[Changing in August] SPG Amex to go from 1.25 airline miles per $ to 0.83 miles/$
#16
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: TUL
Programs: AA EXP 2MM; Marriott Titanium; Hilton Diamond; Hyatt Explorist; Vistana 5* Elite; Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 6,177
- U.S.-based restaurants and gas stations,
- wireless phone services purchased directly from a U.S.-based wireless company
- U.S. purchases for shipping services.
#17
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: London, Vancouver, Tokyo, San Francisco, NYC
Posts: 265
While USD SPG Amex will be devaluated,
JPY SPG Amex will keep the current rate and will be 100 JPY (equivalent to 0.95 USD) = 3 pts
Not sure about CAD SPG yet....
No significant advantage for "Luxury Card" with 450 USD annual fee..
JPY SPG Amex will keep the current rate and will be 100 JPY (equivalent to 0.95 USD) = 3 pts
Not sure about CAD SPG yet....
No significant advantage for "Luxury Card" with 450 USD annual fee..
#18
Join Date: May 2006
Location: KSNA/KLAX
Programs: IML GOLD, Bonvoy LTPE, WOH Globalist, AAEXPLT
Posts: 645
As far as gas stations though, depending on how hard we want to "work" for the starpoints, I guess we can purchase thousands of dollars of gift cards for amazon.com, whole foods or other supermarkets that we might shop at.
Maybe we (or bloggers) should start discussing the cards to which we would migrate our charges to.
#19
Join Date: May 2006
Location: KSNA/KLAX
Programs: IML GOLD, Bonvoy LTPE, WOH Globalist, AAEXPLT
Posts: 645
#20
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
Furthermore, as a general question for SPG Amex that gifts SPG Gold, what is the new status gifted by AMEX cards?
Starriot Gold elite?
#21
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: 42.1% in PDX , 49.9% in PVG & 8% in the air somewhere
Programs: Marriott Ambassador Elite, UA 1K, AS MVP GLD 75K, DL Pt
Posts: 1,086
I will bean count a lot of things and the winner gets my stays, spends and everything else. I am sure the AMEX and SPG/Marriott bean counters did the same. Family is family, hotel/airline and CC it's all about max value.
#23
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: London, Vancouver, Tokyo, San Francisco, NYC
Posts: 265
I'll still keep JPY SPG Amex as long as it gives cat 1-6 free night. It only gives 5 night status instead of 15, but better than CAD or GBP version.
'Gold Elite' will be given after 35,000 USD by USD SPG Amex but probably not by JPY version (downgraded from current).
After USD Amex became foreign exchange free card, I had cancelled GBP version but still keep USD, CAD and JPY SPG Amex..
Among them CAD SPG is least useful if 1CAD = 2pts but not sure yet...
#24
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 905
Correct but as per the example in the original post, to earn 25000 air miles under the previous earning rate required $20000 spend, but with the lower rate it now requires $30k spend, ie 50% more.
#25
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Canada
Programs: Aeroplan 50K, Bonvoy Titanium, IHG Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 292
The question is, will we even be able to transfer to airlines after the merge?
#27
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,887
Instead you can get 3% or 5% back on those categories with other cards sometimes including free cards like Amex Simply Cash and Chase Ink Cash.
I would only hold a MR/SPG card now for the benefits if you're able to use them, not for spending.
#28
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,782
Yeah they are the same. 33.3% decrease in point value = 50% increase in point cost to transfer
#29
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
#30
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 197
Hilton Honors Amex Business Card is looking much more attractive than the SPG Business card now.
-3X Points on non bonus spend
-6X Points in the bonus categories
-Diamond Status with 40K annual spend on the card
-2 Free weekend nights if you spend 60K annually
-12X Points for Hilton Spend
-3X Points on non bonus spend
-6X Points in the bonus categories
-Diamond Status with 40K annual spend on the card
-2 Free weekend nights if you spend 60K annually
-12X Points for Hilton Spend