Originally Posted by
gooselee
No unique features?
Even though the benefits have dropped off for this card recently, please tell me what other credit card out there at a similar or lower price point offers a comparable amount of lounge access, travel credits, hotel programs, hotel/car status, additional protections (higher LDW, baggage insurance, purchase protection), etc. Perhaps we can cobble together a collection of cards, but I'll also pay a premium for simplicity.
Based on how we normally travel and what we normally buy, Mrs. Lee & I get far more than $625 of value out of our cards each year. This is a calculation each individual needs to make for him/herself. For some it is not worthwhile. For others, it very much is.
No other card has the exact same combination of benefits, so it depends which ones you actually use as to what else it can be compared to.
The Diners Club MC (just opened for new "personal" card applications) is $95/year, has better transfer ratios to most hotel programs than Amex MR does, has lounge access (but not the same so it depends where exactly [down to airport
terminalsl] you fly how it compares), and includes rental car collision/theft insurnace (with no extra per-rental fee). It may have some other things on your list, but I'm carry-on only (so never need lost/delayed baggage protection), don't use purchase protection, etc, so I'm not familiar with all of its other benefits.