The UK card is due to be launched in August, but will only give 1pt/£ for domestic spend.

I use CSR for dining + travel. Citi 2% for everything else. I value the 2% cash back card higher than the 1.5 pts per $1 spend card mainly due to the flexibility that I get from having actual cash vs. having to spend the points in some certain program and thus having to worry about devaluation, rule changes, etc.

Does anyone have any information on the status of the Sheraton Lounge access benefit that the SPG Business Amex provides?

It used to be pretty much a no-brainer to stick my Marriott or SPG stays on the SPG card since I was getting 6 MR points. But once they likely devalue with the new chart, it is probably going to make more sense just to put it on the CSR card and get minimum 4.5% on the Chase travel site. Actually, that might make sense already.

Since Marriott lifetime status is no longer tied to points, there isn't a great reason to prioritize those.

It's gone effective 8/1.

Think I will look into that.
Thanks.

Thinking outside of the box....

Anyone thinking of Amazon Visa Signature? 5% cash back at Amazon and Whole Foods, 2% cash back on restaurants, gas stations, drugstores, and 1% cash back everywhere else. No foreign transaction fee or annual fee (aside from Prime membership).

Not sure if the rewards point have any value, but the website does say you can redeem for travel or gift cards...

Current plan is to use Costco Visa for everything BUT Marriott/*wood stays for which I'll use the *woodAmex. (I had been using Costco for Gas/Costco/Restaurants/Non-*wood travel and the *woodAmex for everything else.)

2% cash back seems like a good option in general. It doesn't have the same "cachet" as spending $300k to "earn" a week at some luxury resort. But 6k can get you quite a lot.

I do think there are some good arbitrage opportunities for point utilization vs. cash, but its harder to justify these days.

I am drowning in Ultimate Rewards and UA miles...but I never have enough Starpoints.

So for my unbonused spend, I might just bite the bullet and keep using it...missing a better alternative.

gpeso8:

I am with you. I am now retired but for many years i owned a small business. I used the amex spg for everything. My major interest is transferring miles to airlines. I am an aa lt plat. That said,I use the spg points to convert to aa miles which I use for j or f tickets on BA, CX,JL or QF. I do have an aa citi card that does give me 1:1. i don't care about cash back or other benefits. I only care about the miles. Is there any alternative amex card or other card that will transfer miles to aa at a greater than 1:1 ratio?

Interesting.. we had big spend in our small business and put it into cards with hotel benefits. For the longest time we hit the HH Surpass card, getting Diamond status and enough points at 3x for normal spend that $15K spend was an award night most anywhere. Then HH devaluation and we started to move to SPG where $15K spend on the SPG Amex was a award night in .. a lot of places. Then the SPG-MR union and $15K spend on the same SPG Amex was a night at most MR hotels.

Now I expect the devaluation combined with a) loss of lounge access via SPG Business card and b) reduced Gold benefits that I otherwise get from Amex Plat will send me to put all normal spend on Citi Double Cash, where $15K spend gives me $300 to spend on a room of some sort. I do collect Chase points via mostly dining spend and have a fair amount to use, perhaps for the occasional good redemption at Hyatt. But the game seems mostly over for me. Had a good run, though...

Source?

https://www.spgpromos.com/amexcoming...comingsoon_DEF

Effective August 1, 2018, complimentary access to the Sheraton® Club Lounge will no longer be offered through The Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express.

UR may be transferred to Marriott. I am sure you know that.