Good evening everyone, I hope your Labor Day Weekend is going great. Here is a quick post from the Holiday Inn Express in Springdale, Utah, home to Zion National Park (trip report coming soon as soon as my blisters heal). On my recent American Express Platinum Charge Card statement, I noticed a few new announcements/changes. The first change is that American Express Membership Reward Points will no longer be transferable to Best Western starting January 1, 2016. Granted that Best Western is not a very good transfer option, this is still another devaluation (if ever so slightly) to the American Express Membership Reward Points program. A few months ago, I discovered that American Express Changes: 250 Membership Reward Points = 200 British Airways / Iberia Avios starting on October 1, 2015.
In positive news, the “Return Protection Coverage” provided by all American Express credit/charge/business cards is being improved to cover all US territories (good news for my friend on Guam). I’ve personally never used this feature of my American Express cards, but it’s nice to have regardless.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. Have a great weekend everyone!
P.S. here’s a pic from my brother’s GoPro selfie stick from Observation Point overlooking Angel’s Landing :)
Talk about misrepresentation…………..I got the Amex Plat Biz for 150K points for 20K spend in 2 months. This was 7/10. I did all the spend by 7/20 hoping to get the 150K points + the spend points in time for a September trip (posted in August), knowing that Avios devalue on 9/30. Amex has told me that I indeed earned the points PENDING on 7/22, BUT, I will not see them in my account until October 3rd due to a wait period after a second closing date.
Is that unbelievable or what?
That is terrible, but that is how Amex issues MR points and cash back. The rewards you earn during this statement are paid out next statement. I believe there is a special department you can call to expedite your points. I think it is posted on FT.
So what else they have besides Hilton, which is even less valuable?
I believe MR point transfers to SPG are still 3:1, a terrible transfer rate. But SPG and Hilton will be the only hotel partners available in 2016.
They are losing partners left and right.
I’m taking dibs on who you think will be next to go…
I got in on the AMEX Platinum personal card deal for 100,000 points. I did my MS at Simon Mall for $3000 VCG’s, put it on the REDbird (under management accounts) the same day and paid off my AMEX CC the next day. I had the 100K points in my MR account 7 days after my minimum spend. Just sayin….
Perhaps the loss of Best Western hotels as a transfer partner is a devaluation, however for those of us who have ever stayed in one of their brands, I think this is the right move for AMEX.
Question Grant, the $200 airline incidentals for the AMEX Platinum. Can you just buy $200 of Delta GC’s in one shot and be done? I have read conflicting reports.
For airline reimbursements, I have always purchased SWA eGCs from southwest.com. I’m not sure what qualifies for Delta, check the FT thread for data points. You might want to break up the purchases into smaller increments, but who knows.
There are recent reports on the travel blogs that airline gift cards don’t work at all anymore for getting the credits for incidentals.
Ohhh that would be bad. Are all airline eGCs/GCs no longer working or just a few airlines?
There are some very nice and very well situate best western hotels in Western Europe.
That’s true, I think I saw a beautiful Best Western in Carcassonne, France (inside a castle).
Evidently, Brant, you never have stayed at BWs in Europe. However, I never would use my points for BW redemption, just too high.
They still have Choice — but for how long — isn’t BW’s credit card also issued by Barclay’s as Choice’s is, and if so, then I think that they would be the next to go. Not that I would likely use points at those properties, as well, but at least a number of their European properties are listed at low points redemption unlike the BW hotels.
Nope, AMEX has been for too long resting on its laurels and for those who think AMEX points are great — I counter, well they may have been and they may be handing out once in a lifetime bonuses that could perhpas choke a horse, but what are you going to do with them?
Redeem them for SkyPesos?
Nah, did not think so.
Redeem them for HHonors Pesos?
Nope, not a good return there, either.
Yup, you are going to have to do some planning ’cause all of the good US transfer partners are gone, bye bye, and are at either Chase or Citi.
And for those who say that they still have Air Canada, why don’t you convince your spouse or family that you will take a connection in Canada when there is an available non-stop from your metropolitan area.
‘Don’t think so.
Read them and weep.
I forgot about Choice Hotels as a transfer partner. I think they will be next to go. We will see what Amex decides.
MR points are crap. Sure you can get 2.1 percent out of them if you live near a United hub and pic the right flight. For me United (live near Charlotte) is pretty much dead. So then I thought to transfer to BA for AA flights. What a joke, you can only book crap flights with layovers. I ended up using my points to book with amex travel and got 1 percent per point.
Can you explain how the 2.1% on United works? Thanks Steve.
I have no idea. Something I read on the points guy. I don’t know how he comes up with these points values.
Hmm, I’ll check out his post.
Yeah, I would like to know that, as well, but I still think they are crap — as well!
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I’ve never redeemed for Best Western so can’t say I’d be missing them as a transfer partner. But I agree that they are loosing them left and right, they need to work on getting more!
PS. you look just like your brother :D
Haha, my coworkers just told me the same thing :)
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