chase United MileagePlus Club World Elite MasterCard - $26,500 CL
Citibank Hilton Reserve Visa Signature - $20,000 CL || J.P. Morgan Ritz Carlton Visa Signature - $23,500 CL
Message 13 of 20
ElCamino
Contributor

Re: One of the perks of Amex Plat.

Well it would be a terrible idea to only get the Platinum card for the $100 Global Entry fee. This was more to alert frequent travelers who already have the card how it can help them cut down on wait times flying in the US or returning to the US.


Amex BCE: $16.5k, Discover It: $5k, Chase Freedom Visa: $10k, Fidelity Amex: $7.5k, PenFed Cash Rewards Visa: $3.5k, CapOne Union Plus MC: $4.5k, Barclays Upromise MC: $5k, BoA Cash Rewards 123 MC: $1.5k
Message 14 of 20
enharu
Super Contributor

Re: One of the perks of Amex Plat.

thanks for sharing this!

It's also a very nice card if one travels to Vegas a lot. My friend gets free room upgrades and hotel credits with that card. Just 2-3 trips to Vegas in a year and the AF is pretty much recouped.

 

JPMorgan Palladium (100k), AmEx Platinum (NPSL), AmEx SPG (46k), AmEx BCP (42k), Chase Sapphire Preferred (47k), Citi Prestige (31k), Citi Thank You Preferred (27k), Citi Executive AAdvantage (25k), JPMorgan Ritz-Carlton (21k), Merrill+ (15k), US Bank Cash+ (22.5k), Wells Fargo (12k), Bloomingdale’s (12.4k), Chase Freedom (5k), Discover IT (5k).
Message 15 of 20
LS2982
Mega Contributor

Re: One of the perks of Amex Plat.


@ElCamino wrote:

I don't happen to have the Platinum card myself, but I have discovered one of the awesome benefits that the card has and would like to share it with others.

 

Amex Platinum cardholders are eligible to have the cost of the US Customs & Border Patrol's Global Entry Program covered for them for free (a $100 value).

 

I work at a large airport, so I have a little bit of knowledge about why this is so great. The Global Entry Program was established in order to gain background information of people that travel internationally frequently in order to expedite processing. In these days of government cutbacks, the lines for Customs have gotten out of hand, and can be anywhere from 2.5-3 hours long. The travelers I speak to that use Global Entry say that being a member of the program cuts their wait down to an average of 10 minutes.

 

Where it gets really interesting is that this program can benefit you even if you don't travel internationally very often. The Transportation Security Administration has a new trusted traveler program known as "Pre-Check", and Global Entry membership can qualify you for the program. Now Pre-Check is only available at the moment to people travelling domestically, so the Global Entry card can kill two birds with one stone. In Pre-Check, the passengers have some modified rules when compared to going through a regular security line, and the lines are generally shorter. You just need to make sure you take your Global Entry Member # and put it into all of your airline profiles, so that when you order your tickets the airline can provide the TSA with the information.

 

I often hear people on here talking about the benefits of lounge access and such for having a Platinum card, but what good is lounge access if you're stuck in a security line? Smiley Wink

 

Cheers!


That is awesome, I can't stand waiting in line at airports!!

 

But the $450 AF is just too much for me Smiley Sad




EQ FICO 548 3/3/16
Message 16 of 20
Sevenfeet
Regular Contributor

Re: One of the perks of Amex Plat.

I just finished getting approved for Global Entry and here are my thoughts on the process...

First, an up-to-date passport is a must. You do not have to be a US Citizen to do this...low risk green card holders can apply too. Amex reimburses the cost of the application within a couple of days (my wife and I both got our applications reimbursed in 48 hours). After the online application, there is a background check that for me took about two weeks. Once you are conditionally approved, you must schedule an interview in a participating TSA office, most of which are in airports. The interview process is to ask you some basic questions and most importantly, take a current photo and fingerprint you. After that you wait for approval which for me came the next day.

One warning about the interview...there are a lot of people taking advantage of this program and so it may take a while to get an interview scheduled. The Interview is only 15 minutes or so but the when I first applied for an interview SFO (where I was traveling to), I discovered that I couldn't get a scheduled interview until July at the earliest. I wound up going to the office and asking them to put me on a waiting list to call if someone cancelled while I was there. Sure enough, someone did and I was able to squeeze in. The deal is that some cities are easier to get interviews in than others. So plan ahead, especially if you have to travel to get to a TSA office.
Message 17 of 20
somnipotent
Frequent Contributor

Re: One of the perks of Amex Plat.

The AF is pretty steep and the rewards are better on the PRG.  Unless you travel a ton and consider lounge access a must (non-United that is), I can't justify the upgrade.  The Delta Plat is more worth it as well as the Chase Miles Club over the AMEX Plat.


AmEx PRG (NPSL) | AmEx Costco ($8.2K) | AmEx Delta Gold ($19.3K) | AmEx BCE ($5K) | Chase United Explorer ($10K) | Chase Sapphire Preferred ($7.5K) | Chase Freedom ($8.2K) | Discover it ($3K) | Capital One Quicksilver ($2.5K) | PayPal Extras ($2.5K) | Lowes ($3.3K) | Walmart ($4.3K) | Amazon ($2.5K) | Restoration Hardware ($8.8K) | Crate & Barrel ($8.3K)
--
Homeowner since 05/29/13
Message 18 of 20
CreditScholar
Valued Contributor

Re: One of the perks of Amex Plat.


@somnipotent wrote:

The AF is pretty steep and the rewards are better on the PRG.  Unless you travel a ton and consider lounge access a must (non-United that is), I can't justify the upgrade.  The Delta Plat is more worth it as well as the Chase Miles Club over the AMEX Plat.


Or in some cases you don't travel a ton (by most people's definition) but want lounge access on-demand and are willing to pay for that.

 

With regards to global entry, it makes sense even if you travel internationally once or twice a year. $20 per year is a pittance to save yourself from immigration line hell. Having Global Entry also confers reciprocal benefits in some other countries (like in Australia you can access their SmartGate system, etc.)

EX 798, EQ 789, TU 784
American Express Platinum (NPSL) || Bank of America Privileges with Travel Rewards Visa Signature - $23,200 CL
Barclays American Airlines Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard - $20,000 CL || Chase IHG Rewards World Mastercard - $25,000 CL
Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Signature - $12,700 CL || Chase United MileagePlus Club World Elite MasterCard - $26,500 CL
Citibank Hilton Reserve Visa Signature - $20,000 CL || J.P. Morgan Ritz Carlton Visa Signature - $23,500 CL
Message 19 of 20
indiolatino61
Valued Contributor

Re: One of the perks of Amex Plat.


@ElCamino wrote:

I don't happen to have the Platinum card myself, but I have discovered one of the awesome benefits that the card has and would like to share it with others.

 

Amex Platinum cardholders are eligible to have the cost of the US Customs & Border Patrol's Global Entry Program covered for them for free (a $100 value).

 

I work at a large airport, so I have a little bit of knowledge about why this is so great. The Global Entry Program was established in order to gain background information of people that travel internationally frequently in order to expedite processing. In these days of government cutbacks, the lines for Customs have gotten out of hand, and can be anywhere from 2.5-3 hours long. The travelers I speak to that use Global Entry say that being a member of the program cuts their wait down to an average of 10 minutes.

 

Where it gets really interesting is that this program can benefit you even if you don't travel internationally very often. The Transportation Security Administration has a new trusted traveler program known as "Pre-Check", and Global Entry membership can qualify you for the program. Now Pre-Check is only available at the moment to people travelling domestically, so the Global Entry card can kill two birds with one stone. In Pre-Check, the passengers have some modified rules when compared to going through a regular security line, and the lines are generally shorter. You just need to make sure you take your Global Entry Member # and put it into all of your airline profiles, so that when you order your tickets the airline can provide the TSA with the information.

 

I often hear people on here talking about the benefits of lounge access and such for having a Platinum card, but what good is lounge access if you're stuck in a security line? Smiley Wink

 

Cheers!


Thanks for posting this information!

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Message 20 of 20
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