slm9555

I got two offers in the mail. One back in April 2017 which I actually used to sign up. It was for 100k w/ 5k spend in 3 months. Then a day ago I got the identical looking mailer but when I opened it up there was only a 3k spend requirement for 100k!

The deal is unbelievable. I guess Amex marketing did not yet realize that I already signed up for the card so they sent the offer again.

ucdtim17

I only applied for the first offer, so just one bonus

mdosu

So regarding the platinum benefits of adding AMEX gold cards to your account with no AF fee for gold card....

My situation is that I have a Personal Platinum card, and I also paid $175 last year to have 3 AUs. I called to today to ask about cancelling the AUs, and CSR said I have the option to downgrade all 3 AUs to Gold.

What's my incentive to keep those 3 AUs as Gold? On the Gold benefits page, it's pretty much just the basic AMEX benefits of shoprunner, rental car coverage, etc. Do I still pay $175 AF, or is it literally converting all 3 to Gold with no AF? Will those Gold cards each get the $100 airline credit, TGTBT?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't I get more out of it if I cancel my AUs, and reapply for Gold by myself and get the signup bonus (historically highest has ranged between 65k-75k)?

mia

There is now no fee for supplementary Gold cards on the personal Platinum.

gooselee

Did you have the 3 AU cards for other people? The incentive to keep them as Gold cards is to allow those three people to continue charging things on your account.

The AU Plat cards didn't get the $200 airline fee credit, so not sure why you'd think that Gold cards would get a $100 fee credit...effectively providing a better benefit on a "lower" AU card (not to mention that you can have up to 99 Gold AU cards for free, and no way in the world Amex is going to fork over almost $10k in credits for free).

oazizpharmD

Hello everyone, travel novice here looking to get into this hobby. I recently applied for the CSR and and looking to get more travel bonus credit cards, and I'm stuck. I am hoping all you savvy travelers can help me make a decision or come up with some options I don’t know about. A little bit about me before we get started.

1. I usually fly out of Newark Airport but can go to Philadelphia International Airport if the price if the ticket is right.
2. I usually fly United as it usually is the cheapest ticket available, except for Indianapolis.
3. In regards to travel, at a minimum, my family and I like to do one nice international trip a year and we travel at least quarterly to Indiana to visit my wife's parents.

My current inventory is the following, which makes me 1/24 for chase cards. My wife is an AU on both cards

1. BarclayCard Arrivals Plus MasterCard, which I’ve had for 3 years and plan to downgrade to no fee option this year.
2. Chase Sapphire Reserve which I applied for in February 2017 and still haven’t touched the 100k UR point bonus. I’m going to cancel my Wife’s AU before next year's fee is due but keep mine as a base for future Chase UR point redemptions

My following options are as follows:

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Have my wife and I both apply (not at same time) to maximize possibility of 50k bonus before it goes back to 40k. Once minimum spent is met, I’ll stop using mine and have as wife’s primary card while I go back to the Chase Sapphire Reserve. I plan to product change both cards to Chase Freedom cards before AF is due.
2. United Mileage Plus Explorer: Use same strategy above to maximize a targeted 70k mile offer available until the end of June. I really hate United and their horrible Basic Economy, but their flights are routinely the cheapest when I’m traveling domestically except for Indianapolis, and the checked baggage coverage pays for the AF. May consider keeping mine for United purchases only but product change my wife’s to no fee version before the second fee is due to conserve length of credit history.
3. Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card: This would strictly be for the Companion Pass as now Southwest flies nonstop from Newark to Indianapolis. The downside is I would be burning two slots in Chase 5/24 and there aren't many nonstop flights from Newark or Philadelphia so essentially I would be spending 2 AFs and 4k in minimum spend to cover Indiana flights for approximately 1.5 years.
4. Chase Ritz-Carlton Card: Will ask Chase via SM to see if they can give me the 3 free night offer. The only real reason I want this card is the Visa Infinite discount portal. That and a few checked bags or other incidentals will cover the AF. I also like the no charge AU so my wife has Priority Pass access.
5. American Express Platinum Personal: I just received a targeted 100k offer with 3k spend good until end of August. Man, I REALLY would like to get this card, but I’m nowhere near a Centurion lounge (God only knows when the Philadelphia Centurion Lounge actually opens) and the cheapest flights for me are from stinky Newark and United Airlines (except for Indianapolis). I don’t use Uber, Ubereats is no where near me. I can get Global Entry credit from Ritz-Carlton Card(if I choose to apply) or Chase Sapphire Reserve. I heard you can get Hamilton tickets at face value, which sounds nice, but I think that's only for pre-sale and God only knows when they offer a pre-sale in NYC again. Finally, I most likely would not have my wife as an Authorized User because I just can’t justify a 175 fee on top of what may be an effective 350 annual fee.

Overall I think I want someone to convince me to splurge on the American Express Platinum but I’ll a hard time convincing my wife it’s a good overall investment. Maybe I can try it for a year then close it out? Are there other perks I don't know about? I just feel that this 100K offer for 3K on spend is something that doesn't come around too often. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

mdosu

Thanks, didn't think they would let me double dip

stheller

But the free gold cards do cover Global Entry (or Pre-Check), which is worth something.

slivrflyr

Downgrading plat AUs to gold: They lose lounge access, priority pass, SPG and Hilton gold status for themselves and likely additional elite status w car rental agencies. That's what I can think of off the top of my head.

Question is whether their airline charges (once downgraded to gold ) will earn 5x

Biggie Fries

You have -- correctly -- answered your own question. The 100K bonus on low spend is way too good to pass up. Since you do fly, even if you only keep this thing for one year, it only costs you $150 = $550 AF - ($200 in flight credits 1st calendar year) - ($200 in flight credits 2nd calendar year). Read around to see how flight credits can be turned into airfare, especially if you are flying AA out of PHL on your baked-in trips to IND.

Then read one of the blogs about all the other stuff you can and should enroll in with an AMEX Plat card. Do them. Enjoy for a year. Reassess then. For example, I am not a Uber user either, and yet we have managed to use the $15 credit effectively and efficiently all 4 mos. now.

Also, there are usually a few good Amex Offers a year -- good in the sense that they map onto real spending, and thus are money in the pocket when used -- and that is another way to amortize the out-of-pocket cost associated with the AF. I understand that for those folks hitting Amex Offers hard, an Amex Plat is not the optimal way to gain access. Thus my point here refers to the advantages of you getting the Amex Plat in the situation that you are in (the cards you have + the 100K MR offer).

mia

OR, just read and follow the list in the Wikipost of this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...d-do-list.html

mdosu

Here are a few more items for you to consider.

Chase items (someone please confirm, but this is my understanding the details of 5/24):
Apparently Chase's 5/24 is related to any revolving credit, not just Chase cards. So if you're close to 5/24, I would get those Chase cards first before the AMEX. But I also heard non-Chase small business cards do not affect 5/24.

Also, your Chase AUs also is added to your AU's 5/24, so it reduces a slot your wife can apply for.

I already did the Southwest Companion Pass deal. It is amazing. I did not pay for flights for a good 2 years. Also, the current promo (120k points combined) is as good as I've ever seen.


AMEX Plat considerations:

Philly Lounge: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...ug-2017-a.html

I would check this thread often to see the status and location. Some airports, the lounge is not accessible from every air side terminal.

The 100k is a rare bird for the personal plat. IMO, you need to sign up now to lock it in for your lifetime. Also consider when you cancel, and if later on you decide you will access centurion lounge more frequently, there's the Ameriprise AMEX card with no AF in the first year (but no bonus points offers).

Further, also note, it's apparently much easier obtaining a small business AMEX card these days as a "sole proprietor". So you have multiple shots at accumulating AMEX MR points through business PRG and plat cards.

So just to let you know my person game plan:

1. Today, I own the Personal Plat, got it with the last major 100k deal. Just got my retention offer for year 2, decided to keep it. Still on the $450 AF for year two as I signed up in the right window last year.

I did the 3 AUs for $175. Decided to gift the benefits to my parents (for Global Entry), and my sister in law (for lounge access and concierge). Obviously, we've extracted more than $175 worth of benefits out of this. Does your kids need Global Entry/TSA Precheck?

2. This time next year, I don't anticipate any retention offers. Will apply for the next PRG business bonus promo when it hits 60k-75k again. PRG members have been getting Plat upgrade offers up to 60k points. Apparently, upgrades don't count towards lifetime bonuses, so I can dip once more into the MR bonus here.

3. If I get the plat again, I'll see if the retention bonus is worth keeping. If not, I'll cancel. If I need lounge access, I'll apply for the Ameriprise Plat with no AF for that year.

4. repeat the above with a personal PRG if major bonuses come up with associated upgrades.

Also note, business plat has a pretty high spending threshold. One that I'm uncomfortable attempting to manufacture.

mdosu

I agree on the additional benefits of the plat. I too was not an Uber user, but I had used it for 2 months already. When a benefit is there, you'll find a way to use it, trust me.

Also, I think the most valuable status benefit is the SPG gold status. Which allows you to status match into Marriott gold, which means free breakfast at Marriotts.
I've also done the status match all the way to Hertz Gold. Which is awesome for the quick service at the businesses airports.

mia

Hertz status is a standard feature of the Platinum card. Have you "matched" something to a higher status level? I know there is/was a way to match the included National status to Hertz Five Star, but do you mean something different?

slivrflyr

This!

I conservatively put a $40/ breakfast for two. 7 days per year that's a minimum benefit that's worth it

And here is how I justify the Amex plat. At $450, per uber days. $250 af totally worth it for SPG gold.

Why? Because the only other way id get Marriott gold is to put $10k on my Ritz, whose earn rate is brutal.

I value Marriott points at 0.7c and united miles at 2.4c minimum.

$10k on Ritz gets me $70 of value.
id rather put that spend on united Club for 10k UA Miles worth $240. Saving that $170 of opportunity cost makes the current Amex AF easier to swallow.

//edit Long day. $10k on united club is 15k Miles. Worth $360 to me. So the opportunity cost saved by Amex giving me SPG gold is $290. Once Amex loses SPG (I doubt chase will give it up easily) that will be another point against keeping it.