American Express has developed a Meet & Greet service for holders of its Platinum Card. This beta service is available exclusively on domestic flights leaving Delhi Airport and is open until February 28, 2022.
Meet & Greet Benefit
What to anticipate from the new domestic meet & greet service for flights departing from Delhi airport is as follows:
- Four-person personalized welcome at the domestic departure terminal
- Helped check in at the airport
- Transportation by dedicated porter and buggy.
- Extensive T&C
- The same business that once handled Citi Prestige meet & greet is now offering the service under Allways VIP (Plaza premium group).
The Limits & Restrictions
- Free access is limited to four per year (1 per quarter)
- A maximum of 4 users (1 primary cardholder + 3 guests) per access
- Only obtainable for Cardholders who reserve their flights via the Platinum Travel desk.
- Valid till February 28, 2022
Although the advantage appears to have some value, it has very little because:
- Bookings made with revenue: For people like me who only fly with points, this is useless because you must use the Amex Platinum travel desk to do it. It makes sense for meet & greet access on an international level, but not for domestic.
- Delhi Only: At this time, only the Delhi airport is eligible.
- Domestic departure only: Restricting its use to domestic departure reduces its value because its maximum value may be obtained when used at international departures.
- Due to the design of the perk, it is only helpful if you have a lot of bags or are taken through the business class security screening line.
Service Details
Platinum Cardmembers (Primary + 3 passengers maximum) may use this service as part of the Meet & Greet Service only on flights departing from Delhi Airport.
Contact Platinum Travel & Lifestyle Services to make a reservation for the Meet & Greet Service at least 48 hours before the scheduled departure. A single use of the service per quarter is permitted without carryover.
Service Validity
- Currently, the M&G Service is valid until February 28, 2022.
- Included in the Meet & Greet Service
- Meet the cardmember at the passenger drop-off area when they arrive and the luggage porter at the gate.
- Display a sign bearing the cardholder’s name and the American Express logo.
- Work with the airline to arrange a wheelchair, if necessary.
- Complete all check-in procedures following airline and security requirements.
- Offer the cardholder a buggy to take them from security to the boarding gates.
- Accompany the cardholder to the lounge and ensure they are at ease. The terms and conditions that relate to the card product(that the card member owns will be followed. The latest applicable lounge list is to be provided by American Express.
- When it’s time to board, meet the cardmember in the lounge and accompany them to the boarding gate (arrange first or the last boarding as needed).
- Help with boarding and steer clear of any lines at the boarding gate.
- Continue to be on standby until the cardholder has gotten on the plane.
- Help with hand-carrying luggage between the arrival gate and the boarding gate.
Service Conditions
- Only holders of legitimate, up-to-date American Express Platinum Cardmember accounts are eligible for this M&G service.
- American Express Supplementary Cards cannot use the service.
- American Express Corporate Cards are not accepted for the service.
- Only four passengers are allowed to use this service. Any service for a person over four will be charged to the CM when the service is requested. Children two (2) years old and older will be charged the total price.
- Late requests may be accepted, but confirmation will rely on the vendor’s available slots.
- Any flight cancellation or rescheduling will impact this service and cannot be carried over.
- General T&Cs are available here.
Amex Meet and Greet service launched for travel out of Delhi Airport
Customers who book their travel with American Express Platinum Travel Services can now take advantage of a Meet & Greet Service for domestic flights out of the Delhi Airport. As part of the new offer, Amex will provide one Meet & Greet every quarter to the Platinum Cardmember (primary) and up to three guests.
Included in the Meet and Greet service is:
- Meet the cardmember at the passenger drop-off area and the luggage porter at the gate upon arrival
- Display the cardholder’s name on an American Express sign
- Work with the airline to arrange for a wheelchair if necessary
- Complete all check-in procedures following all airline and security requirements
- Provide a buggy to the cardholder to get from security to the boarding gates
- Accompany Cardholders into the lounge and make sure they are at ease
- When it’s time to board, meet the cardmember in the lounge and accompany them to the boarding gate (arrange first or the last boarding as needed)
- Help with boarding and stay out of any lines at the boarding gate
- Continue to be on standby until the cardmember has gotten aboard the plane
- Help with hand luggage transfers from the arrival gate to the boarding gate
Citibank once offered this feature for its Prestige Cardholders in the APAC region, but it was discontinued as the Card’s popularity declined. Amex will use Allways, a unit of the Plaza Premium Group, for the services. Currently, it appears that American Express is developing expertise in this product. Therefore, it is only available until February 2022, and each Platinum Cardmember may only use it once every three months. The Meet and Assist service, which is now available to Centurion Cardholders worldwide and is only applicable when tickets are booked through American Express Platinum Travel Services, is comparable to this.
8 Great Reasons to get Amex India Cards
1. The Global Perspective
Most Indian card issuers design their goods with an Indian market in mind. From a worldwide perspective, only one Card has been offered in India: the American Express Platinum Card. American Express can provide available features and benefits far beyond just one country since they own the entire value chain, including the Card and the network.
This perk was first negotiated for Austrian American Express Platinum cardholders. However, as you can see, it is accessible to all Amex Platinum cardholders worldwide. At significant airports in Sweden, Canada, Italy, and Belgium, a similar fast-track for airport security is also accessible. The bottom line is that if a popular feature is successful for American Express Cardmembers, it typically spreads to a larger group of Amex Cardmembers. It enables members to use American Express’s extensive global network and its capacity to negotiate benefits for members.
2. International Airline Programme (IAP)
Access to the Amex International Airline Programme is one of the American Express Platinum Card’s most overlooked and unmentioned benefits. As one of the largest providers of travel services worldwide, Amex and airlines are aware of the potential purchasing power of the company’s customer base, which enables Amex to provide specially curated deals to Cardmembers that are typically unavailable elsewhere.
Using the IAP, you can reserve tickets for up to eight persons at once. Depending on the continuous relationship with the airline, the specifically negotiated pricing may include, for example, purchasing a Business Class ticket but receiving an upgrade to First Class or simply a discount over the regularly priced fee. Air France, British Airways, Etihad, Japan Airlines, KLM, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, United Air Lines, and Virgin Atlantic are currently participating airlines for the IAP in India.
3. Lounge Network
Even though most lifestyle cards offer Priority Pass as a generous reward, they still don’t have the reach that an American Express Card provides for its Platinum Cardmembers. American Express operates a network of more than 40 Centurion lounges, as is well known. There are more than 40 lounges in the US alone (including Centurion Studio Lounges), in addition to those in Stockholm, Hong Kong, Australia, and India. Members of Platinum Charge Cards with Cards issued in India may also bring visitors to the lounge.
Given that they are only available to Amex clients and offer gourmet meals rather than buffets, the Centurion Lounges in Delhi and Mumbai are the main reason people want to stay using the Card. They remain unaffected by Delhi Terminal 3’s Plaza Premium Lounge closing because of the American Express Lounge there. They all agree that the 080 Lounge is a considerably more upscale experience than the BLR Lounge Domestic, and Amex has long had access to it, even in Bengaluru. Amex provides Platinum Cardholders with lounge access in more than 140 countries worldwide.
4. Status at various hotel chains
Everyone in the LiveFromALounge community thinks that status improves everything for everyone if there is one thing about this place that unites us. Apart from the invite-only Amex Centurion, American Express Platinum offers a range of useful hotel statuses when traveling, even if one plans to stay with a hotel chain with which they are not typically affiliated. You can access Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, and Radisson Rewards Premier Status as long as you have the Card. The benefit is not as pointless as one may believe.
5. Concierge
A concierge service is a benefit that practically all lifestyle Card issuers provide. Only a select few high-end concierge service providers can help you get access to the places you require. An example of this is American Express. They typically reserve tables at the best restaurants, which can be given to their members as needed. And even if they don’t, they will typically organize one for you more effectively than you would.
6. Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts
Owning your own travel business, one of the largest in the world and a major lifestyle brand, also offers you access to a variety of specially selected bargains that are not available to everyone. Amex offers The Fine Hotels and Resorts collection, similar to Virtuoso, where Platinum Cardmembers receive unique advantages at more than 1000 properties worldwide. For instance, since the St. Regis Mumbai was reserved through the FHR website, guests received daily afternoon high tea and a complimentary dinner at the “By the Mekong” restaurant.
7. Travel promotions
Amex runs more extensive programs that are longer-lasting and more successful, although practically other Cards run continuing promos with travel portals like MakeMyTrip for a few hundred off. For instance, discounts or free nights at the Oberoi and Taj hotels, as well as the ongoing 15% off of certain Vistara fare classes. Most customers believe that overbooking Premium Economy tickets on Vistara domestic flights straight through Amex has saved them up to INR 30,000 or more yearly.
8. Amex Experiences
In this problematic comparison, American Express excels over most Indian card issuers. Amex has put a lot of effort into selecting events for members only throughout the years, and occasionally all kinds of activities are made available to Cardmembers.
Bottom-Line
The American Express Platinum Card’s product offer is something that American Express is constantly improving. They have made numerous improvements to the card product during the year. Another brand-new service comes, the Amex Meet & Greet Service, albeit it will only be available initially for a short time. With the introduction of this new service, American Express has gained another accolade, even if it is currently only available at the Delhi Airport. Only Axis Bank now offers such meet-and-greet services for certain of their higher-end card members, leaving American Express out.