I just applied for and received a Diners Club MC last month. My main two reasons for getting it were 1) To use as a backup to my SPG AMEX when that card isn't accepted, since I had reached the mileage cap on my old backup card (Citi AA MC) in the first month of the year, and 2) To obtain Hyatt free night certificates using Diners Club rewards points.
Well, in the month since I've received the card neither of these issues are applicable any longer. First, I just hit 1MM on AA, thus lifting the mileage cap on my Citi MC. And second, Diners no longer offers Hyatt stay certificates. :(
I just got my first statement in the mail and I now owe $95 for the annual fee. Are there any benefits I'm overlooking that would make it worth paying? Thanks.
budugu
Mar 29, 08, 9:50 pm
I just applied for and received a Diners Club MC last month. My main two reasons for getting it were 1) To use as a backup to my SPG AMEX when that card isn't accepted, since I had reached the mileage cap on my old backup card (Citi AA MC) in the first month of the year, and 2) To obtain Hyatt free night certificates using Diners Club rewards points.
Well, in the month since I've received the card neither of these issues are applicable any longer. First, I just hit 1MM on AA, thus lifting the mileage cap on my Citi MC. And second, Diners no longer offers Hyatt stay certificates. :(
I just got my first statement in the mail and I now owe $95 for the annual fee. Are there any benefits I'm overlooking that would make it worth paying? Thanks.
people feel that 12000 miles you get (1K per month you use the card) is generally pays for the fee. So at best you will not loose any thing. Yes i am in the same boat. And the Diners appeal is not as much as it was before :(
i guess i will cancel it once i am done with my bonuses.
sdsearch
Mar 30, 08, 8:48 am
Are there any benefits I'm overlooking that would make it worth paying? Thanks.
Some people who rent cars (even if not a lot) keep this card for nothing but that, given the collision coverage being more truly "primary" than with any other card similarly (or lower) priced. (Lots of cards claim to have "primary" collision coverage, but if you read the fine print, it rarely is.)
BakerStreet
Mar 30, 08, 9:41 am
Every year they have a promotion with BA that gives you a 50% bonus on transferred points. You can use BA miles for AA domestic flights.
mia
Mar 30, 08, 10:48 am
...1) To use as a backup to my SPG AMEX when that card isn't accepted, since I had reached the mileage cap on my old backup card (Citi AA MC) in the first month of the year, and 2) To obtain Hyatt free night certificates using Diners Club rewards points.
I expect you knew you were approaching the AAdvantage million mile threshold when you applied for Diners? If I recall correctly you applied after the 12,000 point introductory offer was withdrawn. Does your statement show any bonus points?
Do you recall the redemption levels of the Hyatt certificates? I do not have the Club Rewards 2007 printed catalog here, but the 2006 catalog showed...
...and it would be interesting to know how they value the points when used this way. My hunch is it will be about $0.01 per point, which means slightly more points than in 2006.
mia
Mar 30, 08, 11:03 am
...promotion with BA that gives you a 50% bonus on transferred points. ...
True, but for two years BA has run a 30% promotion with hotel chains, including Starwood. The SPG version is better than the Diners promotion because the 30% applies on top of the 25% bonus offered by Starwood. Also, Diners charges $0.95/1,000 to transfer to any airline, SPG charges nothing.
20,000 DCR = 20,000 BA ongoing (plus $19 fee)
20,000 DCR = 30,000 BA promotion (plus $19 fee)
-vs-
20,000 SPG = 25,000 BA ongoing
20,000 SPG = 32.500 BA promotion
broadwayblue
Mar 30, 08, 12:09 pm
I expect you knew you were approaching the AAdvantage million mile threshold when you applied for Diners? If I recall correctly you applied after the 12,000 point introductory offer was withdrawn. Does your statement show any bonus points?
Do you recall the redemption levels of the Hyatt certificates? I do not have the Club Rewards 2007 printed catalog here, but the 2006 catalog showed...
...and it would be interesting to know how they value the points when used this way. My hunch is it will be about $0.01 per point, which means slightly more points than in 2006.
You are correct in that I knew I was approaching MM status at the time I applied for this card. I did, however, think it would take me until the summer to reach that goal, and thought the DC would have come in handy until then. Afterwards I would put some charges on it to accrue points for the Hyatt certs (would have loved to stay at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai next winter while the Princeville is closed for renovation.) I do not remember the redemption levels. And yes, unfortunately I signed up after the 12k point bonus was pulled.
broadwayblue
Mar 30, 08, 12:12 pm
Some people who rent cars (even if not a lot) keep this card for nothing but that, given the collision coverage being more truly "primary" than with any other card similarly (or lower) priced. (Lots of cards claim to have "primary" collision coverage, but if you read the fine print, it rarely is.)
I do remember reading about this. While I can appreciate the value this offers I don't know that I rent cars regularly enough to justify the annual cost only for that. I'll have to do more research, but I was under the impression my Amex offers decent coverage.
mia
Mar 30, 08, 1:15 pm
...Hyatt certs (would have loved to stay at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai next winter ....
If I am reading this chart correctly that property does not accept either of the certificates that Diners Club Rewards previously offered...
I hate the idea of opening a new account and then closing it so quickly, but I'm not sure Diners is worth the $95 all things considered.
One more thing to be aware of: Although Diners does not seem to offer the signup bonus any more, it does offer retention bonuses to some people. So if you call up to cancel and they start offering you something, try to coax all the possibilities out of them. You could be offered thousands of bonus points, or you could be offered a waived/refunded annual fee, or you could be offered nothing. Just be aware of all these possibilities when you call to cancel so that you can be ready to take best advantage of whatever happens.
(If you want more info, see the many-page "retention bonus" thread lower on the first page here.)
broadwayblue
Apr 2, 08, 7:58 pm
One more thing to be aware of: Although Diners does not seem to offer the signup bonus any more, it does offer retention bonuses to some people. So if you call up to cancel and they start offering you something, try to coax all the possibilities out of them. You could be offered thousands of bonus points, or you could be offered a waived/refunded annual fee, or you could be offered nothing. Just be aware of all these possibilities when you call to cancel so that you can be ready to take best advantage of whatever happens.
(If you want more info, see the many-page "retention bonus" thread lower on the first page here.)
Thanks. I'm leaning towards cancelling the card, but have another week or two to decide. I'll definitely be ready to discuss a retention bonus. Honestly, I'd be happy to just get the first year's fee waived so I can have an opportunity to see whether the card might be worthwhile for me.
Ethicist
Apr 3, 08, 2:28 pm
Just to let you know I have ben waiting for almost two months for them to return a credit that I have on the account. Spoke to a customer service rep who said he would send me an email regarding the status. Still have no status. Am considering going to court and asking for interest.
Eastbay1K
Apr 3, 08, 10:05 pm
I dumped the card at least a year ago and have never regretted it for a second. I rarely rent cars anymore, didn't want to pay to get points into an airline, and thought it had become a waste of $. The only "benefit" I used was a few lounge visits a year, and now I have a priority pass anyways (much more useful than the DC, and I bagged 2 airline club memberships). Almost all my charging goes into one of a few other cards, and all is good with the world. I was a DC member for years and years, and one of their biggest cheerleaders. When the slide started, I put up with it for awhile. Finally, I thought that $95 would be better spent on 3 cups of airport coffee.
tsastor
Apr 4, 08, 6:28 am
IFinally, I thought that $95 would be better spent on 3 cups of airport coffee.Jees... airport coffee is expensive in the states! Even given the weak dollar! ;)
broadwayblue
Apr 4, 08, 12:56 pm
I dumped the card at least a year ago and have never regretted it for a second. I rarely rent cars anymore, didn't want to pay to get points into an airline, and thought it had become a waste of $. The only "benefit" I used was a few lounge visits a year, and now I have a priority pass anyways (much more useful than the DC, and I bagged 2 airline club memberships). Almost all my charging goes into one of a few other cards, and all is good with the world. I was a DC member for years and years, and one of their biggest cheerleaders. When the slide started, I put up with it for awhile. Finally, I thought that $95 would be better spent on 3 cups of airport coffee.
Interesting...I wasn't aware of this benefit. I'll have to look into that to see what is included. Not sure that's enough to justify it, but certainly worth a look.
mia
Apr 5, 08, 11:35 am
You can memorize the entire domestic USA lounge network:
EWR
MIA
http://dinersclub.com/en/DCIHome/airport.jhtml
Brendan
Apr 14, 08, 3:54 pm
broadwayblue, please note that each 1250 DC points converts into 750 Hyatt points. Better yet, U can get close to 1:1 trading DC for Hyatt on tCC :) !
Best part of DC points is that U can put 'em into the acct. of any friend, relative, or tCC--TP, so they're great for topping off acct.s.
BakerStreet
Apr 14, 08, 4:28 pm
If you use the card often enough (I think somewhere around $1000 a month) then they will offer you a generous retention bonus. I got 10000 points which are easily worth the $95. The primary car insurance and lounge access are also valuable. I rented a car once and someone broke in and stole the air-bag. DC covered everything with no hassle whatsoever.
twoner32
Apr 14, 08, 9:46 pm
If you use the card often enough (I think somewhere around $1000 a month) then they will offer you a generous retention bonus. I got 10000 points which are easily worth the $95. The primary car insurance and lounge access are also valuable. I rented a car once and someone broke in and stole the air-bag. DC covered everything with no hassle whatsoever.
I think this is the best card out there, period. Of course, I like choosing different rewards all the time-from car rentals, to Marriott rewards to gift cards to Pottery Barn for my wife, to everything else.
We also have an AMX GOLD and AMX PLAT that only use when we're enrolled in promo's.
broadwayblue
Apr 14, 08, 9:59 pm
broadwayblue, please note that each 1250 DC points converts into 750 Hyatt points. Better yet, U can get close to 1:1 trading DC for Hyatt on tCC :) !
Best part of DC points is that U can put 'em into the acct. of any friend, relative, or tCC--TP, so they're great for topping off acct.s.
It appears that the Hyatt award certificates are once again available!
I dumped the card at least a year ago and have never regretted it for a second. I rarely rent cars anymore, didn't want to pay to get points into an airline, and thought it had become a waste of $. The only "benefit" I used was a few lounge visits a year, and now I have a priority pass anyways (much more useful than the DC, and I bagged 2 airline club memberships). Almost all my charging goes into one of a few other cards, and all is good with the world. I was a DC member for years and years, and one of their biggest cheerleaders. When the slide started, I put up with it for awhile. Finally, I thought that $95 would be better spent on 3 cups of airport coffee.
I agree. It is becoming harder and harder to justify paying any annual fee for this once great card. Rewards continue to be stripped or downsized. No $95 credit for retention bonus was offered last year for me. I think this it for me...I'm done with DC. You probably can do better with a business MC for free.
broadwayblue
Apr 18, 08, 2:40 pm
So for anyone who is familiar with the Hyatt Gold Passport program, how much would I have to spend on the DC to get one night at say the Grand Hyatt Kauai, assuming the 1250pt to 750pt conversion ratio?
Brendan
Apr 18, 08, 3:31 pm
Broadwayblue, click here (http://goldpassport.hyatt.com/gp/en/awards/hyatt_free_night.jsp) for the points required for various Hyatt hotels. The GH Kauai is a Cat. 5 which requires 18K points, therefore $30,000 in DC spending, per room night. Fine Hyatts in Cancun & downtown in cities such as Vancouver, Montreal, Columbus, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Adelaide, Perth, Johannesburg, Sao Paolo, & Jakarta are Cat. 2 = 8K Hyatt points = $10,667 spend.
broadwayblue
Apr 18, 08, 4:18 pm
Broadwayblue, click here (http://goldpassport.hyatt.com/gp/en/awards/hyatt_free_night.jsp) for the points required for various Hyatt hotels. The GH Kauai is a Cat. 5 which requires 18K points, therefore $30,000 in DC spending, per room night. Fine Hyatts in Cancun & downtown in cities such as Vancouver, Montreal, Columbus, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Adelaide, Perth, Johannesburg, Sao Paolo, & Jakarta are Cat. 2 = 8K Hyatt points = $10,667 spend.
Wow, doesn't seem like a very good deal when for the same 120k in spend it would take to get 4 nights there on my DC I could get two round trip business class award tickets to get me there using my SPG Amex. Those have got to be worth at least twice as much as 4 nights at the Hyatt.
Thanks for the info though. I'll have to look at some of their other lower Cats to see if they might make work for me. The problem is the conversion is working the wrong way...so it's hard to get around that.
2 more days until the $95 is due.
mia
Apr 19, 08, 12:06 pm
It appears that the Hyatt award certificates are once again available!
https://www.citibank.com/dinersus/jsp/clubrewards/catalog/english/certificate_list.jsp?category=4ef15629&subcategory=7c904a5f
The Ritz Carlton awards are also back. The redemption levels have increased substantially, but are still well below Merrill+ VISA. It also looks as if Ritz Carlton has changed the terms of the Royal Prestige level awards and they are no longer accepted at every property.
The Ritz-Carlton Royal Prestige Travel Award
Now: 48,000 points (Was: 31,000)
ML+: 54,000 points
Ritz-Carlton Royal Prestige Suite Award
Now: 55,000 points (Was: 38,500)
ML+: 61,000 points
broadwayblue
Apr 21, 08, 12:38 pm
The Ritz Carlton awards are also back. The redemption levels have increased substantially, but are still well below Merrill+ VISA. It also looks as if Ritz Carlton has changed the terms of the Royal Prestige level awards and they are no longer accepted at every property.
The Ritz-Carlton Royal Prestige Travel Award
Now: 48,000 points (Was: 31,000)
ML+: 54,000 points
Ritz-Carlton Royal Prestige Suite Award
Now: 55,000 points (Was: 38,500)
ML+: 61,000 points
wow, that just seems like too many points for a night. the more i think about it the less attractive the DC program appears. tomorrow is my deadline, so it's time to finalize my decision. probably gonna kill this card. don't think i can justify such a high annual fee on a card that offers so little in terms of reward value.
sdsearch
Apr 21, 08, 10:33 pm
wow, that just seems like too many points for a night. the more i think about it the less attractive the DC program appears. tomorrow is my deadline, so it's time to finalize my decision. probably gonna kill this card. don't think i can justify such a high annual fee on a card that offers so little in terms of reward value.
If you're interested in other hotels (you never mentioned beyond Hyatt before), look into transferring into Choice and then using for Preferred/Summit hotel stays:
Diners Club transfer into Choice about 1:2 (1250:2400), and these hotels are often 40k Choice/night, and thus 20k DC/night. (Not all will have availability within the 30 day domestic, 60 day int'l window, of course -- the Montage, in particular, never seems to have award availability -- but still if you're flexible that's a lot of high end value compared to the Ritz pricing.)
IMO, what DC offers in award value is hard to price, because it's fleixibility. It lets you top off this miles program here, this hotel points program here, and the maximum award in almost all cases is by using actual miles and actual points, not "certificates". (I don't know whether Hyatt is the exception, or why else you're focused on Hyatt certificates as opposed to Hyatt transfer to points.)
mia
Apr 22, 08, 5:38 am
...what DC offers in award value is hard to price, because it's fleixibility. It lets you top off ...
Well said ^. I wouldn't agonize over $95 the first year. If you are exclusively focused on achieving AA Lifetime Platinum status I would cancel, but inasmuch as the airline industry will very likely look quite different in 18 months I'm not confident the status will have longterm value.
I would keep Diners until renewal, and see if it proves useful. There is substantial overlap with the SPG credit card, but Diners is far and away the most flexible Mastercard (or VISA) product. For example, Club Rewards points can be redeemed as soon as the transaction is processed, you don't have to wait until close of the statement cycle.
The problem with hotel certificates is similar to any merchandise reward. Certificates are created and priced by the hotel chain. Citi merely buys them. Any reward that is purchased will tend to yield $0.01 per point. The best redemption value is almost always in miles and points because the airline or hotel redeems these for capacity that would be otherwise unsold. This capacity is worth more to you than to them, but certificates or merchandise are essentially money, and worth the same to everyone.