AmEx Platinum removes Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade benefit from 31st March 2021

By | March 29, 2021
Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade and Taj innercircle gold membership cards
Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade and Taj Innercircle Gold Membership Cards

One of the biggest benefit of Amex Platinum Charge card (India) for frequent travellers is the Shangri-La Golden circle Jade membership that comes complimentary with the card.

But unfortunately this benefit is going away from this month end.

The last date to avail the benefit is 31st March 2021 but I would suggest to apply (if not already) a day before, as Amex runs on multiple timezones and it might cause an issue.

This is a big bad news for Plat cardholders. The problem is not about the Shangri-La Golden Circle membership but more about the other highly valuable memberships that comes along with it.

You lose more!

With Shangri-La Golden Circle membership, you can also get two more memberships as below, simply by linking the account with Golden Circle a/c:

  1. Taj Innercircle Gold: Quite useful as they give you 20 Upgrade vouchers and early check-in/late check-out benefits.
  2. Kris Flyer Silver: Very Useful for frequent travellers as you can get to KrisFlyer Gold after taking 3 flights on Singapore Airlines.

Personally I’ve not experienced Shangri-La Jade & KrisFlyer benefits but I consider Taj TIC Gold membership as highly valuable. It has helped me in getting a nice Sea facing room at Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

While TIC Gold benefit is pretty good on paper Taj actually is very poor in honouring them. I’ve to always remind them that I’m a gold member and ask for an upgrade, happened even with the recent stay at Vivanta, Guwahati.

So even though TIC Gold is highly valuable I still have mixed feelings with Taj TIC loyalty program. I wish they learn from Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott never miss the line “Thanks for being a Marriott Bonvoy Gold Member” while doing the check-in.

Bottomline

Anyway the Shangri-La Jade membership is going away along with two more linked benefits and I wish some other issuer attempts to come up with these memberships in future, at-least the TIC gold.

It would be very interesting to see something like a Taj InnerCircle Credit card for that matter, likely from SBICard as they already have Tata Cards in circulation.

But for now this remains as a bad news of the year and I hope American Express adds more benefits to the Platinum Charge card to justify the price of their expensive metal card.

Do you value these benefits? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

Author: Siddharth

Helping Indians to choose right credit cards, pick right offers and enjoy luxury vacations for less. Day & night exploring the spiritual reality of our human existence.

31 thoughts on “AmEx Platinum removes Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade benefit from 31st March 2021

  1. S agarwal

    1. What are the other benefits of Taj gold
    2. How to become Marriott gold

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      TIC Gold benefits:
      – Earn 7 Points per INR 100 of eligible spends
      – Early Check-in, late Check-out subject to availability
      – 15% Discount on Room Redemption (redemption pre-booking required)
      – 20 complimentary room upgrade vouchers to next level from room booked (upto standard suite) subject to availability at time of check-in. Applicable for a stay of upto 5 nights
      – 2 Complimentary Taj Club rooms upgrade vouchers (upgrades subject to availability at the time of check-in. Applicable for a stay of upto 5 days. Transfers not included)

      Marriott Gold: via Amex Platinum Charge. Follow the links in article.

      Reply
      1. MT

        All these are hit or miss except the 7 points per 100rs (7% value) , best is 25% discount on BAR rates upto 5 rooms for Gold members , just 2 family trips and I managed to save 4 times the fees of amex plat , hopefully Taj Gold will remain as Shangrila has promised Jade status lock till Dec 2023 for latest enrollments via warmer welcomes

        Reply
  2. Priyank Jain

    Hi Sid, will i be eligible for it if i apply before 31st Jan?

    Reply
    1. Priyank Jain

      Sorry i meant 31st March. Even if card gets approved in April?

      PS: very happy to my first comment getting posted, was facing some issues earlier

      Reply
      1. Siddharth Post author

        “Even if card gets approved in April?” – No

        Reply
  3. AAJ

    Kindly suggest how to get Kris Silver and Taj Gold by Jade Shangrila please..

    Reply
    1. MT

      It was via American Express Platinum charge card , Shangrila jade was a listed benefit(till 31.3.2021) , and shangrila has a tie up with Singapore Airlines giving Silver status match to all shangrila jade members

      Reply
  4. Rohit

    I’ve noticed that you’ve a blind spot for lose/loose and incorrectly use them pretty often.

    Lose = opposite of win
    Loose = opposite of tight

    You should’ve used lose here in this article.

    Nevertheless, a great article. Thanks for your writings.

    Reply
  5. Gkcards

    This was an awesome benefit. I don’t travel much but have enjoyed Taj gold upgrades with booking done in lowest categories. I guess only prestige is left with Taj silver every year now. Not sure if others also give every year or only first year

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      But Silver is nowhere close to Gold IMO, as it lacks upgrade vouchers.

      Reply
      1. Gkcards

        True, what I meant was no one is giving silver also on a regular basis except for citi prestige. Citigold gives Taj Gold with epicure, that too on spending just 10K at Taj in a month. Its a kind of regular offer on debit card.

        Reply
  6. sandeep

    Slightly bugged by confusing offers that Amex has:
    1) difficult to find offer details in one place
    2) 5x rewards require hopping from amex website to other merchants and not directly applicable
    3) personally, not getting any targeted offers on my charge
    4) so may offers have upcoming deadline. not sure what is in bag thereafter: shangri la goes away, so is tamara 20% off 🙁

    Reply
  7. Amit

    Sid, I know you have far more knowledge than me in this segment but off lately I have observed you’re more inclined towards Premium segment and I feel content like this is helpful only to smaller part of your segment to which you’re giving more value than rest of us 🙂

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Amit, I thought significant % of readers are in premium segment. If not, let me know what to cover in entry level segment. Will try my best.

      Reply
      1. hrishig

        The premium segment is the place where you get most of the value. So please continue for the same.

        Reply
      2. chanduatla

        Yes. Looks like that. Most of the readers at least one premium or mid-level card but not entry-level. Entry level holders also interested to know how to enter to premium cards. hence any way covering premium cards is a better way to provide inputs to readers.

        Reply
      3. Mahesh S. Panicker

        Sidd, Think you have a pretty good segment of readers who are getting into the credit card thing, I read everything you post, and started out with credit cards only in 2018, and got seriously into it in the last year and a half. Mostly using entry level cards, not really into any premium/super-premium. The site usually has something for everyone, though of late, I too, have noticed a slight tilt towards premium… Just keep the balance, don’t see a need to change anything substantial, just keep in mind the diverse reader set. And more than any of us, you’d be the best judge of the kind of content even the entry/semi premium segment would also benefit from.

        Reply
        1. Praveen Katiyar

          @Mahesh S. Panicker
          We all start from entry level/semi premium where the only thing we look for is free credit period and rewards (if any) without giving annual fee. And catching those occassinal offers on portal/offline.
          Once you realise/calculate how much u spend annually, you get into the game, eventually. This is when you enter premium/super premium.
          It’s premium and super premium users who are behind ‘maximising’ rewards and tweaking their strategy every year, that’s why u see them more active. That’s my opinion and my journey too.

          Reply
  8. Prateek Kanade

    Amex continues to confuse me. I hold a Gold Charge card and was getting multiple emails about eligibility for Plat. I am somehow unable to come to the conclusion how the huge annual fees makes sense. I also have a HDFC Diners Black and the benefits it provides seem so much more. Amex Plat gives Uber credits, dining credits in the US and all that is missing in India. I hope they spruce up things for their India cards soon!

    Reply
  9. Hrishikesh

    Kris flyer gold has 2 more benefits.

    1.you get same gold benefits with vistara that is business class counter check-in,lounge access etc

    2.you get star alliance gold.which means benefits with may more airlines.

    Worst part is Amex has not replaced it.

    Sid do u know any other card which offers Shang jade in India.other than indusind celesta.

    Reply
    1. Siddharth Post author

      Didn’t they remove it on Celesta as well, as that’s again a benefit by Amex?

      Reply
      1. hrishikesh

        Yes, you are correct.Checked it on celesta website.they have replaed it with tablet plus

        Reply
  10. Rajat

    Hi Siddharth,

    Like you, I love everything about the benefits that come with credit cards, hotel loyalty and airmiles. I have been holding Amex Plat Charge Card since 2009 and a Diners Black since 2017. With the Shangri-la Jade and associated Taj Gold TIC and Krisflyer gone, and travels severely restricted as compared to before, I do not see any value in continuing to pay 60K/year for this card. What do you suggest?

    Reply
  11. Gkcards

    Amex website was earlier saying Taj benefit available upto end of March, now it says end of April

    Reply
  12. Sandeep

    A balanced approach would be better. Everyone across the segment should find something interesting and useful. Though I think that it’s the premium segment where most of the people don’t know about many benefits and how to get maximum out of such premium & super premium cards.

    Reply
  13. IP

    Hi Sid
    I got an email from Shangri La to retain Jade membership. Just need 1(one) qualifying spend. It could be a stay or even a meal. Maybe you can renew your status and write an article about it? Keep up the good work.

    Here’s the text from the mail :

    “We’ve loved having you as a Jade member, which is why we’re presenting you with an easy way to retain your status. Stay one qualifying night or spend on one qualifying experience – whether it’s a cup of coffee or a feast at any of our restaurants and bars – before 15 December 2022 to renew your Jade status for another year.”

    Thanks

    Reply

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