Downgrading to Discontinued Amex

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have experience downgrading to a discounted Amex card? I am targeted for 125,000 Marriott points if I upgrade from the Marriott Bonvoy to Bonvoy Brilliant Amex card. I kept passing on previous offers, but I could easily make 125,000 points worth between $700-1000.

Thinking long term, I don’t know if I can justify the $450 annual fee. To make it work I would have to stay at a Marriott property for a minimum two nights per year. I’m worried that if I were to upgrade, I would be unable to downgrade in the future. Granted rules can  change, but does anyone know if it’s possible to downgrade to a discontinued card?

[Anonymous]

yeah, I flip between BCE/BCP all the time.  

I take the upgrade offer, pay the pro-rated fee, earn the bonus, keep it until the anniversary, downgrade back to BCE... I've done it a few times now and keep getting upgrade offers and paid out the bonus.

[longtimelurker]

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@Anonymous wrote:

yeah, I flip between BCE/BCP all the time.  

I take the upgrade offer, pay the pro-rated fee, earn the bonus, keep it until the anniversary, downgrade back to BCE... I've done it a few times now and keep getting upgrade offers and paid out the bonus.

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Neither of those are discontinued though!

[wasCB14]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

yeah, I flip between BCE/BCP all the time.  

I take the upgrade offer, pay the pro-rated fee, earn the bonus, keep it until the anniversary, downgrade back to BCE... I've done it a few times now and keep getting upgrade offers and paid out the bonus.

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Neither of those are discontinued though!

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LTL is right. Amex has a new Blue Cash card, but it's one of their business products. The consumer products are still available.

"Old" Blue Cash (5% after some threshold) might qualify as a discontinued Amex.

[Anonymous]

I wish I got that offer. I have a 50k upgrade offer. Do you use the card a lot?

[Anonymous]

I stopped using the card after the merger because I think I get a better non category spend return with my Chase Freedom Unlimited at 1.5%. Prior to that, I probably put close to $1k a month on the card.

I'd keep checking your offers. I was initially offered 100k points, then I was getting the 50k point offer for awhile. I noticed the 125k offer last week and I'm really tempted. I just don't know if I want to carry a card with a $450 annual fee years from now.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I stopped using the card after the merger because I think I get a better non category spend return with my Chase Freedom Unlimited at 1.5%. Prior to that, I probably put close to $1k a month on the card.

I'd keep checking your offers. I was initially offered 100k points, then I was getting the 50k point offer for awhile. I noticed the 125k offer last week and I'm really tempted. I just don't know if I want to carry a card with a $450 annual fee years from now.

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If you don't use the card then you can always just cancel it.  For 125k points to me it is a no brainer.  You won't even have to pay the whole $450 the first year.   You get a $300 credit so the fee comes out to be $150 the second year and you get a 50k award night. I can get a $700 a night hotel room for that.   

Also if you don't use your current Marriott card why not just cancel the card after a year after the upgrade?  You can only have 5 Amex credit cards. I wouldn't waste one of those spots on a card you don't use. 

[staticvoidmain]

I actually have the same thought. I wanted to upgrade, but long term, I might want to downgrade but am afraid that it might not be possible.

[Anonymous]

Specifically, this information comes from Heather Norton, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Amex consumer division.  She emailed me the following:  “Yes, Card Members can continue transfer from the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card even after the latter is no longer available to new applicants.”

https://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/downgrade-from-lux-brilliant-to-spg-bonvoy-yes-it-will-be-an-...

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Specifically, this information comes from Heather Norton, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Amex consumer division.  She emailed me the following:  “Yes, Card Members can continue transfer from the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card even after the latter is no longer available to new applicants.”

https://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/downgrade-from-lux-brilliant-to-spg-bonvoy-yes-it-will-be-an-option/

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Thanks for this information. I know things can change in the future, but at least I know it's  still an option for now. 

I haven’t canceled the card, even though I don’t use it anymore, because the one free night per year easily exceeds the $95 annual fee. However, we tend to only go on one long vacation each year and sometimes it’s a cruise. Upgrading to the Brilliant means we’d have to spend two to three nights in a hotel to get the full value. I don’t want to feel forced to book a hotel stay just to break even on the $450 annual fee.