@redpat wrote:
@UpperNwGuy wrote:
@redpat wrote:
@wasCB14 wrote:
@L-TWT wrote:
Irish80,
I was just reading a recent comparison article by the “points guy” where he broke down the possibility of the CSR losing its top ranking as the #1 go to travel card with the increased rewards earnings from the revamped Amex gold & Citi prestige. Because at the end of the day, It’s all about beating out the competition.
Keep in mind TPG is a subsidiary of a 3,600-employee marketing company. At the end of the day, it's about advertising and referral fees.
That being said there is some truth of CSR losing ground. My CSR is basically in the SD since gold changes and 5x plat airline. IMO, because of these changes and the fact that Amex offers partner transfer bonuses they are kicking the crap out of chase right now.
Amex transfer bonuses may appeal to you, but I think you represent a fairly narrow constituency of travel geeks who live and breathe this stuff. For the average cardholder, who rarely thinks about rewards, Chase has a lot to offer with United, Southwest, Marriott, and Hyatt. These four brands are recognizable to almost any cardholder, and many of those cardholders will already have loyalty accounts with one or more of those partners. Amex partners, apart from Delta and Hilton are a bit more exotic. I don't see Chase losing ground. The people I know who are choosing Platinum over CSR seem to motivated by the airport lounge access, not by the transfer partners.
Amex has delta, marriott and hilton. Plat also gives you gold for marriottt and hilton which automatically gives you better point earnings on stays My home airport has an escape lounge which is better than AA lounge which closed in Oct anyway.
Cannot stand SW when all the grey hairs head south for the winter and everyone is in a wheel chair for their miracle flights. Tried them many years ago, never again. It's bad enough being treated like cattle in the airports why fly the king of cattle ranchers SW.
4x dining and 4x grocery on top of plat 5x for frequent flyers is an absolute killer for chase, I can't be the only one.
Couple things I'll add:
1. Combining the Gold and the Platinum gives a better redemption on dining/travel than does CSR, but it takes 2 cards and an AF of $800 versus Chase's $450. Even the net AF works out to $180 for the two AmEx versus $150 for Chase, assuming optimal use of annual credits. The AF difference is a fairly negligible one, but having to pack two cards to compete with one from another bank is not "kicking the crap" by any definition you can drum up. Closed the gap perhaps, but this isn't a woodshed moment.
2. This is being targeted as the premier go-to card(s) for frequent travelers, but frequent travelers don't need gold status from a card. Repeat, frequent travelers do not need gold status from a card. The takeaway point here: this benefit is nigh worthless to frequent travelers because they already have it. Casual travelers loyal to one chain can get gold every year through nights (50 nights is less than one week a month), and frequent travelers can split their nights and still hit both without much problem. Travelers who don't stay in either frequently won't care. Sorry to those of you who take 4-5 trips a year and think you're road warriors - you're not, but at least you can still get gold via credit card!
3. I've seen Hudson News stores that doubled as better lounges than the AA ones in some airports. AA sits in the void where they have the international premium carrier flight map with the LCC carrier experience. As much as I like UA, they're not far away anymore, either. Both airlines are trying too hard to compete with LCCs for the bargain bucket low-rev kettles and it's hurting both airlines in the process. DL is really emerging as the one carrier in the US that is at least halfway serious about being a premium airline.
4. I would add JetBlue to the pile with Southwest. JetBlue's made a minor dent with the Mint product on TCON flights, and in this race it's clearly trying to be the Target while Southwest plays Wal-Mart, but in the end they're both still LCCs who attract the types of passengers that made me decide it's worth paying a premium price just to keep my distance.
Anyway, opinions aside for a moment...what I really see happening here with Chase and American Express is more parity than anything. The DL loyalists now have a two-card combo that's on par with CSR so they can pile up SkyPesos. The UA loyalists still have the CSR for MileagePlus Pesos. The people in play here are the swing voters who spend a little each year on travel, aren't loyal to a particular airline, and are easily swayed with shiny bonuses or additional point accruals. Everyone else will do whatever it is they do.
If Chase really wanted to drop the mic, they could mirror the Platinum's SkyClub access and jack up the AF by $100. A $550 AF CSR that got solo travelers into UC on domestic itins would be great, though it would also significantly drop interest in the MP Club card. I'm not holding my breath on this one, though, for reasons already stated - Chase isn't threatened by the new AmEx offerings and, honestly, making any changes to the card just signals to American Express that they feel threatened. It's too early for that.
