Thanks for the summary above. I knew the sapphire was an unreal deal but that is a great outline. That's insane. Woulda never known that the 100k drops to 50k in a week. Likely going to sign up. What's the hard date before reducing the pts? All else remains the same though?

Make sure you get the sign up bonus if you upgrade. It's a huge part of the value so you don't want to miss it


The 12th I think. All else remains the same

Ty

Got the Airpods today. Started working really easy, "Let's see if you can use Siri"--immediately dialed Whole Foods New Orleans, for some reason. Decided to try again tomorrow.

noze what are you celebrating

I feel like anything that happens is your fault Holliday, lol AirPods

I had to move to that.. rocking out with my cock tucked back

Thanks a ton for this. I was already sold on getting this card, but I had been planning on waiting a bit longer. I had tried out Amex Platinum due to this thread, and while it was good, it wasn't great for me, and I'm not sure I would pay the $450 annual fee again without the points bonus. I was thinking about canceling the Platinum in the spring just before the fee hit again and then starting the Chase then, but I might as well start now.

Wookie I'm curious how this card could be good for you but Amex platinum isn't. I think it's only possible if you don't vacation once the entire year.

Just got approved for the card; two things that were surprising:

--I got approved for the same limit (essentially, about 5k more) and then she asked if I wanted the limit from the Preferred transferred along with the points (so my new limit would be effectively 2X the old one). A big spending month for us (like December, with both life insurance payments, holiday travel, and Christmas stuff in addition to the usual odds and ends) gets us to ~25-33% of our current limit, and even given percent of overall credit used is a factor in my credit score, this was the snap accept I thought it was, right?

--She also said the eventual halving of the bonus only applies to online customers, and that customers that came into the bank could still get the full, uh, monte after the 12th. Not sure if that just private client or if it applies to any plebe off the street, but just something that I thought was of interest.

Just to be clear to get the 100k points you need to spend I believe $4k in 3 months

The $300 travel credit covers stuff even slightly related to travel - e.g. Uber, parking, etc. so it is a lock you get that back just through normal life.

Also you get free access to some airport lounges if you are into that.

What is so great about Platinum for vacationing? Think you mentioned 1 night free for x days at some luxury properties before? While Platinum may offer the best of these deals, think it may not be worth the annual fee for many people that could get similar but not quite as good deals that you can get in other ways or with other cards. Especially if you otherwise wouldn't stay at luxury properties.

The luxury hotel benefit, which I know you are big on, is pretty much moot for me, as I don't generally stay in luxury hotels when on vacation. It's also not too often that I stay at the same place for 4+ nights, unless that place is the house of a family member over Christmas. Furthermore, even if it wasn't moot, CSR has a similar if not equivalent benefit.

Lounge access is definitely where Amex Platinum has an advantage in general over CSR. The Centurion lounges are great, if I have access. The only one near me is if I fly on United out of SFO, but much more often I fly out of SJC. My return trips have mostly been out of little POS airports that don't always even have an airport bar, let alone a Centurion lounge. The Delta lounges are pretty meh when it comes to food (typically: cheese cubes, veggies and dip, and a cup of soup). Most of my travel is for work when I can get comped meals, and when it comes down to it, an airport meal paid by work is better than what I can get in a Delta lounge paid by my card benefit (this is not true for a Centurion lounge). The Priority Pass lounges have been pretty good, but here is where CSR has the advantage. Both Amex Platinum and Chase offer access here, but with Amex, if MrsWookie wants access, we either have to pay $150 for her own card or she pays $27 when she goes in with me. With Chase, she can get her own card for $75 and get into Priority Pass lounges free on her own, or if we don't do that, she'd be free with me. The Priority Pass lounge access is the most important one for me: there's a great club there at SJC (SJC's only relevant club is Priority Pass), and it's accessible from either terminal because they connect behind security, so I can hit it up the vast majority of the times I fly.

Amex concierge, meh. I tried it a couple times. They couldn't do any better for me than what I could do myself on the internet.

A lot of the rental car stuff is equivalent between the two cards. One big win for Amex: Hamilton tickets. Got two for us and two that are going to be resold for a lot more profit than the annual fee. Not sure if there is going to be something as lucrative year in and year out, but thanks Amex!

But a big win for Chase is 3% on dining and travel instead of 1% on everything from Amex, and then you get a 50% bonus on all Chase points (I have a Freedom for its quarterly 5% categories) if you buy travel through them. That's big. Not to mention that $300 refund on any and all travel >>>>>> $200 on a single airline that doesn't include tickets. Amex did have a nice bonus at Amazon.com this Christmas that Chase Freedom (5% at Amazon in years past) didn't have this year, and it had a couple of spot promos at Hilton Garden Inn or Courtyard Marriott that I was able to hit nicely, but is it enough to justify having both cards? Not sure. It sure looks like that if I'm going to keep one, I'm going to more consistently come out ahead with Chase.

It's -9 where I'm at, just outside Boise. Experiencing all 4 seasons!

Yeah if you're not utilizing the 4th night free at fine resorts then it might not make sense to keep it over chase. Obviously if you use that perk even one time per year, it's a quick $600 or so in your pocket. I've had years where that number ends up being a few thousand by the end of the year and it's hard for chase to keep up.

Don't give up on the Amex concierge (but it isn't something worth paying 500/y for either).

I make lots of last minute reservations at high end restaurants and they've squeezed me in more than a few times. My understanding is that most high end restaurants actually have an "Amex table" that is reserved solely for this purpose. Some don't and in those cases you're out of luck I would imagine.

And like you mentioned, always keep an eye for revolving categories for all cards. Cash back % should be the primary factor in determining what card to use for a particular purchase

We also set a record with 14 inches of snow on the ground.

Is this where you live or just at currently?

got to leave work like 4 hours early because it might snow an inch tonight. so far has been sunny and a nice 35 out. txs atlanta

If I know Atlanta, that means a bunch of **** is about to catch on fire.

an inch? thought we might get 4" which would be double what caused snowpocalypse and it has already rained and is currently 33 degrees out so thats getting close to forming a nice little sheet of ice on the road.

I bought $33 worth of food and $88 worth of alcohol so I'm prepared for the worst

I have just one meal left at home and a bunch of beer. honestly forgot that there was something special about so little snow so I did nothing all week, then today at work people are telling me they waited in HOUR LONG LINES at the grocery store. lol wat

Gonna be irate if chickfila closed early tonight when I go for dinner

Please share any abandoned cars on the freeway pictures.

Currently in customs in Atlanta airport. Just let me get out of this ****ing place.