Originally Posted by Boraxo

I'll take that bet - most years I never stay in a Cat 1-4 for leisure travel - I need unrestricted free nights at resorts and expensive cities, not time-limited certs for suburban HPs or airport HRs. That's what makes the Chase IC card so much better - free nights are good at all properties and expiration can be stretched over 2 years if you book in year 1.

The CSR blows away Hyatt with 3x travel and 3x dining though annual fee is 2x higher ($150 net) - and if desired you can transfer points to Hyatt. Would also contend that SPG points > Hyatt so Amex SPG is better for everyday spend.

However if Hyatt card benefits included a guaranteed fast track to Glob/Expl status (as opposed to one time promo) it would make the card a lot more attractive and comparable to new Amex HHilton (and to a lesser extent Amex SPG and Chase Marriott/RC).