What would happen

[juniornj23]

What would happen if I cancel my amex gold and then app for the platinum.
Do I get the point
And how good is the platinum

[K-in-Boston]

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@juniornj23 wrote:
What would happen if I cancel my amex gold and then app for the platinum.
Do I get the point
And how good is the platinum

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• You would no longer have a Gold Amex, and would likely then have a Platinum Amex.
• Welcome Offers are dependent on a number of factors, including whether you have had the card before and how many cards you've opened and closed.  Amex will let you know during the application process if you are not eligible for the welcome offer. If you are not eligible for the welcome offer, I would suggest just upgrading your existing card to keep the account age.
• Platinum is great if you are able to use the benefits.

[Anonymous]

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@K-in-Boston wrote:

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@juniornj23 wrote:
What would happen if I cancel my amex gold and then app for the platinum.
Do I get the point
And how good is the platinum

• Platinum is great if you are able to use the benefits.

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This! Op please look at the benefits and see if they would have value for you.

[wasCB14]

Your home airport? How often do you fly? Any regular destinations? On which airlines? With any companions?

Have a favored hotel brand or loyalty program? How many nights a year?

How often do you use Uber or Uber Eats?

[juniornj23]

Newark N.J
JFK .NY
1 or 2x a year but is famaly of 3 or 4
Las vegas , The Caribbean probably Europe next year.

Delta United or the cheapest one jaja
Uber not really

[wasCB14]

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@juniornj23 wrote:
Newark N.J
JFK .NY
1 or 2x a year but is famaly of 3 or 4
Las vegas , The Caribbean probably Europe next year.

Delta United or the cheapest one jaja
Uber not really

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I think the only lounges Platinum gives at EWR are Priority Pass. So Platinum could potentially be useful there but so could other premium cards. Platinum may give up to 2 free guests but the guest policies may vary by lounge.

JFK has a nice Delta lounge in Terminal 4, which handles international and some west coast Delta flights, as well as some other carriers. Terminal 4 is getting a Centurion lounge in 2019 (it is not yet open). No free guests at Delta ($29 each). Centurion will give 2 free guests and charge $50 for the 3rd guest (the 4th person in your group). On busy days guests may be more limited. There's a Priority Pass lounge in Terminal 4, but it's nothing special.

JFK also has a Delta lounge in Terminal 2. Same guest fees as the other Delta lounge. Not as nice as the other.

I suggest you avoid Platinum for now. Maybe you'll have some vacation in the future when you can use the upcoming Centurion lounge at JFK, some other lounge on the way back, as well your Uber credits. Maybethe card will make sense then.

Or wait for a better bonus offer, like 100k.

But until then, your AF money would largely be going to waste.

[K-in-Boston]

To piggyback on that since I almost always travel as a family of 4, the Centurion Lounge is 2 guests or immediate family.  Adding SO as an AU ($175/yr) would mean everyone is covered at all PP lounges and 2 would be free at Sky Clubs.  If the children are 13+, they could be added as AUs (up to 3 AUs for $175 total) and then even Sky Club is free when you fly Delta.  AUs get all of the same benefits (hotel/rental status, Global Entry, etc.) as the primary cardholder, except that annual credits (airline, Uber, Sak's) are shared.

Lounge access alone shouldn't be the only consideration, though. The 5x MRs on airlines (as well as Amex Travel) can be huge, as can Amex Offers.  It's pretty easy to make the card more than pay for itself.  The $200 airline credit is easy to use as long as you choose the right airline, the $200 in Uber credit also works on Uber Eats, and the $100 Sak's credit is also easy to use.  Add 3 AUs with everyone getting Global Entry, max out the credits, and in the first year you could have $900 in credits back on $725 in annual fees plus the signup bonus.

[wasCB14]

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@K-in-Boston wrote:

To piggyback on that since I almost always travel as a family of 4, the Centurion Lounge is 2 guests or immediate family.  Adding SO as an AU ($175/yr) would mean everyone is covered at all PP lounges and 2 would be free at Sky Clubs.  If the children are 13+, they could be added as AUs (up to 3 AUs for $175 total) and then even Sky Club is free when you fly Delta.  AUs get all of the same benefits (hotel/rental status, Global Entry, etc.) as the primary cardholder, except that annual credits (airline, Uber, Sak's) are shared.

Lounge access alone shouldn't be the only consideration, though. The 5x MRs on airlines (as well as Amex Travel) can be huge, as can Amex Offers.  It's pretty easy to make the card more than pay for itself.  The $200 airline credit is easy to use as long as you choose the right airline, the $200 in Uber credit also works on Uber Eats, and the $100 Sak's credit is also easy to use.  Add 3 AUs with everyone getting Global Entry, max out the credits, and in the first year you could have $900 in credits back on $725 in annual fees plus the signup bonus.

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I think the "or immediate family" option is now only for actual Centurion (not Platinum) members. For Platinum, I think it's simply 2 guests.

AUs could help...but the net AF might be pretty high for OP, given limited flights.

5x is very nice, though I usually favor the combination of 3x URs and the CSR travel insurance benefits...though OP doessn''t have a CSR or a comparable card, so 5x may have a higher marginal value.

Unless you'd be ordering anyway (as I sometimes do, but OP seemingly doesn't) the fees of UberEats can eat into the notional $200 value.

I agree that if and when OP gets a Platinum, adding AUs for a mass GE enrollment (and lounge fee minimization) would be good.

[K-in-Boston]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

I think the "or immediate family" option is now only for actual Centurion (not Platinum) members. For Platinum, I think it's simply 2 guests.

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Ooh, good catch!  I guess that got changed when the Gold Card riff-raff got the boot.  

Guess I need an upgrade?