Originally Posted by
bgriff
If you're not 100% sold on the CSR annual fee, you could also just go for the CFU 3% for a year bonus offer and accumulate points on that card. It will be just as good as the CSR for travel and dining for that first year, and much better for everything else. The only downside is you can't transfer direct to airlines/hotel points from the CFU, but you can build up miles, and when the year is up or you're ready to transfer, whichever comes first, you can then apply to the CSR and it's easy to transfer your miles within Chase from the CFU card to the CSR card.
So, it sounds like maybe the Platinum is not really worth it, or at best only marginally worth it, for you. Given the temptation that it might create to do irrational things like pay extra to fly Delta just to use a lounge, it might be best to stay away.
After thinking about it overnight, I came to a very similar conclusion. Great minds and all
.
Instead of jumping into two programs with overlapping benefits, but completely separate points programs, I can just upgrade to the new SPG Luxury Amex, and get the new CFU.
The FU returns less on Amazon than the Amazon Visa, but more on everything else (for the first year). I get Priority Pass with the Amex, so I can see how much I like and use that benefit. And I have safe harbor for a year, to see how the merger shakes out.
I don't think the Platinum is for me, at least this year. I think that a year from now I'll have a better idea of what I actually use, as opposed to aspire to, and can adjust accordingly.
Does that make sense?