re: Credit Card Rewards and Points Discussion

Thinking I may go ahead and stack either the Plat or gold Amex... Since their travel credits go calendar year, can hit it before Jan 1 and then immediately grab it after the new year to pretty much eliminate the annual fee.

quote:

---

Already got the 100k about 3yrs back and I know there is language about only receiving one welcome bonus in a lifetime.

---

If you already got the bonus for the Plat you will not get another one. You can get the Biz Plat version and get the bonus though. They just raised that fee to $595.

quote:

---

Thinking I may go ahead and stack either the Plat or gold Amex... Since their travel credits go calendar year, can hit it before Jan 1 and then immediately grab it after the new year to pretty much eliminate the annual fee.

---

This is Triple dip season----Airline travel fee credits are once per calendar year. If you redeem (I just pick an airline and then buy a gift card) before 2019 (single), again in 2019 (double), then January of 2020 (triple)...then cancel card in January 2020 (your annual fee will be refunded) if you wish.

Same for the Amex Plat $200 and Hilton Aspire $250 Airline fee credits.

Yeah, I got my CSR right after they changed it too. But AMEX travel credit is shite compared to CSR so it's a trade off. I'm keeping my CSR unless I really decide MR are better for me and I go AMEX Plat. I would probably get the CSP at that point instead. But I think UR are great for me so far.

I got the Rose Gold card and will see how I like the AMEX system. Did my $100 gc on AA this past week and will do it again next year at some point unless I use it legitimately on an airline for fees. I don't like how you have to register the airline or register to get the dining credit, etc. Seems silly and they're definitely not as great as they sound. $10 a month instead of just giving $120. Also, AMEX charges you to transfer your points over to miles which is beyond pathetic.

quote:

---

But AMEX travel credit is shite compared to CSR

---

Agree 100%.. A $900 flight on CSR is only 60k pts where as its 140k through AMEX.

I just want the Amex for the points to either transfer to partners or to buy gift cards, plus all the travel credits with airlines, uber, and the likes.


Still can't decide between Gold and Plat though. Really don't know about the 5k spend for Platinum, especially with just getting the Ink Preferred and having a 5k spend with that.

quote:

---

But AMEX travel credit is shite compared to CSR

---

I use to think this until I started flying to Asia with a free stop over for 80K Amex MR pts and then 92K Amex pts direct round trip from Houston to Tokyo in first class on ANA (normally cost $23k).

quote:

---

He's talking about the $200 travel credit not points transfers.

---

I mean Chase let’s nearky anything code as travel, so easy to get the $300. AMEX makes you choose 1 airline, it’s $200, and it’s a joke to get the credit, so CSR clearly wins there.

quote:

---

I need to build up my points versatility. Got about a million miles between UR, American and United. MR is a big fat zero.

---

All this is why I got the Gold to try and then will get Plat if I like. We plan on doing the RTW on ANA biz class for about 130k MR.

I would hardly call it shite. Pick an airline, buy gift card....profit. Pretty simple to me.

This is from someone with over 800k UR.

I’m no Amex fanboy by any stretch but to say Chase is eating their lunch is a far cry. Maybe when they threw the first stone with the 100k UR CSR and to folks who simply use 1.5x portal purchases, but Amex has stepped up their game considerably. I still keep the CSR/freedom/biz unlimited but the Amex Trifecta of plat/gold/biz blue has taken wallet space.

Obviously it’s ymmv of what and how, where one wants to travel, but to the niche enthusiast who knows how to maximize ccp (mainly J/F international travel highlighted by lsuregit above as one example), Amex MR is very very valuable.

Next move is on chase. As long as Citi keeps giving me 75k AA pts average every couple of weeks, I’m not stopping that train either lol

quote:

---

I think it’s an easy choice, quickly get the Gold and then maybe do Plat next year. Only $2k spend for 50k MR with a referral link

---

Yeah, it is, but the platinum is so tempting. But I’ve got the CSR, so.

May do Gold right now and then add platinum next fall. If the platinum sign up was more than 60k, like 75, I’d go that route, but the 50k for gold is a steal, plus the promo on dining for the first couple of months and 4% back on restaurants is incredible.