Lets talk about alternatives to the SPG Amex after the massive Marriott devaluation
#302
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Programs: UA-1k, 1mm, Marriott-LT Platinum, Hertz-Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,355
the new amex card is probably worth having in a vacuum for anyone who spends a lot on marriott/SPG each year, but the value proposition gets murky for me when compared to other alternatives for wallet space, including the marriott cards. i think we need to know more about the differences between a 50k certificate and a 35k certificate, for example, which will continue to be a tough projection to make when the card is initially offered since marriott will have a whole year to screw with valuations / peak vs. off-peak / award availability before any anniversary certificates show up.
the $300 credit offsets all but $50 of the $350 extra AF over the current purple cards, in exchange for the same earnings rate on SPG/marriott spend (2x SPG/6x Marriott) and airfare/dining (1x SPG/3x marriott) but a 33% nerf to non-category spend (1x SPG to .67x SPG). the 50k certificate offsets the $100 extra AF if you do keep the card for a second year, and the value per 50k cert needed to break even goes down each year you renew ($100 per cert at AF #2 ; $75 at AF #3 , $67 at AF #4 ...). but for me the problem is that the vast majority of the value of the ~$100 AF for the SPG cards every year was the non-category spend. i don't see any value in 1x SPG for air/dining or 0.67x SPG for non-category spend. taking that value proposition out, the 50k certificate break-even point would have to be closer to $150 * 2 = $300 per cert year 1; $225 year 2; $200 year 3...
it's hard to tell how much value there will be at those levels. so i think i need to see what the sign-up bonus looks like. hopefully it at least opens with the 100k bonus from the premier plus, which i think would probably make the card worth getting and then keeping for at least the first two years.
the $300 credit offsets all but $50 of the $350 extra AF over the current purple cards, in exchange for the same earnings rate on SPG/marriott spend (2x SPG/6x Marriott) and airfare/dining (1x SPG/3x marriott) but a 33% nerf to non-category spend (1x SPG to .67x SPG). the 50k certificate offsets the $100 extra AF if you do keep the card for a second year, and the value per 50k cert needed to break even goes down each year you renew ($100 per cert at AF #2 ; $75 at AF #3 , $67 at AF #4 ...). but for me the problem is that the vast majority of the value of the ~$100 AF for the SPG cards every year was the non-category spend. i don't see any value in 1x SPG for air/dining or 0.67x SPG for non-category spend. taking that value proposition out, the 50k certificate break-even point would have to be closer to $150 * 2 = $300 per cert year 1; $225 year 2; $200 year 3...
it's hard to tell how much value there will be at those levels. so i think i need to see what the sign-up bonus looks like. hopefully it at least opens with the 100k bonus from the premier plus, which i think would probably make the card worth getting and then keeping for at least the first two years.
#303
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: IND
Programs: DL DM, SPG AMB, National EE
Posts: 1,301
So let's say you do the opposite of OP and the ONLY spend on the card is at SPG properties. Is this card still worth carrying? I'm too lazy to do actual math, but it seems like the hotel spend equation is the same as before, correct?
#304
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 48
Can anyone comment here - I was reading up on Chase Ultimate Rewards and they were touting the discounts for going thru the Chase portal with one of the Sapphire cards. they said with the discount, you could get $100 worth of hotel for only 8k points with this method. This seemed really horrible to me as we regularly get $400+ SPG rooms for 16k points with an upgrade for being Gold.
#305
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,897
Can anyone comment here - I was reading up on Chase Ultimate Rewards and they were touting the discounts for going thru the Chase portal with one of the Sapphire cards. they said with the discount, you could get $100 worth of hotel for only 8k points with this method. This seemed really horrible to me as we regularly get $400+ SPG rooms for 16k points with an upgrade for being Gold.
#306
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,897
All the new cards offer the 15 nights credit. None of the new cards are offering the 1 night per 3k spend (only the old Chase card).
#308
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: MCI
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 27
as for the 1 night per $3k spend feature of old chase marriott cards: this is a niche benefit that is hard to value ex ante. category spend nights are only valuable if they're bumping you from one level to the next of either annual status or lifetime status. unless you are a big manufactured spender or you know in advance you're often going to be sitting really close to that 50 annual night range, i don't think you care about 1 night per $3k spend when it comes time to choose between cards to get/hold. if you are a big manufactured spender and/or you regularly hit between 45 and 50 nights in marriott + SPG properties a year and hate mattress runs, then this benefit is great for you, but either of those types of people surely already know that without reading a post about it. anyone else will, more likely than not, not get any benefit from that feature.
#309
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: MSY
Programs: AA Plat Pro, UA Plat, VS Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 2,530
Southwest is now pretty easy to monetize with 1.5 cents per mile. So, if I have the math right, I could charge $10,000 travel/dining on CSR and get 30,000 points that I could then transfer to Southwest. Those Southwest miles should be worth 30K times 1.5 cents or $450. That beats the $350 I would earn with the BofA Visa. I might do better on United or not. I don't often use United miles for premium international awards (although, I am considering just such a ticket now). Hyatt would be a great use of the points. But, with lifetime status on Marriott/Starwood, I question the wisdom in racking up a bunch of Hyatt points/stays.
#310
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Former UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 576
My post August credit card plan has a major problem. The current plan is:
The CFU is a great card but not overseas. I need a card for everyday spend without foreign transaction fees.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) for restaurants and travel expenses
- Chase Freedom Unlimited (CFU) for everyday spending
The CFU is a great card but not overseas. I need a card for everyday spend without foreign transaction fees.
#311
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: MCI
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 27
no universal answer i know of. if you happen to already have the barclay arrival+ that would be a decent option and has some chip/pin capability, but it was just discontinued. the obvious MR earning amex options (BBP, ED, EDP) all have FTF, plus you might have amex acceptance issues in some regions.
#312
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 286
Does anyone know what happens to points earned prior to 8/1, on a statement that ends after 8/1? For instance my SPG Biz Amex billing cycle ends on the 17th. Points I earn from 7/18-8/1 won't post to a statement until 8/17. Will Those points earned prior to 8/1 count 3X, or only the points that come on my statement that ends on 7/17?
#313
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: RDU
Programs: AA LT Gold, DL SM, HY Disc, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 12,502
I won't have as much need for Marriott points now that I won't be today's SPG/MR Gold any more through Amex Platinum. At the same time all this was happening, my Citi Exec card was coming up for renewal and I had bailed on AA last year and wanted to downgrade.
So the easy solution for now was to downgrade the Citi card to the fee-free Citi Double Cash (2%) for every day domestic non-categorized spend, and just keep the SPG card for earning when staying at Marriott/Starwood for work.
So the easy solution for now was to downgrade the Citi card to the fee-free Citi Double Cash (2%) for every day domestic non-categorized spend, and just keep the SPG card for earning when staying at Marriott/Starwood for work.
#314
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: USA
Programs: AS MVP; UA Gold; DL Gold; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 156
My post August credit card plan has a major problem. The current plan is:
The CFU is a great card but not overseas. I need a card for everyday spend without foreign transaction fees.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) for restaurants and travel expenses
- Chase Freedom Unlimited (CFU) for everyday spending
The CFU is a great card but not overseas. I need a card for everyday spend without foreign transaction fees.
I have the Chase UA Mileage Plus card too (1.5x UA miles/$1) with no FOREX, but again, only earning UA miles. Not a bad place to store miles, though.
If you have a particular currency (e.g., UR or MR) you want to add to--albeit at the slower 1x/$1 earning rate--then you should probably use that card.
Or, like me, I'll be using the BoA AS card to bulk up that account. I figured I'd diversity beyond UR, MR, and UA. So you can pick a specific airline and use that co-branded card.
I did think about the Cathay Pacific card, which earns 1.5x Asia Mileage points/$1 (specifically overseas) but those expire 3 years after earning, with no way to extend them.
Not sure I'll be able to gather enough to make it worthwhile.
Good luck!
Good luck!
#315
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 314
Unbonused spend: We were putting $30k per year each on SPG business, $25k-$50k on Delta Platinum to help with status, the rest on Freedom Unlimited. We'd recently added Blue Business Plus (shifting spend from Freedom Unlimited). Also our point balances have gotten kind of high so we also put a lot on the 3% Alliant cash back card last year, but were shifting that to BB+ now that we'd gotten one.
Bonused spend: Chase (CSR for travel and dining, Ink for office supplies and telecom, Freedom Unlimited, and Freedom.)
It's definitely not worth it for us to use SPG anymore due to reduced earn, not to mention loss of Sheraton Lounges and loss of Marriott lounges and upgrades.
So we will get a second BB+, and then any remaining will go back to Freedom Unlimited and cash back cards.
Bonused spend: Chase (CSR for travel and dining, Ink for office supplies and telecom, Freedom Unlimited, and Freedom.)
It's definitely not worth it for us to use SPG anymore due to reduced earn, not to mention loss of Sheraton Lounges and loss of Marriott lounges and upgrades.
So we will get a second BB+, and then any remaining will go back to Freedom Unlimited and cash back cards.