Jan 31, 2019, 2:14 pm
Last edit by: mia
Accepting applications as of 1.31.2019 50,000 points for $4,000 spend in 90 days:
https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/credit-card-details/citi.action?ID=citi-prestige-card#ddl-pricinfo
Bonus ThankYou Points are not available if you received a new cardmember bonus for Citi Rewards+℠, Citi ThankYou® Preferred, Citi ThankYou® Premier/Citi Premier℠ or Citi Prestige®, or if you have closed any of these cards, in the past 24 months.
https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/credit-card-details/citi.action?ID=citi-prestige-card#ddl-pricinfo
Bonus ThankYou Points are not available if you received a new cardmember bonus for Citi Rewards+℠, Citi ThankYou® Preferred, Citi ThankYou® Premier/Citi Premier℠ or Citi Prestige®, or if you have closed any of these cards, in the past 24 months.
Citi Prestige USA refresh: 5X Air,Dine; 3X Hotel,Cruise; Hotel 4NF capped 2X/yr; $495
Nov 9, 2018, 12:48 pm
#151
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla, CA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Lifetime Titanium, Delta Plat, Hilton Diamond , Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,615
The 2 stay limit didn’t dissuade me- but this might 😟
While the convenience of booking online sounds nice, the problem is that bookings made through thankyou.com don’t count as “qualifying” stays with the major hotel chains. So while you receive elite benefits and earn both elite credits and points if booking through the concierge service, you don’t through thankyou.com.
Well, as of September 1, 2019, the only way to make Citi Prestige fourth night free bookings will be through thankyou.com. You’ll no longer be able to make fourth night free bookings through the concierge service. The terms specifically state the following:
https://onemileatatime.com/awful-cit...t-free-change/
While the convenience of booking online sounds nice, the problem is that bookings made through thankyou.com don’t count as “qualifying” stays with the major hotel chains. So while you receive elite benefits and earn both elite credits and points if booking through the concierge service, you don’t through thankyou.com.
Well, as of September 1, 2019, the only way to make Citi Prestige fourth night free bookings will be through thankyou.com. You’ll no longer be able to make fourth night free bookings through the concierge service. The terms specifically state the following:
Beginning 09/01/2019, cardmembers will be eligible for no more than two complimentary Fourth Night benefits per Card Account per calendar year.
To receive your complimentary Fourth Night, you must 1) book a minimum of a four-consecutive-night hotel stay through thankyou.com and 2) pay for your complete stay with your Citi Prestige Card, a redemption of ThankYou Points, or a combination of ThankYou Points and your Citi Prestige Card.
Booking through the Citi Prestige Concierge (only available through 08/31/19).
To receive your complimentary Fourth Night, you must 1) book a minimum of a four-consecutive-night hotel stay through thankyou.com and 2) pay for your complete stay with your Citi Prestige Card, a redemption of ThankYou Points, or a combination of ThankYou Points and your Citi Prestige Card.
Booking through the Citi Prestige Concierge (only available through 08/31/19).
What this means
Starting next September you’ll have to choose whether you want a fourth night free, or whether you want to earn elite benefits and points. There are quite a few implications here, because when booking through thankyou.com:- You won’t receive elite benefits, earn elite qualifying nights, or earn points, so you’ll have to decide whether you want a fourth night free or benefits
- You won’t have access to the same selection of hotels; while they have most major hotels, they don’t have access to some of the same specialty properties as the concierge (for example, Amans, best I can tell)
- You won’t be able to book non-traditional rates (you’ll likely just be able to book the flexible rate or advance purchase rate); right now you can book member exclusive rates, AAA rates, etc., through the concierge, and that’s not possible through thankyou.com
Nov 9, 2018, 12:54 pm
#152
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: TYS/BNA/ATL
Programs: UR, TYP, MR, C1, AA, UA, WN, BA, AS, AV, AC, Choice, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott
Posts: 1,980
I hear you. For airline miles, I calculate my own valuations based on when I redeem vs. buy a coach award for a trip I'm definitely going to take. That's usually in the 1.8 - 2.0 cpm range (for most programs where I actually earn and burn a lot). Out of those same programs, I often redeem int'l J and don't worry about the cents-per-mile (they can get silly if you look at max-retail rates in Orbitz for a convoluted open-jaw multi-carrier three-continent F itin!!).
I'm curious if there's one program in particular on TYP's odd (and really limited) list that the bloggers are baselining off of. Turkish? AsiaMiles?
I'm curious if there's one program in particular on TYP's odd (and really limited) list that the bloggers are baselining off of. Turkish? AsiaMiles?
Nov 9, 2018, 1:05 pm
#153
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,489
Not sure if Citigold still even has a Relationship Bonus on this card... but for Private Bank clients it is currently 25% (applied to base spend only).
Nov 9, 2018, 1:08 pm
#154
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: TYS/BNA/ATL
Programs: UR, TYP, MR, C1, AA, UA, WN, BA, AS, AV, AC, Choice, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott
Posts: 1,980
Nov 9, 2018, 1:10 pm
#155
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
It can be, but at the same time it seems TYP lost all its value to me. The higher earning potential is offset by its value reduction (for me it's for airfares), unless you do transfer partner, which Citi has the least transfer partners among Chase and AMEX. To me Asia Miles might be the only transfer partner valuable, but AMEX has better deal, or other OW members have better deals. For United and *A go for Chase while DL is AMEX. As such no Citi partner is quite useful (to me, YMMV).
I have my IRA under Vanguard simply because Vanguard funds expense ratio is so low that even Finance textbooks used it as an example for long-term performance calculations. I am not sure if Citi Brokerage has access to purchasing these Vanguard funds (especially Admiral shares), but for me to move my IRA and 401k out of Vanguard to park at Citi for a $295 fee makes little sense.
I have my IRA under Vanguard simply because Vanguard funds expense ratio is so low that even Finance textbooks used it as an example for long-term performance calculations. I am not sure if Citi Brokerage has access to purchasing these Vanguard funds (especially Admiral shares), but for me to move my IRA and 401k out of Vanguard to park at Citi for a $295 fee makes little sense.
You don't have to move your entire IRA. Pick some position/holding that meets the 250k value, hopefully one that doesn't bounce around a lot in value, and use that as the anchor for CG status. The rest can stay at Vanguard. They can hold low cost VG ETFs if desired.
I guess at the end of this whole adventure - year from now - people will get a sense of how the bookings/4NF/loyalty stuff works. If Citi has rolled out a dramatically inferior product, at a higher price, consumers aren't stupid, and will respond by cancelling. I'd bet many of the prospective Prestige customers are also Amex Plat candidates, especially for the reduced fee versions offered by other wealth mgmt firms, and if the offering isn't comparable (no hotel status, no proprietary lounges, etc.) people will migrate spend to other cards.
It seems like these changes were really intended to unwind the 4NF offering, the more one looks at it.
Nov 9, 2018, 1:30 pm
#156
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: MD/DC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, TK Gold
Posts: 1,536
But than again this is the one thing that is unique about this card, while all the other benefits are either generic and expected or a wash (i.e., increase earning while reducing ability to spend). Most of the people who have the Prestige, have (or could have) other premium cards. The entire reason for many to keep the card was the 4NF. In a very unscientific way, I would presume that many could live with the limitation of 2 times per year, but take away to concierge and the value preposition it lowed so much that it stops making sense.
I will keep it for another year as I already have reservations that are past the renewal date (and it would probably have a great retention offers). Comes 2020 it would be a very different assessment.
Nov 9, 2018, 1:35 pm
#157
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
Kind of removes the incentive to - ever so slightly put spend on this versus other TYP earning widgets like ATT, Sears, etc.
Nov 9, 2018, 1:42 pm
#158
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Programs: AA, CX, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,484
Those are fair observations, but the CitiGold banking package is actually pretty solid, having used a variety of banking packages over the years. I mean they all suck in their own special ways, but at least these guys suck in ways I understand and can sort of work around.
You don't have to move your entire IRA. Pick some position/holding that meets the 250k value, hopefully one that doesn't bounce around a lot in value, and use that as the anchor for CG status. The rest can stay at Vanguard. They can hold low cost VG ETFs if desired.
I guess at the end of this whole adventure - year from now - people will get a sense of how the bookings/4NF/loyalty stuff works. If Citi has rolled out a dramatically inferior product, at a higher price, consumers aren't stupid, and will respond by cancelling. I'd bet many of the prospective Prestige customers are also Amex Plat candidates, especially for the reduced fee versions offered by other wealth mgmt firms, and if the offering isn't comparable (no hotel status, no proprietary lounges, etc.) people will migrate spend to other cards.
It seems like these changes were really intended to unwind the 4NF offering, the more one looks at it.
You don't have to move your entire IRA. Pick some position/holding that meets the 250k value, hopefully one that doesn't bounce around a lot in value, and use that as the anchor for CG status. The rest can stay at Vanguard. They can hold low cost VG ETFs if desired.
I guess at the end of this whole adventure - year from now - people will get a sense of how the bookings/4NF/loyalty stuff works. If Citi has rolled out a dramatically inferior product, at a higher price, consumers aren't stupid, and will respond by cancelling. I'd bet many of the prospective Prestige customers are also Amex Plat candidates, especially for the reduced fee versions offered by other wealth mgmt firms, and if the offering isn't comparable (no hotel status, no proprietary lounges, etc.) people will migrate spend to other cards.
It seems like these changes were really intended to unwind the 4NF offering, the more one looks at it.
For me the trade off is: do I want to clear my positions now/pay a rollover fees vs a $145 net savings per year. Right now tax environment is good as well as equity market positions (to sell), that's good for clear positions. But given Citi's constantly changing products and CC market competitions, as well as my personal lack of demands for other products such as home mortgage, ATM etc, combined with Citi's worst IT among Chase and AMEX (I opened my account in a State where I no longer resided at and everytime they had problems combining accounts...). I am just not that confident in Citi banking as a whole.
Nov 9, 2018, 2:24 pm
#159
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: TYS/BNA/ATL
Programs: UR, TYP, MR, C1, AA, UA, WN, BA, AS, AV, AC, Choice, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott
Posts: 1,980
If I can't keep my $350 AF I will probably cancel it and stay with just Premier and ATTAM. 5x on airfare, dining and travel agencies sounds good, but not for $245 effective AF. Platinum has $50 effective AF, Amex Gold have $30 effective AF, CSR has $150 effective AF and Altitude Reserve has $75 effective AF. I was previously booking my stays via Thankyou portal 2-4 times a year mostly to get 1.67cpp combined with Premier, but this is not much better than CSR or Altitude Reserve, especially when there is a tax involved. I only booked via concierge once (for business trip). I have the card since 2013. Last year I've got a new card with 75k bonus, and downgraded the old one to Preferred. Just paid $350 AF this month, that means my next AF will be higher if I will not be able to maintain CitiGold status.
Nov 9, 2018, 2:44 pm
#160
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
Thank you for the thoughts - they make senses to me.
For me the trade off is: do I want to clear my positions now/pay a rollover fees vs a $145 net savings per year. Right now tax environment is good as well as equity market positions (to sell), that's good for clear positions. But given Citi's constantly changing products and CC market competitions, as well as my personal lack of demands for other products such as home mortgage, ATM etc, combined with Citi's worst IT among Chase and AMEX (I opened my account in a State where I no longer resided at and everytime they had problems combining accounts...). I am just not that confident in Citi banking as a whole.
For me the trade off is: do I want to clear my positions now/pay a rollover fees vs a $145 net savings per year. Right now tax environment is good as well as equity market positions (to sell), that's good for clear positions. But given Citi's constantly changing products and CC market competitions, as well as my personal lack of demands for other products such as home mortgage, ATM etc, combined with Citi's worst IT among Chase and AMEX (I opened my account in a State where I no longer resided at and everytime they had problems combining accounts...). I am just not that confident in Citi banking as a whole.
If you are getting stung with an account transfer fee, or one for a partial move (typically $50-$75) you might ask CPWM to give you a credit for that. It's not uncommon in the world of brokerage transfers. And they might be dumb enough to agree. In my case, after telling me they would cover it, later on they didn't cover the $50 when they realized I was staying self directed i.e. non fee paying.
A bigger and valid concern is that the rules can change in the future. They have changed these numerous times in the last decade, and it gets tiresome adjusting things to keep up. For me its much more complicated to move brokerage assets, due to the nature of my employment. So when they zapped mortgages as being a CG qualifying asset, it really made me mad.
Nov 9, 2018, 5:44 pm
#161
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vail, CO
Programs: AA EXP/1mm, Marriott Titanium/LT Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 626
The move to the OEM booking 9.1.19 is pretty much the last straw for me too. My annual fee is due 7.19 - I am thinking continue using to get 5x, get the travel credit on 1/1/20, downgrade to Premier, cash in all my points at .125 then call it a day and move to a no AF card. I only use the points towards revenue tix - seems like a sound strategy?
Nov 9, 2018, 6:06 pm
#162
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Well it's been fun but time to say adios to the Citi Prestige. It really was a killer card for a while there and I saved a ton of money on 4NF (plus Admirals Club was a great benefit there for a bit along with the bonus points for an AA ticket purchase) but the move to the OEM booking and the fact that I'm just barely still within my 37 day window of the AF hitting means that's the end of my time with the Citi Prestige.
The ramp up in DL flying (~100k on DL this year) has made the AMEX Plat very valuable for the SC alone and the CSR+CFU combination is a very strong one for my spending habits
The ramp up in DL flying (~100k on DL this year) has made the AMEX Plat very valuable for the SC alone and the CSR+CFU combination is a very strong one for my spending habits
Nov 9, 2018, 6:59 pm
#163
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Well it's been fun but time to say adios to the Citi Prestige. It really was a killer card for a while there and I saved a ton of money on 4NF (plus Admirals Club was a great benefit there for a bit along with the bonus points for an AA ticket purchase) but the move to the OEM booking and the fact that I'm just barely still within my 37 day window of the AF hitting means that's the end of my time with the Citi Prestige.
The ramp up in DL flying (~100k on DL this year) has made the AMEX Plat very valuable for the SC alone and the CSR+CFU combination is a very strong one for my spending habits
The ramp up in DL flying (~100k on DL this year) has made the AMEX Plat very valuable for the SC alone and the CSR+CFU combination is a very strong one for my spending habits
So booking through Citi results in much higher hotel rates than booking with the hotel directly or through other 3rd-party booking sites?
Nov 9, 2018, 7:27 pm
#164
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Generally I've found that and more you can't use special rates like AAA or corporate. Worst part for me though is that the hotels booked through OEM don't get any elite credit or nights vs today where calling in you can use speciality rates and get elite recognition.
Nov 9, 2018, 7:37 pm
#165
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DUB-BOS
Programs: various
Posts: 3,692
Now that the Prestige is being 'enhanced', is there any other card out there that offers immediate family PP lounge access (or 3 guests) ?
Most seem to top out at 2 guests, or else are just generally uncompetitive to begin with.
Even with the other changes I was a keeper at $350, but not at $495
Most seem to top out at 2 guests, or else are just generally uncompetitive to begin with.
Even with the other changes I was a keeper at $350, but not at $495