Should I "replace" my Delta Gold with HHonors Surpass?

[Cageym]

I currently have a Delta Gold but really it doesn't do much for me. I travel to the states from Singapore once or twice a year and fly business so the free bag check in is a wash. I am signed up for Delta Skymiles anyway, so I'll keep earning sky pesos if that's who I fly through. When I'm in the states I drive quite a bit, starting with picking up my vehicle in California and driving home to Texas so there are plenty of opportunities to make use of HHonors in one of their properties, and the AF is $20 lower, plus the airport lounge access, which I already get if I fly business so that's a wash yet again. Do y'all think it's worth exploring?

Here's the other side of that. I'm due to be able to ask for another CLI on the Delta Gold towards the end of next month and I was wondering if opening a new card with them affects the 6 month CLI. I know you can only get one CLI per person every 6 months, I'm just not sure how this would affect it. My plan would be to open the HHonors, then transfer the credit from the Delta Gold when I can and close the Delta since it has an AF I don't want to SD it.

Any thoughts on this, have I totally screwed this process up in my head?

[TimeToRecover]

can't you just call them and pc it?

[Cageym]

If it won't affect my CL sure or CLI sure. Of course I didn't think of doing it the easy way.

[Cdnewmanpac]

1. Getting a new card does not impact your CLI timeline. However, you won't be able to do a 61 day CLI on the new card unless more than 6 months has elapsed since your last CLI.
2. I would not get a surpass right now. I say this as a current card holder. Amex just announced the new AXON redemptions and they have risen substantially. Where you used to be able to redeem 4 nights in a cat 7 hotel (old top tier) for 145000 pts, it now requires up to 220000 points for cat 10. This comes on top of discontinuing the 6 points/dollar on drugstores, the devaluation that happened in march, the expansion to 10 categories and the introduction of high and low season redemption rates. You also only get gold status for a year. If you plan to stay at Hiltons, the citi reserve is a much better card now.
3. If you want an alternate Amex, consider the spg. Much more reasonable redemption rates and great airline partners.

[Cageym]

Thanks. I had considered the Citi HHonors,especially since last time I looked it was permanent gold status. I'll look into it a little more. I thought about SPG but I just don't stay in many Sheraton branded hotels.

[scenery_guy]

Never PC to or from an AMEX card that has a signup bonus, it doesn't make sense as you will not receive the bonus. If you want the Hilton card just apply for it and collect the bonus. Chances are strong (if you have used the card and PIF monthly) your new card credit limit will be larger than the Delta Gold (or at least is was that way for me).  

You can't transfer credit limits between AMEX cards unless both cards have been open for 13 months. I'm stuck in that corner now with a newer Hilton card with a $17,700 limit and an older Delta Platinum with a $6,000 limit. I would rather have the limits reversed but I have to wait until the Hilton card is 13 months old. The Delta card started at $2,000 and I received one CLI at 61 days. 

I agree with other poster the Citi Hilton option seems to be a better card out of the gate with Gold. I have the no fee Hilton AMEX and I easily make the $20,000 spend for gold status yearly so it's a wash for me. Yes, all Hilton redemption suck now but with a gazillion points stockpiles I don't care. Same with Delta, redemption sucks unless you have a mountain of points per year to burn up. 

[Cageym]

I'm looking more at Citi than I did before. I don't really need another Amex so that is something I'm factoring in as well.

[sengpatt]

Not sure I'm following all of the threads in this discussion, but here are a couple thoughts:

You could also consider getting the CLI and then PCing your Delta to a no-fee Amex, such as the no-AF Hilton card or the BCE. You said you don't want any other Amex cards right now, but this will keep the TL open for free and any future applications will backdate/SP if it's a denial.

In terms of sign-up bonus and permanent Gold status, the Citi Reserve does better than the Surpass. Surpass does a little better in terms of actual Hilton spend though. How the bonus categories might come into play depends on your own personal spending.

Also, since you mentioned do some international travel, it might be worth noting that the Reserve comes with an EMV chip and no FTF (vs. no chip, 2.7% FTF, and less acceptance worldwide, to boot, on the Surpass).

[Cageym]

I said I don't NEED anymore Amex cards right now. I have 3 and am already backdated to 1993. I work as a contractor overseas and fly through Singapore on my way out of here, either back to the states or someplace else over here for a vacation so the Citi is making more sense to me right now with no FTF. My Delta is coming up for AF in August so I may keep it another year no matter what, I'm not sure yet. I haven't apped for anything yet, if I do it will be in May so I can make sure I have it in time to use it on my summer vacation. I also discovered that just like Amex I'll have to call and app on the phone since their website doesn't like my address.

Edit: I copied this from "The Points Guy", it's about a year old but it kind of makes sense, though the Amex Hilton card has changed rewards so I'm not sure how valid it would be now.

"If Hilton is your main hotel program and your points strategy revolves around HHonors points, this card could actually be a great companion to the regular Hilton American Express, which charges no annual fee. Cardholders could use the Amex at gas stations, grocery stores, pharmacies, and on phone/internet/cable/wireless bills for the 6 points per dollar bonus; and then use this new Citi card basically everywhere else, including Hilton stays, and have automatic HHonors Gold status with no spending requirements. Plus, they’d still have access both to AXON and GLON redemption discounts but also enjoy all of the benefits that this new card offers."

[scenery_guy]

The Points Guy has a point. The AXON and GLON did get a bit devalued but still it's nice to have access. If you call when the AF is due on the Delta Gold I bet they will offer you points or statement credit to keep the card. If you can get something for the fee it's worth keeping at least until your BCE is eligible for CL transfer - then move most of the line from Delta card to BCE and close it?