Amex PRG Just Got Better! $250 AF

[wasCB14]

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@Caught750 wrote:
Someone said October 4th but that wasn't confirmed as far as I know

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I've heard Oct 4 from four different people who have contacted Amex.

[BH1985]

October 4th sounds legitimate. It’s a Thursday. The Cash Magnet was also released on a Thursday (June 14).

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Also in general (i.e. handwave!) some people don't consider a credit for certain spend to be the same as a straight cash back.   Even with the CSR, people were saying you cannot take $300 off the AF, as you REALLY pay the AF, and have to spend to get the $300 back (and therefore might not get it all).   Now for most, earning that $300 is very easy with the CSR, the PRG airline credit, being restricted to one airline per year, is a little less user friendly.

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A discount is pretty much always necessary, whether it's 0.5% or 10% or 100%.

With CSR, customers don't earn rewards on the $300, so the net AF must be increased (and the fair value of the credit decreased) by the rewards an alternative card would have given on the $300. If the alternative is 2% cash, then the net AF is really $6 more.

Of course, it's hard to imagine why anyone who doesn't spend $300+ on travel a year would get a CSR. A bonus chaser would be better off with the CSP...or an regular cash back card.

The $200 Uber credit doesn't earn rewards, so some discount is needed even for someone who would use Uber otherwise.

$300 on SPG Luxury? Well, for a Marriott regular (not me) the discount could be small.

[wasCB14]

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@BH1985 wrote:
October 4th sounds legitimate. It’s a Thursday. The Cash Magnet was also released on a Thursday (June 14).

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Hmm...the Amex Schwab cards launched Thursday 3/31/16.

[NRB525]

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@Loquat wrote:

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@UncleB wrote:

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@Caught750 wrote:
Agreed, DW couldn't possibly care less as long as it works when she swipes it. Metal for me!

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I agree with your DW. 

My Amazon Prime Visa is metal, and the WF Propel is now metal although I still have the white plastic version (I like the old design better). 

Aesthetics are nice, but if the PRG goes to $295 I'm out. 

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@UncleB   +1. Yep...this in a nutshell...ain't doing it.

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I really doubt they take the PRG to $295. I could see it going up a little bit, but it still has to compete with CSP at $95 with no credits games.

The 4x MR has me drooling. It is literally reshuffling all my plans about reward earnings, including sunsetting UR games. My wallet will now have two permanent cards, Diners Premier and PRG, and space for temporary riders depending on circumstances.

With Hilton, SPG Lux and now this, and a potential PRG Metal card, AMEX is killing it.

[redpat]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

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@redpat wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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I would rate food credit worth zero.  Saks worth about 20 dollars.  Uber worth 0.  I tried Uber Eats but with higher cost for menu items ,up to 7 dollars in delivery fee plus tip I don't really see it as worth anything.  Also 300 dollars in airline credits isnt worth 300 dollars as it goes you to one airline.  So let's say 280 for that.  I would rate it 300 dollars in value for 840 dollars.

I cancelled my Amerprise Platinum and PRG but my wife has both.  If they gave 1cpp for all gift cards the new earning rate would be worth it.

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How is $300 AA gift cards worth $280?  Last time I booked airfare and paid for it $300 was deducted from my ticket.  

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I know frogman1 has several AA cobrand cards, but if someone has little or no airline loyalty and flies only occasionally, there can be no guarantee in January that AA will be the cheapest ticket when buying airfare in April.

For a regular AA flyer, a healthy discount may not be necessary, but there is still the need to buy them and wait a few days before redeeming.

And some people just don't want to bother with the hassle of gift cards, so for them a larger discount is appropriate.

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Huh?  Anyone can use their GC anytime they want, that is why I get them right away.  Wow using them is a hassle, who wouldn’t want a $300 back?  As far as a regular flyer you still have to pay for flights and I still want my $300 when I’m plat exec.  I have 2 cobranded AA cards and that really doesn’t matter or come into play on what you stated.

Most who have these cards travel frequently and use a picticular airline. Why would you have plat, PRG and airline card then.

So stating $300 is worth $280 is just nuts, IMO.  Unless, in your mind it cost you $20 worth of your time, but don’t we all have free time to do things,

[redpat]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@wasCB14 wrote:

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@redpat wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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I would rate food credit worth zero.  Saks worth about 20 dollars.  Uber worth 0.  I tried Uber Eats but with higher cost for menu items ,up to 7 dollars in delivery fee plus tip I don't really see it as worth anything.  Also 300 dollars in airline credits isnt worth 300 dollars as it goes you to one airline.  So let's say 280 for that.  I would rate it 300 dollars in value for 840 dollars.

I cancelled my Amerprise Platinum and PRG but my wife has both.  If they gave 1cpp for all gift cards the new earning rate would be worth it.

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How is $300 AA gift cards worth $280?  Last time I booked airfare and paid for it $300 was deducted from my ticket.  

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I know frogman1 has several AA cobrand cards, but if someone has little or no airline loyalty and flies only occasionally, there can be no guarantee in January that AA will be the cheapest ticket when buying airfare in April.

For a regular AA flyer, a healthy discount may not be necessary, but there is still the need to buy them and wait a few days before redeeming.

And some people just don't want to bother with the hassle of gift cards, so for them a larger discount is appropriate.

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Also in general (i.e. handwave!) some people don't consider a credit for certain spend to be the same as a straight cash back.   Even with the CSR, people were saying you cannot take $300 off the AF, as you REALLY pay the AF, and have to spend to get the $300 back (and therefore might not get it all).   Now for most, earning that $300 is very easy with the CSR, the PRG airline credit, being restricted to one airline per year, is a little less user friendly.

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But my point is, it’s still $300 not $280 regardless.  It’S not cash back, it’s a rebate, refund or prepaid credit for something you already paid.

[MICHAELM30]

Not seeing it on mine

[Anonymous]

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@redpat wrote:

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@wasCB14 wrote:

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@redpat wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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I would rate food credit worth zero.  Saks worth about 20 dollars.  Uber worth 0.  I tried Uber Eats but with higher cost for menu items ,up to 7 dollars in delivery fee plus tip I don't really see it as worth anything.  Also 300 dollars in airline credits isnt worth 300 dollars as it goes you to one airline.  So let's say 280 for that.  I would rate it 300 dollars in value for 840 dollars.

I cancelled my Amerprise Platinum and PRG but my wife has both.  If they gave 1cpp for all gift cards the new earning rate would be worth it.

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How is $300 AA gift cards worth $280?  Last time I booked airfare and paid for it $300 was deducted from my ticket.  

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I know frogman1 has several AA cobrand cards, but if someone has little or no airline loyalty and flies only occasionally, there can be no guarantee in January that AA will be the cheapest ticket when buying airfare in April.

For a regular AA flyer, a healthy discount may not be necessary, but there is still the need to buy them and wait a few days before redeeming.

And some people just don't want to bother with the hassle of gift cards, so for them a larger discount is appropriate.

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Huh?  Anyone can use their GC anytime they want, that is why I get them right away.  Wow using them is a hassle, who wouldn’t want a $300 back?  As far as a regular flyer you still have to pay for flights and I still want my $300 when I’m plat exec.  I have 2 cobranded AA cards and that really doesn’t matter or come into play on what you stated.

Most who have these cards travel frequently and use a picticular airline. Why would you have plat, PRG and airline card then.

So stating $300 is worth $280 is just nuts, IMO.  Unless, in your mind it cost you $20 worth of your time, but don’t we all have free time to do things,

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It isn't worth $300 because you are tied to one airline.  And you have to pay fee in advance of using gift card.  Really if you want to buy $300 of gift cards off of me for $300 let me know. I will be glad to sell them to you.  As would thousands of other people. Now Tell me how much you would really pay me for my $300 Southwest gift card?   

[Anonymous]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

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@redpat wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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I would rate food credit worth zero.  Saks worth about 20 dollars.  Uber worth 0.  I tried Uber Eats but with higher cost for menu items ,up to 7 dollars in delivery fee plus tip I don't really see it as worth anything.  Also 300 dollars in airline credits isnt worth 300 dollars as it goes you to one airline.  So let's say 280 for that.  I would rate it 300 dollars in value for 840 dollars.

I cancelled my Amerprise Platinum and PRG but my wife has both.  If they gave 1cpp for all gift cards the new earning rate would be worth it.

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How is $300 AA gift cards worth $280?  Last time I booked airfare and paid for it $300 was deducted from my ticket.  

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I know frogman1 has several AA cobrand cards, but if someone has little or no airline loyalty and flies only occasionally, there can be no guarantee in January that AA will be the cheapest ticket when buying airfare in April.

For a regular AA flyer, a healthy discount may not be necessary, but there is still the need to buy them and wait a few days before redeeming.

And some people just don't want to bother with the hassle of gift cards, so for them a larger discount is appropriate.

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I have no loyalty to any airline.  And actually all my Amex gift cards have been Southwest.  I do have 8 American Airline credit cards between my wife and I.

And gift cards can be a hassle.  So I just booked 3 round trip tickets  for next year on Southwest.  5 of the flights I was able to book with points.  But I had one leg that I didn't have points for.  $365.  So you think I could just use 4 $100 gift cards on it? No Southwest only accepts 3 forms of payment.  So the most I could use was 2 gift cards.  So luckily someone on Reddit informed me what to do.  I had to book a 265 dollar flight.  Then cancel it.  Then use the refunded credits as one form of payment and another gift card to handle the rest of the fare.  Hardly easy or something most people would understand.