New Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® Visa Signature® Card Benefits
Apr 4, 2012, 4:26 pm
#106
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,934
Bronze cards are typically marketed primarily to people who want to cancel an annual-fee card after a year because of the annual fee (and can't be talked into one of the plenty retention bonuses -- including often something like a credit equal to the annual fee for a small number of purchases with no minimum threshold! -- or else for whatever reason the system doesn't offer that person retention bonuses), and then are offered the Bronze card as a no-annual-fee-ever alternative.
That's how you get retention offers (like the one I just described that my give you a credit equal to the annual fee for not that much work):http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...all-cards.html
Last edited by sdsearch; Apr 4, 2012 at 4:33 pm Reason: added link to Credit Cards forum thread
Apr 4, 2012, 4:41 pm
#107
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,774
Bronze cards are not generally marketed to new customers. Anyone who has a pulse can easily apply for a regulard Citi AA card that has the annual fee waived for the first year, thus no reason to apply outright for a Bronze card.
Bronze cards are typically marketed primarily to people who want to cancel an annual-fee card after a year because of the annual fee (and can't be talked into one of the plenty retention bonuses -- including often something like a credit equal to the annual fee for a small number of purchases with no minimum threshold! -- or else for whatever reason the system doesn't offer that person retention bonuses), and then are offered the Bronze card as a no-annual-fee-ever alternative.
Bronze cards are typically marketed primarily to people who want to cancel an annual-fee card after a year because of the annual fee (and can't be talked into one of the plenty retention bonuses -- including often something like a credit equal to the annual fee for a small number of purchases with no minimum threshold! -- or else for whatever reason the system doesn't offer that person retention bonuses), and then are offered the Bronze card as a no-annual-fee-ever alternative.
I am in this scenario now. Tomorrow I will see if the annual fee posted yesterday would be reversed today as described by the retention rep who swore that he had put in a reminder in his system that he would need to reverse mine today. He claimed he had just done that on another customer a day before I called to cancel and was routed to him. As an experiment, I went ahead with his proposal instead of canceling the Visa. On, one more tidbit, the rep said the new law forbids immediate conversion, so the conversion would take effect in 45 days after the consent.
Apr 4, 2012, 5:18 pm
#109
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,934
For example, I would guess that if you redeem BA Avios points on an AA flight and do nothing more, the answer is no.
But the answer might different if you redeem BA Avios points on an AA flight, and then call in to have the frequent flyer number on the ticket changed from your BA number to your AA number. At that point, even though it was booked with BA Avois points, it now has you identified as an AA frequent flyer. (People with AA status often do this to get AA status benefits while flying an AA flight paid for with BA Avios points.)
Remember, it's already been explained that these benefits are linked to your AA account. So it matters a whole bunch whether your AA account is linked to the reservation or not. But there are ways to change what account is linked to a reservation at different points along the process (from booking to actually being on the plane, at several steps along the way). Hence it's more complicated, as in does the reservation have to always have had your AA account linked to it to get, say, a checked bag benefit, or only at the moment when you would (otherwise) need to pay the checked bag fee?
Apr 4, 2012, 5:22 pm
#110
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: Yes.
Posts: 516
I changed the time on the first leg of award ticket and the ticketing date updated. Not sure if this is always the case, but AA allows free date/time changes.
Be very careful! Cancelling an award reservation does not necessarily (immediately or otherwise) put the award availability back into inventory. So I would not necessarily recommend doing this unless you can confirm that you can book another 4 tickets on the same routes before you cancel, since there's no guarantee that if you cancel you'll be able to rebook.
It's usually hard enough getting 4 award tickest once, counting on getting them a second time sounds dangerous to me.
Is all that risk really worth a measly 10k miles? (Remember, the so-called 10% rebate is capped at 10k a year, ie, redeeming anything over 100k earns the same 10k rebate, rather than 10%.)
(Unless each of the four 70k bookings came from a separate account, you can't possibly earn a 28k rebate on a 280k booking, because of that cap, even if you were magically able to cancel and rebook successfully.)
IMHO there are so many easier ways to earn 10k bonus miles, and 10k bonus miles a year does not get you all that far, I don't see it worth jumping through hoops for this. If you have 280k miles to redeem, what comparatively is another 10k here or there? If you don't have many miles to redeem in the first place, 10k may be very signficant to you, but you won't earn it! Catch 22 became catch 10%...
It's usually hard enough getting 4 award tickest once, counting on getting them a second time sounds dangerous to me.
Is all that risk really worth a measly 10k miles? (Remember, the so-called 10% rebate is capped at 10k a year, ie, redeeming anything over 100k earns the same 10k rebate, rather than 10%.)
(Unless each of the four 70k bookings came from a separate account, you can't possibly earn a 28k rebate on a 280k booking, because of that cap, even if you were magically able to cancel and rebook successfully.)
IMHO there are so many easier ways to earn 10k bonus miles, and 10k bonus miles a year does not get you all that far, I don't see it worth jumping through hoops for this. If you have 280k miles to redeem, what comparatively is another 10k here or there? If you don't have many miles to redeem in the first place, 10k may be very signficant to you, but you won't earn it! Catch 22 became catch 10%...
Apr 4, 2012, 5:27 pm
#111
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
I also have a Citi AA Amex, but I plan to cancel that so I don't pay two fees. And I'd rather not cancel the Visa, since it's one of my oldest cards, canceling could hurt the credit score.
Apr 4, 2012, 10:21 pm
#112
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
We are happy to share that our Citi ExecutiveSM / AAdvantage® cardholders will enjoy the same 25% savings on in-flight purchases as of April 2, 2012; however other new benefits are not available on the Citi ExecutiveSM / AAdvantage® card. The Citi ExecutiveSM / AAdvantage® card carries many benefits such as the Admirals Club membership, the ability to earn Elite Qualifying Miles each calendar year, PriorityAAccess, and no foreign transaction fees that are not available on any other Citi® / AAdvantage® card today. Benefits were added to these specific cards as a result of extensive research and customer feedback and each of the Citi® / AAdvantage® credit cards is designed for the unique needs of different types of travelers.
I was considering the Executive card, since I pay for an Admiral's Club renewal every year, but the additional cost above the AC cost isn't worth it; I do a lot of international travel for both business and pleasure, so not having foreign transaction fees is a great benefit, but I currently use my BA Chase card for that. I'd rather earn AA miles, since it's easier to redeem AA miles than BA, so if this benefit was offered on, e.g., a Visa SIgnature AA card, I'd use it for all my overseas spending.
As an EXP, the only useful benefit here is the 10% mileage rebate, though I wish it were uncapped.
The 2 points per dollar on AA purchases is a long time coming but hardly useful to me so long as there are 10% off gift cards at Costco.
Hard to imagine a $30k+ spender getting excited about what amounts to a 0.33% rebate at best.
What would have really been nice is the ability to upgrade award tickets, a la the United Explorer card. Maybe next time. @:-)
Having said that, the mileage rebate is enough to justify the annual fee whereas I was otherwise planning to cancel it. Still no reason to actually put any spending on it, though.
The 2 points per dollar on AA purchases is a long time coming but hardly useful to me so long as there are 10% off gift cards at Costco.
Hard to imagine a $30k+ spender getting excited about what amounts to a 0.33% rebate at best.
What would have really been nice is the ability to upgrade award tickets, a la the United Explorer card. Maybe next time. @:-)
Having said that, the mileage rebate is enough to justify the annual fee whereas I was otherwise planning to cancel it. Still no reason to actually put any spending on it, though.
Apr 5, 2012, 10:55 am
#113
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Frisco, Texas
Programs: AA Gold, SPG Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 95
I'm debating between this card or SPG Amex. I'm Gold status but my husband is not AA elite so he doesn't already have the free checked bag and priority boarding benefits when he travels alone. However, the annual fee is higher on this card and SPG Amex gives you 1.25 miles per dollar if you bulk convert.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
Apr 5, 2012, 11:01 am
#114
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: varies
Programs: AA Plat; Marriott Plat, HH Diamond, BestW Plat
Posts: 202
I'm debating between this card or SPG Amex. I'm Gold status but my husband is not AA elite so he doesn't already have the free checked bag and priority boarding benefits when he travels alone. However, the annual fee is higher on this card and SPG Amex gives you 1.25 miles per dollar if you bulk convert.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
Apr 5, 2012, 11:02 am
#115
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,774
The 2 miles per dollar is nice, although it's just for the first year, isn't it? I agree the $100 coupon after spending $30k isn't worth it; I try to hit that kind of spending on the HHonors card to guarantee Diamond status, which is far more valuable than $100. A secondary goal is to hit that kind of spend on the Starwood card, to get Gold status there.
Apr 5, 2012, 12:00 pm
#116
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
The 2 miles per dollar is nice, although it's just for the first year, isn't it? I agree the $100 coupon after spending $30k isn't worth it; I try to hit that kind of spending on the HHonors card to guarantee Diamond status, which is far more valuable than $100. A secondary goal is to hit that kind of spend on the Starwood card, to get Gold status there.
Apr 5, 2012, 12:51 pm
#117
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Frisco, Texas
Programs: AA Gold, SPG Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 95
Could you clarify? What is the conversion rate for HHonor points to AA miles? I rarely stay at SPG hotels. The only reason I'm thinking about SPG Amex is to convert to AA miles. Ultimately, I want the most AA miles from my credit card. Hotel points aren't as appealing to me since I don't like having to stick to a certain chain.
Apr 5, 2012, 1:27 pm
#118
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: varies
Programs: AA Plat; Marriott Plat, HH Diamond, BestW Plat
Posts: 202
Could you clarify? What is the conversion rate for HHonor points to AA miles? I rarely stay at SPG hotels. The only reason I'm thinking about SPG Amex is to convert to AA miles. Ultimately, I want the most AA miles from my credit card. Hotel points aren't as appealing to me since I don't like having to stick to a certain chain.
But HH Diamond status (top tier) is worth more than SPG Gold status (middle tier). Benefits are better.... free breakfast, for one. This can be a $30-$40 value per night in some hotels. But the basic HHonors Amex is a great card to have: no annual fee, and automatic Silver status (which doesn't do much, but it's better than nothing). I have one and only use it for HH stays.
Apr 5, 2012, 9:49 pm
#119
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 528
I used to be a heavy churner from 2007-2009. Whenever I apply for a card I always get the dreadful "First time cardholder only" letter. Do you think my luck will be better with this card since it seems like a different one?
Apr 6, 2012, 6:13 am
#120
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
folks this is a thread about the citi card benefits on aa. has as much to do with spg and hilton benefits as it does with the price of tea in china.