synzero

Totally disagree. The value I get from the card vastly eclipses the AF, every single year. Definitely get more outsized value from it than my CSR. As I said before, and I don't want to jinx things by posting the details here, but it is far easier to use the entire $200 credit than you are making it out to be. You need to do your research, and let's not ruin it by talking too much in detail here. The info is all over FT. I have thus far had zero difficulty easily getting the full value of the credit - I would be happy if they changed it but your comments actually make my point for me - a lot of people, even folks like you who know about FT, don't seem to know how to use the credit, and that makes it more valuable for folks like me.

I use the Saks credit every year -- there's always something there I can use the $100 for. Same goes for Uber (in a non-pandemic year), I typically use Uber every month, or Uber Eats, and it's a real credit. All in all the card has an effective AF for me of $50, maybe $75 if you want to get picky (like I could probably buy the same things I get from Saks a bit cheaper elsewhere etc).

What do I get for that? Lounge access is VASTLY better than the CSR for domestic travel. In normal times I use the Delta SkyClubs and Centurion Lounges and Escape Lounges, etc., many times in a given year, easily hundreds of dollars worth of value, not to mention the intangible value of having a really nice place to rest and eat before and sometimes after a flight in many of the cities where I flew/will fly into and out of.

The return and purchase protection have saved me on multiple occasions, also far better than Chase's benefit.

The concierge has come through with amazing recommendations and snagged sold out restaurant reservations on multiple trips abroad and within the US for me. Again, not something that even really has just a monetary value.

It has a much better emergency medical evacuation coverage than the CSR. I tend to use the CSR for flights and hotels -- though for FHR reservations, because you get elite benefits and hotel status credits for that, it's a good option in many cases.

All of that for $50/year? It's one of my favorite cards. It's a membership program that gives me far more value than the cost, some of which can't be purchased easily at any price.

Make the credits too easy to use, however, and Amex wouldn't be able to offer all these benefits. In fact, I think most people don't even realize they have a lot of these benefits, or never use them.

And during coronavirus they've added a ton of credits that easily make up for the fact that I'm not traveling (except within Korea, where I'm staying right now). Far MORE credits than usual, like the Amex Travel $200 credit, the $200 "appreciation credit", the Dell credits on the business card, etc. Doing the math for 2020 for me at least the cards have an even lower AF for me despite my not traveling much.