Spending Strategies Time

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

It's time to get some insight on my spending strategies with my new babies (Credit Cards):

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite

AMEX Hilton Ascend

Chase Sapphire Preferred

AMEX Platinum

AMEX Gold

Here is my current strategy - This topic is really coming to a head and is going to boil down to UR's vs MR's I think.

Citi AAdvantage - Everyday spender (2x Miles/$1)

AMEX Hilton Ascend - Hotels (12x HHonors/$1), Gas, Groceries (6x HHonors/$1)

CSP - Costco, Random Spends (e.g. Restaurants) - 2x UR's/$1)

AMEX Platinum - Travel Perks /discussion : )

AMEX Gold - Restaurants, Groceries (4x MR's/$1)

There is some obvious overlap across the Ascend and Gold but they are manageable IMO (Ascend could go full time gas card and is obviously the hotel card already). The CSP is obviously my Visa and therein lies its major benefit, downgrading (if it ever comes to that) is possible. 

So now that you read this, is this becoming a Chase UR vs AMEX MR thing? Travel rewards are my goal, not cash back! AA is my primary carrier and hub so no brainer there! Hilton is my network as well so again, makes sense! 

If I cut back on CSP spend and continue leveraging AMEX Gold then CSP could quickly lose its value for me...just looking for any other angles I could be missing here in terms of maximizing spend/rewards across my collection.

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Based on what cards you have this is how I think you could best maximize earnings

Amex Gold - Restaurants and Groceries for 4x MRs

Amex Plat - non AA flights for 5x MRs and all other perks.

CSP - Costco and for other travel such as non aa flights and Hilton hotels. However I think you should downgrade this to the freedom since I don’t think this card would get much use. Unless you really need some of the protections I think this card is a waste based on how you currently use it. Maybe look into getting the Costco Visa from Citi.

Citi AA - AA flights, Gas and all other non category spend. Also use this for backup for restaurants when Gold isn’t accepted. 

Hilton Ascend - Hilton hotels. You could throw gas on here too instead of the AA just depends on your goals. Remember you can always transfer MRs to Hilton if you desired at a 1:2 ratio. Therefore, it wouldn’t make any sense to put restaurant and grocery spend on this card when you have the Gold that can produce 2 more Hilton points per 1$ (4 MRs=8 Hhonors points). You should maybe look into the Aspire as well. The 500$ Credits offset the AF and it also comes with a free night every year including your 1st as well.

I think this setup would work best for you. Allows you to effectively maximize the earnings of AA miles as well as Hilton points (if you choose to use MRs in that way).

My setup is pretty similar with a few differences when I’m not reaching a SUB:

Amex Gold - Restaurants, Groceries and some flights

Citi Premier - Gas, Travel and Restaurants when gold isn’t accepted.

BBP -  Non category spend 

Citi Rewards+ - non category spend below 5$. In other words, it would primarily be used for vending machine purchases and other small purchases to maximize the rounding up feature. I’m considering going all in on TY points as I hate how restrictive AMEX credits are for the Gold.

Hilton Aspire - Hilton hotels only.

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Thanks for this, really solid advice and planning IMO. I cannot upgrade the Ascend for another 9-10 months (had it 2-3 months now I think?) BUT the AMEX Gold is a solid play for me to take advantage of the 4x and then transfer options to Hilton honors at 1MR->2HHonors Points.

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You can also book American Airlines flights with British Airways as well. That’s another transfer option to keep in mind that may interest you. BA is distance based so the shorter the flight the fewer miles (avios) that you will use. I think CSP has British airways as a transfer partner as well so you could certainly use MRs and URs for that if you keep the CSP.

[Anonymous]

If you have a Plat why would you ever use AA on flights. Any airline. Plat is 5x on flights and just use Avios. A pain sometimes though so I get that.
So, how much more valuable would MR points be if Amex partnered with AA for 1:1 transfer ratio. Citi AA cards would cease to exist! I need that to happen. Then for those of us here in Boston Amex would have the big three of Jet Blue, AA and Delta.

[mikesonthemend]

This has been a very informative thread. Thanks to all!

[Anonymous]

I went and and scored the AMEX Gold this afternoon...time to put this plan into place! 

[Anonymous]

Nice! If you spend even $1k/mo in eating out and groceries that’s 48k MR points in a year! I use it only for dining, groceries and air (I don’t have Plat) and although I haven’t had it for a year yet my MR run rate is about 65k points a year. Combined with my BBP which I use for almost everything else (about $1,500-$2k/mo) I’ll easily be in the 100k+ MR points a year club. Love it. Two cards and about $35k spend a year total. Such a great combo.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I went and and scored the AMEX Gold this afternoon...time to put this plan into place! 

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Congrats! The Gold will indeed give you tons of Hilton points with the 4x MRs on Restaurants/Groceries.

Definitely look into upgrading to the Aspire when it is offered (only do it if an upgrade SUB is offered). It’s a great card as well.

Although not a great use of MRs, you could use MRs for AA by transferring to Marriott then going to AA from there. In other words, 60k MRs would equal 25k AA miles. This isn’t anything I would advise doing as it is a horrible use of MRs but the option is there.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

I went and and scored the AMEX Gold this afternoon...time to put this plan into place! 

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Congrats! The Gold will indeed give you tons of Hilton points with the 4x MRs on Restaurants/Groceries.

Definitely look into upgrading to the Aspire when it is offered (only do it if an upgrade SUB is offered). It’s a great card as well.

Although not a great use of MRs, you could use MRs for AA by transferring to Marriott then going to AA from there. In other words, 60k MRs would equal 25k AA miles. This isn’t anything I would advise doing as it is a horrible use of MRs but the option is there.

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I am still sitting on well over 100k miles with Delta/KLM so that remains an option for me as well with MR's. For now my plan is to collect as many UR's, MR's, AA Miles as possible. I am not looking to use any points/miles for the forseeable future, I am in collection mode! : )

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

I went and and scored the AMEX Gold this afternoon...time to put this plan into place! 

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Congrats! The Gold will indeed give you tons of Hilton points with the 4x MRs on Restaurants/Groceries.

Definitely look into upgrading to the Aspire when it is offered (only do it if an upgrade SUB is offered). It’s a great card as well.

Although not a great use of MRs, you could use MRs for AA by transferring to Marriott then going to AA from there. In other words, 60k MRs would equal 25k AA miles. This isn’t anything I would advise doing as it is a horrible use of MRs but the option is there.

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I am still sitting on well over 100k miles with Delta/KLM so that remains an option for me as well with MR's. For now my plan is to collect as many UR's, MR's, AA Miles as possible. I am not looking to use any points/miles for the forseeable future, I am in collection mode! : )

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ah gotcha makes sense! im doing the same with MRs as I dont have any immediate use in mind at the moment. Knowing i can transfer to BA, Delta, Hilton and Marriott is the icing on the cake!