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AmEx Bonvoy Brilliant Luxury Card [General Discussion Thread]

AmEx Bonvoy Brilliant Luxury Card [General Discussion Thread]

Old Sep 25, 2020, 3:22 pm
  #1276  
LAX
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA
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Posts: 6,108
I posted the below in the long Bonvoy thread over on the Amex forum about a week ago, but haven't gotten any response. I am going to see if I will have better luck with this thread. TIA.

I just want to double check with the experts here regarding eligibility for the Brilliant SUB before I act. I am (and will still be at the time of application) a card holder of the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless CC and Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business CC. I last received a SUB from either side in December 2018 (actually it was an upgrade bonus for converting the Chase Marriott Premier CC to Boundless). Based on what I have read, I should be eligible for the Brilliant SUB in the new year (never applied for Brilliant in the past). I am in no rush to apply, so I will wait at least a month or two in the new year just in case I am off by a few weeks on the actual posting of bonus points.


Am I missing any fine prints/clauses? TIA.

LAX
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Old Oct 30, 2020, 10:27 pm
  #1277  
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Careful - Chase card upgrade bonus resets Amex bonus eligibility

I tried to apply for the Bonvoy Brilliant card today and Amex informed me that I didn't qualify for the bonus.

Apparently, I received an upgrade offer to the Bonvoy Boundless card, which posted in Dec 2018. This was an adjustment to the initial 10k points upgrade offer that Chase gave me 25 months ago.




My questions:

- When am I qualified to get the Amex bonus - on Dec 5 this year, or in 2022?
- If I last received the SPG Biz bonus on 11/17/18, can I get the Chase consumer Bonvoy Bold card starting on 11/18/2020?
eethan is offline  
Old Oct 31, 2020, 11:05 am
  #1278  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Delta Skymiles
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My advice would be to look at this chart at TPG. I find it very useful.

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/eligi...-bonvoy-cards/

Hope this helps.
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Old Nov 1, 2020, 12:17 am
  #1279  
LAX
 
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Location: Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA
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Originally Posted by eethan
I tried to apply for the Bonvoy Brilliant card today and Amex informed me that I didn't qualify for the bonus.

Apparently, I received an upgrade offer to the Bonvoy Boundless card, which posted in Dec 2018. This was an adjustment to the initial 10k points upgrade offer that Chase gave me 25 months ago.




My questions:

- When am I qualified to get the Amex bonus - on Dec 5 this year, or in 2022?
- If I last received the SPG Biz bonus on 11/17/18, can I get the Chase consumer Bonvoy Bold card starting on 11/18/2020?
I have read reports that upgrade bonus does indeed reset the clock for SUB eligibility. Thus, you should be good for the brilliant card sometime in mid Dec.

As for the Bold card, based on the TPG chart, you are not eligible for the SUB as long as you still have Boundless, but you may be able to downgrade to it though.

LAX
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Old Nov 1, 2020, 2:28 pm
  #1280  
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Has anyone received an offer to upgrade to the Brilliant card from the regular Bonvoy Amex?

Contemplating if it's worth it at all.
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Old Nov 1, 2020, 5:40 pm
  #1281  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
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I was told that Amex is not offering SUB offers for the upgrades when I called, and was encouraged to open a new card, which I did.
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Old Nov 2, 2020, 7:13 pm
  #1282  
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Originally Posted by LAX
I have read reports that upgrade bonus does indeed reset the clock for SUB eligibility. Thus, you should be good for the brilliant card sometime in mid Dec.

As for the Bold card, based on the TPG chart, you are not eligible for the SUB as long as you still have Boundless, but you may be able to downgrade to it though.

LAX
Thanks for confirming my thought that the upgrade bonus adjustment reset my SUB eligibility. I wonder about the other adjustment made in Feb 2020, which I'm sure was not related to any upgrade bonus. Did that one also reset my SUB eligibility?
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Old Nov 2, 2020, 11:07 pm
  #1283  
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Good to finally see a bonus spend offer of 8 points per $1 spend up to $3500 for Amazon and Target. Alas not as lucrative as the 5 points/$1 offered by Chase Hyatt (Hyatt points are worth 2-3x more) but still better than the alternatives.
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Old Nov 9, 2020, 9:45 pm
  #1284  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 101
hello all...im thinking of signing up for this card for my wife (I myself am Canadian), but had a few questions based on my ritz marriott card and other tricks that ive read used in the past as well as general question

1. Is the ability to use the $300 credit for restaurant purchases still available?
2. Is the $300 credit once per card year or once per calendar year...i think it is card year...so if i signed up now i could only get one credit between now and nov 2021, I assume?
3. does the refundable booking trick work to trigger/use the $300 credit? ie book a refundable trip, receive the creidt then cancel the trip...ive seen this done with other Amex in the past (at least in Canada)
4. The chase cards have a credit limit trick where reducing the limit to some low level like $1,000 results in annual fee being reversed...does amex do something similar?

TIA
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Old Nov 9, 2020, 11:06 pm
  #1285  
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Originally Posted by AdeAhmed
hello all...im thinking of signing up for this card for my wife (I myself am Canadian), but had a few questions based on my ritz marriott card and other tricks that ive read used in the past as well as general question

1. Is the ability to use the $300 credit for restaurant purchases still available?
2. Is the $300 credit once per card year or once per calendar year...i think it is card year...so if i signed up now i could only get one credit between now and nov 2021, I assume?
3. does the refundable booking trick work to trigger/use the $300 credit? ie book a refundable trip, receive the creidt then cancel the trip...ive seen this done with other Amex in the past (at least in Canada)
4. The chase cards have a credit limit trick where reducing the limit to some low level like $1,000 results in annual fee being reversed...does amex do something similar?

TIA
I am not a current card holder, so I am interested in the answers to some of your questions, too. With regards to #3, I personally won't consider it even if there are reports of success. Take a look at clawback of airline credits in the Amex Plat thread and you can see why it can backfire spectacularly. However, one legit trick is to use the credit to purchase Marriott GCs, which you can save for later use.

LAX
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Old Nov 10, 2020, 8:57 am
  #1286  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 101
Originally Posted by LAX
I am not a current card holder, so I am interested in the answers to some of your questions, too. With regards to #3, I personally won't consider it even if there are reports of success. Take a look at clawback of airline credits in the Amex Plat thread and you can see why it can backfire spectacularly. However, one legit trick is to use the credit to purchase Marriott GCs, which you can save for later use.

LAX
#3 is a popular trick in canada..or at least it was a few years back

hopefully someone can get back to su on the others
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Old Nov 10, 2020, 7:08 pm
  #1287  
 
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Can your secondary cardholder use the $300 annual Marriott credit?

The simplest way may be to just buy $300 in Marriott GCs though..
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Old Nov 10, 2020, 7:36 pm
  #1288  
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Originally Posted by AdeAhmed
hello all...im thinking of signing up for this card for my wife (I myself am Canadian), but had a few questions based on my ritz marriott card and other tricks that ive read used in the past as well as general question

1. Is the ability to use the $300 credit for restaurant purchases still available?
2. Is the $300 credit once per card year or once per calendar year...i think it is card year...so if i signed up now i could only get one credit between now and nov 2021, I assume?
3. does the refundable booking trick work to trigger/use the $300 credit? ie book a refundable trip, receive the creidt then cancel the trip...ive seen this done with other Amex in the past (at least in Canada)
4. The chase cards have a credit limit trick where reducing the limit to some low level like $1,000 results in annual fee being reversed...does amex do something similar?

TIA
1. As long as it is processed by a Marriott property it should work. You have to be careful about restaurant's in a hotel that have their own POS name.
2. It can be multiple transactions.
3. Amex US has in the past closed accounts for much less than that. Those who were lucky at first (got the credit) then saw the credit removed weeks/months after. I wouldn't mess around. You're also taking a risk on the fact that the property might go bust, not refund you promptly. Easiest is to buy gift cards if you want to use the credit right away (it will also count towards minimum spend requirements).
4. No. Amex also gives a minimum credit limit of $3100 on their $450 annual fee cards due to legislation and them padding that a bit. Besides, the annual fee is really only $150 net (+ not taking into account the free night award).
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Old Nov 12, 2020, 11:26 am
  #1289  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
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Originally Posted by neony77
Hello All,

I upgraded late last year to Bonvoy luxury card from SPG personal as I had a targeted upgrade offer. Now with everything going on and minimal travel on the horizon I am contemplating whether I should go ahead and downgrade the card (it has to be down to the $95 card correct? there is no no-fee card option?). Amex still does pro-rated refunds for downgrades correct? One reason I was considering to keep it until renewal is to get the 50K free night certificate but from my reading it sounds like you'll only get the 50k free night certificate if you hold the luxury card 8-12 weeks after AF is billed (I was likely going to downgrade when AF hits).

Anyone care to share their thoughts on the best course of action?

Thanks!
I downgraded the card within a month after AF posting, got almost full refund of AF and the 50K free night still posted about 8 weeks after the AF was billed.
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Old Nov 20, 2020, 9:11 am
  #1290  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Delta Skymiles
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How quickly after reaching the $5,000 does the sign up bonus post?

Is it not until you have paid the bill? when the statement closes? or within a few days of reaching the threshold?
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