Feb 27, 2015, 9:22 am
Last edit by: italdesign
Summary of Premier Rewards Gold costs and benefits, effective 6.1.2015:
Cost
$195 Annual fee
$100 Reduced by Airline Fee Reimbursement
$ 95 Net
Benefits
No foreign transaction fee
Travel Protection:
Auto rental CDW (Secondary)
Roadside Assistance
Baggage Insurance (lost, stolen or damaged; not coverage for delays)
Travel Accident Insurance (Life insurance, excludes award redemptions)
Shopping Protection:
Return Protection ($300 maximum per item, 90 days)
Purchase Protection (damage or theft, 90 days; no coverage for lost)
Extended Warranty (Up to one extra year; 5 years maximum)
Rewards
3x Airfare
2x Gasoline
2x Dining
2x Groceries (no cap)
1x General
Compare with American Everyday Preferred
Cost
$ 95 Annual fee
Non-Benefit
2.7% Foreign transaction fee
Travel Protection:
Auto rental CDW (Secondary)
Roadside Assistance
Baggage Insurance (lost, stolen or damaged; not coverage for delays)
Travel Accident Insurance (Life insurance, excludes award redemptions)
Shopping Protection:
Return Protection ($300 maximum per item, 90 days)
Purchase Protection (damage or theft, 90 days; no coverage for lost)
Extended Warranty (Up to one extra year, 5 years maximum)
Rewards (assuming 30 transactions per month)
4.5x Groceries (capped at $6,000 per year)
3.0x Gasoline
1.5x General
Compare with Chase Sapphire Preferred
Cost
$ 95 Annual fee
Benefits
No foreign transaction fee
Travel Protection
Auto Rental CDW (Primary)
Lost or Delayed Luggage Reimbursement (covers award tickets)
Trip Cancellation or Interruption Insurance (covers award tickets)
Travel Accident Insurance (Life insurance, $500,000)
Shopping Protection
Return Protection ($500 maximum per item, 90 days)
Purchase Protection (damage or theft, $500 per item, 120 days; no coverage for lost
Price Protection ($500 per item, 90 days)
Extended Warranty (Up to one extra year, 3 years maximum)
Rewards
2x Travel
2x Dining
Compare with Citi Premier, effective 4.19.2015
Cost
$ 95 Annual fee
Benefits
No foreign transaction fee
Rewards
3x Travel
3x Gasoline
2x Dining
2x Entertainment
1x General
Cost
$195 Annual fee
$100 Reduced by Airline Fee Reimbursement
$ 95 Net
Benefits
No foreign transaction fee
Travel Protection:
Auto rental CDW (Secondary)
Roadside Assistance
Baggage Insurance (lost, stolen or damaged; not coverage for delays)
Travel Accident Insurance (Life insurance, excludes award redemptions)
Shopping Protection:
Return Protection ($300 maximum per item, 90 days)
Purchase Protection (damage or theft, 90 days; no coverage for lost)
Extended Warranty (Up to one extra year; 5 years maximum)
Rewards
3x Airfare
2x Gasoline
2x Dining
2x Groceries (no cap)
1x General
Compare with American Everyday Preferred
Cost
$ 95 Annual fee
Non-Benefit
2.7% Foreign transaction fee
Travel Protection:
Auto rental CDW (Secondary)
Roadside Assistance
Baggage Insurance (lost, stolen or damaged; not coverage for delays)
Travel Accident Insurance (Life insurance, excludes award redemptions)
Shopping Protection:
Return Protection ($300 maximum per item, 90 days)
Purchase Protection (damage or theft, 90 days; no coverage for lost)
Extended Warranty (Up to one extra year, 5 years maximum)
Rewards (assuming 30 transactions per month)
4.5x Groceries (capped at $6,000 per year)
3.0x Gasoline
1.5x General
Compare with Chase Sapphire Preferred
Cost
$ 95 Annual fee
Benefits
No foreign transaction fee
Travel Protection
Auto Rental CDW (Primary)
Lost or Delayed Luggage Reimbursement (covers award tickets)
Trip Cancellation or Interruption Insurance (covers award tickets)
Travel Accident Insurance (Life insurance, $500,000)
Shopping Protection
Return Protection ($500 maximum per item, 90 days)
Purchase Protection (damage or theft, $500 per item, 120 days; no coverage for lost
Price Protection ($500 per item, 90 days)
Extended Warranty (Up to one extra year, 3 years maximum)
Rewards
2x Travel
2x Dining
Compare with Citi Premier, effective 4.19.2015
Cost
$ 95 Annual fee
Benefits
No foreign transaction fee
Rewards
3x Travel
3x Gasoline
2x Dining
2x Entertainment
1x General
Amex Premier Rewards Gold new benefits and higher annual fee, 6.1.2015
Feb 28, 2015, 5:29 pm
#61
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
You can't compare it to a credit like Citi has, where it counts for anything (including airfare) on any airline you want. The restrictive nature of the credit reduces its value significantly.
Mar 1, 2015, 6:40 am
#62
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
This is a marketing blunder.
It's counterproductive to announce a price increase, from $175 to $195, when you are actually lowering your price, from $175 to $95. I understand why they want to offer the Airline Fee Credit rather than an outright fee reduction, but increasing the top line fee is a distraction. They should have left the annual fee alone, and implemented an $80 credit.
What is the benefit to announcing these changes three months before they become effective? I suppose they want to use them as a retention tool to reduce cancellations in March, April and May, and to counteract Citi's forthcoming Premier card campaign, but how difficult or expensive could it be to implement at least some of these changes immediately?
It's counterproductive to announce a price increase, from $175 to $195, when you are actually lowering your price, from $175 to $95. I understand why they want to offer the Airline Fee Credit rather than an outright fee reduction, but increasing the top line fee is a distraction. They should have left the annual fee alone, and implemented an $80 credit.
What is the benefit to announcing these changes three months before they become effective? I suppose they want to use them as a retention tool to reduce cancellations in March, April and May, and to counteract Citi's forthcoming Premier card campaign, but how difficult or expensive could it be to implement at least some of these changes immediately?
Unlike UA (Chase's partner) copying DL (AMEX's partner), AMEX at least show some thoughts for retention (Platinum > PRG), as well as distinguishing itself from being a copycat.
At the least - PRG's insurance is far superior than CSP.
Mar 1, 2015, 8:14 am
#63
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: AA, SPG
Posts: 111
Sound like some great changes for the PRG and could be a serious contender of going back in my wallet. To bad the changes don't go into effect until June 1 though. Could've used that $100 credit in May for DL baggage fees and maybe a pass at the lounge.
Mar 1, 2015, 10:10 am
#64
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
I think this is probably not true. Chase and Citi include travel insurance benefits which American Express does not offer with any USA-issued card. I hope someone will update the Benefits sections of the Wikipost to summarize the insurance features.
Mar 1, 2015, 11:33 am
#65
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Adelphi, MD
Programs: Korean Air Skypass, ANA Skyweb, Amex Premier Rewards, Chase Sapphire Preferred
Posts: 745
Amex Premier Rewards Gold new benefits and higher annual fee, 6.1.2015
That gift card sounds like a big loophole, are you sure they won't say it doesn't apply to gift card purchases later?
Mar 1, 2015, 12:42 pm
#66
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Georgia
Programs: Delta, SPG
Posts: 157
It's not any airline; it's only on an airline from Amex's list. I know that I am not the only person here who never flys any of those arlines. And if you don't fly those airlines, it's certainly not worth its cash value.
You can't compare it to a credit like Citi has, where it counts for anything (including airfare) on any airline you want. The restrictive nature of the credit reduces its value significantly.
You can't compare it to a credit like Citi has, where it counts for anything (including airfare) on any airline you want. The restrictive nature of the credit reduces its value significantly.
Mar 1, 2015, 1:32 pm
#67
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Mar 1, 2015, 5:02 pm
#69
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,685
Mar 1, 2015, 8:37 pm
#70
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Moderator action
Some posts have been deleted. Flyertalk is not a debating society in which the discussion continues until your opponent concedes. Once you have made your point, please do not make it again or confront another member who has not acknowledged your perspective.
Here are the rules:
Here are the rules:
If you have a difference of opinion with another member, challenge the idea — NOT the person. Getting personal with another member is not allowed. Personal attacks, insults, baiting and flaming will not be tolerated.
If another member gets personal with you, do not retaliate. Retaliation may well subject you to the same discipline. Instead, please use the 'Alert a moderator to this thread' button in the lower-left-hand-corner of each post, send a note explaining your concern to the moderator team, and leave it to them to handle
Posts that are inflammatory, inciting or unnecessarily provocative are not allowed.
Disrupting a forum by repetitively posting comments of the same general theme or 'piling-on' by posting merely to reinforce or bump a prior post of a disruptive nature are both examples of disruptive posting and not permitted.
If another member gets personal with you, do not retaliate. Retaliation may well subject you to the same discipline. Instead, please use the 'Alert a moderator to this thread' button in the lower-left-hand-corner of each post, send a note explaining your concern to the moderator team, and leave it to them to handle
Posts that are inflammatory, inciting or unnecessarily provocative are not allowed.
Disrupting a forum by repetitively posting comments of the same general theme or 'piling-on' by posting merely to reinforce or bump a prior post of a disruptive nature are both examples of disruptive posting and not permitted.
Mar 2, 2015, 4:13 am
#71
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ZOA, SFO, HKG
Programs: UA 1K 0.9MM, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Hertz PC, SBux Gold, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 13,811
I concede that CSP's insurance coverage sounds way much better.
Unless CSP, AMEX does its claim process in-house. For those people who have experience before, you know that AMEX's claim process is quite simple and easy.
It is good to have the coverage. It will be the best if the coverage can be put into proper use.
This is why I rate PRG over CSP.
Mar 3, 2015, 2:27 pm
#73
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,685
If they want me to pick up another charge card, then Amex needs to offer me a nice sign-up bonus to usher in their enhanced PGR card.
Mar 3, 2015, 5:51 pm
#74
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Miami
Programs: AA Gold; Hyatt Exp.; Hilton/Marriott Gold; CSR; Citi Prestige; Amex Plat, EDP, Gold, etc.
Posts: 58
So . . . if you currently have Amex Plat and have used your $200 airline reimbursement for 2015, can you downgrade to PRG after June 1 and pick up another $100 reimbursement?
Mar 3, 2015, 6:48 pm
#75
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959