Originally Posted by
acarney
I'll probably be in the same boat, but maybe more towards ditching the card. I feel like the only thing it really has going for it is the Amex/Delta lounge access and the Uber perk (oh WOW! *rolls eyes*). One of those lounge perks already has strings attached to it. The recent high end Hilton card has what, $250 airline credit ($50 more then the Amex Plat), $250 Hilton credit at resorts (which at least as of now applies to actual room rate), AND a free weekend night (Fri/Sat/Sun at almost all Hiltons). Even on a "normal" little trip, think going to Universal Studios, that weekend free night would be worth at least $175+. So that's an easy $425 value (the travel credit + free night) and an option for another $250 that might be a little harder to use if you don't normally visit Hilton resorts. On top of that you get Hilton diamond, which includes the late check out (not knee capped at 2pm or some crap), breakfast at all Hilton portfolio hotels, executive lounge access, and 48 hr room guarantee (among other perks), AND the card earns a strong amount of Hilton points (whatever you care to think those are worth). AND it's $100 cheaper then the unbranded Amex Plat! Are MR points and lounge access/uber perks really worth an extra $100 and being kicked down to Marriott gold? I really really think Amex needs to do something to stand out from the pack again, especially if they demand the highest annual fee of the standard "high end cards". (Yes yes I know they earn 5x on airfare, but that doesn't seem to be amazing compared to 3x with the CSR or something, and might balance out when you think about the 1x earning on the Amex for hotels when booked direct... I couldn't earn 5x on my almost $2,000 Disneyland Resort hotel stay last year in California... what a shame...)
Side note, can you still access the Amex lounge for a $50 fee as long as you hold another Amex card, or Amex Gold, or did they do away with that? Because then the Hilton card is even more attractive if you just travel a handful of times a year since the $100 less fee at least gets you into the lounge twice before you're at the same cost as the Amex....
That's a really good point. With this, the Amex Platinum's only real audience is Delta flyers, which is me and is the main reason I got the card in the first place, but it is becoming less and less interesting.
The unbranded Platinum is essentially a net $350 AF card for me after the airline credit, which is the only credit I use. I don't use Uber stateside and it doesn't apply internationally so the Uber credit goes to waste, I may have used Uber Eats and gotten credit for it once. I already have global entry and won't need to re-up for a while so that credit goes to waste, though I may use it for my wife this year. That's hardly a unique benefit though. That $350 net AF was still worth it between SkyClub access, Hilton and SPG (thus Marriott) Gold and I use Priority Pass and Centurion lounges enough that it is probably worth it there too. The upgrades, hotel lounge access and airport lounge access I used on my last Asia trek might have covered the $350 all by itself.
Now, with SPG/Marriott Gold being effectively useless, $350 starts looking less interesting. Especially so now that the SC at my home airport (FLL) is under renovation. I still probably use SkyClubs, Centurion Lounges and PP lounges enough to cover the $350 but reduced hotel benefits is making me question it. Those are what really put it over the top for me and made it an easy, no questions asked decision.
I'd really love to see them make some sort of change elsewhere to cover the loss. Perhaps raise the $200 airline credit to $250 and/or make it easier to use (ie CSR).
Originally Posted by
tutkija80
This is probably not realistic, but I would prefer to see them jettison the Marriott benefit entirely and double down on Hilton, extending Diamond status to AMP holders.
Originally Posted by
MaxVO
That's a great idea! I see nothing good for Amex coming out of this Marriott relationship.
Now there is a fantastic idea. The Marriott/Amex relationship is meaningless at this point. If the Amex Platinum got you Diamond for Hilton, I'd shift nearly all of my SPG/Marriott stays to Hilton and have no problem spending a $550 AF. Were it not for the Delta related benefits of the Platinum, I'd shift to the Hilton Aspire card in an instant for all the reasons @
acarney listed above.