Thought I would share a situation that happened last week. A client of mine fell entering the lobby of his hotel in Istanbul the day before emarking on the ship. He broke his hip and had to abandon his trip and get home.

He had travel insurance (Regent). He also had an AMX Platinum card (the type that costs $400 a year). He did not have MED JET.

He said both the Travel Insurance and AMX were wonderful and very helpful. Keeping in touch all the way. The Travel Insurance would send him home by commercial airlines. AMX has an emergency evacuation clause in their benefits. They chose to go the AMX route. They had to wait for the plane but felt it was a better option.

AMX sent a plane to Istanbul with two nurses. They had to wait as the plane was small and had to stop and refuel coming over and then when they did fly home they had to stop and refuel a lot on the way. They did not have to deplane and it took a long time to get home but they felt it was better than airports and the commercial aircraft. The two nurses stayed with him on arrival in JFK and in the ambulance going to the hospital and did not leave until they knew he was in good hands.

So this card may be expensive and I knew there were some benefits related to evacuation but it is nice to know that it worked out so well. So with the $300 shipboard credit if you sail once a year and to have these evacuation benefits it sure makes that card seem a better value than it looks at first glance.

I do not have the card myself, but I do have MEDJET.

Just thought you all might like to know that. Many of you do have this card. The couple are home safe and sound, he has had his hip replacement surgery and is feeling better every day.

Ngaire, I'm glad your client is doing well. Thanks for sharing this story.

Is there insurance through the AmEx Platinum card itself (we have that one) or it through the additional secondary AmEx insurance policy that kicks in when you're 150 miles from home (additional cost to AmEx Platinum card) ?? We have that insurance also plus MedJet so hopefully we're in good shape.

People have always asked me why I have this card and I defended it for years, 1 Regent cruise per year shipboard Credit paid for itself. I have the Business Amex Platinum that until 2008 was $295 per year, all the same benefits of the $395 but a bit cheaper for some reason.

Thats great to hear about that benefit Ngaire, the program has had some enhancements for 2008.

FV

Not sure on that issue Marcie. This is a very elderly couple and I am pretty sure neither of them will know how their card was set up.

Those of you who have an AMX card should probably call AMX and see how you are set up. Maybe worth adding that little extra insurance Marcie is talking about.

All these cards and programs are impossible to keep up with.

We have the extra insurance on our Amex, but also have Med Jet. We've had both for years, they would probably overlap greatly, but neither of them is a large expense. We also buy trip insurance for big trips. We could probably pay for a couple of trips with what we have laid out for insurance over the years, but the peace of mind is worth it to us.

Checked the AMX-P benefits page and it
describes Travel Accident Insurance of up to $500,000 traveling on common conveyance, (Plane,
Ship, train, heli, bus) "when" entire fare has
been charged to the card...would call AMX-P
to double check tho.

Thanks Wes. I guess we wouldn't be covered in that case as even though we have the Platinum card (for shipboard credits) we use our Starwood AmEx for purchases.

You can use ANY AMX card to pay a cruise fare and as long as you have an AMX Platinum card the AMX Platinum benefits are good. No Visa, Master Card etc can be used at all of course.

I would check and see if this is applicable to the insurance as well. If one benefit transfers the others may as well.

In Canada the Global Assist medical insurance is an add-on extra with the Platinum card.

What does it cover Wendy? We are insured with RBC for a year at a time for out of provence medical insurance and evacuation etc. I also believe they will med evac us if it is absolutely imperative and ordered by the doctor.(Very expensive they told me)I know for sure they will do it by commercial air if at all feasable.

Here are the details--I think you have to call and get a quote. Note the air ambulance mention, and the fact that it's underwritten by RBC! They do single trips or yearly.

AMEX Global Assist

This added coverage picks up where your provincial health care plan leaves off for out-of-province hospital and medical expenses.

Global Assist Travel Medical Insurance provided by American Express and underwritten by RBC Travel Insurance Company offers comprehensive travel medical protection including:

* Unlimited emergency excess hospital and medical insurance.
* Access to healthcare professionals and multilingual representatives, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via our Global Assist Hotline.
* Up front payment of covered expenses whenever possible.
* Arrangements to get you home in the event you have a medical emergency, including, if necessary, by air ambulance.
* And more.


*Global Assist Travel Medical Insurance is underwritten by RBC Travel Insurance Company.

I just spoke with AMX because I investigated Global Assist last year before CAMEL, and I didn't remember all the details. I have the Platinum card among others. My understanding is that beginning in 2007, AMX Platinum added covereage which made it very similar to Medjet. There is no additional charge for this coverage. On the basis of this information, I did not get Medjet. The AMX rep I spoke with this morning confirmed that you do not need to charge any of the trip itself on an AMX card. Furthermore, it also covers family members traveling with you. He did say that the trip has to be less than 90 days (world cruisers take note) and that military unrest in a country may preclude the availability of some services.

-------------

Eugene

Eugend, thanks for the good due dilligence and to Ngaire for starting/sharing this topic....hooah.

r/wes

Eugene that surprises me that you do not need to use an AMX card for the trip cost to have coverage. For the simple shipboard credit offer you MUST use an AMX card of some kind but not necessarily the Platinum card. Of course this could be a third party insurer and that is why it is not necessary.

In my "old age" I find that I do not trust what I am told, different answers can come quite often from different people. However, Eugene is the detail "guru" so if he thinks it is so then it probably is correct.

I would suggest using an AMX card to pay for your trip just to be on the safe side. Logically that makes sense.

We feel like the cost of the AMEX platinum is justified for several reasons, but particularly for the access to airport clubs. I cover Michigan and Minnesota, so fly NW (now Delta) a lot. The remainder are typically American, and the card gets me in there as well. Big benefit for us, those clubs are expensive to join, and we used to pay for them with our precious miles......

I just came across a recent mailing from AMEX that lists the Platinum Card benefits and services. Doesn't sound like you have to have spent any money on the card:

here's the wording:

Premium Global Assist Hotline:
Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, you have emergency assistance, including emergency medical evacuation to a medical facility nearest to the card member's home when determined necessary by a Premium Global Assist physician.

then there is a footnote:

The Premium Global Assist Hotline must arrange all medical and visitor transportation. Because the Premium Global Asisst Hotline is an assistance service, we cannot reimburse you for expenses you incur on your own.

With all the various AMEX Brands this may only apply to some of them. I have the business Platnium and I have found there are features on my card that are different than features on other people's cards that have say the Starwood or Costco branded cards.

Good point, Kathy - I have the Fidelity Investments card.

Another feature of AMEX PC which have yielded great benefits to us is the "Fine Hotels" program. In addition to late checkout, included breakfast, and one "additional amenity", we have had consistent good luck with upgrades. While the hotels utilized are high quality, the rates are not outrageous.

We have the old fashioned, unbranded PC - will have to check if we have the described "Globak Assist" feature!

I too have the Business Amex Platinum and it seems it is pretty much the same as the Regular PC, Fine hotels/Purchase Protection.

I seem to get the same literature every year as the regular PC.

FV

I just called AmEx Platinum card service and was told that as a Platinum cardholder (whether we use it or not) we do have emergency evacuation up to $500,000 anytime we're over 150 miles from home. It does NOT include medical or dental coverage, just evacuation only.

If you want medical coverage than you must pay for the AmEx policy (which we also have). We also have medjet. The one big difference with medjet is they evacuation you in a medical emergency to a hospital close to home, not just the closest hospital.

I have both Amex Platinum and MedJet Assist. There is a significant difference between the two.
If you read the Amex benefits carefully you will see that, like many medical insurance carriers, they have the right to review the medical situation a decide if you can be satisfactorily treated at a medical facility closer to your current location as opposed to your home location. MedJet only requires that you are hospitalized and they will send a air ambulance, assuring that you not only are transported to the hospital of your choice, but that a bed is waiting for you upon arrival. There is no discretionary aspect to their service.
As usual, Ngaire has recommended the best alternative among the medical insurers.

Thanks Jody for clarifying - I had not had chance to go back and check but thought that was the reason I added Medjet - transported to hospital of your choice on air ambulance -

We have had the "Real" Am Ex Platinum card for years and always figured emergency evacuation was one of our many reasons to justify the cost of the card. We are going on a cruise in April from Hong Kong to Athens and we have been wondering if we should take MedJet insurance.
Any thoughts on this since we will be so far from home for almost 6 weeks?

Pat

Pat read Jody's post above - I would not be so far away for so long without Medjet and we have the plat card, too. Medjet gives me extra peace of mind -

Joanna,
Thank you for your recommendation. I had been thinking about this and was certainly moving in this direction and appreciate another opinion.
Pat

Joanna,
Thank you for your recommendation. I had been thinking about this and was certainly moving in this direction and appreciate another opinion.
Pat

If you're thinking of signing up for Medjet, there is an 18% discount for AARP members.

Thanks Dave, I wish I had known that when I re-upped!