Citi Cuts Most Benefits From Popular Credit Cards
Anya Kartashova September 24, 2019
Benefits no more. A number of Citibank credit cards lost many travel and purchase protections on Sept. 22, and here’s what you need to know.
Some of the most coveted credit cards, including the issuer’s premium card Citi Prestige, lost some of the best travel perks on the market. This sure will make one think twice about charging airline tickets, no matter the high earning rate of 5X ThankYou Points per dollar spent in this category.
Other popular cards that have been affected are the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite MasterCard, the Citi Double Cash Card and the Citi Premier Card, among others.
Benefits that have been removed from Citi-issued credit cards are:
- 90 Day Return Protection
- Baggage Delay Protection
- Citi Price Rewind
- Lost Baggage Protection
- Medical Evacuation
- Missed Event Ticket Protection
- Roadside Assistance Dispatch Service
- Travel & Emergency Assistance
- Trip Cancellation & Interruption Protection
- Trip Delay Protection
- Worldwide Car Rental Insurance
- Worldwide Travel Accident Insurance
In addition to these cuts, the Citi Double Cash no longer covers extended warranty or offers purchase protection.
Interestingly enough, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card retained most of the benefits, with the exception of Trip Interruption & Interruption Protection and Citi Price Rewind. Also, the phone protection offered for the Citi Prestige Cardmembers will remain in place.
Which Cards to Use to Ensure You’ve Got Coverage
If you’re making travel purchases, the Chase Sapphire Reserve/Preferred should be your go to cards. These travel rewards cards offer trip delay/cancellation/interruption/ protections and a collision damage waiver for rental cars worldwide (with some exceptions).
Use the Platinum Card from American Express for purchase protection, return protection, extended warranty or roadside assistance.
Will This Decision Influence Other Card Issuers?
I don’t have a crystal ball, and your guess is as good as mine. However, if I were a bank, I would keep offering these benefits to those who seek them and perhaps gain new customers in the most passive way possible.
Will these new benefit changes affect your Citi card usage? For more information, head to the FlyerTalk thread on the topic.
[Image: Shutterstock/ Supannee_Hickman]
I cancelled my AA $450 card and they opened a new card with the same limit, so zero effect of closing a card. All of my fee was refunded (they refund prorated if you don't close it at the time of renewal). I travel on business and will miss the Admirals Club, but their recent renovations have made most club seating awful. No more work areas for those of us who don't want to sit in seats that are way too low. They also took away the $10K spend that got added to your status when you spent 30k (?-40?) on your card. I found that didn't help me, anyway. They have made it very hard to maintain status. I'm glad I'm permanent platinum, but wouldn't be surprised to see that go away, too. The Barclay cards are taking away spend = status points added to account, too. They've moved to this thing of if you round up your spend, say $3.95 to 4 you get more points per $ spent. I'm not doing that, but haven't looked at the calculations on whether that would be an effective cost benefit.
I looked at my Citi AAdvantage cards and all the good travel benefits are gone. I checked my other Citi cards and the Citi Costco card still shows the following benefits that are not on my AAdvantage card: Worldwide Car Rental Insurance Roadside Assistance Dispatch Service Worldwide Travel Accident Insurance Travel & Emergency Assistance So, it appears that some benefits have remained on other Citi cards.
See this Flyertalk thread which was started when these changes were announced in June: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/citi-thankyou-rewards/1975316-most-citi-protection-benefits-price-rewind-discontinued-september-22-2019-a.html
Thanks! I'll add it to the article
This is my cue to get a different card. I have been considering switching cards already. I am tired of being forced by AA to fly through Heathrow and spending over a grand in taxes to use my miles for European travel.
Recently cancelled my AA World Elite MC. Didn't even have to talk to a person to do it, they have not contacted me since, not asked why I cancelled. Then again, they haven't refunded any of my yearly fee either. My go-to card continues to be my Sapphire Reserve.