Club Membership Renewal Strategy

 
Old Dec 1, 2014, 5:46 pm
  #1  
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Club Membership Renewal Strategy

My Club membership (USAir) expires 1/3/2015. As I remember, I waited until the first of the year to renew/join to take advantage of the 5000 PQM award due to the Amex discontinuance.

I need to renew, but wonder if it makes sense to take the AA Credit Card, wait for a PQM Renewal, or just take my Chairmans discount and renew. I see the Admirals club is more expensive than the USAir club.

Thoughts?

Z
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Old Dec 1, 2014, 5:58 pm
  #2  
 
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I am 99.99% sure that the PQM renewal will not happen ever again, so rule that option out.
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Old Dec 1, 2014, 6:03 pm
  #3  
 
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Agree that we will never see the 5000 PQM again. So I ponied up the $450 fee and got the AA MasterCard for the 50,000 bonus miles in year one. Doubt I will keep the card for a second year so not sure what I will do next year.
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Old Dec 1, 2014, 6:27 pm
  #4  
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Oh wait, now I see there is a 45K miles option as well. Maybe a profitable way to burn miles?

I guess its a 45K vs $350 argument.....
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Old Dec 1, 2014, 6:39 pm
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45k miles should net you much more than $350.
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Old Dec 2, 2014, 2:59 pm
  #6  
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I've been using the Citi Executive card because of the features:

Full Admirals Club membership (including access when not flying, access to QANTAS Clubs in Australia when flying QF, and those lounges with reciprocal access such as FRA Sakura Club, AS Board Room access, etc. (conditions always apply).

No foreign exchange fees when spending overseas or foreign-located businesses and EMV chip (chip and signature, not chip and pin at this time.

10,000 EQM if you have purchases of $40,000 by the December account report.

Two miles per dollar spent on AA.

25% discount on in-cabin purchases on AA and US, and a bag waiver for cardholder and companions, priority access, etc.

http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/ea...-executive.jsp

For me the forex waiver is quite useful, beyond the Club access / membership issue. The less useful ones to me are the EQM (they're countable for status, but iirc they are not accounted for as redeemable miles and I qualify on EQP before I qualify on miles), the priority access etc.

Last edited by JDiver; Dec 2, 2014 at 3:04 pm
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Old Dec 2, 2014, 6:04 pm
  #7  
 
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Originally Posted by Zanotti
Oh wait, now I see there is a 45K miles option as well. Maybe a profitable way to burn miles?

I guess its a 45K vs $350 argument.....
Originally Posted by heyeaglefn
45k miles should net you much more than $350.
Gosh, yeah ... Plenty of folks are holding the US Barclays MC for just the 10K renewal at $89/year, or $0.0089 a bonus mile, and I daresay all of them would trade you $350 for 45K miles ($0.0078 a bonus mile).

Speaking of burning miles at 45K a clip, with the US Barclays MC, that's the price of a Low First Class RT. I'm flying three family members out West in F at that price (per RT ticket), and everyone is happy as a pig in ... US First Class.

It's not exactly the answer you are looking for, and I hate to shill for a credit card ... but in addition to the AA Citi card, as per above (which I don't have), I have gotten enough value out of the Am Ex Plat card that I rationalize keeping it by putting the annual $200 airline toward my US Club membership. If you don't have one, you could potentially get one now and get $200 toward the Club in 2014 and another $200 toward same in 2015. (A calendar year benefit.) I realize that the opportunity cost is not using that benefit towards AA gift cards, but ... whatever!

Last edited by Biggie Fries; Dec 2, 2014 at 6:06 pm Reason: reference to post just above for less incoherence (if not greater coherence)
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Old Dec 2, 2014, 7:15 pm
  #8  
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Here is why I love this forum, lots of great ideas.

I already have a PT Amex and completely forgot about the $200 offset. So that is my plan, use the Amex and offset the $350 (Chairman,s) cost against my renewal. No new CC necessary and no unnecessary burning of miles!

Thanks to all for contributing.

Z
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Old Dec 3, 2014, 8:48 am
  #9  
 
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Is the Amex Platinum not offering the additional $200 or $500 only towards club membership again this year (after the pull-out). If that goes away, the $200 isn't worth it and might be the push to give up the Amex and shift to the Citi card
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Old Dec 3, 2014, 8:55 am
  #10  
 
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Originally Posted by TwoDecks
Is the Amex Platinum not offering the additional $200 or $500 only towards club membership again this year (after the pull-out). If that goes away, the $200 isn't worth it and might be the push to give up the Amex and shift to the Citi card
No, that was a one time offer. They've added other things that makes up for the loss (In their mind).
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Old Dec 3, 2014, 9:46 am
  #11  
 
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I used miles. Not much I can do with miles these days so it worked better for me than paying cash. Yes - I could have done a lot better than $350 for these miles but the way things are going, at least I did use my miles for something and can use the money for something else. Shoes for example
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Old Dec 3, 2014, 11:40 am
  #12  
 
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When I got the AA Exec card, they were offering 100,000 miles if I did $10,000 in spending in 3 months.

For the annual fee and the club membership, it was a very easy call.
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Old Dec 3, 2014, 9:44 pm
  #13  
 
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The Citi Exec seems to be the no brainer option. I'll probably opt for it when my club membership expires in October.

Last edited by Michael El; Dec 6, 2014 at 1:28 am
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Old Dec 4, 2014, 3:08 am
  #14  
 
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Special Dividend Applicable to Club Membership?

[QUOTE=Zanotti;23926369]My Club membership (USAir) expires 1/3/2015. As I remember, I waited until the first of the year to renew/join to take advantage of the 5000 PQM award due to the Amex discontinuance.

I need to renew, but wonder if it makes sense to take the AA Credit Card, wait for a PQM Renewal, or just take my Chairmans discount and renew. I see the Admirals club is more expensive than the USAir club.

Thoughts?

I'm a lowly Gold member, so the Club membership is $400. The $450 cost of the card is a no-brainer.

However, I'm eligible for the special dividend to make one's spouse a member. If one gets membership on the card, would the special dividend conferring Admirals Club membership on one's spouse be applicable?

Thanks!
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