Cards with top benefits for top tier customers.

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymous wrote:

https://thepointsguy.com/news/jfk-t5-airspace-lounge-to-close/ 

T4 and T5 are right next door fortunately so with the new lounge hopefully it will give easy access as airport will become more unified in the future.  The Amex lounges are much nicer than Airspace as well so it is not a downgrade.  Perhaps the new Amex JFK lounge is related to the closing of the Airspace lounge as it will no longer be needed.  I didn’t realize Airspace closed already.

T8 however is far from T4 at JFK so AA lounge is needed for those flights as it is too much of a hassle unless you can get into perhaps the Alaska Air lounge at T7.    

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Amex announced the upcoming JFK Centurion in January 2018, and it won't open until (mid?) 2019. Airspace's closure wasn't reported until August 2018, and it closed 8/31 according to TPG. The timing doesn't suggest a clear connection.

Also, I've never had to change terminals at JFK but I believe T4 and T5 are not connected airside, and I'm not aware of any plans to change that. AirTrain is pre-security.

T8 has an Admirals Club in B, an Admirals Club in C (a bit of a walk), and a Flagship Lounge. Regular flyers are well-served with the Citi AA Executive.

[ridgebackpilot]

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@iced wrote:

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I don't think Chase will be building lounges, because they don't need to. Many CSR holders are either happy with PP or don't even care about the lounge benefit because they get access to airport lounges or similar services via other means.

That said, the Centurion Lounge (or PP lounges, or UCs, or AC, or SkyClubs...) isn't where the elite want to go to be pampered and we're all kidding ourselves if we think for a moment that's what top-tier customers want most from their card. No... lounges are where the middle-class masses and business bros go to drink free alcohol and eat free food while they wait to board a plane. They're an upgrade from sitting at the gate next to a backpacker who hasn't bathed since last Wednesday, but they're not nearly the experience TPG and other paid bloggers make them out to be. Most are packed (especially ones tied to credit cards) and tend to attract the one airport monster worse than the kettle: the DYKWIA.

I've walked out of lounges right after entering about 10 times this year because of complete lack of seating or because the only seating was next to some moron yelling at a speakerphone or Facetime about how they're actually in a lounge or that there's free food. Building more lounges helps this somewhat, but they also have to cut back on who can get in, and handing out access with any credit card with a $400+ AF isn't helping matters. Go to a United Polaris lounge, then go to a United Club and see if you can spot the difference.

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+1 I've had the same experience. The airlines are so desperate for cash they've all oversold lounge access or given it away to credit card holders. As a result, most lounges are overcrowded and overcapacity. Often there's more space out in the terminal than in the vaunted club! And, compared to most European airport lounges, the food at U.S. clubs is awful...

If you think the AMEX Centurion Clubs are any different, think again. I've found them even more crowded than the airline lounges. Given the opportunity, I'll take the United Polaris lounges any day!

[Anonymous]

Yeah I have to agree. While having PP is nice and I do use it I would like for it to be a little more exclusive for lack of a better word. I flew out of DFW yesterday and went buy the new PP lounge in terminal D and it was ok, seemed nice but very small and all the good seating was taken already. I’m hoping that chase will revamp their CSR and add some unique domestic lounges or s9emthung similar like the CNB crystal where if you spend at least 50k you can pick your own etc. 

in regards to your post about UCs are you saying they’re overcrowded also? Haven’t been in a united club but I did use the Polaris lounge at IAH when I flew to Europe on Singapore last year and found it to be nice. 

In closing, I’d be happy with chase upped their annual fee and perhaps copied Amex’s 4x on restaurants and perhaps added groceries or something else and maybe gave you an option of a lounge credit of your choice with 50k worth of spending etc. Something to eliminate the people who get the card and for $150 a year just use it for lounge access. 

[wasCB14]

It can be a tough balance for lounge operators. On one hand, they don't want their elites too inconvenienced during peak times (assuming no Flagship/Polaris/VIP terminal). On the other, many lounges can be fairly quiet at times. Tightening requirements means denying access to a group of customers they could otherwise accomodate then, and that doesn't make sense, either.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

In closing, I’d be happy with chase upped their annual fee and perhaps copied Amex’s 4x on restaurants and perhaps added groceries or something else and maybe gave you an option of a lounge credit of your choice with 50k worth of spending etc. Something to eliminate the people who get the card and for $150 a year just use it for lounge access. 

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oh god no, they can add a new sapphire superdooper reserve tier with a 600 AF and no credit for all i care, but please don't make CSR more expensive.

btw, if Chase does 4x UR on travel and dining, and each UR worth 1.5c, this will definitely be the highest reward card on the market by a mile.

[Anonymous]

Actually you bring up an interesting point, perhaps not doing anything with the CSR is best but rather a new higher tier card. With them limiting the JPMR to private bank customers and Amex’s new offerings I think there’s a good chance they’ll come out with something perhaps that requires CPC. It almost seems like they have to because their sapphire banking product and their CPC offering almost literally has no differences but a large requirement difference. 

Id like to see companies in general perhaps make their benefits more tied to spend rather than a one time bonus. This would be a win win for them and customers who have spend and want something that differentiates them from everyone who can afford to spend $150 a year for lounge access. 

[Anonymous]

JFK airport has plans for integration of the terminals under plans that were announced already although it is unclear when it will be finished and to what extent but it will make connections between terminals easier. Also the airport hotel will be by T5 and people who stay over will want access to all terminals as well.  I presume the 15000 square feet is all new construction and either part of the headhouse or the shorter terminal side of T4.

As for lounge space availability and Airline or private lounges vs Amex lounges, I gather it all depends on your personal preferences and what times you fly and what is available.  Elite flyers may do better with airlines themselves with the more exclusive lounges.  Having lounge competition is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Actually you bring up an interesting point, perhaps not doing anything with the CSR is best but rather a new higher tier card. With them limiting the JPMR to private bank customers and Amex’s new offerings I think there’s a good chance they’ll come out with something perhaps that requires CPC. It almost seems like they have to because their sapphire banking product and their CPC offering almost literally has no differences but a large requirement difference. 

Id like to see companies in general perhaps make their benefits more tied to spend rather than a one time bonus. This would be a win win for them and customers who have spend and want something that differentiates them from everyone who can afford to spend $150 a year for lounge access. 

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Im sure they all want to do something about churning.  If somebody spends 10k+ monthly, it would be nice if they offer some more benefit.

However, what other benefit can they really offer though? Lounge is now far from a fancy feature, since Amex is handing out platinum to anyone with a pulse.

[wasCB14]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Actually you bring up an interesting point, perhaps not doing anything with the CSR is best but rather a new higher tier card. With them limiting the JPMR to private bank customers and Amex’s new offerings I think there’s a good chance they’ll come out with something perhaps that requires CPC. It almost seems like they have to because their sapphire banking product and their CPC offering almost literally has no differences but a large requirement difference. 

Id like to see companies in general perhaps make their benefits more tied to spend rather than a one time bonus. This would be a win win for them and customers who have spend and want something that differentiates them from everyone who can afford to spend $150 a year for lounge access.

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JPM kicked the <$10M crowd out of JPM Private Bank, but others here have said Private Client Direct customers ($1M? to $10M) can apply for JPMR. Still, it's pretty clear that they think premium means $10M. I'm only "IT glitch" Private Client these days and haven't tried.

I'm not sure how much room there is for a middle tier card. What would they do, pay for half of a customer's United Club membership or something? CSR is already a pretty good card for the CPC demographic. It's better than JPM Select was.

If you want a recurring incentive to keep a card, maybe look at Schwab Platinum. The AF is effectively reduced at $250k and $1M.

[Anonymous]

HSBC offers the Premier World Elite MC to their Premier account holders, so I guess they would be on this premium list as well, but HSBC is just one disppointing bank in my [limited] experience. I decided I wouldn't deal with them. 

City National seems to have great products for affleunt people, but they're geographically limited to a few states.