ero2

So, inspired by Gleff's which credit card should I use thread I am having some issues. I have several credit cards Amex Platinum for the upgrades at hotels, generally better CS, BVG, and point program that transfers to many airlines and hotels. I also have gotten the AS visa, and AA citibank visa. I don't fly a whole lot, but would like to start building miles for trips after I finish grad school next summer, and I am not sure where I am going to go (multiple places) so I am not sure which program to stick with. I like amex because I am not stuck in one program, but I could earn more miles outright with a visa or mastercard. My question is how do you decide which program to stick with? Also, am I completely crazy for wanting to "bank miles" for trips? I know it is commonly practiced to burn them as fast as possible, but what if I am trying to plan a vacation using all miles in 3 years?

Sorry for all the newb questions once again, hopefully they are not ridiculous, just trying to figure out which program to stick with.

German Expat

I think it is a good idea to start banking miles for a trip further out in the future especially if your main source of miles is credit cards.
You can get pretty good bonus on some of the credit cards, e.g. 20000 miles from United. Since you don't know where you want to go or what airline to use I would collect miles with either one of the 3 large US carriers. You can always use their partner airlines.
If you have a lot of Amex points there is currently a 33% promotion converting them to Delta miles. Those promotions show up once in a while.
Personally I fly enough to get the miles I need and rather use good cash back cards. With cash I can do whatever I want and just buy a ticket.

ero2

well I was thinking amex platinum or alaska airlines card would be the best since with amex I can transfer to many programs, since I am unsure who I am going to want to fly. Or the AS card because you can book award travel through AA, delta, AS, NW, etc with AS points. I am just not sure which would be better to concentrate my spending on. Realistically the 395 fee is a pretty big chunk of change, and I don't use the hotel lounges really, BUT will use the concierge a bit, and have looked forward to the free upgrades, but also wouldn't be adverse to getting rid of it.

Can AS points transfer to any hotel programs?

Efrem

I don't think it's absurd to bank miles for a trip a few years out. I have a lot of miles in the bank. I won't be able to use all of them very soon, but I'm not worried. True, there's a small chance they might not be worth much when I get around to using them, but in the overall scheme of things that's not the worst thing that could happen to me.

I think your AmEx decision should depend on whether or not the extra benefits are worth $395 a year to you. I dropped my AmEx Platinum a few years ago because they weren't and have saved a lot of money that way since. That's a personal judgment call, though. They weren't worth it to me, but that's not to say they're not to you or to anyone else. All I'm saying is not to keep that card for the mileage flexibility. There are cheaper ways to get it.

Two of those are:

1. Diners Club. It's accepted in more places (since they started co-branding with MasterCard), gives you primary (not secondary) insurance on car rentals, good CS, can transfer to AA (AmEx can't), costs $300 less per year and often has good transfer promos (50% bonus for BA transfers every summer, for instance). Downside: 5% fee for transfers, payable as cash or miles (takes 2,095 DC miles to get 2,000 airline miles).

2. AmEx Starwood Optima. Accepted everywhere your AmEx Platinum is, free for the first year and cheap after that, goes to AA also (regular AmEx doesn't) and a 25% bonus on mileage transfers if you move 20,000 at a time (get 25,000). Downside: you still need a Visa/MC for places that don't take AmEx, but you've got those.

BTW, if you want a DC, ask someone here (it can be me, but the important thing is to find an FTer with a DC) for a referral number. Doesn't cost you anything, gets the referrer a few miles.

gleff

The Alaska Visa is a good card for folks who fly Alaska, the $50 companion ticket is really useful, but your travel plans are a bit far off and somewhat unclear.

I only carry my traditional Amex because as a charge card rather than a credit card Amex will let me use it on six-figure work expenses ... better than foregoing all those miles.

Frankly I wouldn't keep the Amex Platinum but for that.

Membership Rewards isn't as good as Diners Club Club Rewards (since Amex has fewer partners).

Starwood is better still (no points transfer fee to airlines, built-in bonus for transfers of 20k points to airlines, plus those Starwood points are pretty useful in their own right).

That leaves reasons for keeping the Amex as lounge access (which you say you don't use, and could be acquired more cheaply anyway), Best Value Guarantee (which IIRC also comes with the Starwood Amex), and the FHR program (good if you stay at Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons type properties, I value the FHR program, but I'm guessing you aren't using it much now). Oh, and the Concierge and the Amex Plat concierge is better than the VIPdesk folks but Diners Club and many Visa Signature products do come with concierge service.

Personally I'd dump the Amex Plat and its $395 fee and use the Starwood Amex as my primary card... and then ask myself whether I spend much that can't go on the Amex. Still a good idea to have a Visa/MC but don't pay a fee unless there's > $15k/yr that you can't put on the Amex.

Put another way, since you're banking miles rather than using the non-mileage benefits of various credit cards currently, why are you using a card other than the Starwood Amex?

ero2

The only reason i am not using an SPG amex is because I want good CS, and since they outsourced it has gone to crap. The only way I plan to keep an amex at all would be Plat because of their outstanding CS. I get just as good of service from Citi, MBNA, etc. I don't fly Alaska, so maybe using that card just for booking tickets through other airlines is not such a good idea. Maybe I will go with the DC mastercard then, so I still have the ability to transfer into other programs since I am not sure who I will be flying.

I don't know, maybe I will get another SPG amex, I closed my original one a while back...bonus points again?

lovetotravel

If you are calling CS and getting good service, then my question is "why are you calling then so often if you are not having any issues with them"

These days when everything is online, I have never had to call Starwood for anything that I can recall. Only thing I had to call them about was when I would forget my password and be transferred back to someone in US.

ero2

okay ditched my amex platinum today, but still need a little more assistance.

I had BofA convert my card to alaska airlines card because when we talked about it before it seemed like a good idea.

I also have a citi AAdvantage card.

I applied for diners and they won't approve me unless I send in my phone bill, I don't have a home phone because I would never use it, so that is out.

So, do I use the alaska card knowing that I may never fly alaska but will use the miles earned on other airlines, which is one of the great benefits of alaska's program, or do I hang on to the citi aadvantage card.

Assume for me also, that in this case, the starwood card is not an option, thanks all for you help so far.

robbert

Did you try to convince Diners to get you the card? It took me some correspondence and calls but eventually they gave me the card. Main reason was lack of credit history. You already have Citi AA so they should 'know' you.

gleff

There's nothing wrong with the AS Visa, it's an excellent product, especially if you fly Alaska even occasionally and can make use of the annual companion ticket.

If you want to use this card, it will serve you well, and AS miles are pretty valuable. Upgrades on AS metal are only 10k each way, confirmed at booking from any fare (provided U class inventory is available). And their miles can be redeemed on BA/QF/CX/CO/NW/DL/AA...

That said, I still like other cards a little bit better. In my limited experience Diners Club customer service has been folded into Citibank's general operation, so its outstanding service may be no more.

And frankly I've found Amex to be better than Citibank or BofA. I have the Plat card, but I've had no problems with my SPG Amex either. I've had to dispute a couple of charges and they handled those instances exceedingly well... better than Diners Club (Citibank) or BankOne in similar situations. I suspect any past disservice was either out of the ordinary or no worse than you'll experience elsewhere.

ero2

So my thinking that using this card because of the way it's miles can be used is not a bad idea? I like that as opposed to AA citibank, or United Visa, or Northwest, etc, I can use my AS card and use the miles for award tickets on all the programs you named. It is still 25k for award tickets correct?

ero2

This is the way I convinced them, thanks! It will be nice to only have to pay 1 CC bill every month, since everyone takes MC. How does their charge card work, like amex's? do you have an exposure limit?

go go girl

gleff

( the FHR program (good if you stay at Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons type properties, I value the FHR program,)




What is the advantage of having the Amex Platinum if you stay @ Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons? (I don't know what the FHR program is.)