Originally Posted by
trojanman
I too am looking for a great AMEX alternate. I generally use my AMEX platinum for every purchase imaginable. However, there are a handful of merchants who don't accept the card. Plus, the ways AMEX has been reorganizing and paring back spending limits, I may need a good alternate card soon.
My "perfect" card would be one similar to AMEX:
1. Airline lounge access
2. Upgrades at hotels (though Virtuoso can do this for free with any card).
3. Excellent rewards program that would allow $1 = 1 point = 1 mile transfer to a large variety of airlines, much like Membership Rewards.
4. Low(ish) interest rate
In the absence of #3, I would take a branded airline mile card on one of the MR partner airlines.
It seems that MC World Elite might work, but I can't find any good info on the rewards program. Also, the Saks card does nothing for me, and I am not an Ameriprise or Sotheby's customer. Any other MC World Elite info out there?
Well, your requirement 3 narrows it down to Diners Club. Diners Club is the only rewards program that lets you transfer $1 earned on an MC/Visa = 1 mile into a variety of airlines (plus gives you hotel point redemption choices too). The possible issue for you might be the low overlap between the airlines that MR supports and the ailrnes that DC supports. (You didn't list the airlines you're interested in, so I can't tell if they're the few that overlap or not.)
You can, of course, get a variety of hotel cards, but I don't know of any that give you $1 = however many points = 1 mile on all spend other than SPG AMEX, and of course that's an AMEX! Many will give you $1 = however many points = 1 mile only on spends at the hotel family in question, and of course all such chain hotels accept AMEX anyway! (HHonors comes close only with their AMEX, not their Visa!)
Diners Club gives you lounge access, but only outside the US, and not at every airport, and not at every terminal / wing of every airport, and again it's probably at best only a slight overlap with the lounges you get with that AMEX.
All Diners Club card issued in the US since a couple years ago are treated as MCs worldwide (they start with 55xx), so acceptance is not an issue. Whether the rewards program meshes with the ailrines you use, though, may be. For more info:
www.dinersclubus.com (though you have to
call to sign up, 1-800-2DINERS).