topic Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around..... in Credit Cards

Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Priory_Man — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 02:58:40 GMT

I currently have the AMEX Gold also the AMEX Delta Reserve, I have been contemplating getting the AMEX platinum. 
If I do that, I cannot really justify keeping the Delta reserve. 
Do you think AMEX would have an issue with me downgrading the Reserve card back to just a Dleta Gold (I like the free checked bag and priorty boarding). Medallion status is not a concern of mine as much anymore like it once was.
One other concern is I am not sure if there is a cap on the SL for the Delta Gold and that could also cause an issue as my Reserve card is at 28K.
Also I have held both the gold and platinum delta cards prior to this so I am not eligible for any SUBs.
I welcome all thoughts and ideas.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 19:51:21 GMT

I would app for the Delta Gold to get whatever SUB there is, then move over whatever SL you can from the Reserve and cancel. A little time consuming but ensures that you get whatever SUB is available.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Shadowfactor — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 19:53:41 GMT

No lender wants you to downgrade your card ever. But will it matter much to Amex ? Doubt it.
They care more about spending $$$.

If the bonus isn’t a concern to you, or if you’ve already had the Delta Platinum. That may be a better fit then the gold card. You still get a companion ticket (main cabin) and free baggage which I personally think the value proposition is better then the Gold at $95. It’s quite easy to offset the $195 AF with just the companion ticket and then you actually get free baggage.

No cap on SL’s with Amex cards at least not at that level. There may be high end caps but I would imagine those to be 100K + if they did exist which I don’t think they do.

Delta is changing their boarding process come 2019. I don’t think much is changing based on what I’ve seen (at least for card members) some elites seem to be getting a slight downgrade in certain situations.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 20:06:08 GMT

How long have you had the Delta Reserve and what is your renewal month?

If you downgrade the Delta Reserve I believe you may get pro-rated fee refund.

You would also keep the account history.

Compare:

Downgrade card, get refund, keep history, no spend requirement.

New card, no fee first year plus bonus.

If close I would lean towards the downgrade.

Downgrade should have no impact on credit report and less impact internally within Amex than an outright cancel.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Priory_Man — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 20:20:33 GMT

@Shadowfactor wrote:

If the bonus isn’t a concern to you, or if you’ve already had the Delta Platinum. That may be a better fit then the gold card. You still get a companion ticket (main cabin) and free baggage which I personally think the value proposition is better then the Gold at $95. It’s quite easy to offset the $195 AF with just the companion ticket and then you actually get free baggage.

Not eligable for any subs, my card actually started life as gold, then platinum and finally reserve. I had forgotten that the gold did not allow for the companion ticket so the Delta platinum may actually be the better choice.
Thanks for the response.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Priory_Man — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 20:17:02 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
How long have you had the Delta Reserve and what is your renewal month?
If you downgrade the Delta Reserve I believe you may get pro-rated fee refund.
You would also keep the account history.
Compare:
Downgrade card, get refund, keep history, no spend requirement.
vs
New card, no fee first year plus bonus.
If close I would lean towards the downgrade.
Downgrade should have no impact on credit report and less impact internally within Amex than an outright cancel.

It's been a reserve card for around 14 months, so I just payed the AF a couple of months ago. My thought has always been to downgrade, I had not considered cancelling and open a new card. Iv'e had the Delta card since 08 so it has a lot of history attached.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 21:11:02 GMT

how much are you flying per year?

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

K-in-Boston — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 21:31:35 GMT

Totally agree that downgrading is the way to go, and Amex will have no problem with it. Sounds like you agree that Platinum is a better value proposition than Gold. Having the Amex Platinum card of course will make the Delta Reserve's Sky Club access redundant (although technically you have a few weeks left to use Sky Club with the Reserve card even if not flying on Delta). If you're not eligible for any of the SUBs, then certainly a downgrade is the right choice unless you can make use of the domestic F companion ticket, in which case it's still a great value. Amex will have no problems with the credit line or the downgrade, although they may give you a retention offwr to stay where you are. You mentioned you no longer care about Medallion status; if you do still have it, having the Reserve card does give you upgrade priority over those in the same Medallion status and fare class, so that is worth considering. You will get a prorated refund of your $450, and a prorated $95/$195 AF for the Gold or Platinum card.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 23:26:22 GMT

Edit: oh you already had delta gold. Just downgrade the reserve, don't close it. If nothing else downgrade to delta blue for no fee but sounds like delta platinum 8s a better fit for you.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

patoot10 — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 23:45:11 GMT

If I were you I would downgrade the delta reserve card (as long as you had it for a year) to the free blue delta card.

Apply for the platinum and then use the travel credit for platinum or your gold card to offset the baggage fees and save yourself $95 annual fee on gold.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Priory_Man — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 23:53:37 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
how much are you flying per year?

I've cut back to only about once or twice every month or so now, I was hitting the airport 8 to 10 times a month at one point.

So a lot less flying, but I will still be traveling to vairous places, only it will be windsheild time instead.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Priory_Man — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 00:04:36 GMT

I have enough MQD's and MQM's to be gold medallion next year, but with my flying getting cut back, outside of spending I am not sure I will get close to that level maybe even not enough for silver.

I suppose I could keep the reserve until the AF is due and switch then, at least for part of next year I can hopefully gain the advatage over others if they want to upgrade my seat.

After that though I think it still makes sense for me to switch, and if you think Amex won't have an issue then I probably will make that move, the perks the Platinum card offer seem to fit in well with my work and personal life more now than the Reserve card will.

Thanks very nuch for your input, much appreciated.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Priory_Man — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 00:07:44 GMT

@patoot10 wrote:
If I were you I would downgrade the delta reserve card (as long as you had it for a year) to the free blue delta card.

Apply for the platinum and then use the travel credit for platinum or your gold card to offset the baggage fees and save yourself $95 annual fee on gold.

I get what you are saying on using the credits from my other cards, but that priority boarding is a nice perk I am used to and I won't get that with the blue card.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 00:38:32 GMT

OP is ineligible for the gold and platinum SUBs.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Priory_Man — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 00:47:46 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
OP is ineligible for the gold and platinum SUBs.

That is correct, I knew that coming into this.

The switch of cards was never intended to figure out which was the best way to get any SUB's.

I maybe should have put a little more info into my first post.

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 02:34:04 GMT

I think people who just read the first couple of posts assumed optimizing around a SUB was at least doable and approachable - I know I did before editing my first post lol

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

NRB525 — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 09:26:20 GMT

@Priory_Man wrote:

It's been a reserve card for around 14 months, so I just payed the AF a couple of months ago. My thought has always been to downgrade, I had not considered cancelling and open a new card. Iv'e had the Delta card since 08 so it has a lot of history attached.
Thanks for your thoughts.

If you just paid the AF, it is probably outside the 30 day window to get a refund. Did the companion pass already post as available?

Do you use the Delta lounges? "cutting back" to 2 -3 times per month of airline travel is still a lot of possible visits to the lounge. Since you already paid this AF and it is unlikely to be refunded, best to just keep it as is for now.

If you get a AMEX Platinum, then as this DR AF comes up next year consider downgrading. They will be fine with it and the 10-year history is not something you want to give up.

Have you outlined what are the features you expect to add by getting Platinum?

If those features include Marriott/SPG status or Hilton status, you can do as well or better, by cycling through the available AMEX cards in those chains. You noted SUB not available, does that include the new Amex hotel cards? Some of the SPG and Hilton cards also include Priority Pass, and to my view that leaves the 5MR on airfare as the only unique Platinum benefit. Through various apps and upgrades, I have ended up with Delta Reserve, SPG Lux, Hilton Aspire, and Amex Gold, with a downgraded / holding pattern Delta Blue from my first app. With all those cards I have a tough time switching to Platinum, but a 100k MR offer would make me do so. For a little while.

Which brings up another question, do you have the 100k MR offer available for the Platinum?

Re: Switching a few AMEX cards around.....

Priory_Man — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 13:33:45 GMT

@NRB525 wrote:
If those features include Marriott/SPG status or Hilton status, you can do as well or better, by cycling through the available AMEX cards in those chains. You noted SUB not available, does that include the new Amex hotel cards? Some of the SPG and Hilton cards also include Priority Pass, and to my view that leaves the 5MR on airfare as the only unique Platinum benefit. Through various apps and upgrades, I have ended up with Delta Reserve, SPG Lux, Hilton Aspire, and Amex Gold, with a downgraded / holding pattern Delta Blue from my first app. With all those cards I have a tough time switching to Platinum, but a 100k MR offer would make me do so. For a little while.

Which brings up another question, do you have the 100k MR offer available for the Platinum?

To answer that last question first, I do not have the 100k offer it is currently at 60k.

I will more than likely be holding out for a little while until I am close to my AF due date for the Reserve card, so maybe in that time period a better offer may pop up.

I have not looked into the hotel chain of cards to be fair, I was going to just use the Platinum upgrade status, more so because it covers most of the needs that all the other cards offer independently.

I think a possible re-think maybe in order.

What I thought was going to be a simple switch is turning out to be not as simple as I thought, but, only because of all the options available.

Thanks for taking the time to pass on your thoughts.