Fellow Ficoers,
I've been in the wormhole for the past week trying to figure out the best card/rewards program to maximize me and my families travel trips. I narrowed down to American Airlines and Marriott Brilliant from Amex. These are the cards/programs I feel would work best for us. I have had the Amex Hilton Aspire for over a year now, used on mostly everything(daily driver) and it has been great. Have used the points for 2 different trips and they have covered our entire stay.
I began to want to explore Marriott hotels, and concluded they have nicer properties than Hilton. So I began researching points and their value based on my spending habits as well as comparing different locations and prices vs Hilton. I came to the conclusion that the Marriott card might be a win for me. I reached out to @Aim_High and he helped answer some of my questions, thanks again. I then began speaking to one of my coworkers that is savvy with rewards and points and he mentioned being happy with his AA Executive, so then I started to research that.
My journey down the wormhole gets deeper. I begin to compare prices to different places paying cash vs using miles. I conclude that miles are definitively better vs purchasing with cash. Continuing my research and realized miles have a very slow climb vs Hotel cards, but they are more valuable. So I explore all the Citi AAdvantage cards and each one has one of the items that I do much of my spending on:
Mileup - 2x groceries
Platinum - 2x Restaurants
Executive - 4x airline + 10x hotels
Now I'm trying to figure out if Citi allows for multiple applications, as I would need muliple cards to maximize my miles with my spending, and if anyone has used this tactic to gain the most miles. So according to Nerdwallet, you can have ALL the Citi/AAdvantage cards, but you can't apply all at once. It doesnt give DP for how long to wait between apps. For the record, I am not a frequent flyer usually once or twice a year. Trying to make it more often. We end up taking about 4 trips / year. We alternate between driving and flying.
Now I'm trying to figure out if I should start the AA journey or not, or just stick to the simplicity of the Brilliant card. So my questions to you all are:
1. What do you think about AA miles and their program? I think it seems better than Delta in terms of price and locations.
2. Do any of you have multiple cards to maximize miles through AA? How is that working out for you?
3. Would you agree that AA miles have the best ROI? My basic search found that it is better than what most of the card/points websites pitched(Nerdwallet, ect.) I found some business class flights awarded at up to 6 cents/point. At that rate, I found it to be 1/3 the price of paying cash.
4. Any thing else to add in comparing Brilliant to the AA cards in terms of value, etc.
I didn't get into the particulars such as loyalty points and benefits of each card for brevity. But I am aware of each cards benefits, but please feel free to bring it up in the discussion. I would say major points of consideration for me, Brilliant's $300 dining credit pretty much halfs the annual fee. AA Executive and Platinum are free checked bags. Executive's lounge access and point multiplier.
I'm hoping to finish racking my brain soon, any and all opinions welcomed.
Warm Regards,
Openwater
I have the Brilliant and it has been great. The dining credit is and automatic $300 cash back. The free 85k award night is amazing if you plan it out. Each of the last two years we have used that credit for rooms costing over $1,000 in Chicago at the Ritz and St Regis. It takes some digging but it is a pretty cool experience. The Platinum Elite status is great too... concierge lounge, free breakfast, boosted points etc. I also have the Business version which allows for 40 elite night credits and we end up being Titanium Elite year after year.
I also have the Biz Citi AA and added the Barclays AA earlier this year but got a small $2k limit. I did get the 80k sub as well. We have not flown much in the last year so the miles are just growing at the moment. I can't justify a personal AA Executive version... at the moment anyway.
Thanks for that. I spend about 12K in restaurants yearly, and about 6K groceries. That's double miles with Miles up and Platinum. So that's good for 36K miles. Then the cost of whatever flight I take that year would be on Executive for the 4x, plus travel miles. I figure the AF is covered by the checked bags 4 of us x $30 is $120, round trip $240. Twice a year that's $480.
The dynamic pricing is quite the caveat, as you can't identify when they will be up or down.
As for transferable currencies, I'm assuming you mean travel cards like Amex, Chase, and Cap 1. I considered them before I went down this wormhole, and didn't really see many, if not any airline that I use. Besides Jetblue and their transfer rate is less than 1:1, so don't think it's a decent value.
I fly out of Miami / Ft. Lauderdale. I usually have always used American or Jetblue. Used to fly Delta but they are have gotten to pricey IMO.
I know AA has limited partnerships Citi/Barclay, so I'm kind of stuck there. Jetblue doesn't fly to enough places to justify their card.
In your opinion do you think that using a combination of the multiple cards that AA offers with the breakdown above, would be something that would have a good ROI? Or do you think I'm better off skipping trying to earn miles, and stick to hotels(Hilton/Marriott Amex). They are definitely much easier. Also earning enough miles for a family of 4 can be a challenge within itself. I'm just having a hard time quantifying whether it's a good investment to focus on, as AA miles seem to be pretty lucrative, at least that's how it seems....
Great advice so far from @imaximous and @spiritcraft1.
I have both the AMEX Marriott Bonvy Brilliant and the CITI AAdvantage Executive, as well as the Barclay's Aviator Red, @Openwater. You ask some complicated questions and there isn't one simple answer. Are you trying to pick just (ONE) single rewards program?
As I've accrued premium travel rewards cards over the past few years, I've become aware that over-diversifying between rewards ecosystems takes a toll at some point for most consumers. For meaningful redemption and when compared to cash back, it takes a larger pool of points which takes time and focus. On the other hand, I would never put all my points/miles in one basket. Doing that with cash is easier since cash-is-cash. You can make a decision today based on the best points/miles/perks card but that could change tomorrow. Points and miles programs are fluid and it's impossible to forecast value for travel redemption until after you've booked specific travel. I think it's always best to have options so if I find my value for points/miles doesn't meet my expectations of value for that booking, I can fall back on cash and saving the points/miles for later on.
I do have some points with Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt, as well as a large pool of AMEX Member Rewards points I haven't yet spent from SUBs. But for the long-term, I'm mostly focused on Hotel (Marriott), Airline (American), General Travel points (Chase Ultimate Rewards), and cash back. Some people might want even more diversity and some might think I'm too scattered. That is where you have to assess your own needs and preferences in picking a strategy. Personally, I would not put 100% of my rewards into any single points/miles program but I also recommend not spreading yourself too thinly among a bunch of programs. Consequently, I appreciate the overall value of having a Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa Infinite, AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, as well as the CITI AAdvantage Executive WEMC.
IMO, if I'm getting sufficient value back from my AF on each card, it doesn't hurt to have more than one AF travel card. Still, I prefer not to go hog wild. Yes, I could offset more AFs on more hotel cards with free nights, for example, but that just becomes a distraction to me. But having one hotel and one airline for loyalty, along with one general purpose travel card for flexibility makes sense to me. It seems a reasonable compromise. I do have the IHG and Hilton cards, but am not sure I will keep those. I got them both last year for SUBs and to explore status.
I like having a premium travel card from three major lenders (AMEX, Chase, CITI); all on different networks (AMEX, Visa, M/C); all earning independent travel currencies (Marriott Bonvoy points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, AAdvantage Miles). And all three cards have useful credits and a plethora of premium card perks and benefits.
To keep this short, I'll talk a bit about the AMEX Bonvoy Brilliant and the CITI AAdvantage Executive separately.
@imaximous wrote:
... Here's a different idea, and feel free to disregard completely...
If you got a card like the Amex Gold, instead of 36k miles, you'd earn twice as many because of 4x in those categories. So, 72k miles can do a bit more for you. You could book AA by transferring to BA. Since BA is distance based, you may have more options for redemptions depending on where you're flying. I use BA quite a bit for AA flights when there's availability.
I was going to suggest something similar but in my case, I was going to recommend the Chase Sapphire Reserve/Preferred. British Airways is a travel partner for both Chase and AMEX. See these links for travel partners with >American Express< and >Chase<.
In my case, I felt I was getting better value with Chase URs than AMEX MRs at the low (cash value) to medium (travel portal) redemptions. For high end (transfer to partners), value is comparable. I wasn't off-setting enough of the $250 AF on my Gold card to keep from impacting my MR value also, while I calculated a higher level of value/perks on my Sapphire Reserve. AMEX MRs are worth 0.6 cpp for cash and my in-portal value was about 1 cpp. With Chase and Sapphire Reserve, URs are worth 1.0 cpp for cash and 1.5 cpp for in-portal travel.
Either way, this is a good option since American Airlines and British Airways are both members of the ONE World Alliance which makes booking on partners more fluid.
If you got a card like the Amex Gold, instead of 36k miles, you'd earn twice as many because of 4x in those categories. So, 72k miles can do a bit more for you. You could book AA by transferring to BA. Since BA is distance based, you may have more options for redemptions depending on where you're flying. I use BA quite a bit for AA flights when there's availability.
I'm sorry I got a little lost in this part.... I looked at BA and it's mostly international. Although I am planning to go across the pond, I failed to mention I would most likely be doing domestic flights.
I typically use my BCP for my groceries up to 6K @6% so it's a pretty sweet deal for me. I considered switching to Amex Gold as you had mentioned but I didn't see the MR points working for me as I don't fly the airlines it's partnered with.
The more you've mentioned the more I'm leaning towards what you were saying and sticking with a hotel card as I was originally considering. Might go with AA for the perks, considering the Executive for: Lounge, Priority Boarding, and VIP priority check-in at airport.
I agree with your mindset, I jumped into the Hilton card for over a year now and it has saved me tons on hotels. Marriott seems a smidge better, biggest thing I'm liking is most of their spots have suites you can upgrade to. I've noticed even as diamond with Hilton upgrades haven't happened as often as I'd like.
I have my BCP for cash back, and I max out my reward every year. But I just figured with miles you sometimes get better deals when they have specials vs cash back is a set amount. Both have pros and cons.
Looking at Chase and Amex, I don't think I'd find value of travel cards with perks to airlines I don't use. I use AA a lot, most of my flights are American. So I figured I'd invest in their ecosystem. But from what I've been exploring, it would be a long time before I could cash out even a domestic trip with a family of 4.
I was going to suggest something similar but in my case, I was going to recommend the Chase Sapphire Reserve/Preferred. British Airways is a travel partner for both Chase and AMEX. See these links for travel partners with >American Express< and >Chase<.
Either way, this is a good option since American Airlines and British Airways are both members of the ONE World Alliance which makes booking on partners more fluid.
You also mentioned BA and travel partners, part of one world alliance. I'm still not catching how this works, sorry for my ignorance. I know they are connected somehow but I don't understand exactly how.