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Lets talk about alternatives to the SPG Amex after the massive Marriott devaluation

Lets talk about alternatives to the SPG Amex after the massive Marriott devaluation

Old Apr 19, 2018, 10:31 am
  #91  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 50
almost the same questions here......

Originally Posted by Milhous Gloriosus
Anyone?
Originally Posted by Milhous Gloriosus
1)Let's assume I want to keep platinum and I have a lot of card spend. What's the best card strategy?

If I understand the new scheme correctly, I get 15 nights credit by having the SPG AMEX. Then if I have the Marriott Visa Premier, I get one night credit per $3,000 spend. That would seem to make the path to 50 nights much easier than it would seem at first glance. For former SPG folks, they've made platinum harder by moving from 25 stays to 50 nights, but if you have a lot of card spend, I think you can easily make it via cards.

2) Here's another question: I understand they said SPG people can still qualify for 2019 under the old 25 stay scheme. But once they merge them August, do my Marriott stays count toward that for 2019. In other words, assume on August 1, 2018 a person has 20 SPG stays and 30 Marriott stays. Are they then platinum in the combined program for 2019 on that basis?

Any thoughts on these two points are much appreciated.
Sorry don't have any answers but echoing the same questions - have been SPG Business and Personal CC for almost all of my spending the last 10 years

I typically have anywhere from 50-100K in spending a year. Which of the newest options would be best? I never knew about the Marriott CC giving night stay credits for CC spend, or else I could have (I think) gotten status over these last 10 years.

With the new AMEX Luxury card my understanding is I'd get Platinum, but is that lifetime or just for that year? Is is better to get a Marriott card that gives night stay credit for the spending?

Appreciate the help!!!
mdcubsfan is offline  
Old Apr 19, 2018, 11:19 am
  #92  
 
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I currently hold the basic Marriott Rewards card and both the SPG Amex and Business Amex (and Chase Sapphire Reserve). All of my travel is leisure.

As it stands now (and certainly subject to change) I will likely drop the SPG Business card altogether, product switch the base Marriott card to the Marriott Premier Plus (if only for the one free anniv. night up to 35,000 pts.) and up the SPG Amex to the SPG Luxury Card (I know I'll use the $300 SPG spend credit anyway so that card only costs me $150) for Gold Status and actual SPG/Marriott spend.
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 1:29 pm
  #93  
 
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Originally Posted by mdcubsfan
Sorry don't have any answers but echoing the same questions - have been SPG Business and Personal CC for almost all of my spending the last 10 years

I typically have anywhere from 50-100K in spending a year. Which of the newest options would be best? I never knew about the Marriott CC giving night stay credits for CC spend, or else I could have (I think) gotten status over these last 10 years.

With the new AMEX Luxury card my understanding is I'd get Platinum, but is that lifetime or just for that year? Is is better to get a Marriott card that gives night stay credit for the spending?

Appreciate the help!!!
My guess is that if you get the luxury Amex, and spend enough to get Plat status, that the then earned plat status would count towards the 10 years of platinum status needed for eventual lifetime Plat.

The problem to be aware of is that even though you are getting Plat status each year because of Amex Spend, you are not also getting 75 night credits with it. Thus to reach the 600 night requirement for the Lifetime Plat, it may be much harder to do.

Remember, the new lifetime Plat requirement is now 10 Years Plat status AND 600 total nights.
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 1:47 pm
  #94  
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Originally Posted by ESpen36
It appears that the real question remains: where do we put NON-category, NON-bonus, everyday basic spend, once the SPG Amex is devalued? I haven't seen a good answer to this question. Like many here, I currently put ALL spend (except airfare) on my SPG Amex cards.
Unless you want to give up and go Citi Double Cash, I think the answer is probably Chase Freedom Unlimited (in combination with holding a premium UR card).

If you have a lot of non-bonus spend or prefer MR over UR you could also go for the Amex Everyday Preferred, but I don't know if I would reliably make 30 purchases a month on it unless I diverted some spend from the CSR, which likely wouldn't make sense. Freedom Unlimited doesn't give the grocery & gas bonus but it also doesn't require any shenanigans to get 1.5 cents per dollar.

Another other option is airline cards, particularly for those who might get some value out of things like the Delta MQM bonus & MQD waiver or the United PQD waiver. Though people who value those are likely already claiming those as a higher priority than using the SPG Amex. I guess people who are claiming a Delta MQD waiver could consider going deeper on Delta and getting a second MQM bonus, as underwhelming as earning SkyMiles is.

I guess the new Barclays card with transferable points could also be worth considering, since IIRC it gives the same return on everything, so if you can squeeze some interesting opportunities out of their transfer partners, it's at least no worse a card for non-bonus spend than it would be for any other category. If you happened to like using SPG points for JAL transfers, the new Barclays card seems like about the only game in town, as underwhelming as it is.

If you value hotel redemptions, I think there's a chance the Marriott cards could continue to be worth considering. (I am not one of those who thinks the new Marriott award chart is going to be a massive devaluation, but that is to be seen.) For those who value airline miles, clearly not.
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 1:53 pm
  #95  
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Originally Posted by geo1005
I currently hold the basic Marriott Rewards card and both the SPG Amex and Business Amex (and Chase Sapphire Reserve). All of my travel is leisure.

As it stands now (and certainly subject to change) I will likely drop the SPG Business card altogether, product switch the base Marriott card to the Marriott Premier Plus (if only for the one free anniv. night up to 35,000 pts.) and up the SPG Amex to the SPG Luxury Card (I know I'll use the $300 SPG spend credit anyway so that card only costs me $150) for Gold Status and actual SPG/Marriott spend.
I think the Amex Luxury Card earns the same amount of points per dollar spent as the new Chase card right? Both are 6x. (The current Chase card is 5x but the new one is 6x.)

Up to you but I'm not convinced of the value proposition for the Luxury card personally. It earns more than the Chase card on airfare and restaurant spend, but the Chase Sapphire Reserve beats it there already (3 UR points is worth at least as much as 3 Marriott points, by definition). On other spend categories it earns the same as the Chase. And the new Chase card will earn 15 nights' elite credit per year, so it would only take 10 more nights to qualify for Gold anyway.

The Luxury card does also get you the free night up to 50K points, so that plus the $300 credit may cover the fee on net, but not clear there's a lot more upside value to the card beyond that, unless someone were going to target the Platinum for $75K spend option.
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 5:59 pm
  #96  
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So here is my plan... I fly American Airlines almost exclusively. And in the past I would convert most of my Starpoints to AA miles (20K points to 25K miles). I currently have the aviator red card which I use only to purchase airline tickets for work. My plan is to cancel my SPG Amex and upgrade the Aviator Red to the Aviator Silver. With the Aviator Silver I get 3 miles per dollar spent on airlines and 2 miles for dollars spent at hotels (including Marriott properties) and car rentals. Everyday spend gets me 1 mile. The card costs $195 per year which would be a wash considering how much the SPG Amex and the Aviator Red currently cost. I would also continue to earn Marriott points for my stays without the use of a credit card. Considering that I was using most of my starpoints for AA miles, I think this might be the best route for me. I would love some feedback on my proposal.
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 8:13 pm
  #97  
 
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Originally Posted by digimon
So here is my plan... I fly American Airlines almost exclusively. And in the past I would convert most of my Starpoints to AA miles (20K points to 25K miles). I currently have the aviator red card which I use only to purchase airline tickets for work. My plan is to cancel my SPG Amex and upgrade the Aviator Red to the Aviator Silver. With the Aviator Silver I get 3 miles per dollar spent on airlines and 2 miles for dollars spent at hotels (including Marriott properties) and car rentals. Everyday spend gets me 1 mile. The card costs $195 per year which would be a wash considering how much the SPG Amex and the Aviator Red currently cost. I would also continue to earn Marriott points for my stays without the use of a credit card. Considering that I was using most of my starpoints for AA miles, I think this might be the best route for me. I would love some feedback on my proposal.
That plan would work.. I also hold the same cards but have had the SPG Amex since 2007 so it helps boost my credit score due to the age of the account. So I don't really want to cancel it. I'm not sure how long you have had the card but for an older account it may impact your score. A newer account not so much. I may hold out and see what the SPG card morphs into.
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 8:17 pm
  #98  
 
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Cards cards, what to do w/ these cards

I've got the personal and business MR Visa, and the personal and business SPG AMEX. I'd made sure to get all four in advance of the programs being merged. From what I understand, I won't get the benefit of having all of the nights from the cards applied to my account; total nights is capped at 15.

The annual fees on the cards will eventually make it logical to bag two of them; most likely the off card from each portfolio (bag the MR biz and the personal AMEX).

Anyone have similar card holdings and have thoughts on whether / when to close the accounts? Wait and see what kind of offers if any we get?
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 8:21 pm
  #99  
 
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Chase Freedom Unlimited is now 3x UR on all purchases for the first year for new cardmembers.
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 9:07 pm
  #100  
 
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For non-bonus category spend, I will continue to use what I have been using all along: Amex Blue Biz Plus. 2x points on every purchase up to 50k a year. No AF.

Last edited by happychic; Apr 20, 2018 at 2:59 am
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Old Apr 19, 2018, 10:57 pm
  #101  
 
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Originally Posted by kavok


My guess is that if you get the luxury Amex, and spend enough to get Plat status, that the then earned plat status would count towards the 10 years of platinum status needed for eventual lifetime Plat.

The problem to be aware of is that even though you are getting Plat status each year because of Amex Spend, you are not also getting 75 night credits with it. Thus to reach the 600 night requirement for the Lifetime Plat, it may be much harder to do.

Remember, the new lifetime Plat requirement is now 10 Years Plat status AND 600 total nights.

So as far as we know the new AMEX luxury won't have the 1 night credit for 3K spend? That'd only be on the current Marriott?

So if I can hit 75K spend on the AMEX luxury every year for 10 years that will hit the first lifetime platinum requirement but it won't go towards credit for 600 nights - I'd have to stay hotel nights plus any earned night credit by spending on a separate Marriott card? (and at 1 night credit per 3K I'd have to spent 600 x 3K = 1.8 million to get night credits if just going via CC spend alone!)

Thanks!

Last edited by mdcubsfan; Apr 19, 2018 at 11:23 pm
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Old Apr 20, 2018, 4:56 am
  #102  
 
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Originally Posted by Magic Pickles
Chase Freedom Unlimited is now 3x UR on all purchases for the first year for new cardmembers.
Where did you find that information?
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Old Apr 20, 2018, 5:36 am
  #103  
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Originally Posted by Chicago Cruzer
Where did you find that information?
https://creditcards.chase.com/cash-b...edom-unlimited
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Old Apr 20, 2018, 6:01 am
  #104  
 
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Originally Posted by bgriff
I think the Amex Luxury Card earns the same amount of points per dollar spent as the new Chase card right? Both are 6x. (The current Chase card is 5x but the new one is 6x.)

Up to you but I'm not convinced of the value proposition for the Luxury card personally. It earns more than the Chase card on airfare and restaurant spend, but the Chase Sapphire Reserve beats it there already (3 UR points is worth at least as much as 3 Marriott points, by definition). On other spend categories it earns the same as the Chase. And the new Chase card will earn 15 nights' elite credit per year, so it would only take 10 more nights to qualify for Gold anyway.

The Luxury card does also get you the free night up to 50K points, so that plus the $300 credit may cover the fee on net, but not clear there's a lot more upside value to the card beyond that, unless someone were going to target the Platinum for $75K spend option.
Just to be clear...the 6 points you reference is just for SPG/MR hotel spend.
Restaurants and flights will be at 3 so that is the same as if you used your CSR card. The big question is IF you value 1 Chase UR point = 1 MR point. I would think most people do NOT.
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Old Apr 20, 2018, 6:54 am
  #105  
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Originally Posted by christianj
Just to be clear...the 6 points you reference is just for SPG/MR hotel spend.
Restaurants and flights will be at 3 so that is the same as if you used your CSR card. The big question is IF you value 1 Chase UR point = 1 MR point. I would think most people do NOT.
Right, that's my point. There's no reason to use the Amex Luxury card for restaurant and flight spend if you also have a CSR.
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