Ritz + Amex Plat

[sillykitty1]

I have an Amex Plat, and recently canceled my Ritz.  I find the Amex Plat offers more value, but I will likely cancel when the $550 AF hits next year.

Travel Credit

$200 Amex - limited to your chosen airline, but long standing loophole, that allows gift card reimbursement on several airlines

$300 Ritz - No loopholes, any airline but only valid on things like on board drink/food, seat upgrades, baggage fees

For me, and most frequent travelers, once you have airline status all incidental airline costs go away.  I lost my last 2 years of travel credit because I had no redemptions.  So the gc's I get from Amex even though limited to one airline have far more value

Earnings

Ritz - 5x Marriotts/Ritz, 2x SPG, 2x travel and dining, 1x all other

Amex - 5x flights, 5x prepaid hotel through portal, 1x everything else

Marriott points are much less valuable than MR points.  But honestly except for the 5x categories on each, there are much better earning cards out there with lower AF

Lounge Access

Ritz - Priority Pass

Amex - Priority Pass, Centurion & Delta SkyClub (when flying Delta)

Amex clearly wins here, more lounges,  Only Ritz benefit is unlimited PP guests while Amex is limited to 2 (although I have never had this enforced)

Visa Infinite

Ritz - $100 refund when buying airfare for 2-5 travelers

Can be beneficial to couples who buy cash fares.  Most of my personal travel is done with miles, so not as valuable

Car Rental CDW

Ritz - Primary, no excluded countries

Amex - Secondary unless a surcharge per rental is paid, many excluded countries

Primary rental coverage is worth having, but the CSR offers it for a better value IMO.  Amex excludes many countries from coverage, including popular countries like Italy & Ireland, so that is a negative

Hotel/Car Rental Status

Ritz - Marriott/SPG Gold, free first year, $10K spend there after

Amex - Marriott/SPG Gold, Hilton Gold, National Executive, Avis Preferred, Hertz Gold

Amex is the clear winner

Club Lounge Upgrade

Ritz - 3 upgrade certs when booking a non discounted Ritz stay

For me, I earn so many Marriott points naturally, there is no way I would pay a non discounted Ritz rate just to stay on the Club level.  Too many other things I'd rather do with my money

Uber Credit

Amex - $200 annual with strings

I spend several hundred per month on ride share, so it would be easy to use this credit.  But Uber's business practices have turned me off, so I now exclusively use lift.  But if Uber wasn't such a terrible company (IMO of course) this would be free money to me.

I'm sure there are things I missed ... but overall I think Amex Plat is a better package of benefits

[Anonymous]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@Creditplz wrote:
The sign up bonus on the Ritz, along with the $300 travel credit make it worth it to me.. and it is not subject to 5/24 as of 3/17

---

Agreed. Additionally the Global Entry application fee credit, Priority Pass Select, primary car rental insurance, trip interruption and cancellation insurance also make the AF worth it for me.

---

however wouldn't that be doubling up on the bases the Plat already covers?

---

If you are a frequent traveler it would pay to have both cards.  I have both cards and each serve it's own purpose.  Since I am WAY over 5/24 I don't qualify for the CSR so I primarily use the Ritz to purchase airline tickets for the trip cancellation/interruption insurance, the Priority Pass access (since there doesn't seem to be a limit on the numbers of guests you can bring in with you at no cost), and the $300 travel credit.  I use the Platinum for the access to Delta SkyClubs, Centurion lounges,  extended warranty protection on expensive items, $200 travel credit, and the Global Entry credit for myself and the authorized users on my account.  I also plan on keeping the Platinum for the elite status it gives me with Hilton, National Car Rental and SPG.  Since I get SPG gold with the Platinum and now that the Starwood/Marriott merger is complete I can keep Gold status with the Ritz Rewards program without having to spend $10k on the Ritz cc.  

[Anonymous]

---

@sillykitty1 wrote:

I have an Amex Plat, and recently canceled my Ritz.  I find the Amex Plat offers more value, but I will likely cancel when the $550 AF hits next year.

Travel Credit

$200 Amex - limited to your chosen airline, but long standing loophole, that allows gift card reimbursement on several airlines

$300 Ritz - No loopholes, any airline but only valid on things like on board drink/food, seat upgrades, baggage fees

For me, and most frequent travelers, once you have airline status all incidental airline costs go away.  I lost my last 2 years of travel credit because I had no redemptions.  So the gc's I get from Amex even though limited to one airline have far more value

Earnings

Ritz - 5x Marriotts/Ritz, 2x SPG, 2x travel and dining, 1x all other

Amex - 5x flights, 5x prepaid hotel through portal, 1x everything else

Marriott points are much less valuable than MR points.  But honestly except for the 5x categories on each, there are much better earning cards out there with lower AF

Lounge Access

Ritz - Priority Pass

Amex - Priority Pass, Centurion & Delta SkyClub (when flying Delta)

Amex clearly wins here, more lounges,  Only Ritz benefit is unlimited PP guests while Amex is limited to 2 (although I have never had this enforced)

Visa Infinite

Ritz - $100 refund when buying airfare for 2-5 travelers

Can be beneficial to couples who buy cash fares.  Most of my personal travel is done with miles, so not as valuable

Car Rental CDW

Ritz - Primary, no excluded countries

Amex - Secondary unless a surcharge per rental is paid, many excluded countries

Primary rental coverage is worth having, but the CSR offers it for a better value IMO.  Amex excludes many countries from coverage, including popular countries like Italy & Ireland, so that is a negative

Hotel/Car Rental Status

Ritz - Marriott/SPG Gold, free first year, $10K spend there after

Amex - Marriott/SPG Gold, Hilton Gold, National Executive, Avis Preferred, Hertz Gold

Amex is the clear winner

Club Lounge Upgrade

Ritz - 3 upgrade certs when booking a non discounted Ritz stay

For me, I earn so many Marriott points naturally, there is no way I would pay a non discounted Ritz rate just to stay on the Club level.  Too many other things I'd rather do with my money

Uber Credit

Amex - $200 annual with strings

I spend several hundred per month on ride share, so it would be easy to use this credit.  But Uber's business practices have turned me off, so I now exclusively use lift.  But if Uber wasn't such a terrible company (IMO of course) this would be free money to me.

I'm sure there are things I missed ... but overall I think Amex Plat is a better package of benefits

---

This is definitely a good point about the increase in the AF.  Just like you, my AF will hit before the cut off so I will pay $450 this year.  My hope is that AMEX will add more perks or benefits between now and then to help justify the increase in the AF.  For now - I plan on keeping both cards in my wallet. 

[Anonymous]

The other reason i like my Ritz is i have it at the Lower AF.
To each their own. I buy the basic room at the ritz and then i get the club upgrade. My best upgrade ever was 2 new years ago i bought 2 king rooms for myself / wife and my brother and his wife. I used 2 club level upgrades and when we checked in since i was i guess the only platinum member during the stay me and my wife was upgraded to the Presidential/ritz-carlton suite for our 2 nights. I paid less than $500 for 2 rooms and was given the equivalent of $7500s worth of rooms. So yes i am bias because i have had great luck with my ritz card.
I dont travel for business so my family uses the 100 credit easy.
This is my last post for this because no one will change a persons mind on what TOP level card is best "for them".
Have a blessed day and keep on truckin.

[finfree]

I realize this is an older thread, but as a new Ritz cardholder, who also has Amex Platinum and CSR (I know- seems like overkill, but I derive more than the AF in benefits from each of the three) I have to say the Ritz is turning out to be my most valuable card. I’ve already booked three flights for DH and me on the Ritz Visa Discount Air portal, saving $300 (3 x $100) on pre-discount fares identical to the fares Google Flights shows. This really makes quick getaway trips so affordable (example: booked DC to Chicago for $65.00/person r/t). We plan to use the $300 travel credit for baggage fees on these and additional flights. Booked one of the two night SUB at the RC Laguna Niguel (regular rate is $739/night for the night we chose)- we’ve stayed there before and this stay fits into an already scheduled trip to So Cal. I don’t care about Ritz’s Priority Pass benefit for me because I already have it with CSR, but I just signed DH up for free as an AU, not just for points, but in order for him to get his own Priority Pass that he can use when he travels without me (as he does to visit his grown children and other family). I haven’t been at all impressed by the Ritz Concierge service (called with a question and got plenty of attitude yet zilch information) but that’s a minor annoyance. I was wary about applying for the Ritz card, but for me it seems to offer a remarkable package of benefits.