Amex Launches Reservations App Feature for Platinum, Centurion Cardholders
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Out of the way, OpenTable: American Express is launching a new reservations feature for premium cardholders, directly accessible through their mobile phones.
The mobile app feature is for cardholders of The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Centurion Card . Members will have access to thousands of restaurants worldwide, including exclusive tables at Michelin-starred Amex partners around the globe. Fine dining will be a hallmark of the new service, but the booking capability isn't limited to high-end restaurants. Amex's partnerships with UK restaurant booking services Seven Rooms and Bookatable will allow Amex customers to access everything from casual eateries to high-end restaurants, bars, clubs and lounges.
Amex's reservation service will launch in the UK at the end of September, and will roll out to to US customers and other regions throughout 2019. UK clientele will begin with access to 2,000 UK restaurants, 1,000 of which will be located in London. Inaugural reservation partners include Hakkasan, Nobu and Chiltern Firehouse.
The service doesn't replace Amex's signature Platinum Concierge service, which has been around for more than two decades for booking not just restaurants, but also hotels as well as exclusive VIP events. And in 2017, Amex launched its Global Dining Collection in partnership with world-renowned chefs and restaurants such as Massimo Bottura of Italy's Osteria Francescana, Thomas Keller of New York's Per Se and Daniel Humm of New York's Eleven Madison Park.
Instead, the new feature is the latest competitive effort from Amex to target HENRYs (High Earners, Not Rich Yet) who love the Chase Sapphire Reserve and may not necessarily want to go through the live concierge service. During the American Express Q2 2018 earnings call, CEO Stephen Squeri stated that Millennials represented a significant number of Amex's new Platinum cardholders. This move also offers new options for high-end consumers who comprise the backbone of Amex's clientele.
