Xlr

I have both CSR (net fee $150 because I use the $300 travel reimbursement) and Personal Amex Plat (net fee $150, because I use the $200 Uber credits and the $200 airline credit - ignoring the Saks thing for now). CSR for spend benefits, Amex Plat mostly for non-spend benefits.

CSR's checked bag delay/loss insurance and trip interruption/cancellation insurance is of great value to me because it covers redemptions (so long as the taxes/fees are charged to CSR). If I had to buy my own travel insurance for each personal trip, it would cost more than $150 per year. That, plus the car rental LDW being primary, is a strong argument to keep (ie not cancel) the CSR.

If I have the CSR already, what additional benefits do I get from Amex Plat?

I put very little spend on my Amex Plat (less than $20K annually). I use the Gold hotel status (to help get occasional late check-outs), Centurion lounge access, and concierge service. So, to me if I already have the CSR, it's a discretionary card with additional luxury benefits (over the CSR) that come from membership rather than spend.

To someone with a CSR considering the Plat as an additional card, it comes down to whether you like spending $150 annually for luxury. If your home airport has a Centurion lounge in the terminal you typically use - for example many CSR cardholders in the Bay Area fly United out of SFO T3 - the answer may well be yes.

Ali380

Having both the CSR and Ritz would you say they have similar perks? Aside from the $100 airline discount

RedSun

No. CSR is more generic travel and RC is certainly for RC/Marriott hotel. The new free RC annual night makes it even better. You also gets most of the RC benefits for free to AU w/o AF.

RedSun

This has been discussed many times. Plat offers many perks that CSR does not offer. The Marriott Gold + Hilton Gold were big with the MR Gold now replaced with the $100 Saks. Also the 5x airline and some hotels. There are also benefits to the Gold AU cards w/o AF. For most people, it is very easy to stay positive after the AF.

Again, AmEx Plat is also a life style card. You get positive returns plus all the luxury. But if you do not value the luxury and can't make it positive since you hardly travel, then there is no reason to have the Plat, or even the CSR card.

For some people, beyond certain stage, there is no urge to count all the $ and returns.

RedSun

Sure YMMV. AmEx MR system is more complex to use. But after you get a handle of the partner transfers, then MR can be as valuable as the UR. I recently used MR points to book overseas flights and get the same values as the UR. You just need to do the homework. Besides, MR points are easier to earn than the UR. At least I get the 2x MR BBP card. The only thing close is the Chase FU that earns 1.5X UR.

If you do not get much value, or get negative return for any cards, just close them.....

Super Mario

The most YMMV thing in there is MR points are easier to earn than UR. Chase doesn't have an annual fee on the majority of their good earning cards. No silly $6500 cap. No having to book travel through specific methods. The amount of 3-5x categories is solid. The MR BBP is a good card, but if you believe that half a point (where then we could split hairs on valuation) makes that much of a difference overall, I'd disagree.

RedSun

Sure you can disagree.
1. There are 7 Chase CCs that do not have AFs, Freedom, FU, Slate, United TravelBank, Amazon, Disney and AARP. So I do not think your first statement is right.
2. The Freedom card has $6,000/year cap. I do not know what $6,500 AmEx cap you talking about.
3. The 5x airfair is flat, you do not have to do anything.

I have both Chase UR and AmEx MR and I enjoy both. I do not favor one over the other. I take advantage of both....

Ali380

Thanks good info.

Another question as you have the Plat and Ritz. The amex plat give Marriott Gold and so does the Ritz card. Is one gold status better over the other and what happens when you have both? (the plat and ritz)

RedSun

Plat, RC and CSR are different CCs. CSR is a daily card and should get most of your spending. The Plat is mostly for the perks and Centurion lunges. It somehow gets weaker now with some of the travel status (such as the AA lounge and Marriott Gold) going away. So Plat adds the Uber and Saks etc. The new RC is very positive after the AF, even much better if you stay at RC.

Now and before 8/1/2018, both the Plat and RC get the MR Gold. No difference. During the transition period, RC should get you MR Plat and AmEx Plat gets you MR Gold. But after the transition period, both RC and Plat give the MR Gold. Again no difference.

AmEx has not responded to the MR/RC/SPG change yet. It is going to be interesting to see if AmEx will add anything other than the new $100 Saks credit.

nall

Marriott Gold is not being replaced as a benefit; however, Marriott is devaluing their own status levels.

RedSun

I said "The Marriott Gold + Hilton Gold were big with the MR Gold now replaced with the $100 Saks." You can certainly say the lost benefit was made up with the new perks.

With the new MR Gold value dropped, all the AmEx Plat, SPG and Ritz cards were affected. But Ritz gets the yearly free night, and all new SPG cards get the yearly free nights too. Only Plat card was left out. The $100 Saks 5th helps some. But we all expect AmEx do something more to make it up.

gooselee

We do? I sure don't.

nall

The benefit was actually Starwood Gold, which the new Marriott gold benefit is very similar to. So I doubt Amex sees that as a devaluation.

RedSun

The AmEx Plat gives you both Hilton and SPG Gold. The SPG Gold gets mapped to Marriott Gold. The REAL (old) Marriott Gold gets mapped to the new Marriott Plat. So AmEx Plat (along with the RC) get lost in this mapping game. All the AmEx Plat members get the new MR Gold (which is close to the old MR Silver). The Ritz limped to the new MR Plat for some time, then goes back to MR Gold. MR essentially downgrade the MR Gold.

bgriff

Amex Platinum intended to give a 25-night SPG status level, and it did, and it will again come August. It was only temporary and generous that Marriott mapped that 25-night SPG level to a 50-night Marriott level.

Whereas Ritz cardholders have a much stronger claim to be angry given that they actually were intentionally meant to get a 50-night status level and are now getting downgraded to a 25-night status level, with a corresponding major reduction in benefits.