bgriff

Not sure how widespread they are but Amex sent me an offer for credits on my Delta Platinum cards upon statement renewal (which isn't until the fall) -- $50 on the personal and $75 on the business. Which is interesting because I've been spending $50k/year lately on the business and <$1k/year on the personal. I assume the $50 is a baseline to make up for the recent increase in annual fee, anyway, and the $75 some bump on top of that. Arguably it still may not be entirely worth it, since even with deadline extensions I may miss out on using a companion certificate or two given sharply reduced travel for a while, but at least it's something.

For the Amex Platinum, the new credits are nice to have and I'll definitely get full value out of them, and I also value the Saks credit, and I've had the card long enough that I would probably keep it anyway, but I'm not sure it's going to be an obvious value add for me this year. I've missed out on a couple of Uber monthly credits already, and will probably miss more by year end. And I've only achieved a sliver of my airline fee credits and I'm not sure I'll get any more use out of them this year. I guess I do already have several credits from cancelled tickets with my chosen airline (Delta), so I think in theory I could find a new ticket to book that is priced at (my Delta credit amount) + (my remaining Amex Plat airline credit amount less a few dollars) and book it, which I think data points suggest should trigger an Amex fee credit on that additional collection amount. And then cancel it to have a yet greater credit on hold with Delta for future use.

pugsley21

LOL. Military spouse here. Although we didn't know about these perks until a few years into marriage, we save a BOAT LOAD on AFs through SCRA. Some of the companies don't offer AF waiver but AMX is amazing about it. Now to come up with a plan for after retirement!

Adelphos

As I sit here in July, I’ve only cancelled one card - Hilton Surpass. I will cancel my Delta Platinum next month. All of the various credits and enhancements made the Amex Platinum, Delta Reserve and Chase Sapphire Reserve keepers, and I received retention offers on Citi and Capital One cards. I have added three no-fee cards this year, and I look to replace my Hilton card and hopefully add a Hyatt card next year (I need to hold out until July 2021 to get under 5/24).

The card that curiously was closest to the chopping block was Amex Gold, but 4x on restaurants and groceries remain tough to beat for a $130 effective fee...

PHLondoner

And as sticky as the $100 airline credit is to use normally, I've always been able to find a way to do it fairly naturally. Luckily (adverb #4 ), i was able to use my credits pre-Covid this year. So $30 for a card where I'm banking value on my 4x on two of my biggest spends? This card really works for me.

Adelphos

Update on this - I have started to put more of my restaurant spend on my Chase cards since they refreshed the Freedom cards. I like the Amex Platinum due to the perks, and I thought they did well this year with the various credits, and the card is expected to be refreshed this year. So I took an upgrade offer to upgrade my Amex Gold to Amex Platinum. I now have TWO Amex Platinums (regular and Schwab) and will likely cancel my Schwab in 2021. That should leave me with an Amex Platinum, a Marriott Card, and two Delta cards. I will probably cancel one of the Delta cards in 2021 and apply for another Hilton card, leaving me with 4 Amex cards. I’ve also downgraded my CSR to the CSP. So my fees should be coming down quite a lot in 2021.

1) Amex cards for perks and some spending
2) Chase Freedom cards for spending
3) A few various other low or no fee cards (Citi Premier + Double Cash, Apple Card, etc)

Seems simple enough. I will be under 5/24 by Summer 2021 though and will likely add a couple of Chase cards for sign up bonuses

cfabar1

I currently have:
Bonvoy Brilliant
SPG Business
SPG Amex
Platinum Amex
Gold Delta Skymiles

Would I be nuts to also get the Gold Card? I do not believe I would be eligible for the SUB because years ago I had the Preferred Rewards Gold Card or whatever it was called. Would Amex let me have the Gold Card and the Platinum Card given my current portfolio? I’d love the 4x multipliers. I have long considered also getting HIlton Apire, but I think I am happy to let that go.

cfischer

I don't have quite as many, but I do have a Gold and Plat card. The Gold card is essentially free and then there is 4x on dining and grocery. $250 less $100 if you have a corporate card less $100 airline credit and then there is $10 per month each Grubhub and in 2021 also Uber (Eats). So for that alone I have the Gold card in addition to the other cards I have.

krazykanuck

Do you have a pulse and a SSN? If so, the answer is yes.

Adelphos

Over a year later, I still have most of these cards, lol

Amex Platinum - $695 starting next year
Amex Schwab Platinum - $695 starting next year
Amex Green - $150
Delta Reserve - $550
Delta Platinum - $250
Bonvoy Brilliant - $450
Hilton - $0

I also have a Citi AA Executive Card at $450. No other annual fees more than $100 (CSP, Cap1 Venture, Citi Premier, Citi AA Plat, Hyatt)

Obviously one of the Platinums is either getting cancelled or downgraded. I may just downgrade the vanilla Platinum back to Gold. Or if the green is enough I may just cancel.

The biggest issue is what to do with the Delta cards. Companion passes are hard to use these days. Delta Plat looks surplus to requirements, but it actually earns decently.

mia

In which categories?

Adelphos

I think restaurants. I was thinking in future years if wanted an MQM boost and wanted to earn some extra SkyPesos among the way, spending $25,000 or whatever on the Delta Plat wouldn’t be bad. However I like the upgrade priority and the extra MQM associated with the Reserve a bit more at this point

mia

Unless there is a temporary promotion, Skymiles Platinum earns 2 miles per dollar at restaurants. American Express Green earns 3 points per dollar at restaurants.

eponymous_coward

… and the Gold OP wants to downgrade to earns 4x on dining.

Delta AMEX cards are all about MQM boosting and evading the MQD barriers. Their earning blows compared to native AMEX cards. That’s the tradeoff. For a casual flier it’s a bad tradeoff. For someone who wants to keep elite status and can throw money at a suboptimal earning card it could make sense.

WasKnown

I don’t know how the math works out for people to spend their way to anything less than Diamond (for the GUCs). Maybe Plat given the much lower spending reqs and the RUCs?

MojoGuru

Choose only one. I am in a similar situation, with the Schwab Platinum, Business Platinum, and Delta Reserve. I am going to drop both Platinum Cards, and add the Hilton Aspire. No overlapping benefits, no silly credits, and they pay for themselves with solid travel perks.