American Express Membership Rewards - Canceling a Gold American Express??

I am curious if anyone sees a benefit of keeping a American Express Gold Card (or the Rewards Plus Gold Card) instead of the Starwoods Optima or other card?

I really can not see the benefits? Am I missing something that AMEX offers me that will go away with the OPTIMA?

Thanks for any help!

I thought about this recently also, as I just got a Starwood Optima (*love* that card!). I decided to keep my "regular" Amex card, for the time being anyhow. The reasons?

1) Sentimentality. I've had it a while and have always had excellent service, markeedly above any other card I've ever had.

2) Bonus MR offers, such as the 15K points for opening a brokerage account. I haven't seen such a variety of offers from any other card.

3) Land & Sea hotel rewards. Sure the point requirements are often inflated. But no other card offers such a range of properties, across so many of the luxury chains (LHW, Four Seasons, Ritz, etc.)

I hope this helps.

Hmmmm not sure.....

I have a Diners Club also, and get those deals from them...... I am looking more for a card that I do not need to spend $125 for me and my wife to have...

Strange huh? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

LAX, I canceled my Platinum six months ago in favor or the Starwood Optima and I've never noticed it's been gone.

I have both the Starwood Optima and the Platinum. I keep the platinum because:

1. Access to Continental, Northwest, and America West clubs. Only important if you fly one of these airlines.

2. I think you get extra flight insurance than other cards, not sure.

3. To impress good looking waitresses/bartenders by using it to pay for meals. :-)

If I ever stop flying Continental, I will most likely get rid of the platinum. I do use the Starwood Optima for the bulk of my day-to-day spending, can't beat that 25k miles for 20k points!

Firstly, AMEX Gold has excellent customer service - as has been mentioned, probably one of the best in the credit card business. Although, wait times seem to be going up ....

Then it depends on what you want to use your points for -- if it is ONLY Starwood points then the OPTIMA is the best bet.

But, if you want to take advantage of all the Membership Rewards opportunities (such as the 15,000 bonus Delta miles) your AMEX Gold is a better bet.

AMEX Gold has many great features that make it more than a credit card, whereas Optima is a little less comprehensive in their services.

Plus, you might get invited to Platinum and Black card memberships !!!

IMHO, the only useful advantage of an Amex RP Gold Card over a Starwood Amex card is that a "regular" green, gold, or platinum card theoretically has no credit limit. But for that feature I now have a Diners Club card, which features a more flexible points program and MUCH, MUCH better customer service. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Therefore, the Starwood card is now the only Amex card I carry, other than Corporate cards.

[This message has been edited by RichG (edited 03-07-2000).]

Originally posted by Wombat18:
Firstly, AMEX Gold has excellent customer service - as has been mentioned, probably one of the best in the credit card business. Although, wait times seem to be going up ....

Then it depends on what you want to use your points for -- if it is ONLY Starwood points then the OPTIMA is the best bet.

But, if you want to take advantage of all the Membership Rewards opportunities (such as the 15,000 bonus Delta miles) your AMEX Gold is a better bet.

AMEX Gold has many great features that make it more than a credit card, whereas Optima is a little less comprehensive in their services.

Plus, you might get invited to Platinum and Black card memberships !!!

WHAT!!!! Amex Gold has great customer service like the Titanic was a nice pleasure cruise - It starts out looking like an enjoyable experience and ends as a disaster.

My experience with Amex is that they don't have customer service !

See:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum69/HTML/000208.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum69/HTML/000045.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum69/HTML/000195.html

And these are just "SOME" highlights/ lowlights!

You know, people are entitled to their opinions. Believe it or not, some folks still do think AMEX has good customer service, and just because some others don't think so, doesn't mean that those of us who do are wrong ...

My most recent customer service experience with AmEx---canceling my Platinum card---was handled with great aplomb. It was largely the Platinum benefits that went south.

I have to mention that Platinum is further diluted. It is no longer BIO (By Invitation Only) or asking when you have Gold.

BUT.....

THERE IS AN APPLICATION FOR THE PLATINUM (NO, NOT FOR THE ADDITIONAL CARDS, BUT A MASTER ACCOUNT) CARD ON THE AMEX WEB SITE.

You can find it by going to the platinum section and click Apply Now.

True - you can apply, but I doubt you will get one. They used to give you the same class of Optima card (i. e. if you got a Gold card, you also got a Gold Optima), then changed it in 1995 if I remember correctly. Anyway, I used the web site to request Platinum Optima (I have a regular AmEx Platinum) and I got a normal Optima sent to me.

(with a little Paul Simon in the background)


Slip, slidin' away. Slip, slidin' away...........

I felt something under my shoe this morning. It was my Amex customer service benefits...I had to wipe it off....

Ok here is a better question!!

Taking in consideration that the $125 I pay for the Gold RP AMEX.....and the customer service (assuming) it is Great... is it work $125...????

What else do I sacrifice on the Starwood Optima??? Thanks for your great replies....

LAX ~ A lot of that depends on:

1) Are the MR points as valuable as Starwood points for you? MR points are less flexible for airline use ... but being a 1K member you may be less concerned about airline use of points anyway ... they're obviously much more flexible for other awards (hotels, car rentals, vacations, cruises, merchandise, etc). Of course for flexibility nothing beats Diners Club, but acceptance is DC's achilles heel.

2) Do you use the card at a lot of places where you get the 50% MR points bonus? Obviously for airline tickets, the answer is probably no mostly (since I assume you mainly fly UA) ... but how about hotels and car rentals?

Beckles,

Thanks for your help.. I really use Diners for work travel and wherever I can becuase it is so flexible. I use AMEX for gas purchases, retail stores, personal purchases... Diners for meals, airlines, hotels, etc.

I really do not do anything with my Membership Rewards points except miles. Maybe that is the question. IS there anything that is a good value besides transfering to miles? I know if I go Starwood, I can transfer then to miles or use then with Starwood for hotel awards.

I think my wife is attached to the AMEX card. THey sucker you in with this "prestige" lable. Hey you can get a Platinum card (OPTIMA) easy these days... no one ever really cares if I have the green card, gold card, or platinum (now that every other Credit Card is Platinum).

Oh well.. enough venting... thanks for your help!!

If your wife wants it what's the point of even thinking about getting rid of it? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I got the AMEX/Delta gold card for the 10,000 mile bonus on Delta. The card had no fee for the first year. I will probably cancel when the first year is up.

Jay

LAX, Now we're getting to the real issue - is the level of service worth $125/year ?

I've found AMEX Gold to be very courteous and prompt whenever I've questioned a charge - typically they will immediately credit my account and then find out what went wrong. They have erred on my side, when the merchant questioned my claims.

I've also found them to be very reasonable when a payment gets lost in the mail. I have never been charged a 'late fee' - something that is used as a significant revenue source for other cards.

Revolving credit is available through the Sign & Travel option, if you need that for large purchases (not just travel related expenses).

I very much appreciate the ability to check my statement, pay my bill, and download the details into Quicken that the AMEX site allows.

I have relied upon AMEX cancellation insurance numerous times over the last few years - they are good at handling the details and processing my claims. The Buyers Assurance is probably the same, but I have not had opportunity to use it.

When my wallet was stolen, AMEX Gold was very, very fast at transferring over all of the features to my new card and getting me my new card. AND, they accept collect calls from overseas.

And, finally, MR points transfer quickly. Albeit to not many airlines (although with alliances this is less of a problem), but also to a range of hotel programs. It's the flexibility that is attractive to me. Plus, you can buy those extra points that you don't have time to 'earn' in other places.

I've had a platinum card in the past and have found that the gold suits my purposes better. Prestige doesn't have much to do with it.

You bring up a couple of interesting points:

How many other credit cards have offices all over the world where you can immediately get a replacment card (Yes, most companies will overnight one, but if you go to an AMEX office they can make you a new card on the spot from what I understand).

Also, I agree with you about the late payment thing ... read my comments in the DC thread about their late fees. You pay an annual fee, but AMEX isn't out to nickle-and-dime you as other companies will it seems.