Originally Posted by
jah ranking
The question is whether to get a fee-based card or a free one. I travel frequently for work so earning the required nights for silver, gold and almost diamond is not an issue. I am just trying to justify paying to to spend money i.e. a fee-based credit card or just using a free one that has less benefits.
In this case why you even bother to get the card, be it a free or with fee?
Most people look at the fee this way - is the card offering enough benefits that one can completely recoup the fee and a lot more? Is that simple enough to justify paying a fee or not paying a fee?
Say, paying a fee of $95, but the 2 weekend nights are used in a Cat 8 property that cost 80K a night, would you think the fee is a waste?
Or you would pay 160K out of your Body in Bed hard-earned points for the 2 nights, even you are Gold or Diamond from work-related travels?
Any business people would have this very basic sense - cost and benefit, when the benefit far outweigh the cost, would one incur that cost?
That is EXACTLY WHY
flyer4512 pointed out where you use the free weekend nights make a world's difference, yet you kept harping on how you can earn your status thru work travel, blah blah blah and you could not justify paying a fee for a card... That it is not really where and when you want to stay... while where and when to stay is the most important factor to decide whether paying the $95 for the Citi Reserve is justified or not - that is the benefit which value can vary drastically based on where and when one would stay! The cost is fixed, $95 annual fee, the benefit can range from 150 euro to 900 euro, depends on where and when one would use it.
You really should just do a very basic simple math of cost/benefit analysis based on where and when you want to stay, and then decide whether the fee card is for you.
It is such a simple and basic concept, just sayin.