s0ssos

My point was these benefits are only good for DL people.

mia

Nonetheless, American Express includes Delta benefits in their $450 card, and has built their own lounges in a few AA and UA hubs, while Chase (apparently) intends to include nothing for United flyers in their forthcoming me too product.

Also, the notion that a person is exclusively an AA, DL or UA flyer is myopic. I live in an AA hub, but last year I flew a couple dozen segments on DL because they had better schedules, using better equipment, at lower fares. I was very happy to have the Platinum Card lounge access and the Platinum Card GoGo internet access. Next week we are flying DL to London because AA/BA had nothing in MileSAAver business or first seats even though they have enormous transatlantic capacity through multiple gateways.

I think it's a mistake to pigeonhole yourself and assume that Delta isn't relevant. They represent a lot of capacity, and markets change.

lbotez

I love my Platinum card(s); those Centurian lounges are amazing, are they building more? I liked it more when you could go in all the major airline lounges, but alas... things change. There are a lot of advantages to the Amex Plat card though.

I'm flying AA to London to next week; wish it was DL but they wanted too many miles... What I really hate on AA they don't have anything but exit rows for coach seats with extra room.. I don't mind paying extra for that.

Lewis42

So looking at this new Chase Sapphire Reserve card it appears to trump the Amex Plat in many regards.

Do you guys believe Amex plat will improve / change it's offering or will stay as is?

Oh dear, the word 'trump' has been tainted.

slutide

I dont know what Amex will do but there are a couple of things I hope to see.

One area I hope to see an Amex response is in the Airline Fee Credit. While the credit on both the Sapphire Reserve and Citi Prestige cover all airline expenses (including airfare) and are good on any airline, for some reason Amex still excludes airfare and makes you pick one airline.

Additionally, with Chase offering an extremely generous 100,000 point public signup bonus for the CSR, I hope Amex considers raising their extremely low current signup bonus of 40,000 points.

I will give Amex credit where credit is due though. While CSR offers no airline specific lounge access for United flyers, and Citi is getting rid of the Prestige Admirals Club access, Amex Plat still offers Sky Club access.

mia

Specifics?

tsz

When the Prestige loses AA club access come July 2017, the AMEX Plat will be the only main flexible points card with an airline lounge access (with DL). Centurion lounges are nice but they are getting crowded and unless you live near one of those airports, it might be hard to justify the annual fee. The Plat is also the only card that offers free statuses with hotels (Hilton Gold, which at least gives you breakfast, and SPG Gold) <---I realize that sounds like what retention reps might say on the phone

But I have wondered that same thing, especially since the structure of the AMEX Plat card almost discourages people from putting any spend on it. The Prestige and the CSR both have category bonuses while the AMEX Plat has none, and the Plat's return/lost/stolen protection that used to incentivize spend on that card can now be found with the other cards. The CSR card also offers something similar to the FHR program.

I think the AMEX Plat was built on a sense of prestige (no pun intended) for high spending individuals and they don't really have that monopoly anymore.

Honestly, they probably wouldn't do anything. Considering the $200 incidentals credit which many people know can functionally be counted as a reduction of annual fee...in AMEX's opinion, the DL/Centurion lounge, statuses, and the MR transfer partners might just be enough to justify the "$250" annual fee for their target demo. Or at a minimum, enough for people to not close it (while keeping the others).

Personally, I like the fact that you can get 3 additional cards with the AMEX Plat for a one-time fee (vs. CSR's charging $75/year/person), so my entire family can essentially all get Priority Pass + DL/Centurion Lounge + statuses for as long as I keep the card with just $175. So that's the main thing keeping me with AMEX. I would love to see them add some unique benefits (like the Prestige's 4th night free). Even just bump up the incidentals credit, or allow it to be used on any airline in order to stay mildly ahead of the game.

NYCRuss

I think that Amex will take a wait and see approach. The Chase Sapphire Reserve does not look like a sustainable product to me, although I could be wrong. If it's not a sustainable product, Amex may still want act now rather than wait a few years for Chase to nerf the product.

This is what I'd like to see:

• I agree with above comment that the airline fee credit should not be airline specific
• The Platinum Card would be more competitive with PRG's point earning structure
• Continue to add Centurion lounges
• Stop charging for primary CDW
• Add trip delay reimbursement

mia

The Centurion lounges are also useful if you frequently travel to, or connect through, the airports which have them, but clearly a half-dozen is insufficient for this to be a decisive factor for a large number of cardholders.

It's $175 per year. Chase works out to cost less:

American Express
$450 annual fee
$175 three supplementary cards
-200 airline fee reimbursement
$425 net cost

Chase
$450 annual fee
$225 three authorized users
-300 travel fee reimbursement
$375 net cost

However, bear in mind that the American Express supplementary cardholders receive every benefit of the Platinum Card, including Centurion lounges, Priority Pass, Delta Skyclub, Airspace lounges, Hilton and Starwood Gold, car rental statuses, etc. (The airline fee reimbursement benefit is shared over all cards, and capped at $200 per account, not per card.)

WheelsFirst

I think the Citi Prestige card was a bigger threat to the AMEX Plat as it offered more perks and more earning (4th night free, golf, AA lounge combined with 2x and 3x categories). Now that Citi has reduced these perks to be less than what AMEX is offering, I don't think they are as concerned.

As to the CSR, it's again a card with better earning structure (3X travel/dining is incredible and definitely something that's going to appeal to Plat cardholders), but it falls way short of what people were expecting in perks, no meaningful hotel status, no "wow" perk like 4th night free, and no lounge access (Priority Pass notwithstanding).

I think AMEX can be comfortable that they still offer the premium card with the best travel perks (DL lounge, Cent lounge, SPG Gold, HH Gold, FHR), and will probably try and keep their crummy earning structure to keep costs down.

My guess would be if they make one change it'll be to make the airline credit work the same way as Chase/Citi. If they make 2 changes I would bet they'll add a 2x earning category for dining.

tsz

I don't believe it's per year? I have had the card (and 3 additional cards) since 2013 and have only been charged $175 once.

saliym1988

i was just targeted with 75k points 5k spend

mia

It is an annual fee. A few people report that they are not charged, but this is a mistake.

https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...iewCardDetails

tsz

Hm. Good to know! Counting myself lucky then!

Either way though, I still think it's compelling and a better than Chase like I said assuming you do have 3 authorized users.

Troopers

Regarding the annual fee, don't forget about Amex's offers. Saving ~$100 annually via the offers is easily obtainable. I have saved about $200 YTD at Gump's, AT&T, Ledbury and CPK to name a few.