Jan 5, 2015, 11:45 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Previous thread -- Presidential Plus Card Changes
Related thread - General Questions re: MileagePlus Flex PQM
This legacy Chase credit card is not taking new applications. Compiled below is a comparison of current card-derived vs. status-derived benefits.
Overall, the current benefits of the PP and the replacement Club card are nearly identical. The key trade-off is increased redeemable mile (RDM) earnings with the Club card vs. FPQM with the PP card. Basically, the Club card earns an incremental 0.5 RDM / $1 vs. the PP card’s 0.2 PQM / $1. This sets a 2.5 RDM : $1 PQM ratio, which puts a price on PQMs earned this way at $0.025 to $0.050. Given that PQMs cost atleast $0.08 or more each if purchased early in the year via award accelerator, this is a pretty good deal for those who anticipate falling short of the upcoming year’s desired Silver / Gold / Platinum threshold.
Benefits unique to the PP card:
- 1000 FPQM per $5,000 spend (or 0.2 / $1)
- FPQMs are only valid for Premier Silver / Gold / Platinum status, expire 3 years after earning
- 1 RDM / $1 card spend (x2 hotel & rental cars for personal card, x2 restaurants, gas, office supplies for business card)
- Premier Qualifying Dollar (PQD) waiver (no minimum card spend, doesn’t apply to 1K)
Benefits unique to the Club card:
- 1.5 RDM / $1 card spend
- PQD waiver (with $25,000 minimum card spend, doesn’t apply to 1K)
Benefits shared between PP and Club cards:
- $395 annual fee
- United club membership (vs. $450 1K/GS, $500 Platinum, $550 Gold, $550 Silver, $550 GM, +$550 with spouse)
-Waiver of 4 segment on United flights for Premier qualification (removed in 2020)
- Premier Access (group 2 boarding)
- 2 free checked bags (vs. 1 Silver, 2 Gold, 3 Platinum)
- Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum
- Hertz Hertz President's Circle status (vs. Five Star for Premier Silver / Gold) (expiring 31 January 2023)
- CPU on award tickets
- No <21 day award booking fees (vs. $50 Silver, $25 Gold, $0 Platinum)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Concierge service
Benefits compared to Explorer card:
- only $95 annual fee
- only 1 free bag for cardholder and 1 companion
- 1 RDM / $1 card spend, +10,000 bonus after $25,000 card spend)
- 2 single-use club passes
- Premier Access (group 2 boarding)
- Premier Qualifying Dollar waiver (with $25,000 minimum card spend)
Sources (accessed Jan 1, 2015):
Chase United Card Benefits
https://www.chase.com/online/Credit-...ewards-new.htm
United Premier Status Benefits
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...r/default.aspx
United Premier Status Qualification Requirements
Premier status qualification requirements
Prior FlyerTalk thread on Presidential Plus card changes
Presidential Plus Card Changes
Based on post by pstrasma
Related thread - General Questions re: MileagePlus Flex PQM
This legacy Chase credit card is not taking new applications. Compiled below is a comparison of current card-derived vs. status-derived benefits.
Overall, the current benefits of the PP and the replacement Club card are nearly identical. The key trade-off is increased redeemable mile (RDM) earnings with the Club card vs. FPQM with the PP card. Basically, the Club card earns an incremental 0.5 RDM / $1 vs. the PP card’s 0.2 PQM / $1. This sets a 2.5 RDM : $1 PQM ratio, which puts a price on PQMs earned this way at $0.025 to $0.050. Given that PQMs cost atleast $0.08 or more each if purchased early in the year via award accelerator, this is a pretty good deal for those who anticipate falling short of the upcoming year’s desired Silver / Gold / Platinum threshold.
Benefits unique to the PP card:
- 1000 FPQM per $5,000 spend (or 0.2 / $1)
- FPQMs are only valid for Premier Silver / Gold / Platinum status, expire 3 years after earning
- 1 RDM / $1 card spend (x2 hotel & rental cars for personal card, x2 restaurants, gas, office supplies for business card)
- Premier Qualifying Dollar (PQD) waiver (no minimum card spend, doesn’t apply to 1K)
Benefits unique to the Club card:
- 1.5 RDM / $1 card spend
- PQD waiver (with $25,000 minimum card spend, doesn’t apply to 1K)
Benefits shared between PP and Club cards:
- $395 annual fee
- United club membership (vs. $450 1K/GS, $500 Platinum, $550 Gold, $550 Silver, $550 GM, +$550 with spouse)
-
- Premier Access (group 2 boarding)
- 2 free checked bags (vs. 1 Silver, 2 Gold, 3 Platinum)
- Hyatt Gold Passport Platinum
- Hertz Hertz President's Circle status (vs. Five Star for Premier Silver / Gold) (expiring 31 January 2023)
- CPU on award tickets
- No <21 day award booking fees (vs. $50 Silver, $25 Gold, $0 Platinum)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Concierge service
Benefits compared to Explorer card:
- only $95 annual fee
- only 1 free bag for cardholder and 1 companion
- 1 RDM / $1 card spend, +10,000 bonus after $25,000 card spend)
- 2 single-use club passes
- Premier Access (group 2 boarding)
- Premier Qualifying Dollar waiver (with $25,000 minimum card spend)
Sources (accessed Jan 1, 2015):
Chase United Card Benefits
https://www.chase.com/online/Credit-...ewards-new.htm
United Premier Status Benefits
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...r/default.aspx
United Premier Status Qualification Requirements
Premier status qualification requirements
Prior FlyerTalk thread on Presidential Plus card changes
Presidential Plus Card Changes
Based on post by pstrasma
PresidentialPlus credit card - Benefits, Q&A, .... (impact of 2019 & 2020 MP changes)
May 1, 2017, 9:35 pm
#496
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,376
.
May 2, 2017, 9:05 am
#500
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA 1K 1MMer & LT UC (when flying UA); Hyatt Credit Cardist; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold via UA 1K
Posts: 6,956
I may end up springing for the Amex Platinum card, even at $550. The one thing holding me back is that there are no Amex lounges in the airports which I frequent.
My annual fee does not kick in until November, so I've got time to plan. I may just cancel my PP card and shift that spend onto my AA and Hilton credit cards. I think it might be prudent to hold off on making any decisions until I see what the combined SPG/MR program will look like, and what their (new?) credit cards will look like.
May 2, 2017, 9:09 am
#501
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 5,814
You might be waiting for awhile. The combined SPG/MR program may launch as late as 2019 (so they may announce the details sometime in 2018 if that's the case).
May 2, 2017, 9:59 am
#502
Join Date: May 2017
Programs: United
Posts: 7
Lifetime Club Member
I got the mailing yesterday that indicated that the Annual Membership Fee was being "revised" from $100 to $450.
So I called the Chase number for Presidential Plus to no avail. I explained (several times) that I was a lifetime member of United Club so I had already paid for my Club membership and thus paid a lower rate than the $450 rate charged to someone who was getting their membership as a benefit.
The customer service representative told me that the new rate included "new benefits" but when I asked her what they were she couldn't find them. She said the card was switching to a "new program" but couldn't tell me any more than that. The only option she offered was to reject the change which I said I didn't want to do.
Finally she said that she would have to send my query to United and they would get back to me, by mail, in 7-10 days.
The customer service representative told me that the new rate included "new benefits" but when I asked her what they were she couldn't find them. She said the card was switching to a "new program" but couldn't tell me any more than that. The only option she offered was to reject the change which I said I didn't want to do.
Finally she said that she would have to send my query to United and they would get back to me, by mail, in 7-10 days.
May 2, 2017, 10:15 am
#503
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,682
I got the mailing yesterday that indicated that the Annual Membership Fee was being "revised" from $100 to $450.
So I called the Chase number for Presidential Plus to no avail. I explained (several times) that I was a lifetime member of United Club so I had already paid for my Club membership and thus paid a lower rate than the $450 rate charged to someone who was getting their membership as a benefit.
The customer service representative told me that the new rate included "new benefits" but when I asked her what they were she couldn't find them. She said the card was switching to a "new program" but couldn't tell me any more than that. The only option she offered was to reject the change which I said I didn't want to do.
Finally she said that she would have to send my query to United and they would get back to me, by mail, in 7-10 days.
So I called the Chase number for Presidential Plus to no avail. I explained (several times) that I was a lifetime member of United Club so I had already paid for my Club membership and thus paid a lower rate than the $450 rate charged to someone who was getting their membership as a benefit.
The customer service representative told me that the new rate included "new benefits" but when I asked her what they were she couldn't find them. She said the card was switching to a "new program" but couldn't tell me any more than that. The only option she offered was to reject the change which I said I didn't want to do.
Finally she said that she would have to send my query to United and they would get back to me, by mail, in 7-10 days.
I just got charged my $100 annual fee yesterday. Hopefully we can sort out this in the next 364 days!
May 2, 2017, 10:15 am
#504
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 5,814
May 2, 2017, 1:10 pm
#505
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: The Americas
Programs: *G, CO Plat, UA 1P, Etihad Gold, Marriott Prem Plat, Avis Pres
Posts: 118
May 2, 2017, 2:16 pm
#506
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: NJ
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, UA Silver, dirt elsewhere
Posts: 46,919
The only reason I keep this card is for the PQM to use in years where I don't make it to lowly Silver.
If they remove that benefit I'll just trash the card and/or downgrade.
If they remove that benefit I'll just trash the card and/or downgrade.
May 2, 2017, 4:10 pm
#507
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,969
That's kind of obvious. There's very little, if any, reason to have the PP card if you don't use the FEQM benefit.
May 2, 2017, 5:38 pm
#508
Join Date: May 2001
Location: HNL
Posts: 1,013
May 2, 2017, 6:44 pm
#509
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: UA 1k MM, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 256
Agree to both benefits. Since retiring almost three years ago I dropped to PPlat but can easily maintain that on $5k spend plus FEQM. At $75 extra it's still well worth it.
May 2, 2017, 7:25 pm
#510
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,670
AMEX Plat doesn't give free primary cDW, though cheaper cards like Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserve do.