Consumer complaint received 2025-06-06 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Confusing or misleading advertising about the credit card
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY
State: CO

Complaint narrative:
This was correspondence that I have sent to AMEX. AMEX had full knowledge that there would be seat fees. The only way to get out of seat fees is to wait till 24 hours before booking. AMEX said that their acknowledgement said that there " may be additonal airline fees ''. However, AMEX had full knowledge that there were restrictions and seat charges with XXXX XXXX, XXXX and XXXX. So, it was a not a " may '' issue, they withheld information regarding the true cost of the flights. Not including full disclosure of the full price ( you typically need a seat when you book a flight ) is a deciteful business practice. They had full knowledge of the addtional fees and decided not to provide that information. 


AMEX Corporate Secretarys Office : I am writing to inform you of deceitful and fraudulent practices in your AMEX Platinum Travel Benefit program. I recently booked airfare to XXXX, XXXX for a vacation with my wife. I have been an Amex Platinum Card Member since 2018. Based on advertisements as shown from XXXX below, I booked travel through AMEX Platinum Travel Services believing that I was going to receive the points benefit and be able to book standard economy class ticket. 



When booking I was unable to select seats as the system did not connect to the airline seat selection. The cost of tickets was very similar to that I has just booked standard economy through airline websites, but I thought I was getting standard economy and AMEX Platinum points. Later when I went to seat selection in the airline website using my confirmation number, I found that for each of the four flights in my itinerary, I needed to pay a seat charge to get standard economy. As shown in the example images from XXXX XXXX below, the charges range from {$88.00} per person to {$26.00} per person. In total, I am looking at approximately {$400.00} in seat charges that I would not have incurred if I had not used AMEX Platinum Travel Services and had just booked standard economy through the carrier. At no point in the AMEX Platinum Travel Service booking did it indicate that this was NOT standard economy and there would be ADDITIONAL FEES FOR ECONOMY SEAT SELECTION. I believe that is an unfair and deceitful transaction process that meets the standards of the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) as an unfair, deceptive and fraudulent business practice. You have advertised that you are selling standard economy tickets when they are actually below standard economy level and require additional fees for seat selection. 



These seat charges can be found on each one of the four flights in my itinerary I have them all documented.

I am asking for a credit for the cost of each seat charge for the four flights that would have been available from the airline carrier for the same cost at the time of my original booking. The current cost of the economy seat class seat is approximately {$400.00} ( it may increase prior to resolution of this matter ), this equates to a surcharge of over 16 % from the original ticket price ). Alternatively, you can refund 100 % of the cost of the tickets+difference in cost at the current price and I will rebook true standard economy through another carrier. I have filed an investigation with AMEX Platinum Travel Services ( XXXX ), but they said that this may take 6 to 8 weeks, and charges and flight will be over by that time. 

I am filing a complaint through the CFPB regarding this deceptive and fraudulent practice of representing that you are selling standard economy when it is actually a lower service level. I have also included the XXXX XXXX XXXX  and the XXXX XXXX XXXX on this e-mail as it is beginning the summer travel season and I am sure that the their readers or subscribers would be interested to know what AMEX Platinum Travel services is doing once they pay the {$690.00} annual fee. 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief