lbotez

I used mine in Barbados at the Fairmont. You tell them at the front desk you want to use them, and they apply a credit to your bill. In my case, it didn't seem to matter (though I ate at the hotel every morning and several evenings).

lbotez

So today I got this letter from Chase saying the Fairmont card is being discontinued and that they are sending me a Chase Sapphire Preferred card instead. Like I really need another Chase Sapphire card (I have the Sapphire Reserve and it's a much better card).

I applied for this card last August because I was in Maui last July and just loved the Fairmont there. And I just went to Barbados (the Fairmont Royal Pavilion in Barbados is just amazing).

So I am really disappointed that this card is going away..

If you got this card recently, you can get a free night for only $6K on the card (instead of $12K) if you haven't had it for 12 months by Aug. 14th. I wasn't so lucky, so I still need to add a little to get my free night. Read your letter carefully.

They will charge you $95 for this card on your renewal date, just so you know. All your Fairmont Reward points will be transferred to Ultimate Rewards points if you don't use them up before August 14th. Personally, I think UR points are better anyway; and I can transfer them to my Sapphire Reserve card and get 1.5X the points for airfare.

But I really wish they hadn't cancelled this card. I had plans for it. Meh.

Finkface

Well that just sucks. As of yesterday, when I put a fairly large charge on this card, I am at $9k towards the $12k spend. Spend I would have directed elsewhere had I known. I haven't received a letter yet so I have no idea what this will mean. Plus, I had planned on a CSP at some point in the future. I would hope this doesn't preclude me from a sign up bonus.

lbotez

Okay, so I went to Barbados and spent $3.7K at the hotel on room charges at the restaurant and the lodging cost of the room for 8 nights. (BTW, lovely place)

On my statement I was only credited 1 point per $1 spent.

This has never happened to me before with any credit card. In fact, I hardly ever check. But since they are discontinuing this card, I noticed something wasn't right. So I called Chase and pointed it out... The agent was a bit confused but in the end he's going to have them credit me the other 4 points per $1. That's like 15,000 more points than I actually received. Will be checking to make sure I get those points... that's basically $150 - $225 worth of extra points that were missing from my statement.

Not sure why that happened, but I wasn't too pleased. The charges said FAIRMONT on it quite clearly. Weird.

lbotez

You have until Aug 14th to charge the extra $3K to get your free night. Here is what it says:

"The Fairmont Visa Signature Card Complementary Night benefit that you receive after spending $12,000 on your card in a anniversary year is not a benefit of the sapphire Preferred card. If you've spent at least $12K by Aug 14, we'll deposit a Complimentary Night certificate into your profile on Fairmont.com either six weeks after your anniversary date of 8 to 10 weeks after August 15, whichever comes first. You can redeem this certificate up to one year after the date we issue it."

then it says you only get 1 certificate.

then:

"If you don't have a full 12 months to reach $12K, we'll give you the Complimentary Night Certificate if you've spent at least $6,000 on your Fairmont card by August 14th. This will be a one time courtesy. We'll deposit a Complimentary Night certificate into your profile on Fairmont.com within 8 to 10 weeks, but it will only be valid until February 28, 2018."

Questions, call the number on the back of the card.

However, let me warn you if you call, the first person you talk to won't probably know anything about it. Chase has a special desk for each of their cards, they can transfer you to that person.

Good luck!


Oh, and the signup bonus for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card -- I doubt you can get the bonus if you already have the card. I thought about that too. Though I really don't see that CSP card worthwhile, best to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you get more points and even though it's expensive you get most of the money back. Plus the benefits are better. And only 2X points vs. 3X points for travel purchases.

lbotez

The card is discontinued. Wondering if there is an Accor card coming (but not from Chase, otherwise they would have substituted that card instead of their Chase Sapphire Preferred).

The Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui is awesome and all the rooms are 1 bedroom suites from what I recall. I went last year. If you are a Costco member, check out their travel package. It was totally cheaper than anywhere else. Even just getting the hotel (without airfare).

apple1122

Hi,

So there will be no sign up bonus for converting to CSP? If I never had CSP before, is it better off to just cancel the card before converting? Or can I get the CSP sign up bonus if I apply for new card/account after Chase convert my Chase Fairmont card to CSP?

Thanks.

Jasper2009

This very much sounds like FPC will be eliminated / "integrated into Accor" effective March 1, 2018.

TTT103

I am disappointed to see the end of the Fairmont card. While I haven't received a letter yet, I did read a letter posted on myfico.com:

Click Here to View Letter

It looks like we have until August 14th to either charge the $12K or $6K (if we don't have a full 12 months). They will then issue a free nights certificate valid for a year.

Fortunately, I already surpassed the $12K requirement.

gregorygrady

So I have 5 family members with the Chase Fairmont Visa whose Anniversary Years all end around late July. They have already spent the $12k over the past 11 months to earn their Free Night cert. What are the odds that they can then spend another $12k from August 1st-13th and earn ANOTHER Free Night cert? From reading the letter in the link above, it seems like they will get their 1st free night cert 6 weeks after their Anniv Date. Then if they spend another $12k before Aug 13th, they will get ANOTHER Free Night cert 8-10 weeks after Aug 15th. Am I reading that correctly?

I also wonder what happens to the 1% Earnings (Fairmont Dollars) on the $12k spend from Aug 1-13. Since their statement likely wouldn't close in that timeframe, do those 12k Fairmont "funny money" points get lost? Or would they post at the next statement closing date (let's say its Aug 25th) as Chase UR pts, which they can then redeem as UR pts.

TTT103

My guess is that your statement closing dates may be problematic with respect to trying to earn an addition free night per card between August 1-13. In theory, it looks like you would only have to spend $6K per card, given that you will have less than twelve months to earn the subsequent free night. I'm afraid that it might be more of a frustrating activity than it's worth to try and charge the $6k per card in such a narrow window.

In terms of Fairmont points earned, they would convert to chase ultimate reward points.

gregorygrady

I'm not so sure I agree with this assessment. In light of this new information, it sounds like at least Chase Free Night certs for Fairmont CC holders will be usable until Oct 10th (8 weeks after Aug 15th) or even Oct 24th (10 weeks after Aug 15th) of 2018. I suppose they could integrate into Accor while still keeping some of these Chase Free Night certs usable towards Fairmont properties. But I would venture to guess that based on how far into 2017 we are now, and how many people have been putting their money and room nights towards Fairmont already this year, that Plats (and Premiers) will get another year of certs that will be valid until Feb 28, 2019. Based on the current rules, if you qualify for Plat, then you get a free night cert (and the other certs). I think it's so far into the year already that they can't deny next year's free night certs to ppl that have already made enough stays to qualify for Plat.

ASSUMING THAT ACCOR DOESN'T KEEP THE LOYALTY PROGRAMS SEPARATE (which they very well could do), my thinking is that they will give FPC certs for one more year on March 1, 2018 that are valid for a year. And at that time (actually before that, probably towards the end of 2017 since Accor runs on the calendar year for elite status qualification), they will announce that the programs are merged and announce the new hurdles to qualify for status for the following year (ie, you will need to stay 60 nights or spend ~$6k) to earn Accor Plat. So we will be able to redeem our FPC certs at Fairmont hotels in 2018, but we will also know EXACTLY what we need to do to requalify for status for 2019, as well as EXACTLY what that status entails (which will probably be garbage anyways, currently basically just a welcome drink, upgrade to next best room type, and lounge access if available). Right now Accor pts you earn just seem to rebate back some of the cost of the stays, roughly ~6% for base members all the way up to about 12% for Platinum members. I wonder if Accor will continue on with that method to redeem Accor pts, or if they will revamp their loyalty program completely?

gregorygrady

It's not very problematic to spend $12k. I can pop that out in a couple hours on Aug 1st via MS, and those charges would hit my CC by Aug 3rd or 4th at the latest. This would cost only ~1.3% of total spending, minus 1% back for the value of the Fairmont/Chase "funny money" pts, or UR pts, so would only cost me ~0.3% of $12k, or $36, and a couple hours of my time. I'd say $36 and a couple hours of my time is well worth an $800 Suite at a Fairmont.

Also, I interpret the $6k spend as an option. Either you:
1) Spend $6k in your partial year, and you get a Free Night cert valid until 2/28/18)

or you

2) Spend $12k in your partial year, and you get a Free Night cert valid until as late as 10/24/18)

I would happily spend the extra $6k for an extra 8 months of Free Night cert validity, although if we get another set of FPC Plat certs on 3/1/18 valid for another year, I might not want to spend that extra $6k.

TTT103

I would agree that spending 12 K would be a much better proposition than only 6K. The 12 K and spending would give you a certificate valid for a full year versus February 28.

I don't see us getting another certificate on March 1, as the card will be a Sapphire preferred card by that juncture. Chase obviously wants to wrap up the Fairmont program.

I do think it's very admirable of them to allow those of us who have a renewal after August to still be able to earn a free night even though we haven't had our anniversary yet.

curl

Noooooooooooooooo!!!! I just opened my mail and I'm SO disappointed. Fairmont, you make me sad.

Also, ... are Chase Sapphire Points?

Also, also, why did they just charge me the annual fee for a card that is going away in 2 months??