Originally Posted by
alanjrobertson
Those are still pretty good return rates - by comparison the UK HHonors VISA (no Amex on offer here) is 0.6 HHonors per $ (1.2 per $ on spend at Hilton hotels). SPG Amex is also 0.6 SPG per $, with a $120 annual fee - I'd be pretty happy if I was able to earn the kinda rates availble on the US cards
Yea, were spoiled here in the US. I think the upshot is that you need to decide which program you prefer - and spend accordingly. Under the old system with Hilton, it was so easy to earn points that spending on HH cards was a no-brainer. Now, since things have been equalized, (and I prefer SPG) I will be spending on SPG far more than HH. The biggest advantage HH has is footprint, and that is what I'll stick around for.
However, I think the biggest thing these devaluations show us is that diversification is important. You never know when a big pot is going to be devalued. This makes programs like Amex MR and Chase UR valuable - many partners and the option to cash out is appealing.