Originally Posted by
Doppy
Not really a hypothetical, there are hundreds of posts in this thread with people complaining that they can't use the free/coupon benefits of the card.
Originally Posted by
notquiteaff
Yes, there are people who are coming to the conclusion that they don’t get sufficient value out of the Plat card with a $695 fee and reduced lounge benefits despite the coupon book bundled with it.
For sure there are some who can't use the benefits.
But for others like me it's more the hassle and value factor as extensively discussed.
Of course it's not a hassle to bill XM radio and NYT to a Plat card. Nor is it a hassle to buy $200 UA credits that I don't really want or need. But it is a hassle to track and use credits, I'm betting most people would prefer just to buy airfare by charging to one credit card (often stored) - perhaps one like Amex Plat that offers insurance. And as discussed it's a hassle for many of us to redeem monthly Uber credits across multiple cards to buy lunch, not to mention the inflated prices.
Originally Posted by
notquiteaff
If the card benefits are sufficiently useful and valuable to you, by all means keep and use it.
Agreed 100%. As extensively discussed, many people find the benefit useful and more power to you! But for some reason it seems difficult for the Amex fanboys to acknowledge the reverse.
The irony of the coupon book approach is that it does nothing to incentivize anyone to whip out the card for everyday spend. They simply jump through whatever Amex hoops are needed to collect the prize. I suppose that brings a sense of satisfaction to some (plus a few hundred net of AF), but I don't see it creating the type of frequent engagement Amex wants. The better play is to incentivize people to carry the card in their wallets with dining & grocery bonus (hello Gold card) or travel expenses (hello CSR). But what do I know, I'm just a cynical customer.