topic Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out in Credit Cards

Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Saleen099 — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 22:49:48 GMT

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/citi-considering-changes-citi-prestige-survey-sent/

Citi might be considering more changes to the Citi Prestige card after already making changes on July 23rd of this year. A survey was sent out (offering $25 Amazon gift card for completing it) regarding possible changes to the Citi.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

UpperNwGuy — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 00:54:50 GMT

Wow! A very complicated survey. My opinion is that Citi has belatedly realized the magnitude of their error in devaluing their Prestige card just as Chase was introducing their Sapphire Reserve card and Amex was upgrading the benefits on their Platinum card. Citi went from #1 to #3 in the high-end card standings. In fact, the Citi Premier has better rewards (for most people) than the Citi Prestige. Citi either needs to upgrade the Prestige or shut it down.

I was disappointed that their survey omitted two of the most obvious improvements that could be made to the Prestige: better redemptions on American Airlines flights and access to American Airlines lounges. Until Citi figures out how to achieve a tighter relationship with American (similar to the Amex-Delta relationship and the Chase-United relationship), they are wasting their time.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 02:30:48 GMT

All the options they suggest do not make the Prestige a keeper. Get better transfer partners. Why do I want better rewards level on airfare purchases when the whole point of these cards is to get airfare for free. Maybe a hotel credit instead of an air credit would be better. If the transfer partners are t the best why do I care what category is going to earn me the most points. And the stay 7 nights get the eighth night free is comical. How often do people stay 8 nights in the same hotel?

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 02:43:04 GMT

I read that hotel part a little differently. One reason people don't like the current prestige is because not many people stay 4 straight nights at the same hotel making the perk useless. The way I read the possible change is that after you pay for any 7 nights on the card at any hotel, you'll get the next night for free at any hotel. This would make more sense for those weekend travelers who make a lot of short trips.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 02:48:51 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I read that hotel part a little differently. One reason people don't like the current prestige is because not many people stay 4 straight nights at the same hotel making the perk useless. The way I read the possible change is that after you pay for any 7 nights on the card at any hotel, you'll get the next night for free at any hotel. This would make more sense for those weekend travelers who make a lot of short trips.

Oh you are probably right. I wonder how they would calculate the value of your 8th night. Obviously spending 7 nights at motel 6 isnt going to get you a free night at the four seasons.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 02:53:58 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I read that hotel part a little differently. One reason people don't like the current prestige is because not many people stay 4 straight nights at the same hotel making the perk useless. The way I read the possible change is that after you pay for any 7 nights on the card at any hotel, you'll get the next night for free at any hotel. This would make more sense for those weekend travelers who make a lot of short trips.

Beg to disagree. No idea where you get that noton. It's far from being a 'useles' perk, A lot of people stay at hotel rooms 4 nights or longer and the 4th night free is the single biggest perk/attraction of this card now and has been that way. Most people that go on vactions go for a week or longer and do not like to change hotels. That benefit is hugely popular and can save people thousands of dollars a year if they travel a lot. It's a benefit that is the single biggest perk of any high end travel card. Were Citi to drop that feature, the vast majority of Prestige card holders would cancel that card.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 02:52:13 GMT

It might. Before the change they paid for the price of the 4th night no matter what it was. For example people would stay at a Vegas hotel Wednesday-saturday night. They paid $69 per night during the week and got $200 free for the Saturday night. I think paying for 7 night at a hotel anywhere shows enough spend on the card for them to offer a good incentive. Or perhaps they'll take the average of the 7 nights and put that towards the 8th night. Pretty much the way it is now, but at an even lower value. Just a couple guesses.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 02:54:37 GMT

I got that notion from the many reviews I read about the card. And I said it's a useless perk if you don't spend 4 days at the same hotel too often, which it is. If you spend 4 days at a hotel, then yes it's great. But even the average traveler isn't doing that.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 02:57:41 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
It might. Before the change they paid for the price of the 4th night no matter what it was. For example people would stay at a Vegas hotel Wednesday-saturday night. They paid $69 per night during the week and got $200 free for the Saturday night. I think paying for 7 night at a hotel anywhere shows enough spend on the card for them to offer a good incentive. Or perhaps they'll take the average of the 7 nights and put that towards the 8th night. Pretty much the way it is now, but at an even lower value. Just a couple guesses.

Yes, the drop fro the 4th night free to an average night hurt those kinds of travelers but the huge increase from a weekday night to wekeend is not typical of most hotels/locations. Weekends cost more but unlike Vegas which caters to weekend only guests.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 03:01:32 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I got that notion from the many reviews I read about the card. And I said it's a useless perk if you don't spend 4 days at the same hotel too often, which it is. If you spend 4 days at a hotel, then yes it's great. But even the average traveler isn't doing that.

I'm sorry but you're not reading accurate reviews. The 4th night free is what attracts people to that card. The card isn't for 'average' travelers. People get the card specifically for that benefit because they do stay 4 nights or longer which is far less atypical than you make it out to be. No other card benefit has the potetial to save you the kind of money that you can get with the 4th night free. Not even anything close.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 03:18:49 GMT

Like I said. If you spend 4 straight nights at the same hotel and the price of the room is close to the same all 4 nights, this card is great. I spend roughly 60-80 days a year on the road and would only benefit from this maybe twice per year. I wouldn't benefit from this card. People who travel a lot on weekend trips wouldn't benefit from this. And people who wanted to travel to places like Vegas or New York where the weekend prices are way more expensive than weeknight prices wouldn't benefit from this. But of course this card is useful if you spend at least 4 nights at the same hotel a few times a year. I know people do that, but there's also many people who travel a lot who don't. And for those people it is a useless perk.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

UpperNwGuy — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 03:35:37 GMT

As a business traveler, prior to my retirement, I traveled a lot, but I rarely stayed four nights in the same place unless it was a conference, and the hotel room was usually part of a conference package. Since retiring, most of my vacation travel has been to Europe, and I tend to move from city to city every 3-4 days, so a fourth night free benefit doesn't do much for me. For me, the most attractive features of the Prestige were the now-cancelled benefits that related to American Airlines.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

wasCB14 — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 03:23:58 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
I got that notion from the many reviews I read about the card. And I said it's a useless perk if you don't spend 4 days at the same hotel too often, which it is. If you spend 4 days at a hotel, then yes it's great. But even the average traveler isn't doing that.
I'm sorry but you're not reading accurate reviews. The 4th night free is what attracts people to that card. The card isn't for 'average' travelers. People get the card specifically for that benefit because they do stay 4 nights or longer which is far less atypical than you make it out to be. No other card benefit has the potetial to save you the kind of money that you can get with the 4th night free. Not even anything close.

Some people definitely use it a lot. I suspect it's the frequent users that are driving Citi to consider making it 3rd night free, but capping it to twice a year. The same survey question also considers the option of requiring 4 nights, but limiting it to four times per year.

I speculated that Citi would end up facing this problem when the nerf was announced in 2016; when they nerf a card until it only appeals to card enthusiasts...4th nighters, travel insurance claimants, and retention seekers...those are generally the customers they're going to be stuck with!

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 03:28:15 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Like I said. If you spend 4 straight nights at the same hotel and the price of the room is close to the same all 4 nights, this card is great. I spend roughly 60-80 days a year on the road and would only benefit from this maybe twice per year. I wouldn't benefit from this card. People who travel a lot on weekend trips wouldn't benefit from this. And people who wanted to travel to places like Vegas or New York where the weekend prices are way more expensive than weeknight prices wouldn't benefit from this. But of course this card is useful if you spend at least 4 nights at the same hotel a few times a year. I know people do that, but there's also many people who travel a lot who don't. And for those people it is a useless perk.

That's all fine. The card was never intended to be for all travelers. The 4th night free was introduced by Citi to set it apart from other travel cards and what was/is attracted people to that card. Even with the change it can still save people thousands of dollars a year. Just because it might be a useless perk for you and some others doesn't mean that it's useless for those who have the card and got it for that specific benefit. There isn't a single travel card out there that is great for everyone.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 03:31:58 GMT

@wasCB14 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
I got that notion from the many reviews I read about the card. And I said it's a useless perk if you don't spend 4 days at the same hotel too often, which it is. If you spend 4 days at a hotel, then yes it's great. But even the average traveler isn't doing that.
I'm sorry but you're not reading accurate reviews. The 4th night free is what attracts people to that card. The card isn't for 'average' travelers. People get the card specifically for that benefit because they do stay 4 nights or longer which is far less atypical than you make it out to be. No other card benefit has the potetial to save you the kind of money that you can get with the 4th night free. Not even anything close.
Some people definitely use it a lot. I suspect it's the frequent users that are driving Citi to consider making it 3rd night free, but capping it to twice a year. The same survey question also considers the option of requiring 4 nights, but limiting it to four times per year.

I speculated that Citi would end up facing this problem when the nerf was announced in 2016; when they nerf a card until it only appeals to card enthusiasts...4th nighters, travel insurance claimants, and retention seekers...those are generally the customers they're going to be stuck with!

I think you're exactly right-Citi is considering changing it because it's costing them too much money not because it's a seldom used beneift.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

wasCB14 — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 03:41:21 GMT

The card is popular among consultants and other people who travel for work...arranging their own travel and paying with their own card, then getting reimbursed for expenses.

Book 4 nights, bill for 4 nights, get reimbursed for 4 nights...and keep the statement credit!

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 03:43:54 GMT

I got similar survey about 3-4 weeks ago but Chase Hyatt Visa, a lot of new options of benefits Hyatt Visa we will see in the future, including redesigned new card. Very indeed long survey! We will see something NEW from Citi Prestige and Chase Hyatt Visa soon or later.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

wasCB14 — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 03:45:31 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I got similar survey about 3-4 weeks ago but Chase Hyatt Visa, a lot of new options of benefits Hyatt Visa we will have in the future, including redesigned new card. Very indeed long survey! We will see something NEW from Citi Prestige and Chase Hyatt Visa soon or later.

Not all surveys mean imminent changes. There was a big survey for IHG and I don't recall any subsequent changes.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 04:08:29 GMT

I would product change to the Prestige and drop the Amex Plat if the rewards structure were better.

Something like 5x on flights and hotels, 3x on restaurants, 1.5x on everything else would be better.

Re: Citi Considering More Changes To Citi Prestige? Survey Sent Out

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 04:15:45 GMT

5x dining would make this card a killer