Apr 19, 2015, 6:10 pm
Last edit by: ninim2200
Is there currently an offer for this card with a signup bonus?
Yes:
Yes:
- 50K TYP for $4K spend/3 months, $95 AF waived for first year. Open in private/incognito window for best results.
- Offer not available if you have opened or closed a Preferred, Premier, or Prestige card in the past 24 months.
Does anybody know when the signup bonus will increase?No. Please don't ask in the thread "just to double-check if anybody knows." Nobody knows.Can I see the number of TYP earned on an individual purchase?No. The best you can do is visit the Account Details page for your card to see how the merchant for a given transaction was categorized.What are the bonus categories for the Premier card?
What happens to my TY points if I close my card account?Effective April 19th, 2015, unless you are participating in a limited-time offer, you will earn:- 3 ThankYou Points for every dollar you spend on purchases at airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, travel agencies, gas stations, commuter transportation, taxi/limousines, passenger railways, cruise lines, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages, campgrounds and trailer parks, time shares, bus lines, motor home/RV rental and boat rentals;
- 2 ThankYou Points for every dollar you spend on purchases at restaurants and on select entertainment merchants, including sports promoters, theatrical promoters, movie theaters, amusement parks, tourist attractions, record stores and video rental stores; and
- 1 ThankYou Point for every dollar you spend on other purchases.
Airlines are classified as merchants that provide air travel. Hotels are classified as merchants that provide sleeping or meeting room accommodations, and may include goods and services that are on a bill for these accommodations by a hotel, motel or inn. Car rental agencies are classified as merchants that provide short-term or long-term rentals of cars. Travel agencies are classified as merchants that provide travel information and booking services, and include travel aggregators and tour operators. Gas stations are classified as merchants that sell fuel for consumer use and may or may not be attended. Commuter transportation is classified as merchants that provide suburban and local mass passenger transportation over regular routes and on regular schedules, including ferries, commuter railways and subways. Taxis/limousines are classified as merchants that provide passenger transportation services for hire and includes horse-drawn cabs and carriages, bicycle taxis, aerial tramways, airport shuttles or cable cars. Passenger railways are classified as merchants that primarily provide long-distance transportation and may include overnight accommodations on the train. Cruise lines are classified as merchants that provide passenger transportation on the open sea or inland waters for the purpose of vacation or pleasure and operate predefined and advertised routes. Bridge and road tolls are classified as merchants who collect fees associated with toll roads, highways and bridges. Parking lots/garages are classified as merchants that provide temporary parking services for automobiles, usually on an hourly, daily or monthly contract or fee basis. Campgrounds and trailer parks are classified as merchants that provide overnight or short-term campsites for recreational vehicles, trailers, campers, or tents. Timeshares are classified as retailers that sell, lease, and rent timeshare real estate and arrange timeshare condominium exchanges. Bus lines are classified passenger bus transportation services that operate on a regular schedule over predetermined routes. Motor home and recreational vehicle rentals are classified as merchants that rent motor homes, RVs, pop-up campers, tent trailers, and other recreational vehicles on a daily, short-term, or extended-term basis. Boat leases and boat rentals are classified as merchants that primarily provide boat rental and leasing services, including fishing boats, non-crew houseboats, sail boats, powerboats, jet skis, and yachts.You may earn ThankYou Points as long as your Card Account is open and current. If your Card Account is closed, you will not be able to earn ThankYou Points and you will lose any accumulated ThankYou Points that have not been transferred to your ThankYou Member Account. Balance transfers, cash advances, convenience checks, returned purchases, disputed or unauthorized purchases/fraudulent transactions, finance charges, Card Account fees, and fees for services and programs you elect to receive through us do not earn ThankYou Points unless otherwise specified.
Restaurants are classified as dining establishments that primarily prepare food and drinks for immediate consumption by consumers, either on the merchant’s premises or packaged for takeout, and include bars, cocktail lounges, discotheques, nightclubs, taverns and fast food restaurants. Sports promoters are classified as merchants that operate and promote live sporting events (professional or semi-professional), and may also include sports stadiums. Theatrical promoters are classified as merchants that operate live theatrical productions or concerts, and include ticketing agencies. Movie theaters are classified as establishments that sell tickets and refreshments for movie productions. Amusement parks (including zoos, circuses and aquariums) are classified as establishments that operate parks or carnivals and offer mechanical rides and games and/or live animal shows. Tourist attractions and museums (including art galleries) are classified as establishments that operate attractions and exhibits for tourists. Record stores are classified as establishments that sell CDs and related items, including online record stores. Video rental stores are classified as merchants that rent DVDs and/or games and related equipment for consumer use, including online video rentals.
We do not determine how merchants or establishments are classified, however, they are generally classified based upon the merchant's primary line of business. We reserve the right to determine which purchases qualify for this offer. Purchases not eligible to receive the additional ThankYou Points include, but are not limited to, purchases made at warehouse clubs, discount stores, department stores and convenience stores.
If you do not already have a ThankYou Rewards Member Account ("ThankYou Member Account"), one will be set up for you. ThankYou Points earned from purchases post to your Card Account at the close of each billing cycle, and at that time we will transfer the ThankYou Points you earned to your ThankYou Member Account. (Bonus ThankYou Points may take one to two additional billing cycles to post to your Card Account.) ThankYou Points are not eligible for redemption until they are transferred to your ThankYou Member Account. ThankYou Points may not be redeemed and may be lost if your Card Account is not open or current.Please see the wiki at Citi ThankYou points - cancel, downgrade & expiration considerations
Citi Premier MasterCard [2015-2017]
May 26, 2016, 3:50 pm
#782
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Hi FT newb here. Started traveling more recently for work and looking for a new card I can use to take advantage.
I can't seem to find a good comparison of benefits between the Citi TY Premier card and the Citi AA card. Anyone have any comments or preferences between these two aside from the obvious benefits of each card?
Maybe I should get both?
Thanks in advance
I can't seem to find a good comparison of benefits between the Citi TY Premier card and the Citi AA card. Anyone have any comments or preferences between these two aside from the obvious benefits of each card?
Maybe I should get both?
Thanks in advance
May 26, 2016, 7:40 pm
#783
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Yes, get both, and the Prestige card as well. But first, I'm assuming you haven't gotten 5 credit cards in the past 24 months. In which case, if you don't already have them, I'd first get a Chase Sapphire Preferred, and then a Chase Freedom card. Because they are excellent cards to have, and once you open 6 ccs in 24 months, or possibly only 5, Chase will not approve you for either of them, even if your real name is Warren Buffet.
People used to other credit card programs need to understand that cancelling a TYP card (say, if you decide after a year that you don't want the Prestige after all) causes the points earned from that card to "evaporate" 60 days later, no matter whether you tranferred them onto another card you're keeping or not.
For this reason, IMHO everyone who's thinking of applying for a Citi TYP card with an annual fee should think long and hard about whether they're really want to keep the card long-term, and if possibly not, have an exit strategy in mind.
One annoying thing: Apparently, Citi uses ThankYou points in the order they were earned, and if that's not the order in which they'll expire, you may lose your points from the card you just cancelled unless you use up all your points within 60 days of cancelling that card
.(This is quite different that at Chase with Ultimate Rewards or at Amex with Membership Rewards, where points linked to a kept-open card don't expire just because you closed the card with which you earned those points.)
May 26, 2016, 7:54 pm
#784
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,112
The exit strategy is covering the card to a no annual fee Thank You Points card.
Citi uses points in order of first expiring first used. It just so happens that that often overlaps with first earned, but the two are different.
Citi uses points in order of first expiring first used. It just so happens that that often overlaps with first earned, but the two are different.
May 27, 2016, 8:06 am
#785
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
The Prestige card is not for anyone who doesn't spend $250 a year with all airlines combined. The first year you get it, you get a $250 statement credit for airline expenses, then in the next calendar year you get that again. I don't even buy airline tickets, but I still have $250 in taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges a year. If you get the card in branch, it's only $350 a year, so after the $250 X2 statement credits, Citi pays you $150 a year to have the card for the first year. Then if you want to keep it open so you can apply for another one, it costs $350, minus $250, to renew it. And since you make a $150 profit on the new card, in total you come out $50 ahead on the two cards. 
Of course, for someone who does no flying at all, it won't be worth it.
Of course, for someone who does no flying at all, it won't be worth it.
May 27, 2016, 8:55 am
#786
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
1. Are the points eligible for the redemption? Points earned through banking or awarded as compensation by customer service are called Taxable points. Taxable points cannot be Transferred to partners nor Shared with other ThankYou accounts, but they can be used to purchase travel or giftcards etc.
2. Do the points have an expiration date? Points earned with some legacy credit cards or through banking have specific expiration dates which we can see at thankyou.com. Citi always uses the points that are nearest to expiration if they are eligible (see test #1).
3. When were the points earned? Only if there are no eligible points with an expiration date does Citi look at when the points were earned. They use older points before newer points.
You can retain greater control over which points are used for a specific redemption if you maintain a separate ThankYou Rewards account for each source. This is not a perfect solution, you may not have sufficient points in one account for the redemption, but you can merge the accounts when the time comes.
May 27, 2016, 2:23 pm
#787
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Central VA/LYH/ROA
Programs: BA, AA, SPG, HLTN, ETC
Posts: 365
Have the prestige...have considered getting the premier as well specifically because of the 3x fuel. I have a local fuel place that will sell vgc all day long. Does anyone have any data points on if there have been any issues with having, say, 5k worth of gas station/fuel charges a month?
May 28, 2016, 8:51 am
#789
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
The Prestige card is not for anyone who doesn't spend $250 a year with all airlines combined. The first year you get it, you get a $250 statement credit for airline expenses, then in the next calendar year you get that again. I don't even buy airline tickets, but I still have $250 in taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges a year. If you get the card in branch, it's only $350 a year, so after the $250 X2 statement credits, Citi pays you $150 a year to have the card for the first year. Then if you want to keep it open so you can apply for another one, it costs $350, minus $250, to renew it. And since you make a $150 profit on the new card, in total you come out $50 ahead on the two cards.
Of course, for someone who does no flying at all, it won't be worth it.
Of course, for someone who does no flying at all, it won't be worth it.
Meanwhile, it takes a lot of flights to add up to $250 in fees on award flights (unless you're getting BA award flights, then it's easy
). So no matter how much they fly, by your analysis if someone is lucky enough to do all their flying with miles, then probably this card is not for them.You're advising newbies to get both cards, and then it turns out that you have jump through hoops (including using up your points within two years) just make your numbers work.
Please start over and explain how a Prestige pays for itself if you only get one and keep it "forever". I don't see it. $250 reimbursal for airline fees (where you may lose in-flights benefits if you didn't use the airline's credit card instead) doesn't pay for the whole annual fee, and if you already have Premier and you never stay at hotels 4 nights in a row paid (and btw I don't most years), then I don't see the math that makes adding the Prestige to the Premier make sense. And, btw, if you never stay at hotel 4 nights in a row paid, and you don't need its other perks that much, what's the big point of adding Prestige to a Premier
?Just because it works for some people doesn't mean it works for everyone!
Last edited by sdsearch; May 28, 2016 at 9:00 am
May 28, 2016, 8:57 am
#790
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
This is not accurate. There are three tests:
1. Are the points eligible for the redemption? Points earned through banking or awarded as compensation by customer service are called Taxable points. Taxable points cannot be Transferred to partners nor Shared with other ThankYou accounts, but they can be used to purchase travel or giftcards etc.
2. Do the points have an expiration date? Points earned with some legacy credit cards or through banking have specific expiration dates which we can see at thankyou.com. Citi always uses the points that are nearest to expiration if they are eligible (see test #1).
3. When were the points earned? Only if there are no eligible points with an expiration date does Citi look at when the points were earned. They use older points before newer points.
You can retain greater control over which points are used for a specific redemption if you maintain a separate ThankYou Rewards account for each source. This is not a perfect solution, you may not have sufficient points in one account for the redemption, but you can merge the accounts when the time comes.
1. Are the points eligible for the redemption? Points earned through banking or awarded as compensation by customer service are called Taxable points. Taxable points cannot be Transferred to partners nor Shared with other ThankYou accounts, but they can be used to purchase travel or giftcards etc.
2. Do the points have an expiration date? Points earned with some legacy credit cards or through banking have specific expiration dates which we can see at thankyou.com. Citi always uses the points that are nearest to expiration if they are eligible (see test #1).
3. When were the points earned? Only if there are no eligible points with an expiration date does Citi look at when the points were earned. They use older points before newer points.
You can retain greater control over which points are used for a specific redemption if you maintain a separate ThankYou Rewards account for each source. This is not a perfect solution, you may not have sufficient points in one account for the redemption, but you can merge the accounts when the time comes.
If you have no plans to use TYP points for years, and you apply first for no-fee or low-fee TYP cards and earn points that way, and then you apply for Prestige and cancel it after one year, is there any way to transfer just the points from Prestige while leaving the points you earned earlier from the other cards (that you're keeping) untouched in their accounts?
Ie, if you keep all points separate until you have to redeem, can you redeem from just the Prestige points?
May 31, 2016, 10:59 am
#791
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Again, each TYP card's points expire separately. So if you're not going to know for years how you want to use those points (because you lots of other points other places), I don't see how this helps. You have to keep applying for new cards under scheme, but that implies cancelling old cards which means losing those points after 60 days.
I'd say all cc apps out to be considered with a plan to use the miles. Any "plan" that involves holding them for "years" before using them is highly questionable, due to devaluations, loss of award availability, ending of transfer partner relationships, etc.
Meanwhile, it takes a lot of flights to add up to $250 in fees on award flights (unless you're getting BA award flights, then it's easy).
Well if you fly out of the UK in a premium cabin with AA, you'll max that $250 right out. If you fly LH, or SQ (or I suppose B/A
} in a premium cabin, you'll also max it out. DW and I just flew SW for a long holiday weekend. Paid for the flight with miles, but Early Bird check-in for 2 roundtrip, plus TSA taxes, came out to @$80, ie about a third of that statement credit. So just 3 SW flights a year, and one round of drinks on the plane, will use up the entire $250.
You're advising newbies to get both cards, and then it turns out that you have jump through hoops (including using up your points within two years) just make your numbers work.
I didn't realize that posts made here are supposed to be composed with newbies in mind who have no plans to fly in the forseeable future.
But of course you are right, the OP wouldn't apply to them. In fact, I'd say for someone like that, reading this thread is a waste of their time.
Just because it works for some people doesn't mean it works for everyone!
Really? Caveat Emptor.
I'd say all cc apps out to be considered with a plan to use the miles. Any "plan" that involves holding them for "years" before using them is highly questionable, due to devaluations, loss of award availability, ending of transfer partner relationships, etc.
Meanwhile, it takes a lot of flights to add up to $250 in fees on award flights (unless you're getting BA award flights, then it's easy
). Well if you fly out of the UK in a premium cabin with AA, you'll max that $250 right out. If you fly LH, or SQ (or I suppose B/A
} in a premium cabin, you'll also max it out. DW and I just flew SW for a long holiday weekend. Paid for the flight with miles, but Early Bird check-in for 2 roundtrip, plus TSA taxes, came out to @$80, ie about a third of that statement credit. So just 3 SW flights a year, and one round of drinks on the plane, will use up the entire $250.You're advising newbies to get both cards, and then it turns out that you have jump through hoops (including using up your points within two years) just make your numbers work.
I didn't realize that posts made here are supposed to be composed with newbies in mind who have no plans to fly in the forseeable future.
But of course you are right, the OP wouldn't apply to them. In fact, I'd say for someone like that, reading this thread is a waste of their time. Just because it works for some people doesn't mean it works for everyone!
Really?
Caveat Emptor.
May 31, 2016, 4:28 pm
#792
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 7
I made a big mistake and accidently applied for the regular TY Premier link with a 0 bonus point offer, the CSR said once I get the card to call them back and ask to be matched, but what are my actual chances?
May 31, 2016, 5:56 pm
#793
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Boy, you made your reply to me hard to quote. I have to go "old school" now.
I've never had to plan on how to specifically use miles with any card I applied for. I do hold them for years, simply because I have no knowledge ahead of time which alliance will work for any trip I decide to make. Meanwhile, my ability to replenish has diminished with churning curbs of late, so why was it not a good idea to accumulate more than I could use back when accumulating was easy? The opposite of accumulating more than you can use is to accumulate later rather than earlier (if you can't fly more earlier), and as we see with the 24 month wait times at Citi, the once in a lifetime policy at Amex, and the 5/24 rule at Chase, accumulating now can be much harder than accumulating in years past. (Or, for people who MS instead of churning signup bonuses, the mass shutdowns of Bluebird, etc.)
Ok, but if you're not flying out of the UK (or other places with high fees for departures), if you're only doing solo flights, if you're only doing one or two longhaul international trips a year, plus a couple domestic trips a year with no fees other than TSA, then it may not be so easy to add up to $250 in fees.
So while it's good to know what kind of fees to think of, it still doesn't help pay for a Prestige card's AF if you just don't need to pay those kinds of fees.
Not everyone buys drinks (or anything else) on a plane.
Not everyone pays fees for early boarding or better seating.
Not everyone buys tickets for more than one person.
Not everyone flies as often you do.
In other words, I don't understand why you can't see that just because the Prestige card works for you and a bunch of other people you know, there might be other people for whom it doesn't work that well.
Oh, and btw, everything you said is based on not having a competing card from another bank that reimburses for the same stuff. (Because if you have to find fees for two cards, that's all the harder.) There are cards at other banks that reimburse for similar fees. (And at least at Amex, they reimburse for buying gift cards from the airline as long as you keep the amount per gift card low, even if "in writing" the reimbursal is only for fees. But since you didn't mention that for Prestige, I presume that doesn't work there?)
Now, if there was no issue of Prestige card points expiring when you cancel the Prestige card, even if you continue to hold the Premier card, I wouldn't be arguing with you, because it wouldn't matter much. But because of this per-card TYP points expiration, I feel it's "dangerous" to promote someone getting the Prestige card if they haven't evaluated whether it will really work for them (and/or whether the points they'll earn from that card the first year will be in and of themselves enough for what they need to use them for).
> I'd say all cc apps out to be considered with a plan to use the miles. Any "plan" that involves holding them for "years" before using them is highly questionable, due to devaluations, loss of award availability, ending of transfer partner relationships, etc.
But therein's the issue of availability. It's nearly impossibly to know availability at the time you apply for the card for flights you won't be able to book until much later on (when you've actually earned some points with the card).I've never had to plan on how to specifically use miles with any card I applied for. I do hold them for years, simply because I have no knowledge ahead of time which alliance will work for any trip I decide to make. Meanwhile, my ability to replenish has diminished with churning curbs of late, so why was it not a good idea to accumulate more than I could use back when accumulating was easy? The opposite of accumulating more than you can use is to accumulate later rather than earlier (if you can't fly more earlier), and as we see with the 24 month wait times at Citi, the once in a lifetime policy at Amex, and the 5/24 rule at Chase, accumulating now can be much harder than accumulating in years past. (Or, for people who MS instead of churning signup bonuses, the mass shutdowns of Bluebird, etc.)
>> Meanwhile, it takes a lot of flights to add up to $250 in fees on award flights (unless you're getting BA award flights, then it's easy ).
> Well if you fly out of the UK in a premium cabin with AA, you'll max that $250 right out. If you fly LH, or SQ (or I suppose B/A } in a premium cabin, you'll also max it out. DW and I just flew SW for a long holiday weekend. Paid for the flight with miles, but Early Bird check-in for 2 roundtrip, plus TSA taxes, came out to @$80, ie about a third of that statement credit. So just 3 SW flights a year, and one round of drinks on the plane, will use up the entire $250.So while it's good to know what kind of fees to think of, it still doesn't help pay for a Prestige card's AF if you just don't need to pay those kinds of fees.
Not everyone buys drinks (or anything else) on a plane.
Not everyone pays fees for early boarding or better seating.
Not everyone buys tickets for more than one person.
Not everyone flies as often you do.
In other words, I don't understand why you can't see that just because the Prestige card works for you and a bunch of other people you know, there might be other people for whom it doesn't work that well.
Oh, and btw, everything you said is based on not having a competing card from another bank that reimburses for the same stuff. (Because if you have to find fees for two cards, that's all the harder.) There are cards at other banks that reimburse for similar fees. (And at least at Amex, they reimburse for buying gift cards from the airline as long as you keep the amount per gift card low, even if "in writing" the reimbursal is only for fees. But since you didn't mention that for Prestige, I presume that doesn't work there?)
> I didn't realize that posts made here are supposed to be composed with newbies in mind who have no plans to fly in the forseeable future.
Again, just because someone flies semi-regularly, if they don't fly in the same patterns you do, it may not work for them. I don't get why you can't see that.Now, if there was no issue of Prestige card points expiring when you cancel the Prestige card, even if you continue to hold the Premier card, I wouldn't be arguing with you, because it wouldn't matter much. But because of this per-card TYP points expiration, I feel it's "dangerous" to promote someone getting the Prestige card if they haven't evaluated whether it will really work for them (and/or whether the points they'll earn from that card the first year will be in and of themselves enough for what they need to use them for).
Last edited by sdsearch; May 31, 2016 at 6:11 pm
Jun 1, 2016, 8:21 am
#794
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 16
I was tempted to hold out for another 50-60k offer, but seeing that they totally got rid of the bonus and seem intent to nuke any zombie links, I'm quite content with 40k.
Jun 1, 2016, 8:39 am
#795
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Boy, you made your reply to me hard to quote. I have to go "old school" now.
I've never had to plan on how to specifically use miles with any card I applied for. I do hold them for years, simply because I have no knowledge ahead of time which alliance will work for any trip I decide to make. Meanwhile, my ability to replenish has diminished with churning curbs of late, so why was it not a good idea to accumulate more than I could use back when accumulating was easy? The opposite of accumulating more than you can use is to accumulate later rather than earlier (if you can't fly more earlier), and as we see with the 24 month wait times at Citi, the once in a lifetime policy at Amex, and the 5/24 rule at Chase, accumulating now can be much harder than accumulating in years past. (Or, for people who MS instead of churning signup bonuses, the mass shutdowns of Bluebird, etc.)
Ok, but if you're not flying out of the UK (or other places with high fees for departures), if you're only doing solo flights, if you're only doing one or two longhaul international trips a year, plus a couple domestic trips a year with no fees other than TSA, then it may not be so easy to add up to $250 in fees.
So while it's good to know what kind of fees to think of, it still doesn't help pay for a Prestige card's AF if you just don't need to pay those kinds of fees.
Not everyone buys drinks (or anything else) on a plane.
Not everyone pays fees for early boarding or better seating.
Not everyone buys tickets for more than one person.
Not everyone flies as often you do.
In other words, I don't understand why you can't see that just because the Prestige card works for you and a bunch of other people you know, there might be other people for whom it doesn't work that well.
Oh, and btw, everything you said is based on not having a competing card from another bank that reimburses for the same stuff. (Because if you have to find fees for two cards, that's all the harder.) There are cards at other banks that reimburse for similar fees. (And at least at Amex, they reimburse for buying gift cards from the airline as long as you keep the amount per gift card low, even if "in writing" the reimbursal is only for fees. But since you didn't mention that for Prestige, I presume that doesn't work there?)
Now, if there was no issue of Prestige card points expiring when you cancel the Prestige card, even if you continue to hold the Premier card, I wouldn't be arguing with you, because it wouldn't matter much. But because of this per-card TYP points expiration, I feel it's "dangerous" to promote someone getting the Prestige card if they haven't evaluated whether it will really work for them (and/or whether the points they'll earn from that card the first year will be in and of themselves enough for what they need to use them for).
> I'd say all cc apps out to be considered with a plan to use the miles. Any "plan" that involves holding them for "years" before using them is highly questionable, due to devaluations, loss of award availability, ending of transfer partner relationships, etc.
But therein's the issue of availability. It's nearly impossibly to know availability at the time you apply for the card for flights you won't be able to book until much later on (when you've actually earned some points with the card).I've never had to plan on how to specifically use miles with any card I applied for. I do hold them for years, simply because I have no knowledge ahead of time which alliance will work for any trip I decide to make. Meanwhile, my ability to replenish has diminished with churning curbs of late, so why was it not a good idea to accumulate more than I could use back when accumulating was easy? The opposite of accumulating more than you can use is to accumulate later rather than earlier (if you can't fly more earlier), and as we see with the 24 month wait times at Citi, the once in a lifetime policy at Amex, and the 5/24 rule at Chase, accumulating now can be much harder than accumulating in years past. (Or, for people who MS instead of churning signup bonuses, the mass shutdowns of Bluebird, etc.)
>> Meanwhile, it takes a lot of flights to add up to $250 in fees on award flights (unless you're getting BA award flights, then it's easy ).
> Well if you fly out of the UK in a premium cabin with AA, you'll max that $250 right out. If you fly LH, or SQ (or I suppose B/A } in a premium cabin, you'll also max it out. DW and I just flew SW for a long holiday weekend. Paid for the flight with miles, but Early Bird check-in for 2 roundtrip, plus TSA taxes, came out to @$80, ie about a third of that statement credit. So just 3 SW flights a year, and one round of drinks on the plane, will use up the entire $250.So while it's good to know what kind of fees to think of, it still doesn't help pay for a Prestige card's AF if you just don't need to pay those kinds of fees.
Not everyone buys drinks (or anything else) on a plane.
Not everyone pays fees for early boarding or better seating.
Not everyone buys tickets for more than one person.
Not everyone flies as often you do.
In other words, I don't understand why you can't see that just because the Prestige card works for you and a bunch of other people you know, there might be other people for whom it doesn't work that well.
Oh, and btw, everything you said is based on not having a competing card from another bank that reimburses for the same stuff. (Because if you have to find fees for two cards, that's all the harder.) There are cards at other banks that reimburse for similar fees. (And at least at Amex, they reimburse for buying gift cards from the airline as long as you keep the amount per gift card low, even if "in writing" the reimbursal is only for fees. But since you didn't mention that for Prestige, I presume that doesn't work there?)
> I didn't realize that posts made here are supposed to be composed with newbies in mind who have no plans to fly in the forseeable future.
Again, just because someone flies semi-regularly, if they don't fly in the same patterns you do, it may not work for them. I don't get why you can't see that.Now, if there was no issue of Prestige card points expiring when you cancel the Prestige card, even if you continue to hold the Premier card, I wouldn't be arguing with you, because it wouldn't matter much. But because of this per-card TYP points expiration, I feel it's "dangerous" to promote someone getting the Prestige card if they haven't evaluated whether it will really work for them (and/or whether the points they'll earn from that card the first year will be in and of themselves enough for what they need to use them for).
Not everyone pays off their balances each month. Not everyone disciplines their spending so that they don't overspend "to get the miles". Not everyone is careful to not run up more credit card debt than they can ever pay off. Especially newbies reading this thread. There it is dangerous to recommend applying for any credit cards.