FlyerTalker70

Hey FTers,

I'm currently an AmEx Canada Gold card member. Recently I have been receiving offers by AmEx to upgrade to the Platinum card (likely due to the volume of purchases I put on that card as AmEx is always my first choice for purchases). Does it make any sense to upgrade from Gold to Platinum? I do a decent amount of travel every year (i.e. 50,000+ miles on *A alone)?

Here's what I perceive as the pros and cons to each card:

AmEx Gold

• Pros
  • Low annual fee - $150/year
  • Free supplementary card
  • Earn 2 MR points per dollar spent on travel and 3 MR points on hotels booked through AmEx travel
• Cons
  • Small DYKWIA factor (i.e. no thick metal card to slam down on table)
  • Limited travel specific benefits like trip cancellation

AmEx Platinum

• Pros
  • $200 travel credit I'm guaranteed to use every year given my travel patterns
  • Trip interruption, baggage and other insurance
  • 1.25 AmEx MR points on all purchases
• Mixed
  • Lounge access (I already have *A lounge access thanks to UA Gold - are the Centurion lounges that great, especially in SFO and LGA compared to UC?)
  • Access to hotel & rental car elite benefits (I already get SPMarriott Gold thanks to UA Gold and am status matched to Hilton Gold till 2020)
  • 50,000 bonus points for signing up? I'm unsure if I'll get that on an upgrade from Gold to Platinum - would appreciate clarification
  • Platinum Concierge - never used it but would be interested in learning how it could be useful to me a s a frequent flyer
• Cons
  • Pricey - $700/year + $175 for the supplementary card
  • No earning of 2x-3x MR points on travel

Let me know your thoughts on this.

Safe Travels,

​​​​​​​James

longtimeflyin

Both AMEX cards in Canada are still plastic.

yeunganson

There are some fringe benefits that the Plat is more powerful
1) Insurance in lost/delay luggage and flight delay is stronger - $1000 for spending compared to around $500 for gold
2) Priority Club lounge or AMEX Centurion Lounge - mixed bag - some Centurion lounges are better while some Star Alliance lounges are better - if choice is important....
3) The AMEX Fine Dining program - if AMEX book the table for you, you may get a free appy or a free dessert compared to booking with Open Table
4) Fine Hotel Program (only use it if you're Hilton/Marriott chain is full in the city and you want to try fancy hotels) - some upgrades and late check out and maybe breakfast
5) Show-off when you whip the card out - this might sound cool in university and turned out to have zero effect upon grad and entering work force
6) Suppose to be the pre-req card if you want to qualify for the Black card Centurion - but with benefits cutting left right and center.... you really need to desire the show off to pursuit this

BRAISKI

For you the only part that's really worth it could be the 1.25pts/$1 on everything. The initial bonus points is always great! It would be a hard sell for you for its other benefit since you're already *A Gold, gets you in to better Lounge! Unless you travel around the US where you can access the Centurion Lounge. Also you have a Concierge with your UA Gold so that's also useful.
Travel/Trip Insurance is a big thing for sure, that alone could be worth it... Do you travel on your own personal dime or you work for a company?

Other benefits such as Fine Dining places, of course its nice but but you have to ask yourself, how often do you go to fine dining places? I go maybe once a year but don't even go to the AMEX "suggested" places. Again nice benefit but, realistically not as useful, catered to people who live lavishly.

For me the Fine Hotel Program isn't great since I am with IHG and AMEX doesn't have a partnership with them.

LOL, DYKWIA factor?!?! Really?!?! I guess that's important to you, maybe you're a hotshot Lawyer, then you should try to get the Centurion Card . But anyways to each of their own... You have to realize that a lot of places doesn't always "like" Premium Credit Cards or they don't care, since it comes with a hefty fee for merchants. Unless you go maybe buy a Masserati or a Jet or go to an extremely fancy restaurant, that just want you to keep ordering or maybe sell you a bottle of Cristal for your date or perhaps a Dom Perignon.

At the end of the day, it doesn't change the fact that the card/s is $700+$175= $875/yr even with the $200 travel credit which comes to $500/$675/yr. That's at least $350 more per yr that you can use to a fine dining restaurant and more lol. You already wont use the Lounge which is the biggest hard benefit I think. But yes in the end its a nice card to have I wont lie. Just try it for a year and then if you don't see much of the benefit then downgrade back to Gold, best way you can try it. If you don't really use the "extras" then you don't need it, which I think A LOT of people don't.

Good luck!

Doors Closing

Went through same dilemma myself, BA Silver gets the lounges part sorted and the fact that the Amex plat is 1.25MR's rather than 2 or 3 made me stick to Amex Gold. Unless you are into hotel status, it would seem no much gain by getting the plat. Having said that, I just came across the Canada HSBC World Elite Mastercard, which is now a FYF and would entail enhanced points collection with ability to convert to BA's avios at $1=2.4 avios on all travel purchases or half this number on anything else, better than Amex's Gold card. With some great travel perks and $149 a year, it could be a great travel card without the hefty $700 (well, $500...) price tag...

BRAISKI

$1:2.4 Avios?! Wow that's crazy, RBC Avion used to have 50% bonus when converting (once or twice a yr) but I think they stopped it and now only 35% I think (same with AMEX too during promotions), I never gave much thought about Avios since for the longest time and still am with Aeroplan, but since in less than 2yrs Aeroplan/Air Canada will no longer be partners I'm thinking of going to the Avios Route also I'm currently living in Germany temporarily.

Low Roller

FYI, if you do decide to try the platinum, you can get a 60,000 point sign-up bonus (after spending $3000) by using one of the referrals offered here instead on doing an upgrade:American Express Referral Offers (Read Wiki before posting).

BenSenise

30%

FlyerTalker70

Ended up signing up for the HSBC card. The most compelling feature for me is the no foreign exchange fees. Since I'll be moving in the UK in the Fall to get my Master's this will be a huge plus (especially since I'm unsure whether it makes sense to get a UK AE/Visa there). This will replace my WS World Elite card which I have had for some time but haven't used its key benefits (i.e. free checked bag and companion pass). The only benefit I seemed to have used on the card was the 3 cent/litre discount @ PetroCan and the occasional WS dollars that flowed my way.

One other question I do have is whether it makes sense to cancel any credit cards you no longer use that have an annual fee. I've read that it can ding your credit history. Should I cancel the card or product swap it for a no annual fee card from RBC?

Safe Travels,

James

BRAISKI

Can't argue with the no FOREX fee.
Yes it can hurt your credit score, I used to be concerned with it but not as much anymore. Depending on where or what stage you are in your life. I'm in my early 30s and have mortgage, good income (thankfully) and good credit score. So I won't hesitate to cancel any of my credit cards, I am more concern of my points lol. At the end of the day its not like your credit score will be hit drastically like 100 points! But again it depends on your risk tolerance.

If you have lots of points with RBC Rewards, I suggest getting a low or no fee credit card. I am currently in Germany I am keeping my RBC Avion just because I have some points there but will soon cancel my Aeroplan Visa Card since, its no longer useful for me, as I stopped collecting Aeroplan Points, due to the obvious that they are parting ways with AC. Reason that I am starting with the AMEX MR system, more options to use the points and with 1:1 transfer ratio to a lot of Airlines is great deal.

longtimeflyin

Boingo benefit with that card will get you free wifi on several airlines, such as on EVA Air.

You can redeem the travel enhancement credit for any travel charges, including Air Canada charges for regular airfare. Also, you can redeem $125 back in travel for 25,000 points, and you can also redeem against regular airfare charges as well. Ignore all of the fine black and white print about the type of charges you can redeem things against, HSBC clearly has no clue.

I've also switched my spending to that card in lieu of the Aeroplan changes despite not being a HSBC customer.

FlyerTalker70

Sadly HSBC would not process my application for the card in spite of me being an existing client with a substantial amount of savings in their USD account. Was told that I needed to earn $80K/year even though I qualify under the $400K in assets (was told that the statement was an AND not an OR even though on the website it clearly lists it as either $80K/annual earnings OR $400K in liquid assets). Not entirely surprised by the response though, it took me nearly a month to open up my UK bank account from within Canada (i.e. required a ton of documentation and was a long process).

Guess I'll be keeping my WS card a little longer as the LoungeKey and other World Elite benefits are a little handy in the unlikely event I'm not fly *.

Does anyone know of any no foreign exchange fee cards in Canada? I've applied for Brim several months ago but they haven't launched yet and it may be several months before I get the card, at which point I'll be in the UK. Otherwise I guess I'll just get AmEx to ship me a GBP card when I land in the UK this Fall.

Safe Travels,

James

mia

You will need to apply for a UK American Express card. You can do this through the Global Transfers program, discussed here:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...periences.html

https://www.americanexpress.com/global-card-transfers/

beep88

Google does. No forex plus cash back on top, even.

FlyerTalker70