Platinum (USA) refresh 10.6.2016: Personal 5X airfare; Business $0.02 Pay with Points
Nov 12, 2016, 12:37 pm
#166
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: DCA
Posts: 818
Within a few days of the charge. Edit: misread, the 50% refund on pay with points posts within a few days of charge, unsure of 5x timing.
Last edited by bodiddely; Nov 12, 2016 at 4:29 pm
Nov 12, 2016, 12:54 pm
#167
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 378
hmmmm...then I should be worried.
I have charges from October from European carriers - Austrian and Swiss, that haven't received any bonus points. One is a ticket bought directly from the airline, the other is fee for extra services and placed over the phone. both posted as direct airline charges.
I have charges from October from European carriers - Austrian and Swiss, that haven't received any bonus points. One is a ticket bought directly from the airline, the other is fee for extra services and placed over the phone. both posted as direct airline charges.
Nov 12, 2016, 2:30 pm
#169
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Nov 12, 2016, 4:28 pm
#170
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: DCA
Posts: 818
hmmmm...then I should be worried.
I have charges from October from European carriers - Austrian and Swiss, that haven't received any bonus points. One is a ticket bought directly from the airline, the other is fee for extra services and placed over the phone. both posted as direct airline charges.
I have charges from October from European carriers - Austrian and Swiss, that haven't received any bonus points. One is a ticket bought directly from the airline, the other is fee for extra services and placed over the phone. both posted as direct airline charges.
Nov 12, 2016, 6:17 pm
#171
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
Me and my wife travel about 6-8 times per year with a total annual spend of $79k.
I had PRG card for a while and recently got both personal and business platinum cards. I did a comparison of the above 3 Amex cards with PRG + business platinum and also with Chase Reserve and Citi Prestige (see the PDF table). I kept the final annual fee amounts for each card after the travel credits in this comparison. I get Citi Prestige for $350 due to gold account and the extra card for my wife is $50.
I know considering MR points valued at x2 with platinum business is not straightforward and it takes many 50% point credits to reach it.
I will still keep Citi Prestige for the priority pass family entry and 4th hotel night benefits.
Amex PRG seems to be a better choice than Amex Everyday Preferred for better travel points and without the need to check for 30 transactions every month. Monthly fee is same after the travel credit.
I also posted the travel benefits comparison between the 3 major cards.
I had PRG card for a while and recently got both personal and business platinum cards. I did a comparison of the above 3 Amex cards with PRG + business platinum and also with Chase Reserve and Citi Prestige (see the PDF table). I kept the final annual fee amounts for each card after the travel credits in this comparison. I get Citi Prestige for $350 due to gold account and the extra card for my wife is $50.
I know considering MR points valued at x2 with platinum business is not straightforward and it takes many 50% point credits to reach it.
I will still keep Citi Prestige for the priority pass family entry and 4th hotel night benefits.
Amex PRG seems to be a better choice than Amex Everyday Preferred for better travel points and without the need to check for 30 transactions every month. Monthly fee is same after the travel credit.
I also posted the travel benefits comparison between the 3 major cards.
Nov 13, 2016, 4:38 am
#172
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 156
Nov 13, 2016, 9:18 am
#173
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 108
It is our total annual spend including travel, dining, gas, groceries and general spending like shopping and purchases which are considered X 1 for rewards from all the these cards.
I used to put the general spending on Citi double cash, but now I am using Amex for everything, because of the new 50% bonus structure with the business platinum card.
I use google flights to book flights directly from the airlines with my amex personal platinum, which gets me 5x MR points. These points effectively become 10x MR points, when I use the business platinum to book flights on amex travel portal.
I will know more in the next two months if there are any surprises!
P
I used to put the general spending on Citi double cash, but now I am using Amex for everything, because of the new 50% bonus structure with the business platinum card.
I use google flights to book flights directly from the airlines with my amex personal platinum, which gets me 5x MR points. These points effectively become 10x MR points, when I use the business platinum to book flights on amex travel portal.
I will know more in the next two months if there are any surprises!
P
Last edited by peterrudy; Nov 13, 2016 at 5:50 pm
Nov 13, 2016, 7:30 pm
#174
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
It is our total annual spend including travel, dining, gas, groceries and general spending like shopping and purchases which are considered X 1 for rewards from all the these cards.
I used to put the general spending on Citi double cash, but now I am using Amex for everything, because of the new 50% bonus structure with the business platinum card.
I use google flights to book flights directly from the airlines with my amex personal platinum, which gets me 5x MR points. These points effectively become 10x MR points, when I use the business platinum to book flights on amex travel portal.
I will know more in the next two months if there are any surprises!
P
I used to put the general spending on Citi double cash, but now I am using Amex for everything, because of the new 50% bonus structure with the business platinum card.
I use google flights to book flights directly from the airlines with my amex personal platinum, which gets me 5x MR points. These points effectively become 10x MR points, when I use the business platinum to book flights on amex travel portal.
I will know more in the next two months if there are any surprises!
P
Nov 14, 2016, 11:41 am
#176
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 108
So why not get PGR as well as EDP? The EDP gets you 2.5x more on groceries than PGR or up to 15,000 MR points a year. Plus 1x more on gas and 0.5x more on everything else. The $95 extra more than pays for itself. If you still need to use PGR for grocery spending after $6K spending on EDP, then get another PGR in your wife's name and use PGR exclusively for dinning.
Thank you for suggesting it.
P
Nov 14, 2016, 11:46 am
#177
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,881
Nov 14, 2016, 11:50 am
#178
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 108
I am assuming it will give 5x points. I will post here later after my billing cycle point credits, which are painfully slow with Amex.
MPX has GC's for Amazon, iTunes, Dell, Bed Bath and Beyond along with several other stores and the MPX app can be used on the fly when you are inside a store making a purchase to pay for the item at the register with GC.
For me MPX Amazon GC's are most valuable, which gives 5x MR points (effectivley 10x MR points with the business platinum). Gift cards can be instantly loaded to Amazon account.
I usually use Amazon store card for 5% cash back for Amazon purchases, but considering to switch to this method instead!
P
Last edited by peterrudy; Nov 14, 2016 at 12:10 pm
Nov 15, 2016, 9:19 am
#180
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 108
I received the Amex personal platinum card in mail on November 11th and put some airline charges worth 3K. I was surprised to see the sign-on bonus 40K points posted instantly on November 14th, since I was expecting them at the end of the monthly statement.
Now I have some points to try and book some flights on Amex business to see how the 50% point credit works!
Now I have some points to try and book some flights on Amex business to see how the 50% point credit works!