American Express Membership Rewards - Advice on MR--New Card

I run a small business where we currently use the AMEX Gold card to make purchases. All 5 of my employess have the card and it is used soley for our business. We do anwhere from 70K-100K on the card each year.

I believe I pay $120 a year for the card??--I don't remember. I like the MR points as it allows us to cash in on Frontier Airlines--we have had good luck on getting tickets with them and they are relatively cheap in terms oof MR.

My question is: would anyone recommend a better arrangement given our setup? I am a UAL PExec and also have a UAL Visa. I only really use that to purchase tickets to get the extra miles. I also have a RRC membership. I have heard about the platinum AMEX--with free lounge membership. I am wondering if it is possible to get a card that would roll all of it together? Right now it seems like with RCC and AMEX fees we pay something like $500.

Any thoughts? I just want to maximize the MR points.

Thanks.

Platinum Amex costs $300 for the initial card and like $150 for each additional one, so although you get the RCC benefit, you'll be paying much, much more.

Citibank Chairman's Mastercard (http://www.smithbarney.com/products_services/credit_cards/chairman_features.html?11a) might be the way to go. It's $400 a year with no charge for additional cards and you get Thank You network points (they're not the best, but they're something.)

And it has better than a RCC membership, it is a Priority Pass membership.

American Express Platinum card does not include access to United Airlines' Red Carpet Club. It permits access to Continental, Delta and Northwest clubs and only when flying the airline which operates the club.

dennis

Oh, sorry, I read RCC and thought Delta Crown...

My bad.

Anyway, Chairman Card still sounds like what the OP is looking for.

I run a small business where we currently use the AMEX Gold card to make purchases. All 5 of my employess have the card and it is used soley for our business. We do anwhere from 70K-100K on the card each year.

I believe I pay $120 a year for the card??--I don't remember. I like the MR points as it allows us to cash in on Frontier Airlines--we have had good luck on getting tickets with them and they are relatively cheap in terms oof MR.

My question is: would anyone recommend a better arrangement given our setup? I am a UAL PExec and also have a UAL Visa. I only really use that to purchase tickets to get the extra miles. I also have a RRC membership. I have heard about the platinum AMEX--with free lounge membership. I am wondering if it is possible to get a card that would roll all of it together? Right now it seems like with RCC and AMEX fees we pay something like $500.

Any thoughts? I just want to maximize the MR points.

Thanks.



I have the Citigroup Chairman Card and there are upsides and dowsides:

UPSIDES:

1) Customer service is better than AMEX Platinum ( I had that card before)

2) Ability to earn points is much faster...since you get flight points as well as purchase points and from looking at your charging, you should be ok in terms of flight points...look this up on FT and you will see what I am talking about. Since OCT 2004, I have earned approx 300,000pts so far without redeeming any. My charges avg $3000-4000 a month, so now you can see how much the flight points help. Also if you buy tickets for anyone else and charge it to your card, you earn the flight points.

3) You get a free companion ticket domestic and intl either in first or coach when you buy a ticket above a certain amount.

4) No cap on earning points

5) PRIORITY PASS -- free as long as you have the chairman card -- costs you 395/yr to have this card by itself -- access to over 450 lounges -- prioritypass.com -- comes with your chairman card with unlimited visits to the lounges no matter which airline and class of service you are flying.

6) Hilton Honors Gold status is included with the yearly fee

7) 20-25% off with Hertz

8) Extra cards are FREE -- all the purchase points your employees earn go to you and also all the flights they take earn flight points for you.


DOWNSIDE:

1) Free companion ticket is not really worth it unless you like US based carriers in terms of service.

2) Redemption of points for airline tickets is higher but if you factor in flight points...it works out about the same as MR

3)Points cannot be used for upgrade ... just free tickets


On the whole, the Chairman card is much better than the AMEX Platinum in terms of value.

Hope this helps .... :)