percysmith

They want you to pay them? They should be paying you to keep their card http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...card-4.html#50 !

christep

Well the T&Cs say a fee of $1200, waived for the first 2 years, which will finish shortly...

around the world

How is Diners Club (DC) for earning Asia Miles? Do they have any promotions at the moment either for spending or for new signups?

percysmith

SCB Executive Platinum 1.0% rebate on everything. Some customers are even getting 1.5% on invtation: http://www.discuss.com.hk/viewthread...1#pid247791522

Fubon Platinum has 2X on transactions and min 2,000 point bonus for spending >= $500. Not a bad offer except their AM conversion costs $150 flat fee but more importantly conversion ends on 30 June (as last updated on website).

theworld

According to that thread it seems to indicate that you need an SCB payroll account and you need to apply for the card when you apply for your payroll account.

I have SCB payroll, but no-one told me about that card when I applied for the payroll account!!

percysmith

I became an SCB payroll customer in Feb. I have not been given a 1.5% offer to date either.

I believe they are targeting those who did not have payroll a/c prior to April.

I called SCB via the Excelbanking line and asked about the Executive Platinum card.

The CS tried selling me the regular Platinum card at first, until I pointed out to her I already had that and was calling about the *Executive* Platinum.

The CS then said this card has to be applied at branch. But he refused to give me (or even acknowledge there exists) a 1.5% rate. If I applied, I am only eligible for the 1.0% rate.

1.0% rate doesn't attract me as I'm getting 1.25% worth of miles from BEA for all spending including bill payments and Octopus AAVS. I need 1.5% to switch from BEA. So I wasn't interested.

chinatown

I received the offer for 1.5%, but wasnt really interested as i'm more interested in earning bonus points..

kaka

I wonder how everyone see AM "discounts"

For my last few redemption trips, I'm looking at ~4-7AM for 1 HKD savings, making each AM worth ~14-25c HK.

Normally I get 1AM for 8HKD spending, so I get approx 2-3c worth of AM for each HKD spending, 2-3% off effectively.

Did I get my numbers wrong somewhere? And anyone comment on my AM spending patterns?

PS. I've recently noticed F Companion ticket get costs down to 2AM for 1HKD savings, but I'm not ready to fork out a paid F ticket just yet

percysmith

Good to compare

My most efficient use for miles is to redeem them for HK-SYD or HK-MEL.

Those tickets cost 45,000 miles to redeem and (for me) ~$5,000 to buy on Qantas discounted economy. I forgo ~4,500 miles for redeeming the tix instead of buying a tix.
Worth of forgone miles are 4,500 miles x ($5,000/45,000 miles) = $5,000 x 1/10 = $500.
So worth of each mile through redeeming HK-SYD is ($5,000 - $500)/45,000miles = $0.1/mile

I've been using $0.1/mile valuation for comparing miles offers with cash rebate offers and justifying cost/benefit of fees (SCB's for instance).

Actually I've been redeeming tickets for friends and colleagues, saving them even more than $5,000. My three mates were quoted A$932 for their tix (approx HK$6,803) for Queen's Birthday trip to HK and a manager at my co has been quoted HK$6,700 for Christmas. Using their quotes, I've been realising HK$0.134-0.136 per mile.

I haven't tried valuing an upgrade.
An upgrade for HK-SYD costs 50,000 miles.
I've been quoted an upgrade-eligible CX L class ticket for HK$8,900.
Buying a business ticket outright with CX from Swire Travel costs $30,900, but I don't think that's an apples-to-apples comparison because of flight availability - a Virgin Upper Class ticket from Zuji costs $21,600 which appears more comparable.
I earn 9,000 miles on the L ticket and 11,250 on the outright business ticket. So I forgo 2,250 miles.
So the worth of the upgrade is $21,600 - 8,900 = $12,700
Worth of forgone miles are 2,250 x ($12,700/50,000) = $571.5
Therefore AM is therefore worth ($12,700 - 571.5)/50,000 miles = $0.24/mile

I'm suspect of the $0.24 mile worth because upgrades are very scarce. As an accountant, I should be applying some sort of liquidity discount to that valuation.

percysmith

Just called SCB Credit Card CS. Confirmed 1.5% offer has been extended to non-existing payroll customers only...existing payroll customers like me will not be sent the 1.5% offer

Also, no rebate (or points) for bill payment thru Executive Platinum.
But AAVS, autopay and online purchases do.

around the world

You mention above that the SCB Visa Infinite is at $7.5 = 1AM + $300 but in an earlier post you mentioned the new conversion rate of $15 = 1AM. Their website also shows the conversion rate of $15 = 1AM so I'm curious why you mentioned $7.5. Is this a conversion rate for select customers?

I currently have a Hang Seng Bank Platinum Visa and a HSB Corporate card for my business. They both earn cash dollars which I find pretty useless. I've applied for the AMEX CX Elite credit card but after reading this thread I can see that the DBS Visa, DBS Amex, and Citi Visa seem like much better options for earning as many Asia Miles as possible. How is DBS customer service when compared to AMEX?

percysmith

http://priority.standardchartered.co...kingcreditcard

"The new Priority Banking Credit Card has to be a VISA Infinite Card which surpassing ordinary Platinum credit cards...Spend with the Priority Banking Credit Card in local or overseas, and earn yourself Double Reward Points with no boundary. "

(I believe if you applied for a non-Priority Visa Infinite Card, the 2X also applies)


My experience with DBS Customer Service has been very good http://www.discuss.com.hk/viewthread...2#pid236755619. DBS has never had to say no to anything, save asking them to stop phoning me for promotions http://www.hongkongcard.com/discussi...1&bank_id=0000 (I think I did receive one or two calls from them about converting my credit card limit into a interest free loan) (Amex also called about CIGNA insurance a couple of times for equal disclosure).

around the world

Would I be able to apply for either card if I don't have an existing relationship with SCB? From what I understand, the Visa Infinite card is by invitation only.

HSB told me the same when I tried to upgrade my Visa Platinum card to Infinite. The branch manager at my branch however told me she would call the hotline on my behalf and try to get an invite extended.

percysmith

I've read you can apply for one if you can show proof of HK$800K income and $1M assets http://www.2morow.com/redirect.php?t...goto=lastpost&

theworld

Unless if you are an SCB banking customer I don't really think the SCB Visa Infinite is really worth it.

While its rate is $7.5 per 1AM, you have to pay a $300 conversion fee. The Citbank Visa is at $8 per 1AM, but the conversion fee has been waived, so if you after a visa card, it would probably be easier to get the Citibank Visa over the SCB Visa Infinite.

Note the SCB Visa Infinite does have other benefits (the main one being free Priority Pass, but you can get that with the CX Amex as well).