flyertalker00143

Hi there

sorry if the question has alread been asked, i couldn't find it

i have been using in France the American Express card linked to Air France for a few years now

i am now travelling to Canada almost once a year (which is not a lot) and in the process of immigrating to Canada in a near future (1 to 2 years at the latest)

anyway, i was wondering if the Amex card linked to Aeroplan is a good deal

indeed, i'm thinking of diversifying my FFP strategy (now only focused on Air France flying blue) no matter where i fly (even if it means paying more, for example France to Canada, rather than flying with a US company or Air Canada, just to accumulate miles with Air France)

with the benefits being less attractive with Flying Blue, instead of switching entirely to another program, i was thinking of keeping Flying Blue as my main program as long as i stay in France

and having a secondary program for when i am flying to Canada and North America

does it make sense ? is it a good idea ?

if so, i'm considering having a canadian amex card (with aeroplan) in addition to my french amex card (i have an address and a bank account in both countries)

thanks

ps: i'm asking about the gold, not the platinum, seems like many of you are unhappy with the platinum fake companion deal

c_9

Gold: good card, accepted in most places but you should still have a Visa or MasterCard for those restaurants or stores that don't accept it. (Amex costs the retailer more, so some choose to not accept it)

Earning with Blue and Aeroplan may work if you fly enough - you don't mention your level of other travel. But one trip per year to North America is not enough to make Aeroplan worth your time, as the best benefits come from a larger volume of miles.

Once you're here, if you chose to switch over entirely that would make more sense - the credit card earning power allows one to gather a lot of miles fairly easily. But unless I'm missing something, that 9k per year until then might be a waste.

flyertalker00143

is there a better credit card in Canada ? cost vs benefits...

Transpacificflyer

I switched from Visa Aeroplan Aerogold to Amex Aerogold.
The cards offer similar trip & automobile insurance options. THere are some differences that I appreciate in terms of ancilliary service;
1. Amex seems to have a better approach to fraud prevention. In the last 3 years of my Visa card, 2 frauduelent clonings resulting in long drawn out reimbursements and reissues. In the 3 years of Amex, not one issue of fraud.
2. Most of the big retailers and airlines accept Amex, so on large purchases such as travel acceptance is not an issue.
3. Amex has a much better (user friendly) website.
4. The statements from Amex are better in terms of the annual summary. (Minor issue).
5. Visa is issued by CIBC which has terrible customer service. (My experience). Amex has done a better job for me.
6. Amex has a purchas assurance option, that I did not have with Visa. I have never used it, but it is a nice option.
7. Amex has additional services (travel, concierge, event ticket purchase) that you can use, while CIBC has nothing, although its call center staff could be considered amusing if you call them and cannot understand a word they are speaking. (You are fortunate as a francophone because the french call center has people that are more coherent than the english call center which seems to recruit people with unintelligible foreign accents.)

I don't bother using my Amex outside of big purchases or travel and insead opt for a cash back rewards card. It is more cost effective for me. As an aside, I am getting to the end of the line with Aerplan as he program's costs/fees and reduced inventory along with increased redemption requirements. I am annoyed that if I purchase J/C class fares, it is so difficult to obtain reward tickets on those routes. Aeroplan and the credit cards are nice for domestic travel, but the cost benefit calculation now favours ignoring the Aeroplan options on long haul travel. My opinion only.

In any case, I think you will be satisfied with Amex over CIBC Visa.

HerpaYvr

Excellent question, I was going to ask this same question myself! I decided to sign up and did so yesterday, took less than a minute to approve and very quick and user friendly application. I have been using the CIBC Aerogold card forever and yes it has been Canada’s bestselling card for many years. This month I maxed out so no more 50% bonus on Gas stations, groceries stores and Drug stores.

I like Amex because the car insurance includes theft! They have double the warranty program, and double points on hotels, car rentals, airlines etc along with the 50% bonus on Gas stations, groceries stores and Drug stores. So I will use both cards and the Amex which gives me more points will become my primary card and CIBC my secondary card. I too think CIBC has the worse service with poor leadership, but that is another issue.

So Yes I applied and was approved and I am waiting for the card to show up!

Agincourt

I just got my Amex Gold and I'm planning to cancel my Aerogold in the coming days. I have another Visa so the new Amex will be my primary card from now on. As mentioned in another post, I think it has more and better features as well.

beep88

AMEX rental car insurance is inferior to Visa/Mastercard(if offered, such as Aerogold) in some important areas: Amex doesn't cover undocumented additional drivers, does not explicitly state in the insurance certificate that they cover car sharing clubs (Autoshare, etc... but maybe they do cover, I haven't called to verify)

Aerogold covers aeroplan reward trips, while AMEX doesn't officially, or maybe.

One major deficiency of Aerogold is their lack of purchase protection and extended warranty.

AMEX covers rental cars worth up to $85k, Aerogold $65

>> I like Amex because the car insurance includes theft!

Aerogold (and all credit card insurance) does too: "..the coverage compensates YOU or RENTAL AGENCY for theft, loss and damage, up to the ACTUAL CASH VALUE ..... "

flyertalker00143

thanks for your feedback

flyertalker00143

you mean the regular Amex Gold ?

Agincourt

Sorry, yes, I mean just the regular Amex Gold. It's free for the first year at the moment as well.

Braindrain

It depends on where you're going in Canada. It seems there's a lot lower acceptance of Amex in Vancouver than Toronto. Also, if you're going Amex, you should consider the SPG Amex - which allows you the flexibility to transfer to almost any other airline and 95% of them with a 5K bonus with 20K transfers.

Lastly, Amex customer service is horrible. Really horrible. Any problems with your statement? Get ready for a ton of arguing back-and-forth, whereas any bank-related Visa or MC will have far better customer service.

HerpaYvr

The merits of the cards are based on personal perception and needs. The benefits of both the AEROGOLD VISA card and AMEX Gold card have their pro’s and con’s so I will have both cards and use each card based on what’s best for my particular need at that time. Customer service is customer service, CIBC has a horrible reputation, Amex is trying very hard to do well and offer more value as its trying to gain market share.

I drive my own car rentals, so undocumented driver issues are not a big deal and car values are not an issue as I drive normal cars, don’t need the fancy cars to make up for any deficiency’s or ego boast

It’s the points and benefits for me! So I will now have two tools to help me and my family travel more comfortably and more freely! Competition, the drive to building better mouse traps for consumers