sdsearch

Keep in mind that if you keep it open, the SPG Business Amex card will morph at some point into the Marriott Business Amex card, with no additional signup bonus.

But if you cancel the SPG Business Amex now, when they introduce the Marriott Business Amex card, you'll presumably be able to apply for it and qualify for the bonus, since (without holding a card that gets converted automatically) you won't likely be viewed as having had "this card" previously.

So that's a good reason for anyone to cancel an SPG Business Amex sometime this year, if they're into getting signup bonuses, and if they're not using the SPG Business card much any more. (This doesn't necessarily apply to the personal SPG card, because it's not clear if that will convert to anything that's a publicly-available new Amex product in the merged Starwood/Marriott/Ritz program.)

nall

When the Hilton Surpass became the Hilton Ascend, that didn't hold true.

RedSun

Like some others said, this is not correct. Whenever any CCs get converted, it does not happy over night. You always get the opportunities to cancel if you do not like the new card. Citi Hilton was recently converted to AmEx Hilton. We had both cards. We did not want another AmEx Hilton card, so my SO closed the Citi Hilton before it was finally converted. Then we (SO) applied for the new Hilton card and received the SUB.

I just opened the AmEx Biz SPG card with the 35k SUB and first AF waived. I'll be happy if AmEx/Chase will convert it. So I can close it without any worry about closing the account within the first year.

sdsearch

you guys seem to be familiar only with how it worked in the Hilton case.

It has worked quite differently in several other cases where Amex introduced new cards not as total replacements but as new cards and then phased out old cards and the new card was not considered the same as the old card then, even though the name of the new card was similar to the name of the old card. (mia can probably give you some specific examples.)

So there are multiple historical precedents of what I'm proposing could happen with the SPG->Marriott biz conversion. And while the Hilton example points one way, several other examples point the other way.

In this case, it'll have to change what it earns, it'll have to change what the program is, etc. IMHO there's much less chance of that being considered "the same card" then either Surpass or Reserve which are considered

So if you're not familiar with how this has worked in the past at different times, please don't use the unusual Hilton example as proof of that's how Amex always works. It isn't.

RedSun

I do not know what you really trying to say. Give some examples. I had the AmEx Blue Business card, which was later replaced with Blue Business Plus. I closed the BB and replace it with the new BBP. Better and it came with the SUB.

There is no point of closing a good card now with speculation that it could be changed later on. If it changes to your liking, keep it. If not, close the card before it gets converted. I do not know where the rush or fear are. I keep my SPG card.

sdsearch

Please tell how to improve my memory retroactively.

I don't remember the examples. I just remember mia giving examples in the Amex forum occasionally when the question came up (long before the Citi HH transfer to Amex was announced, but after the "lifetime" policy was announced). But I don't remember the specific cards, because none of the cases applied to me. I have no idea on how to find those posts now.

I've been reading the Amex forum for years and i remember general things I've learned there, but I can't possible remember every specific post!

The examples are probably somewhere in the zillion-page thread about the "lifetime" policy in the Amex forum. You're welcome to read that whole thread looking for them. I've been been reading that thread on a near-daily basis since it started a few years ago, and I don't remember where in that giant thread those examples were, and I don't know how to sanely find them, and as I said I don't remember the specific cards because they were not ones i'd had before.

If I recall correctty (but I'm not sure that I do), one of them may have in fact been a different version of the SPG card. But since didn't apply for any SPG cards until after the lifetime started, I can't remember what earlier versions of the SPG card there may have been.

RedSun

It is fine. We all have memory loss.
If you read more about SPG + Marriott, this SPG business will likely stay as is. The personal SPG card may go away. Then you get option to PC to a new card. Then you can close it, or get the new card.

I think I get better memory. The Chase Fairmont hotel card was rumored to be closed soon. So a lot folks applied before this happened. Then this card did get converted to CSP. This is the way to get around with Chase's 5/24 rules.

I just see no reason to close the SPG card for the fear that it will get converted.

nall

Actually, I think Chase and American Express will continue to be able to service existing accounts, just not open new ones.

RedSun

This is what I heard. But how can Chase still keeping the Ritz Carlton where AmEx has a super premium Marriott that includes Ritz Carlton? Going to be interesting to see.

Regardless, there is no point to close this SPG biz card since it probably won't even change. Only close it if you do not really need it.

sdsearch

Assuming that the merged program is called Marriott rewards and uses existing Marriott points "calibration" (or something close to it), it will have to change many if not all of the following:

• The name of the card
• The program the card earns into (and thus hotel program logo on the front)
• The rate at which it earns on everyday spend
• The rate at which it earns on hotel stays in the merged program
• The way the card gives elite status
• Hotel program benefits of the card (for example, will the weird lounge access only at Sheraton remain? will elite nights for spend like the Chase Marriott card has have be added?)

Now, I've just been told by Amex (like so many other people have) that I can't product convert my Amex Blue for Business card into a Blue Business Plus because my card earns 1x and the BBP earns 2x. And, btw, people who had the Blue for Business are able to get a signup bonus (if they can find it ) for the Blue Business Pllus.

If Amex is that picky about the differences between two no-AF business Amex MR cards (where one was clearly designed as a replacement for the other, given that they discontinued applications for the older card almost immediately after introducing the newer card), why would they consider a business card that earns Marriott points to be the same as a card that earn SPG points???

It's because of how many things have to change about this SPG biz card that I think it's likely that the new card will not be consider as just a "simple rename/refresh" of the old card, the way the Ascend card was able to be considered a "rename/refresh" of the Surpass card.

Of course, we don't know what the new merged program will look like at all. But since Marriott program is way bigger, most people assume it will look more like the current Marriott program and less like the current SPG program. The SPG card would only not need to change much if the new program looks and works just like the current SPG program, but that's unlikely.

RedSun

@sdsearch, all this is just speculation. We do not know. But I'm happy that I can open the SPG card, get the SUB and may be get one year's AF for free if the SPG ever gets converted. I'd sitting at a sweet spot to decide if I want to keep this SPG as is, or convert to any new card, or just cancel the card without ill effect from AmEx. It is a win-win for myself. So sweet. Why do I wan to close this card now?

javabytes

RedSun

Most of the point transfers lose value. It is not a good idea to transfer SPG 1:1 to airline, not even with the bonus. Better to keep at SPG, to Amtrak, or only to top off if you are slightly short.
The AmEx MR points must be transferred. It has many partners. There are various other ways to optimize the transfer.

mia

Yes, but the question I was answering was specifically about 1:1 transfers, which no hotel program other than SPG offers. The Marriott Travel Package exception requires that I also need a seven day hospital stay -and- that I can accumulate a six figure quantity of points.


Please provide the analysis to support this conclusion.

RedSun

From the point value, SPG point is worth about 2.7 cents. Most airline points (United, AA, etc) are worth about 1.5 cents. With the 25% bonus, the transfer value is only about 1.875 cents, not even close to the 2.7 cents of SPG. So I'll only use SPG for SPG hotel, Amtrak and Marriott hotel+air package. For airline, I get 300,000 MR points to spend, then the many K UR points. If there is any change with SPG points, I'll transfer to Marriott with 1:3 to hide the SPG points. It is all about the point value.