Canadian SPG American Express
Dec 17, 2009, 5:21 pm
#31
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 34
also disappointed in it being Amex, although i suspected that it would be. We had a good thing going with the no annual fee MBNA card......it was accepted at everywhere i went, and if you capped your spending at 30k....got great mileage out of it.
i already have an amex and im unsure what to do about this as i dont want another card where i pay an annual fee...
i do love the spg program though!
i already have an amex and im unsure what to do about this as i dont want another card where i pay an annual fee...
i do love the spg program though!
Dec 17, 2009, 5:38 pm
#32
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Toronto, NYC, somewhere on planet Earth
Programs: UA 1K, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 8,289
Everyone gets 2 SPG points per dollar, Golds get a 50% bonus, so another 1 SPG point per dollar. Anything you get from your AMEX is an AMEX bonus and you'd get that even if you weren't Gold, so it's not what I'd call a Gold bonus. Even adding the Gold and AMEX bonus, that's only a 150% bonus on points earned (but again, I wouldn't count AMEX since it's available to anyone regardless of status).I know Platinums who don't even get upgrades on every stay, so you should consider yourself very lucky to get upgrades on every stay as a Gold. I certainly don't get upgraded on every stay as a lowly Gold.
And I added the SPG AMEX part as it is relevant to this thread, if you used another cc, you obviously would not get the extra SPG points.
BTW, upgrades mean to a better room, not suites, which Plats are usually referring to. For example, 4 hotel stays in Hawaii booked at city view were changed to corner rooms or ocean view. Club room in Toronto, Park view at Sher Sydney.... As for upgrades, yes, I consider myself very fortunate to get upgraded, what's your beef?
Dec 17, 2009, 5:40 pm
#33
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: YVR
Programs: AC*E, AS MVPG, AA Gold, PC Plt Amb, SPG, Avis First, National Executive
Posts: 113
Too bad it's AMEX but I think I'll still pickup the card anyways when it's available.
At least it saves me from trying to find out when I'll be reaching the 10k bonuses every couple of months.
At least it saves me from trying to find out when I'll be reaching the 10k bonuses every couple of months.
Dec 17, 2009, 5:40 pm
#34
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Kelowna
Programs: AS AC AA SPG IHG Gold
Posts: 215
Not excited about the Amex announcement, but not donning a black armband... as I was about to do when they first notified us of the impending cancellation of the MBNA card.
I love, love, love SPG points, and I am a VERY infrequent hotel stay-er. Even the old 2-1 ratio has given us scads of AS and AA miles. We are about to fly 5 of us to BKK and 50% of those miles have come from SPG. The flexibility of transferring SPG points has made them #1 for me.
As for when we do stay at SPG properties: we are not gold, but they even upgraded us on a Priceline stay. Maybe I just lead a charmed life : ) but you can call me their greatest fan.
Although I will need to think about whether to keep my Amex AirMiles card, I can't see this new card being a bad thing, especially with the removal of the $30,000 ceiling on bonuses. Combined with my AS MBNA (for businesses that don't take Amex), my miles collecting life should be good.
I love, love, love SPG points, and I am a VERY infrequent hotel stay-er. Even the old 2-1 ratio has given us scads of AS and AA miles. We are about to fly 5 of us to BKK and 50% of those miles have come from SPG. The flexibility of transferring SPG points has made them #1 for me.
As for when we do stay at SPG properties: we are not gold, but they even upgraded us on a Priceline stay. Maybe I just lead a charmed life : ) but you can call me their greatest fan.
Although I will need to think about whether to keep my Amex AirMiles card, I can't see this new card being a bad thing, especially with the removal of the $30,000 ceiling on bonuses. Combined with my AS MBNA (for businesses that don't take Amex), my miles collecting life should be good.
Dec 17, 2009, 6:32 pm
#35
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: AC E75, SPG Plat, HH peon-by-choice (ex Gold)
Posts: 8,090
Dec 17, 2009, 7:38 pm
#36
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC *E
Posts: 532
Too much Amex
While the replacement of the MBNA card is good news (I really hated dealing with them) I think this creates a problem for many who already hold Amex cards. I am a long time Amex Plat cardholder and got in on the initial offer of a free AeroPlat card, so I have the benefits of both for only the (exorbitant) price of the Plat. Now I am being offered both a Centurion card and soon will be able to apply for this SPG Amex for some undefined level of annual fees. It's extremely difficult to try to compare the values of all of the potential offers from Amex, especially when you know the terms will change from year to year. If the SPG card has a low annual fee I may chuck everything and only use it. 
Dec 17, 2009, 7:56 pm
#37
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC*E
Posts: 170
On the plus side, Amex is actually accepted quite well in.....South America believe it or not. I use it to buy groceries (well, wine), so go figure.
Dec 18, 2009, 5:29 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Thanks for the Memories !!!
Posts: 10,656
...
Dec 18, 2009, 6:01 am
#39
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Beautiful Atlantic Canada
Programs: Bonvoy Platinum & LFT Gold, Hilton Gold, IHG Silver, Airmiles Onyx, Aeroplan, Avis President's Club
Posts: 1,203
Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, ... Huh? This is Canada, not Japan and we don't all live in TO (Pusateri's) or BC & TO (Whole Foods).
But seriously, Amex is not accepted everywhere, but still... this new card is better than nothing and usually in Canada that's what we get when it comes to credit cards...
Last edited by NBSPGMEMBER; Dec 18, 2009 at 6:43 am
Dec 18, 2009, 7:17 am
#40
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, Bonvoy, Alaska, Avios
Posts: 1,290
Dec 18, 2009, 7:23 am
#41
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Beautiful Atlantic Canada
Programs: Bonvoy Platinum & LFT Gold, Hilton Gold, IHG Silver, Airmiles Onyx, Aeroplan, Avis President's Club
Posts: 1,203
Dec 18, 2009, 6:58 pm
#42
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Victoria, B.C.
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Gold LT
Posts: 1,936
Obviously everyone is disappointed with the program being associated with AMEX as AMEX is very limited acceptance. However 1spg POINT per DOLLAR!
Plus I am sure there will be some sort of bonus. I imagine the yearly fees will be quite low low, perhaps $40 per year?
Plus I am sure there will be some sort of bonus. I imagine the yearly fees will be quite low low, perhaps $40 per year?
Dec 18, 2009, 8:00 pm
#43
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: AC E75, SPG Plat, HH peon-by-choice (ex Gold)
Posts: 8,090
I imagine the yearly fees will be quite low low, perhaps $40 per year?
I don't really care if it's $120/yr, as long as the associated bennies are worth it.
Dec 18, 2009, 10:22 pm
#44
Join Date: May 2007
Location: YYZ, but my heart is in Asia
Programs: AC-SE, CX-DM, DL-G, Hyatt-DM, Hilton-DM, Fairmont-Plt, Marriott-S, Accor-Plt, SPG-G, IHG-Plt
Posts: 4,396
Shopping at other grocery stores in Canada like Pusateri's or Whole Foods, I would use Amex aeroplan plus platinum which gives me 1.6x!!@:-), better than CIBC Aerogold visa!
^
Dec 19, 2009, 2:10 am
#45
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: YSC (and all its regularly scheduled flights)
Posts: 2,514
Is noone else embarassed to present a card that isn't accepted? I sometimes feel like I'm trying to pay with my library or Blockbuster card - and that's with a fancy platinum card!
Maybe they'll bring the big fancy Marriott card to Canada soon, though I still need a 2nd card.
Dr. PITUK