topic Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately in Credit Cards

Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

redpat — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 14:51:56 GMT

Since amex personal plat went 5x for airfare and bus plat give 35% rebate on redemptions is kicking my CSR butt lately. AFs don't matter because you can get a ton more value and points than the AF anyway, bus plat cost about $100 (450-200credit-150+- for gogo in-flight passes), $65 after taxes, lol!

My two best AA airline cards.

Re: Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 15:18:19 GMT

The main reason folks use CSR over Plat for airfare is travel insurance. I have a lot of friends who spend an average family's household income in airfare, and they all switched to CSR because of the travel insurance.

Amex, if you're reading this, you need to enhance the travel insurance perks for the Platinum.

Re: Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

redpat — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 15:37:08 GMT

@Anonymouswrote:
The main reason folks use CSR over Plat for airfare is travel insurance. I have a lot of friends who spend an average family's household income in airfare, and they all switched to CSR because of the travel insurance.

Amex, if you're reading this, you need to enhance the travel insurance perks for the Platinum.

I find that really overrated, I can afford to self-insure if or when that happens. I spend a fair amount myself.

Re: Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

SkyCommander — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 16:19:10 GMT

I don’t have CSR but I feel more confident that if I buy a plane ticket with my Hyatt Card (Visa signature) there is a better chance that if my flight gets delayed or cancelled my hotel room and food expenses will be covered. After it happens once you’re glad to have used that card than Amex.

Re: Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

redpat — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 16:49:03 GMT

I don't understand why so many are scared to travel without trip delay or travel insurance. Good golly miss molly........All of last year I had one stay over and I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express for $85 not the end of the world for the amount of trips I had in 2017 and if I'm delayed I will suck down some snacks and a couple of beers in the Admirals Lounge. Penny wise, pound foolish my friends, go with the pointsssssssss.

Re: Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

mongstradamus — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 16:52:49 GMT

For me CSR gets more usage due to the dining, if it was a card just for travel then you are probably right Plat > CSR

Re: Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

redpat — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 17:06:11 GMT

@mongstradamuswrote:
For me CSR gets more usage due to the dining, if it was a card just for travel then you are probably right Plat > CSR

Yep CSR for dinning and hotel stays but plat for FHR stays for 5x.

Re: Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

bz386 — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 17:07:45 GMT

FHR doesn’t earn 5x points.

Re: Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 17:17:58 GMT

I agree, I 100% self insure ALL travel. I've had 3 cancelled flights in the past 3 years (out of probably 300 flights total) and I just paid for rebooking on another airline and it was massively better than using travel insurance (even free travel insurance).

Amex Platinum at 5x MRs or 6.25% into Schwab is definitely the way to roll with airfare -- plus I do believe it still offers some travel benefits (medevac internationally?).

Re: Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

redpat — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 17:33:12 GMT

@bz386wrote:
FHR doesn’t earn 5x points.

Rumor it's going to change, we have to see. I'm jumping the gun for hoping so.

Re: Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 19:22:35 GMT

Imo, a better alternative to the CSR is the CSP + Citi Prestige. I know some people were able to get the Citi Prestige for the reduced $350 annual fee simply by asking for it in branch, but even if it's not possible anymore it should be possible by signing up for the Citi priority checking account. There's a $30 monthly fee for this account, but what you'd do is swallow the fee for 1 month and apply for the prestige during that month. Once you're approved and the annual fee drops, cancel the Citi priority status. Any account I've read of people who got the prestige when they were gold or priority but later lost that status still retained the reduced annual fee for the prestige card.

So anyway, Citi Prestige at $350 plus CSP at $95 comes to $445, while the CSR is $450. The travel credit on the Prestige isn't as versatile as the CSR, but imo since you can use it on airline tickets it's still valuable. So the effective fee for the CSP + Prestige combo comes to $195 after credit, and $150 for the CSR. The CSP gets you most of the CSR's unique Sapphire benefits, while the Prestige gives you most of the unique premium benefits. Imo, the Prestige outdoes the CSR in that regard: sure the CSR has unlimited guests for the PP access, but a lot of lounges limit you anyway and I don't travel in huge groups anyway so to each their own - but the Prestige gets you 3 hour trip delay instead of 6 hour, unlimited free roadside instead of a limited number of uses per year (I think the CSR limits you to 4 uses per year?) And will let you use it even if the car is at your home (CSR does not allow this), and 24 month purchase protection instead of the 12 month of the CSR (asksebby used his Prestige to buy a cell phone. It malfunctioned within 2 years and he got a full refund from Citi and got a new phone; a lot of people get a new phone every 2 years anyway), and to top it all off of course is the 4th night free hotel benefit. Plus, the CSP will allow you to maximize UR points from the Freedom and Ink cards just as effectively as the CSR, while the Prestige gives you almost all of the Thank You point earning opportunities of the Citi cards (gas on the premier is meh, what with no annual fee high cash back gas cards, and general travel at 3x on the premier is meh since you get 2x UR points with the CSP. The at&t card is meh, but it's a no AF card so you can always get that anyway).

I do have a "Chase quadfecta" with the CSP, and intend to get the Citi Preferred. I also intend to get the Amex Platinum mainly for Centurion lounge access since I fly out of DFW...I'd consider the Amex Platinum business for the airfare discount, but I can't hit the $10k min spend for business expenses and frankly with all the points and travel credits etc I doubt I'd see that much savings personally with the AP Business over personal.

Re: Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

UpperNwGuy — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 22:55:54 GMT

@Anonymouswrote:
The main reason folks use CSR over Plat for airfare is travel insurance.

Not me! I use the CSR over the Amex Platinum because:

1. The CSR lets me transfer points to United miles, and I live in a United hub.

2. The CSR lets me earn 3x points for hotels that I book myself without going through a portal.

3. The CSR gives me 3x points for dining, unlike Platinum.

I frankly don't care about the travel insurance. I've never had to use it.

Re: Amex Combo is kicking the crap out of my CSR lately

redpat — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 01:38:35 GMT

@UpperNwGuywrote:
@Anonymouswrote:
The main reason folks use CSR over Plat for airfare is travel insurance.
Not me! I use the CSR over the Amex Platinum because:
1. The CSR lets me transfer points to United miles, and I live in a United hub.
2. The CSR lets me earn 3x points for hotels that I book myself without going through a portal.
3. The CSR gives me 3x points for dining, unlike Platinum.

I frankly don't care about the travel insurance. I've never had to use it.

I was speaking in terms of airline purchase. I use my CSR for dining and hotel. I fly AA. You still can fly united get 5x and redeem United w/ bus plat 35% rebate. I have a ton of AA miles and I get some better redemption w/ Amex than I get w/ AA miles. If you spend a lot on United do the math and you might be surprised on what you find out. I did, that is why I went with Amex. Also, you are forgetting you get miles and status with redeeming MR or UR points not when you transfer miles.