Survey re Platinum Benefits Enhancements - Pay with Points
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Delta Gold, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, IHG Plat, AMEX Plat
Posts: 220
Survey re Platinum Benefits Enhancements - Pay with Points
Just completed a survey from AMEX regarding platinum card benefits and potential enhancements. Gist was if you use "pay with points" for first or business class tickets, the miles required would be less. Two options with a series of questions:
- 20% fewer miles for First & Business, so 167K instead of 200K for a $2000 ticket
- 40% fewer miles for First & Business, so 143K instead of 200K for a $2000 ticket
There was a quick what if question where it was tied to price - fewer miles to redeem ticket >$1000.
I don't really use pay with points - as think the better value is transferring miles - so not especially enticing for me. YMMV, so passing along the possibility.
- 20% fewer miles for First & Business, so 167K instead of 200K for a $2000 ticket
- 40% fewer miles for First & Business, so 143K instead of 200K for a $2000 ticket
There was a quick what if question where it was tied to price - fewer miles to redeem ticket >$1000.
I don't really use pay with points - as think the better value is transferring miles - so not especially enticing for me. YMMV, so passing along the possibility.
#2
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SF
Programs: UA, VX, QF, EY, VA
Posts: 756
I can see 40% being interesting in some cases, but you can already get 20% on all travel via Chase CSP.
I recently had a survey where all the questions were PRG vs CSP. It was an amusing way to tell them that they're falling behind and need to get rid of the FTF.
I recently had a survey where all the questions were PRG vs CSP. It was an amusing way to tell them that they're falling behind and need to get rid of the FTF.
#4
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: AMEX Platinum, Hyatt GP Diamond, HHonors Diamond,
Posts: 115
While I have faith that AMEX will bounce back from the recent devaluations, the above post is making me wonder who is thinking of these new benefits. They need to come out with something simpler to use that's easy to redeem/utilize. Coming out with a "benefit" that can only be used by meeting stipulations a, b, or c isn't a benefit at all.
#5
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SF
Programs: UA, VX, QF, EY, VA
Posts: 756
Citi Prestige redeems on AA/US for 1.6c so it's not novel.
As for best price, the UR travel site generally has flights for the same price as airlines (although not all inventory) and hotels are inflated.
We'll see what happens.
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend; Moderator: American Express, Capital One, Citi, Chase, Credit Card Programs, Diners Club, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,877
Not novel, but it would be better to be able to redeem points at $0.016x each on any airline, rather than only AA/US, but neither is a compelling rate unless there are ample opportunities to earn more than one point per dollar because 2% cash back cards are readily available.
#8
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Kirkland, WA, USA
Programs: Marriott Gold; LEGO VIP, Amex Platinum, HHonors Gold
Posts: 563
The Everyday Preferred gives me 1.5% on everything, and 4.5% on groceries and 3% on gas (which I don't really buy a lot of) - I *will* hit the 30 transaction minimum every month.
With 1.66c per point, and 1.5% points, this is the equivalent of 2.49c per point, and that is a pretty good redemption.
I'd need to hold out for transfer bonuses of better than 40% to do better - or transfer to good partners where the J and F points redemptions are better than 40%
With 1.66c per point, and 1.5% points, this is the equivalent of 2.49c per point, and that is a pretty good redemption.
I'd need to hold out for transfer bonuses of better than 40% to do better - or transfer to good partners where the J and F points redemptions are better than 40%
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend; Moderator: American Express, Capital One, Citi, Chase, Credit Card Programs, Diners Club, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Another strategy would be Blue for Business, no annual fee and earns a 30% annual bonus on all spending. 1.3 points per dollar at $0.0166 is a $0.02158 per point return. Better than 2%, but not as good as $0.0249 -and- you have to wait for the bonus points.
(All of this assumes that American Express would not restrict the 40% discount to points actually earned with the Platinum Card.)
#11
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: DTW - Rochester Hills, MI
Programs: Cathay MPC, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Domestic Airline Nobody
Posts: 713
Just completed a survey from AMEX regarding platinum card benefits and potential enhancements. Gist was if you use "pay with points" for first or business class tickets, the miles required would be less. Two options with a series of questions:
- 20% fewer miles for First & Business, so 167K instead of 200K for a $2000 ticket
- 40% fewer miles for First & Business, so 143K instead of 200K for a $2000 ticket
- 20% fewer miles for First & Business, so 167K instead of 200K for a $2000 ticket
- 40% fewer miles for First & Business, so 143K instead of 200K for a $2000 ticket
Pay with points? I really struggle to see how it would EVER make sense to pay with points through Amex Travel.
Let's compare to an awful program, like Delta. To fly Business Class to Hong Kong is easily $6000 or more. If you want to use SkyPesos, and are lucky enough to grab the one single "saver" seat they offer per year, it's maybe not a bad deal. But generally it's 240K - 320K for a business class seat.
That values the points at $0.025 each on the lower redemption, and and $0.0188 on the higher. I'd never accept that.
Under the hypothetically improved Pay with Points, you'd need anywhere from 429,000 to over 501,000 points. This is just crazy.
Of course, I look at it through the lens of International Long Haul in Business Class.
#13
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#14
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,042
I completed same survey.
Pay with points? I really struggle to see how it would EVER make sense to pay with points through Amex Travel.
Let's compare to an awful program, like Delta. To fly Business Class to Hong Kong is easily $6000 or more. If you want to use SkyPesos, and are lucky enough to grab the one single "saver" seat they offer per year, it's maybe not a bad deal. But generally it's 240K - 320K for a business class seat.
That values the points at $0.025 each on the lower redemption, and and $0.0188 on the higher. I'd never accept that.
Under the hypothetically improved Pay with Points, you'd need anywhere from 429,000 to over 501,000 points. This is just crazy.
Of course, I look at it through the lens of International Long Haul in Business Class.
Pay with points? I really struggle to see how it would EVER make sense to pay with points through Amex Travel.
Let's compare to an awful program, like Delta. To fly Business Class to Hong Kong is easily $6000 or more. If you want to use SkyPesos, and are lucky enough to grab the one single "saver" seat they offer per year, it's maybe not a bad deal. But generally it's 240K - 320K for a business class seat.
That values the points at $0.025 each on the lower redemption, and and $0.0188 on the higher. I'd never accept that.
Under the hypothetically improved Pay with Points, you'd need anywhere from 429,000 to over 501,000 points. This is just crazy.
Of course, I look at it through the lens of International Long Haul in Business Class.
I agree that for "normal" business class fares this isn't a good deal, but it may not be terrible, and for some booking profiles it may be very good -- those $3000 business class fare deals often arise at a point in the year when the low price award tickets are long since sold out. You would also earn miles on these tickets, unlike a real award ticket, which has some value.