With the American Express Platinum card raising it’s annual fee to $695, you might be looking for an alternative to fill in for the Amex Platinum benefits that you want but for a lower annual fee. And while the Amex Platinum card has many benefits, you can find comparable travel benefits on other travel credit cards.
00:00 – start
00:30- Benefits To Replace
1:26- Platinum Card Benefits
3:15 – Amex Green
4:57 – Hilton Surpass
6:43 – Chase Sapphire Reserve
8:22 – Hilton Aspire
9:38 – Marriott Brilliant
10:48 – Delta Reserve
12:01 – Altitude Reserve
13:45 – Final Thoughts
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44 comments
I like the Surpass. Suits my needs for the moment. I want the gold card now.
We all know this video was made for Altitude Reserve
Annual fee= 🤡💩
Another point about the Chase Sapphire Reserve-you’re eligible for room upgrades when you book your hotel through their Ultimate Rewards. This came in handy in a recent trip to Phoenix 😉
That’s for the pointers. Great alternatives and it makes too much of a sense
I will be cancelling my platinum next year when the 600 annual fee hits.
I only fly a couple times a year, so lounge access doesn't add substantial value. I got into the platinum game for a points booster, and cruising benefits… except I'm not cruising. Also, with something like the Custom Cash, 5X on travel is more lucrative anyways. All I'm really missing is Hilton status and useful additional perks. I figure, if they ever screw with the Aspire, the Surpass card is an easy fix. Amex seems to keep their mid-tier cards straightforward and competitive.
Awesome video Dustin! I didn’t realize there were so few Centurion lounges.
Thank you for giving such a great detailed on alternatives. I agree fully. Especially on the Hilton Surpass card. On a personal level: Hilton Surpass & Delta Platinum. Sure, $349 combined fees but I don't fly a lot and when I did want a SkyClub experience, $39. I came close to getting Surpass, but pandemic was fully going on so I opted for the no annual fee version for now. Long term: Delta Reserve. I do love Delta. I have the Gold. I plan to upgrade to the Platinum when I'm eligible to and honestly the Reserve to me is a keeper just for the any fare class companion pass certificate. That benefit alone can pay for the annual fee.
Great breakdown bro, but to honest the gamer in me makes me want or go after certain cards(US Bank Altitude reserves), CSR & Ink when at 10/24🤣😅, 3 cards from Barclays in 4months. I'm gonna need therapy soon.
Dustin,
Did you see that Citi got rid of there prestige card. It's gone I wonder what there strategy is. Are they getting out of the travel game completely or is something else in the works.
I might go with either the Green card or the Surpass. The Green because I want MR points. The Surpass because I'm a Hilton loyalist. Either way, gonna have to do some thinking on whether to keep the Platinum or cancel. Great video Dustin take care and keep moving forward!
Credit cards are one of the worst things that anyone can recommend.
Prob will cancel my Plat in the 2nd year. Equinox credit is worth $0, Sak's credit worth $0, FHR worth $0, Streaming credit worth $0. Good job Amex.
What are your thoughts about the Wells Fargo American Express Cards? Or the new Wells Fargo Active Cash Card?
Another option if you're a single traveler is CNB. It still has pp including restaurants for one person at about $50 effective af.
Good video! The Amex Green is a nice downgrade.
The marriott Bonvoy brilliant will be my go to from now on regarding travel.
Plenty of alternatives but I already get massive value from the platinum. The $200 hotel credit alone covers the additional fee for me. And I happen to be an audible power user as well.
But these were some great alternatives. I would argue that if you were only traveling a few times a year, you should have never had the platinum card in the first place…
What do you recommend those of us who are less credit worthy. What strategies do you recommend to increase one's credit score to be able to achieve a high end travel card. ?
Is it true that American Express is giving a credit statement on Rocket Mortgage closings?
Fantastic video, right on point with being realistic with your needs when considering cards
Very well thought out and detailed overview. The Aspire and the Brilliant seem like really solid contenders in this space!
I think these changes are great, in general I’m ok with a higher fee because it will force some people to cancel the card and that means more space at the lounges. For my specific situation I’m coming out wayyyyy ahead still.
What some people also need to understand is that these cards need to make sense for companies offering them too.
Once CSR increases annual fee for $100 more, it's no longer an alternative.
You make things so easy to understand. I recently got approved, surprisingly for me, to the Amex Platinum and I was excited as I am rebuilding credit. And after careful analysis it is clear that the Amex Plat is trash, at least for me. I will make use of the signing bonus and then downgrade to the Gold.
You didn’t mention that the Hilton cards only give you watered down Hilton reward points and the delta card gives you skymiles…neither give you MR points.
What is the different between Priority Pass and Priority restaurants? Does it mean you can access the lounge but without food?
Awesome video – thanks! Any other way to access Escape lounges with a credit card, other than AMEX Plat.? Thinking I’ll add Aspire & Alt. Resv. Didn’t know that Alt. Resv. had free wifi passes – nice.
Amex Hilton Surpass and Chase Sapphire Preferred, Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited together provide a set of benefits that are equal or superior for most travelers for under $200/year.
This is a great video concept. Thanks for the advice!
Great video. I wonder if CapitalOne is going to challenge the Platinumand the CSR soon…🤔
Can you clarify 5x points on travel. I recently try to call AMEX to book a flight and the representative said that you can only get 5x if you book through the website. I do not believe this. Most agents say you do get 5 x, but 2 representatives say you do not get 5x if you call them to help you book a flight. What do you think is the answer?
Very useful video
US Bank Altitude Reserve . That 3x through Apple Pay is easily a life hack. More and more places are starting to take mobile payments. I can almost make that a daily driver and have a one card set up.
In order to use my priority pass with the surpass do I have to pay the plane tickets with it?
I think you missed mentioning the $300 travel credit for Sapphire Reserve. That effectively makes the fee $250.
I don't need the platinum card. Don't need points. Don't need cash back deals. Don't need to save on hotels. Don't need to save on this that or the other. To me this is stupid. Generate plenty of money and use this card or that card. It doesn't matter. CASH is King. Period. Live fully now. Let money come into your life and the credit cards will be taken care of. Folks have fun. This is your life NOW. Keep it simple and easy.
Can someone please confirm that the US Bank Altitude Reserve does in fact give 4 Priorioty Pass vouchers per year? I thought I read that it's four passes all up, and that once they are used you have no more.
This is like my 5th time watching this video, It's so good!! Thinking on making a combo with the CSR and Aspire card
You made a lot of valid points in this video but I feel you didn’t paint the entire picture of the platinum card and some of the other cards. Such as the $200 Uber credit $200 airline fee credit ( I’ve used to upgrade my seat a lot) $100 saks credit that is actually usable and can be stacked with discounts from shopping portals and other coupons. Then there is the $200 FHR credit. Yes you have to stay at least 2 nights, but if the hotel is $400 a night for 2 nights that’s $800 (outrageous) but if you factor in the $300 credit it brings it down to $600 then add in the free breakfast for 2 people for 2 days that’s about $80 witch brings the room cost down to $520. You can value the late check out and early check in to whatever number works for you but using just those numbers with the platinum card Amex is paying you at least $5 to hold/use the platinum card. Also once you factor in point earning and all the insurance with all the other perks non of the other cards on this list comes close to the Amex platinum
This video is excellent. I want to thank you for putting in the work to make this video so valuable. You do a great job. Hope you're able to return to YT at some point.
I will only replace my AMEX Platinum with Chase Reserve plus US Bank Reserve which probably next + two years I will apply for both as I have had Chase Sapphire for + 18 months which it doesn’t allow me to take advantage of Chase Reserve bonus till 48 months and US Bank Go for 3 months who I heard a lot of denying cases for US Reserve as US bank reminds me of Bank of America and Discover it which all are looking for relationships more than others
This is such a great video 👍🏿