Originally Posted by
cornwall4000
i'm definitely not interested in being in every program, holding multiple cards, paying for every last subscription service, then utilizing each for their strong points. that seems exhaustive, and i don't travel quite as much as it seems many on this forum do. but many several trips per year, both business and pleasure.
I actually find the Plat + Chase Sapphire (Preferred or Reserve) + Hyatt combo quite useful even if you only travel several times a year - I used to do that and got a lot of value out of this combination mostly because Hyatt points are worth a lot and I could get great value for them. However, if you really want luxury upscale travel unless you're Globalist (as I am) it won't be that easy to get that value without traveling a lot more (or spending a ton on the Chase World of Hyatt card which can get you Globalist status without lots of stays).
Originally Posted by
cornwall4000
airport lounges were awesome when PP covered more of them, even as i don't tend to spend tons of time in airports.
similarly, don't use concierge much.
For lounge access as noted above, there really isn't much better than the Amex Plat (again, because it covers things far beyond PP - Delta SkyClub when you're flying Delta, which are generally awesome lounges, plus Centurion and Escape, plus Plaza Premium and some others. This gives very good coverage domestically at least if you use airports where these lounges exist. I personally fly Delta a lot partly because of this, it's worth it with a Platinum card and truly elevates the flying experience. I'm with you on flights, I fly economy typically because I sleep easily even in economy, as long as the seat is at least 32" pitch (Delta typically is).
Originally Posted by
cornwall4000
you say all the booking websites for premium credit cards are awful, and i'll take your word for it there. i've never used expedia proper, but compared to amex travel, something like kayak feels like it was designed by spaceX.
It's the customer service that's awful for the other OTA programs, not the websites. As I said above, the website for amextravel is singularly awful. But it hardly matters since I try to avoid using any of them for customer service reasons.
Originally Posted by
cornwall4000
i didn't even know there was a travel agent service (that charges extra?) i'm entitled to call for hotel/flight booking beyond the number on the back of the card.
There's a thread on this. You need to call Amex, then ask for travel, then ask whoever answers to transfer you to Platinum Travel Service (which is NOT Expedia and NOT AmexTravel).
Originally Posted by
cornwall4000
there are, in fact, several subscription services and membership clubs that offer very similar benefits. i've mentioned some of them - andrew harper, trip velocity, virtuoso, gallavanters, etc.
My understanding is Virtuoso and Trip Velocity don't charge any markup or fees, so you can use them regardless of whether or not you have or don't have the Amex Platinum. They're not really "alternatives" to the Plat, you can use them now, regardless. Similarly with Hyatt Privé and a number of other similar services. Andrew Harper does have a membership program for $250/year, I've never used the Gallivanting Spoon but that does sound like it has some sort of fees I have no idea about.
But: as I mentioned before, the Platinum also offers exclusive lounge access in a ton of airports and especially if you fly Delta, as I typically do,
it's very good indeed for that. Irreplaceable, IMO. I just flew from Phoenix to LAX and used the Centurion Escape AND the SkyClub in Phoenix for a meeting and a pre-flight tea and snack and then got dinner in the SkyClub at LAX after I landed. Superb value. Since the Platinum credits can get the effective cost down close to $0/year, to me it's a no brainer to keep this card.
Originally Posted by
bocastephen
A couple points of order. Amex doesn’t really offer Priority Plus but rather Priority Plus Lite since the dining credit option, one of the key values in the program, is not included.
Do you feel this is a key value? I suppose it depends on the airport but personally the ones I frequent don't have any PP restaurants anymore and I honestly don't find sitting in an airport restaurant to be anything like a lounge. I want to actually have a separate place where I can rest and work before and/or after a flight, and restaurants really don't do it for me. I did use this benefit once at LAX when there used to be a PP restaurant there, but there really aren't many of those around, at least where I tend to fly.
Originally Posted by
bocastephen
While the Amex website is problematic for booking, it’s their so-called travel agents who are mostly offshore customer service call center reps reading off a script, unless after 8-10 escalation calls or involving the Executive Escalations team you get a competent agent with Sabre access who actually knows what they are doing - everyone else is part of a simmering stew of mind-numbing incompetence that takes bad service to a new level of horror.
Precisely. Except, of course, when you book with Platinum Travel Service, which is totally different. At least that was the case in the past.
Originally Posted by
Kacee
That's not true. I book lots of FHR rates and always compare with what's available on the internet in making the booking decision. Sometimes the rate is higher than what the hotel offers, more often it's equivalent to the hotel's BAR, and sometimes it's cheaper (particularly if there's a pay for 2, stay 3 promo). For a recent booking at Capella Ubud, the FHR rate was better than anything the hotel (or my Virtuouso TA) could offer.
Good to know. I don't use FHR very often since I'm a Hyatt Globalist but I do use it or THC once a year just to use up my $200 credit. Most of the times I've booked it the price is always higher than I could have gotten via a different site. Sometimes the same as the "public" price but there's usually a discount price available elsewhere, so FHR/THC is usually higher than the cheapest price I could get elsewhere for the hotel.