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23 comments
Do you think IHG will come out with a premium card?
Absolutely dumb changes. To take advantage of the second free night certificate by spending $30,000 is just terrible value and only serves niche spenders. If they are really strapped for cash, just raising the annual fee to $550 and keeping the card as is would be a lot better than butchering the benefits on the card.
I am disinclined to get the card. The semiannual, quarterly, and monthly credits means they are trying to get you to spend more.
DON’T CHANGE IT.
Ben, I hate to sound harsh but what drugs are you on? If these changes are actually what AMEX chooses to go with, they effectively ruins the card. The 30K is better spent on the Surpass which for half the price gets the same FNC. I just got the Aspire but will immedietely downgrade it once the new AF posts as all of the value is gone.
Not happy at all with the changes, but I'll keep the card. Free Night + Status is well worth $550 for us, any other credits is gravy on top. We'll attach it to our Lyft account, and not worry about how many credits get used. The airline credit, not worth our time either, maybe catch some of the smaller taxes and fees. We stay at a Canopy or Tapestry when visiting Phoenix, so should be able to use at least half.
Just want to say thank you Shifu, I know nothing about credit card before I watch your video. I had my secured card canceled by BOA( still don’t know why) and keep trying and get denied for the Macy card ( 30 dollars off sounded like a good deal for me back then). I think after all the stupid hard pulls my credit was 570 or 620. Since 2020 I started following your steps. Now 3 years later,I got my score into the 780 range, got both my Amex gold and platinum for 2 and 1 year. And got my BCE today with a 20k limit to start with. It’s a wild journey and I wouldn’t make it without your help!
I got two Aspires and love them as is. I would cancel both of them and become a "hotel free agent". Screw the diamond status at this point, I'm hating all the Amex coupon tactics, that's what lead me to cancel my Bonvoy Brilliant, the $300 dining credit killed the card for me.
My wife and I have had aspire cards for 2 years. We would cancel the cards if these changes took effect. Too hard to use the credits.
Amex is so horrible to use, honestly I find chase much better. The Amex coupon book and broken down by month or 6 months is just not user friendly. BTW. I have the Amex gold, platinum, marriott Bonvoy brilliant and Hilton aspire
So for me, this is not horrible. We all knew the annual fee was going up. A tier 4 card at $450 with that diamond status was too good for today's market. Replacing the $250 resort credit with a $200 bi annual incidentals credit is a huge win for me because they opened the credit to SO many more hotels. The Tapestry, Curio and even Canopy hotels are far more affordable then the resorts we are restricted to as is. I tend to take 2 trips a year so splitting this is cool by me.
The Lyft Credit is okay. I'd mainly use it while traveling as there are not Lyft drivers where I live, but $10 off a ride is okay while traveling.
As far as the airline credit, I typically fly Southwest, so there rarely is an opportunity for incidentals. (Free checked bags, limited inflight service, etc.), so I didn't really value the old $250 credit as typically I might spend less than $20 a year on the occasional in flight beer. However, if I can use this card to get $50 in Southwest miles every Quarter, that is a win.
I rarely see Clear when I travel, they don't have it at the two airports a mostly use, so I put no value on that. And I'm concerned that there's no TSA Pre or Global Entry Listed.
Kind of a concern for me is they didn't list the Priority Pass. Is that going away? A Tier 4 card with no lounge access is unacceptable.
So, what am I getting Value wise here? I travel twice a year so I'd use that $200 experience credit with relative ease. If I can use the credit on southwest miles, another easy $200. I value a free Night at Hilton at about $300 on average. (I will not spend enough on the card to get any additional free nights) I'd only use the Lyft twice a year so only $20. If I use the food and beverage or free breakfast x2 about 7 times a year thanks to diamond status than there's another $250+ value. All in all we're looking at about $970 in value, for the $550 annual fee.
If the omissions of Priority Pass and TSA Pre/Global Entry are simply in error as those are expected on a card this level, this is still worth it.
I mean I don't like these changes but I'm sure Amex has to do something because they are losing money on this card. It kinda is too good.
Max rewards always has issues adding chase cards.
Amex really messed up this card
If they change it, I'm downgrading back to basic Hilton honors.
The best part will be less Diamond members
Wow that would make me sad if they changed it! It’s by far my favorite card with so many Hilton benefits on top of the credits and such for only $450 ! We shall seeeee 🕰️
Here's a data point for everyone to consider: Fall of 2021, Amex sent out the same type of targeted survey that proposed the Bonvoy Brilliant change from $450 and Gold status to $650 and Platinum status (among other changes). It was just a "rumor". I got the card in October.
About one year later, last Fall they announced all of the exact changes from that survey were actually happening and the Bonvoy Brilliant went up to $650. I think you were grandfathered at $450 until the end of 2022. Because of my timing I got grandfathered into a 2nd year at $450 with all the new benefits. 😁
So yes this is just a rumor but past experience is telling me it's just a matter of time before this happens. I guess it's good that communities like this can give us a heads up in case it does come true.
They should increase the annual fee to $595~650
That way more people close the card account and there wont be a “diamond status” member overcrowding
Can we get a change on that ugly old school design? For the price it should atleast be metal
They ruined the Bonvoy Brilliant. Why not this?
Ben…..what about the Surpass card? Are changes coming for that one. We love this card because we use it for everything and get GREAT value and GOLD status is decent enough for us for the price of the card $95.
Dang, would not be surprised if they make changes. This card is too good.