@iced wrote:
@wasCB14 wrote:
@morgacj2004 wrote:
A great card if you travel internationally like I do. The lounge access is great. Not a good choice if you rarely travel or only do so domestically.An overly broad statement, given the number of Centurion and Delta lounges available on domestic itineraries.
I like data, so let's break down how right you are.
There's a total of 8 (eight!!1!!one!!) Centurion lounges in the US, and with terminal separation of airlines and the like, even if someone manages to be in one of those 8 locations, there's no guarantee they're reasonably close to it. There's an additional 8 AmEx lounges (but only 1 Centurion) internationally, and 3 of those 8 are in Mexico. I mean it with all objectivity when I say the Centurion lounge access "benefit" is a joke, and not a haha funny joke but a sad trumpet sound joke.
The good news is there are 50 SkyClubs in the US alone, a much better number, but one thing always gets lost in the conversation with "you get SkyClub access with the Platinum!" talks: the cardholder, and only the cardholder, gets SkyClub access. If one travels with a companion, this benefit becomes lounge access for $29.
As a data point for comparison, the United Club card gives free access for the cardholder and up to 2 guests...to all United Clubs worldwide and all Star Alliance lounges worldwide. There's 55 United Clubs and I gave up counting the Star Alliance lounges after I hit 100. I have only been to two international airports that didn't have a *A lounge: IVL and PPP, and both of those are mini-ports with one gate and one runway.
I'm not saying the Platinum stinks (it doesn't). But don't go singing its greatness on lounge access, because that benefit isn't great at all unless you fit a very specific profile for where you go and who you go with.
Edit: Since I know it's coming as a response to this, let's talk about Priority Pass too. It's solid - more so internationally than domestically - but it's also offered on multiple cards. It's not exclusive to Platinum. This puts one again back at the decision based on their travel profile, which is another way of saying there is no such as thing as a single best travel card for all travelers. Does not exist. No such thing as a great card for all international travelers. Also does not exist. Domestic travelers? Does not exist.
I have a CSR. I have a Platinum. I have a United Club. I'm not picking favorites here or espousing one over the other because of the feels it gives me. I'm pointing out cold hard data from having used all 3 of these cards in various travel settings. I have all three of those because none of those three fits all my needs. Clearly, none of them are great for me, but all of them are.
Great analysis, but allow me throw in a very important caveat: all these "lounge access benefits" mean exactly squat if you value them at $0 i.e. you simply don't care for them at all. Yeah I'm weird I know. 
@wasCB14 wrote:The prior poster said it was not a good choice for domestic-only travelers, and by implication, even frequent domestic ones.
I didn't say the statement was mostly or entirely wrong, just that it was overly broad. Some people do have regular access to Centurions on domestic travel, and some travel solo with regular access to Delta lounges.
I didn't say it works for everyone, and I certainly wasn't "singing its greatness".
Apologies if you took it as challenging your statement - I quoted you because I was trying to back you up with data. We're on the same side here.
Got it. I was just a bit puzzled as to how anyone could seemingly get so excited over a one-sentence YMMV-type post.
Go to CardMatch and see if you have any offers for the PRG. Amex is really trying to tempt me to leave the garden by throwing me a 50k MR after 1k spend on the PRG. 
@arkane wrote:Go to CardMatch and see if you have any offers for the PRG. Amex is really trying to tempt me to leave the garden by throwing me a 50k MR after 1k spend on the PRG.
I believe there have been 65k and 75k offers.
For the PRG after 1k spend?! Sounds too good to be true tbh.