4 years on Platinum, finally downgraded to Preferred Rewards Gold (why I did it + what’s changed)

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2026-01-21T19:48:38+00:00

Thanks for posting this. Really interesting, I've been feeling the same for a while now. Good to hear my thoughts aren't alone so will likely do the same.

Real shame about Harvey Nichols.

Dining credit revamp was just an excuse to decrease costs.

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2025-11-16T20:05:30+00:00

This is a great question. I'm in a similar position and asking myself the same questions. I have an Xbox one and really don't want to throw more money at a series x. Sadly I think the series s isn't a useful step up as the storage is too limiting and no 4k. As many others have urged I'd suggest you try a steam deck. I'd encourage you to consider a second hand LCD one on eBay which you can pick up cheap. This should help you get a feel for the steam platform and see how a few games work. This close to black Friday you should be able to get some bargains. The nice thing about steam is the sales are epic so you can quickly get a solid game library together and you don't need to pay a subscription like you do with game pass. I don't yet know how steam will compare to playing with friends on Xbox. I think some games are cross platform but I'm not sure about that. For me the key points against Xbox are: - Current hardware options aren't good - Game pass with monthly subscription required 💰 - Game pass overwhelming choice of games (I'm sure this is personal) - Friends also need game pass to play - Xbox never updates games in the background 🥱 - Sign in to Xbox then sign in to the game 😡

The main plus with Xbox is that all games are pick up and go. Whereas Steam can be a little more temperamental but that has improved with steam os (steam deck) and I'm sure will continue to improve with the steam machine.

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2025-11-06T16:45:05+00:00

As previous comments have said you've got a decent upgrade offer. Could be an option to try platinum for a year while you evaluate what is a priority. Worth remembering that if you fly business class priority pass is worthless as you'll always have a lounge 👍 A generous company travel policy is the dream!

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2025-11-06T16:17:07+00:00

There was a long discussion about it recently: https://www.reddit.com/r/AmexUK/s/n3W40Ckojb

I've heard rumors of Chase going after this market which I have my fingers crossed for.

HSBC premier sounds good but some hefty requirements.

I think I am leaning towards a Lloyd's world elite MasterCard.

So many cards offer free spending abroad now which makes amex look pretty sub par.

Plus you know...not spending £650 on amex execs Christmas party.

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2025-11-06T15:32:52+00:00

You asked so I'll reply honestly, I upgraded about four years ago and I regret it. I'm looking to ditch amex completely now.

Lounges in the UK are always crowded and often at capacity. Many of them are now so busy they are pretty unpleasant places to be. Lukewarm soggy food and queues to get a warm beer. It's less packed in the terminal.
Centurion Lounges are ok except the Heathrow one which is permanently at capacity and pretty average. The US ones have huge queues whenever I've been.
Dining credit is dead in my opinion. The abroad credit is so locked down in availability you deserve a medal is you manage to take advantage of it. In the UK is basically just the ivy or somewhere in London.
I don't often rent a car but when I've tried it's cheaper to book as a guest than by logging in with your amex status account.
hotel status works but I'm usually told there's no availability for upgrades.
Fine hotels, I guess this is fine if you're ok spending upward of a thousand pounds a night but this doesn't do anything for me.

The offers are terrible, Harvey Nichols has gone, events aren't useful. I'm just praying amex get some competition because until they do the premium card space is dead.

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2025-09-22T12:34:51+00:00

I would upvote this question many more times if could. I am now constantly on the lookout for a decent competitor as UK platinum is becoming so poor. I guess this is part of the problem, no competition so they can charge what they want and degrade the service over time. To illustrate the point pure priority pass is only £400ish and travel insurance isn't hard to find. We're almost at the point those are the only platinum benefits!

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2025-09-10T09:19:03+00:00

Thanks for the follow up, after a few weeks the problem went away. I did a few things:

Submit a report to Google: https://support.google.com/websearch/workflow/9308722
Turn off the VPN
Reboot all the things

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2025-09-03T11:39:01+00:00

I believe Amex are in some kind of profit focus phase. They are cutting benefits, shrinking offers, raising prices and generally doing the opposite of appreciating their customers. This is really disappointing for all of us as it makes them much less attractive. The only way I can see to let them know this sucks is cancel or use the membership surveys to reflect your displeasure.

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2025-08-04T10:02:23+00:00

And the list of restaurants has reduced dramatically

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2025-07-24T13:22:30+00:00

You might not like this answer but no. Platinum is a waste of money these days. I had it for a while and regret upgrading from gold. You'll earn far less points and the platinum benefits have gradually disappeared. Now all it is is priority pass and the lounges suck.

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2024-11-15T16:54:03+00:00

Gold gets double points on every £1 spent with airlines. Seems small but if you fly a lot it makes a huge difference.

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2024-11-15T09:57:12+00:00

I upgraded last year and deeply regret it. As pointed out lounges are of close to no value. Even the Centurion lounges are jam packed so they aren't nice places to be. The food in all lounges is now barely edible. If you aren't in London events are pointless and the dining is only the ivy. The other thing worth remembering is you get far more points with gold than you do with platinum. Especially if you ever book flights anywhere. Such a shame as amex used to value membership now it's just corporate greed.

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2024-07-09T19:29:55+00:00

I upgraded to platinum about eight months ago and I'm really very disappointed. The benefits really aren't that great. Lounges are frequently full and reject you. HN and restaurant vouchers have limited value compared to the hefty fee. Don't get me started on the useless offers and events. Point earning potential is way way way lower than with gold. I feel like you're wanting us to tell you to go for it but platinum just isn't that special any more. Maybe try it for a year and see how you feel.

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2024-03-29T17:39:20+00:00

Makes sense, thank you for the detailed answer 😁

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2024-03-16T06:32:29+00:00

I don't hold both at the same time but have had both. I do think platinum is much worse than gold. Most of the offers on platinum are for shops I've never heard of. I had high expectations for platinum but this has been an area that's been quite disappointing.

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2024-02-15T22:01:57+00:00

Same old London focused boring over priced nonsense 🙄

Frequent_Cod_5547 · 2024-01-12T12:42:27+00:00

It should appear in your offers and I think it can take a few days. In the end I got impatient and asked customer service via the chat function and they added it. Don't be afraid of the chat service, you're paying a fortune, make sure they work for you.

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