FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - DEBATE: Which card is best? CSR vs Amex Plat vs other premium cards
Old Feb 1, 2020 | 11:25 am
  #61  
VegasGambler
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,906
Originally Posted by cozysuite
Interesting Which cards offer the same as CSR? My interests are,
- Priority Pass with Restaurant
- Primary CDW rent-a-car coverage
- Good point earning rate especially towards to Hyatt (or cash back)
- Good Travel and purchase insurance
- No forex fee
IMO that's easy. CSR + WoH card. You don't need anything else. You put unbonused spend on the Hyatt card. It helps you get to Globalist, and then once you get Globalist the 2 qual nights per $5k spent works out to 1.4pts/$ ($25k spent = 25kpts + 10k bonus pts). And you are earning Hyatt points, and UR pts that can be transferred to Hyatt.

For retail purchases you may want to forego the Hyatt card and just use the CSR for its superior purchase protection. A friend of mine dropped his new iphone earbuds and one of them fell down an elevator shaft (lol) and they replaced them. It's up to you whether you prefer the insurance or the Hyatt qual nights.

Yes, there are cards that give you 1.5 pts/$ on unbonused spend but if you are trying to keep it simple, it's not worth adding another card for an extra 0.1pts/$. And you would probably want to put the spend on the Hyatt card until you reach globalist anyway.

If you travel international premium cabin (PE or higher) you could add Amex Plat for IAP, but you take a huge downgrade in travel insurance. It's worth it for the savings though (you can just buy travel insurance and still come out ahead). And of course 5x pts is nice.
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