"Premium could be Amex's big winner"
Jan 24, 2018, 7:33 am
#16
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: PHX
Programs: HHonors Lifetime Diamond, UA Million Miler Gold, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,142
I could see the $300 travel credit becoming harder to redeem (e.g. reducing the number of merchant categories that will trigger it), though I don't know how many actually use all of it every year.
As for AmEx, I'd still like for Platinum to have some day to day bonus categories. As is, the 5x on travel booked through airlines/AmEx Travel doesn't really encourage use of the card beyond plane tickets and hotel reservations. However, I suppose picking up some other MR-earning cards along with Plat might be acceptable to some.
As for AmEx, I'd still like for Platinum to have some day to day bonus categories. As is, the 5x on travel booked through airlines/AmEx Travel doesn't really encourage use of the card beyond plane tickets and hotel reservations. However, I suppose picking up some other MR-earning cards along with Plat might be acceptable to some.
Jan 24, 2018, 7:39 am
#17
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 56
Exactly. If you live near a major city you should have no problem hitting the travel credit in year. Hell, traveling once and putting everything on the CSR should spend it all.
Jan 24, 2018, 4:24 pm
#18
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 998
Man, the only thing the CSR has going for it is the travel credit and how easy it is to use and the $0.015/pt when used for travel. Generally Amex is better for transfers, give status at two MAJOR hotel chains, still does offer a travel credit, AND gets you Delta, priority pass, and bespoke lounges. They would be the go to card if their earning of points was a little higher, and redemption rates were a little higher with travel. The uber credit should be ditched and changed to “car service credit” or something and work for uber/lyft, private sedan service, and Zipcar/rentals, but I still fully believe Uber is giving a sweep kickback to be partners with Amex.
Priority pass isn’t near as useful as it’s made out to be, so chase doesn’t have a winning lounge option. VISA infinite is nice, especially the discount on SilverCar (20 or 30% off 2+ day bookings or something) but isn’t a seal the deal kinda perk. The earning is nice, but isn’t amazing. 3x on travel and dining only goes so far and really is only great because of the possible 1.5c redemption on tickets/rooms that still earn miles/stays/status reqs. Chase better be careful what they ditch, if that travel credit is cut or really restricted (more so then Amex’s little tricks for eCerts & stuff) or if the 50% extra redemption for travel is cut, I think they’ll have a lot of people drop the card. If Amex bumped up the every day earning a little, at least had a solid $0.01 or $0.0125 or something is used for travel (and NOT limited to their portal) they probably could bump the AF & people might ditch both cards and stick with just Amex.
I also wish it was easier to earn the 5x bonus points. Airline is pretty solid, but booking hotels via the Amex Travel thing just isn’t that great. A lot of the perks overlap with status, but you give up earning with the hotel and some perks might be lost. I like that Chase it just “works”. Further, I picked up like 6,000 points with Chase for a 4 night stay at Disneyland Hotel (California) last year, with Amex I wouldn’t because the hotel wasn’t in their Amex travel portal.
Priority pass isn’t near as useful as it’s made out to be, so chase doesn’t have a winning lounge option. VISA infinite is nice, especially the discount on SilverCar (20 or 30% off 2+ day bookings or something) but isn’t a seal the deal kinda perk. The earning is nice, but isn’t amazing. 3x on travel and dining only goes so far and really is only great because of the possible 1.5c redemption on tickets/rooms that still earn miles/stays/status reqs. Chase better be careful what they ditch, if that travel credit is cut or really restricted (more so then Amex’s little tricks for eCerts & stuff) or if the 50% extra redemption for travel is cut, I think they’ll have a lot of people drop the card. If Amex bumped up the every day earning a little, at least had a solid $0.01 or $0.0125 or something is used for travel (and NOT limited to their portal) they probably could bump the AF & people might ditch both cards and stick with just Amex.
I could see the $300 travel credit becoming harder to redeem (e.g. reducing the number of merchant categories that will trigger it), though I don't know how many actually use all of it every year.
As for AmEx, I'd still like for Platinum to have some day to day bonus categories. As is, the 5x on travel booked through airlines/AmEx Travel doesn't really encourage use of the card beyond plane tickets and hotel reservations. However, I suppose picking up some other MR-earning cards along with Plat might be acceptable to some.
As for AmEx, I'd still like for Platinum to have some day to day bonus categories. As is, the 5x on travel booked through airlines/AmEx Travel doesn't really encourage use of the card beyond plane tickets and hotel reservations. However, I suppose picking up some other MR-earning cards along with Plat might be acceptable to some.
Last edited by mia; Jan 24, 2018 at 6:13 pm Reason: Combine consecutive replies
Jan 24, 2018, 5:18 pm
#19
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: SEA, or BOS, or MUC, or other places (probably connecting). "Detroit, Michigan is in the Eastern time zone."
Programs: DL PM/1MM, AS 100K, NEXUS/GE, CLEAR, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,201
The Charles Schwab version of the Amex Platinum lets you redeem MR points for cash at $0.0125, which you could use for travel or anything else at that point. :-D
Jan 24, 2018, 5:51 pm
#20
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 998
Jan 24, 2018, 6:06 pm
#21
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
American Express to Partner with Schwab. Applications online 3.21.2016.
Jan 25, 2018, 3:34 am
#22
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: ATL
Posts: 802
The card benefits are the same:
American Express to Partner with Schwab. Applications online 3.21.2016.
American Express to Partner with Schwab. Applications online 3.21.2016.
Jan 25, 2018, 10:44 am
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Jan 25, 2018, 11:44 am
#24
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 998
(Also, bonus tip, buy your Disneyland tickets from the front desk of the Disneyland hotel (at least the California location) and they hit your credit card as a hotel charge, thus 3x from Chase on those expensive park tickets)
Jan 25, 2018, 1:02 pm
#25
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 56
Yep, that's why I pretty much only use the CSR when on travel and any eating out. I also like that the travel bonus is just based on the travel category, not having to book via some online travel portal or anything, so I can go direct to any hotel and book with them, earn points or status benefits based on the hotel and my rewards membership with them, AND earn the 3X bonus from Chase. Then when using the points I'm buying normal fare tickets from Chase's booking site so I earn miles or hotel nights on those purchases and then Chase "balances the books" using my points (or as many points as I want) to zero out the charge using the fixed rate of $0.015/pt. Makes it super easy to use them and super easy to earn them. That being said, if I could have earned 5x with Amex on the Disneyland Hotel I probably would have booked with that since I think it would have been over like 10 to 12k pts and those transfer super easy off to Delta or someone else, but you only earn 5x on hotels booked via AmexTravel and Disneyland Hotel either wasn't on there, or is, but was booked full when direct from Disney's web site it showed rooms for my dates...
(Also, bonus tip, buy your Disneyland tickets from the front desk of the Disneyland hotel (at least the California location) and they hit your credit card as a hotel charge, thus 3x from Chase on those expensive park tickets)
(Also, bonus tip, buy your Disneyland tickets from the front desk of the Disneyland hotel (at least the California location) and they hit your credit card as a hotel charge, thus 3x from Chase on those expensive park tickets)
Nice tip on the Disneyland tickets, though! I'll have to remember that next time.
Jan 25, 2018, 1:03 pm
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Yep, that's why I pretty much only use the CSR when on travel and any eating out. I also like that the travel bonus is just based on the travel category, not having to book via some online travel portal or anything, so I can go direct to any hotel and book with them, earn points or status benefits based on the hotel and my rewards membership with them, AND earn the 3X bonus from Chase. Then when using the points I'm buying normal fare tickets from Chase's booking site so I earn miles or hotel nights on those purchases and then Chase "balances the books" using my points (or as many points as I want) to zero out the charge using the fixed rate of $0.015/pt. Makes it super easy to use them and super easy to earn them. That being said, if I could have earned 5x with Amex on the Disneyland Hotel I probably would have booked with that since I think it would have been over like 10 to 12k pts and those transfer super easy off to Delta or someone else, but you only earn 5x on hotels booked via AmexTravel and Disneyland Hotel either wasn't on there, or is, but was booked full when direct from Disney's web site it showed rooms for my dates...
(Also, bonus tip, buy your Disneyland tickets from the front desk of the Disneyland hotel (at least the California location) and they hit your credit card as a hotel charge, thus 3x from Chase on those expensive park tickets)
(Also, bonus tip, buy your Disneyland tickets from the front desk of the Disneyland hotel (at least the California location) and they hit your credit card as a hotel charge, thus 3x from Chase on those expensive park tickets)
Jan 25, 2018, 1:16 pm
#27
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 56
Jan 25, 2018, 4:55 pm
#28
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 998
Ya, and there was comments about how Chase plans to cut $200 million... I figure a lot of people probably hold both the CSR and the Amex, and probably for the reasons of earnings vs benefits/lounge/perks. I also figure a lot of people with ditch one card and keep the other if either Chase added status at a major hotel chain (or airline) and access to lounges (more then PP but instead either American's lounge or Delta, even if you have to fly them and hold the card to get in). In the same notion, I bet Amex would pull people away from Chase if the points flowed a little more...
Jan 25, 2018, 6:33 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: San Francisco/Tel Aviv/YYZ
Programs: CO 1K-MM
Posts: 10,762
I don't think the AX Plat is even *that* good for benefits that people use every day. I get that the FHR program can get you some nice "benefits" but you can get deals elsewhere. the mid tier status at SPG/Hilton is nice, and could be worth something, but not much, and its limited to particular places. Primary car coverage is useful for EVERYONE who rents, and trip interruption/cxl insurance is useful for people who travel. So for me the chase cards are way better, the 3x chase points are better than the 5 AX points if I can rest easy knowing they'll take care of the travel insurance. Incidentally, its one area where the canadian cards are better than the US ones.
Jan 25, 2018, 6:55 pm
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,507
Ya, and there was comments about how Chase plans to cut $200 million... I figure a lot of people probably hold both the CSR and the Amex, and probably for the reasons of earnings vs benefits/lounge/perks. I also figure a lot of people with ditch one card and keep the other if either Chase added status at a major hotel chain (or airline) and access to lounges (more then PP but instead either American's lounge or Delta, even if you have to fly them and hold the card to get in). In the same notion, I bet Amex would pull people away from Chase if the points flowed a little more...