Really fun video here Stan! I'm hoping to pick up the Plat sometime this year to take advantage of a Centurion Lounge being in Seattle and being able to use a lot of the Credits. It's always interesting to hear your thoughts on the Marriott Ecosystem and why you value the Bonvoy Brilliant over the Ritz Carlton with the benefits you get from Platinum Elite Status like free breakfast. Great video as always!
Thanks Matt! Yeah, I think once you pick up a great lounge card that fits your location, it's probably best to stick with that one, unless there are multiple cities where you go to often! For Marriott, Platinum is really where it compares to Hilton Gold because free breakfast is where it's at! Hilton is better usually though because the free breakfast is usually daily, whereas with Marriott it can be hit or miss depending on the property. Some properties do daily breakfast and some only give you a one-time breakfast credit, which is lame!
Awesome! I also love the Centurion lounges and they fit my travel habits too. It's so nice to get to the airport early and get some work done before my flight!
When you mentioned combining your Chase United and Ritz card credit limits into one, most people don't realize that requesting/combining/etc. a 'large" credit limit onto a single card product may trigger an immediate or future financial review. So the bank's underwriting may be ok with giving someone $80k of credit spread amongst three products but may get very nervous or even prohibited approving/combing that same $80k credit line onto one product. YMMV.
That's for sure, Sean! I can imagine me combining the two together and then triggering unwanted attention. Even though it's a nice flex to have an $80k card, it's a much safe move to split up the credit limits across multiple cards. Honestly, $25-$30k is more than reasonable for most personal cards, but of course, we all want to climb the CL ladder, hah!
@@TheCreditFrogit's not really a flex because once you travel hack and get 30-50 cards your total limits start to get into the 6 figures easy and then it starts to work to your detriment. I've started call all my old credit cards to lower the limits because for the first time I've started getting declined for credit cards cuz my utilisation is less than 1% at all times😂😂😂😂
I have the 12 beautiful travel cards and this is how I rank my 12 cards: RANKING: #12 Southwest Performance Biz #11 Chase Freedom Flex #10 JetBlue Plus #9 C1 Venture X #8 Amex Gold #7 Amex Delta Reserve #6 Chase United Club #5 Chase Sapphire Reserve #4 Citi AAdvantage Executive And My Top Three: #3 Amex Hilton Aspire #2 Amex Marriott Brilliant #1 Amex Platinum 💕
Great rankings Leo! You have a lot of awesome premium travel credit cards that are pretty valuable. Very nice!! Love the Amex Platinum, and I'm glad you love the Brilliant as well as it's also a top pick for me!
Thanks brother. And I am actually adding my “Holy Grail” on August 2024,….. counting the months down for the beautiful Chase Ritz Carlton card. I know you already have this amazing card. I’ll will join the team in August when product change the Boundless to RC. Actually, I really think that the Ritz Carlton card will bump the Hilton Aspire from my 3rd place to 4th place…. Giving the Ritz Carlton the 3rd place in my ranking. Cheers 🍻
@@td4812 My total cumulative annual fee is $5,058 for my 11 cards. I am not counting the 12th card Chase Freedom Flex because this is my only card without an AF. I also have the Chase Marriott Boundless card that I am not counting the the card nor the $95 AF because I only got this card to be able to product change to the Chase Ritz Carlton card once I reach the twelve month (August 2024). Bottom line is I do get a ROI for my current $5,058 AFs.
Thats crap ton of annual fees. I love top 3, as I have all those, I wouldn't pay regular lounge pass cards at $500 or more like you at 4,5,6. AA and united lounges can be.... let's just say, not so great. Even some Delta lounges too. Flagship, Polaris are where its at! Hope Delta come up with Business plus lounges too!
I was shocked to see you have the Barclays Arrival card. With practically zero offers, promos, or effort from Barclays on that card, I thought maybe I was the only person that was still a cardholder. 🤣
Haha! Every year I contemplate canceling this card, but it has more than 10 years of history on it so it's getting harder to do so! This card is terrible, I agree lol! Good to know there's someone else out there with this card, and it's not just me!
@@TheCreditFrog I try every year to do a product change, but they always tell me no. If you come up with any ideas on what to do with this card, please let me know.
Great analysis of your card! I really seeing how different people optimize their setup. I like your analysis of the Bank of America travel portal. Similarly, I have so many miles, and flight credit,. I wouldn't see myself using a travel portal either.
Thanks LK! Yeah, after giving it a go for about 2 years, it turns out it isn't really for me. I tried to like it, but once they removed Southwest as a carrier, I just never used it anymore.
My travel cards ranked 1- 6... Platinum, Chase Preferred, Hilton Surpass, Hilton Business, Amex Marriott Business, Bilt (especially on rent day!). Honorable mentions Chase Freedom Flex (for now) as I use the grocery 5x for Airbnb and other gift cards. Which also makes the Chase Ink Cash also an honorable mention for 5x on gift cards.
Great lineup of travel credit cards! Platinum #1! It's interesting you have both the Surpass and the Business cards. Before the Surpass refresh, those were essentially the same card. Maybe a nice way to get 2 FNAs with higher spend throughout the year? Lots of great multipliers on your HM no-annual-fee cards (and of course, my new favorite - Bilt!)
@@TheCreditFrog Just got email from Hilton today too that I have Diamond status now! Guess it was because of earning 120k in Hilton points that it was earned! Will make some nice added value for 2024 travels! I got the $15k in spend on my Hilton Biz for a free night and waiting on the free night cert and 130k points for Surpass welcome offer back when it was elevated. Amex customer service isn't sure why I didn't get them yet since hit spend in August.
@@TheCreditFrog Bilt has been awesome! did you take advantage of the special offer on paying certain bills that gave you 1000 points on up to 5 different companies? Killer bonus! Then their black friday extended 2x on broad categories and plus rent day. I have been trying to use the card more as it is great for American Airlines and Hyatt!! Like that they are trying to be innovative with the card and definitely appeal to a younger audience (which I am not lol) with their interface, games, etc
@@TheCreditFrog Oh and related to Bilt...just spent 2 days at the Hyatt Regency in Coral Gables Florida thanks to Bilt points! Lovely place and very central to a lot of great things in that part of south Florida,
@@412foto I loved that 2X on Black Friday weekend bonus! That was such a cool move by them. This card does so much for a NAF card, it’s pretty incredible!
The Bank of America regular black card is great with the $600 sign up. Their normal card with 2.625 with no AF is also great. A little math, the 3.5 for travel and dining - the 2.625 for everything with the card with no AF you would need to spend $10,857 on travel/dining to recover the $95 AF if you were not able to use the TSA or Airline Credits. With the $600 sign up though this "black card" is probably still an excellent option if you can eat way at all into the travel/dining/tsa/airline credits.
Yeah, I think it all comes down to making sure you can use the airline incidental credits because otherwise, as you pointed out, it's going to take a lot of spend to make that annual fee worth it otherwise. I would say that I'd prefer the PR card for the sole reason that it truly is a catch-all card, that gets a bigger multiplier for travel/dining for those weird situations where you don't know if something will code as travel or dining, and it also has no FTFs, making it a great all-arounder!
Loved the video, Stan. I think you'll be better off when you downgrade your BOA card to the regular Premium Rewards. I saw your portfolio doesn't have fan favorites like CSP/CSR or Venture X. Seems like you're with AMEX... for now (I dropped it last May with no regrets). I like the company, but the Platinum no longer is worth it to me. For my travel cards, I love the Venture X (especially free authorized users and good insurance) and BOA Premier. I intend to get the IHG One Rewards Premier as my main hotel card. With a 40000 annual free night, it pays for itself.
Thanks so much Mark! Yeah, I've had a good run with the PR Elite, but I definitely think the PR is going to be a better fit for me. Amex is like half of the cards that I own lol, but I'm looking to downsize in 2024. Glad that you were able to escape Amex and find a setup that works best for you! I think hotel cards are the next great frontier because, as you said, FNAs can be very valuable!
Nice video Stan 👍 It's cool to see the different perspectives/uses of each card. That 3x wallet spend on the Altitude Card is pretty awesome too, since it opens the door for a lot of value. I haven't stepped into the US bank realm yet.
Thanks Darius! Absolutely, everyone has a different perspective so it's awesome to hear how everyone is using their cards! If you can get into the US Bank ecosystem, they have some fantastic cards - although their redemptions are more cash-back focused. Since I run a hybrid setup, it works well for me, and can't say enough good things about the USB AR
@TheCreditFrog Definitely one that I may can an eye out for in the future. Trying to strategize around 5/24 for the coming year has really been a pain for me 😅
I thought that Ritz Carlton card was going to be great for me but then I started looking up properties and every free night was above 100k seemingly making it kind of worthless for me.
Yeah, Marriott has a lot of properties, but their FNAs are capped which makes their awards not nearly as good as Hilton's. It's about finding those sweet spot FNA redemptions that are luxurious, but not too luxurious, which shouldn't be a thing, but that's how we get Bonvoy'ed.
I would put the Cap One Venture X on the list, even given the higher fee the last few years, especially for travel. The Cap One travel service is better than Amex's these days (their automatic price credit w/in a certain period of time actually works, the good sized overall credit takes the annual fee down by 50%, and the Hopper features (including price lock and 'best time to purchase' tracking are very useful.) Their new lounges are also state of the art.
I agree! It wasn’t on this list because I don’t have the card. But if I did, it would definitely be up there! It’s a great card and I hope that it continues to get better (although knowing Capital One, it’s more likely to get nerfed). I’ve never been to a C1 lounge yet but they do look beautiful! 🤩
Awesome video Stan! You got me interested in BoA. Do you have a video detailing your investment strategy to get to platinum with them? I have an IRA and a 401k. I may be able to move my IRA with them if it will get me all the nice cards you talk about. I started reading about Merill but not really know anything about them before I found you.
Hey, thanks! Yes, BofA has some powerful cards as long as you're able to be Platinum or higher with them! I don't have a video on my invesmtent strategy specifically, but I can tell you that I use primarily index funds in a Boglehead format. Merrill Self-Directed brokerage is the easiest way to start investing with them, and gets you access to all the basic low-cost index funds. Just as a note, I'm not sure if 401ks count towards the requirement, but I know that IRAs do.
Thanks Beau! Yes, I certainly have. I use it for the typical airline incidental charges like early boarding, luggage fees, seat upgrades. All I have to do is call it in. They ask you which charges to credit and they credit it back the next day. Surprisingly, I've never had to wait on the phone, and got through to them instantly when I call so I was impressed with that experience.
Hey man, I still think you should use that Ritz for 100 people to meet up and get that unlimited Priority Pass Lounge access, then put that card at number 1 😂
@@TheCreditFrog You know I think I was so tired last night that I had no idea I wrote this comment twice across 2 of your videos 💀 literally think I forgot 🤣 But yes it would be great haha.
Would the Amex Platinum be worth it if I have a companion pass that allows me to fly around the world close to free? I feel it would be somewhat useless without having to book flights.. however I do like the lounge and hotel perks
I think you'd have to look at the benefits and see if they would be worth it to you. If you're not spending on flights, the benefits would be the only reason to get the Platinum card. Specfically, if there are any lounges in the airports you'll be flying to, whether you'll be using FHR, or if you can make use of any of the airline incidental credits.
Not sure if you’ve talked about this before, but would love to hear your thought on the Credit Card Competition Act and how it could eliminate the perks of cash back or credit points if the bill passes 😤
It's an interesting topic, but definitely haven't looked much into it yet. I think if it had more steam or a higher chance of passing, it may be more worth looking into. It would suck if cash back and points got the big nerf
Agreed. Airline credit cards are not as great. I don't know - I really need to start prioritizing more. I tend to travel a lot domestically. I'm looking to do some big international redemptions next year though!
If you did travel overseas, what is the best credit card(s) for your own use? Maybe another potential video for yourself. Please also check out my travel and credit card channel~@@TheCreditFrog
I was able to stay 16 nights for 179k points in Phuket and Koh Samui Thailand. The Busines IHG gave me a 165k sign up bonus so it was really worth it! @@TheCreditFrog
How would you view the Ritz if the AR expanded lounge from 8 to say 25? How do you use the credits from the Ritz typically? It’s an interesting card that has lots of hype but I think it’s biggest strength are its protections which most bypass because Platinum offers 5X. Would appreciate your insight. Great video!!
I think I would still value the Ritz card, but value it less because I could use my USB AR card to get access to the Priority Pass network. The travel credit is an airline incidental credit so bascially for airline incidentals as you would expect. Calling into CS to get the credit is super easy. I never have to wait on hold and just tell them the charge I want deducted. I've never looked into the protections on the card, but yeah, as a VISA Infinite, it certainly could be a cheaper replacement to the Amex Platinum depending on how you use the credits!
Love my Platinum Card, however I can't help but feel there should be an added multiplier for Hotels booked outside of the AMEX portal. In my experience, unless there is an AMEX offer going or I use it for FHR, I'd rather just book directly with the hotels due to typically lower prices.
I totally get where you're coming from. I'm the same way. I'd like to use my Platinum card for hotels too, but the only way I'll do so is with Amex FHR. Booking direct is not only cheaper, but usually when issues come up, it tends to be better than booking through a third-party, but of course, there are always exceptions.
@@TheCreditFrog Not to mention they create a bit of a conflict with the card as well, by offering status for both Hilton and Marriot properties. Makes it even harder not booking direct.
Thanks Jake! Yes, personal experiences is what makes each card fun! Ooooh, yes! But make sure it's a Plat 150k offer and not a "up to 150k" offer. Rude lol.
One question I never see answered in these videos is a comparison between redeeming miles on an airline portal (e.g. United) vs. through a bank (e.g. BoA). Example: I live in a United hub, fly mostly United, and often enough to earn the lowest frequent flyer tier. I do have a United credit card, but I'm also a United premium honors customer. I agree that the multipliers on that card are pretty attractive. Nonetheless, I usually do my travel spending on the United cards, and redeem my miles through United directly. Is there any difference between the two redemption options? Intuitively, I would think that as a UA frequent flyer, it makes sense to redeem my miles through them, but I am not sure if that's actually true.
It depends on the portal really. Some portals have an upcharge if you book through them, but some don't. From my experience, BofA is exactly the same price as on the direct website. I know Capital One does a price match thing. In general, spending on the airline is going to be the highest yield in terms of multiplier. For example, the Chase United Club card gets 4X at United, whereas the CSR would get 3X. Amex Platinum gets 5X on flights, but of course, can't transfer to United (directly). Travel portals just give you options, but IMO, I would always stick with direct bookings, if possible, because if issues arise, dealing directly United is going to be better than dealing with a third-party.
@@TheCreditFrog Thank you. First of all, I meant BoA Platinum Honors customer, not United, but I think you caught that. And I agree - booking through the airlines directly is better in case of problems alone. Also: I don't want to spread my points across different cards and providers. It's hard enough to accumulate enough points for meaningful benefits even if you concentrate spending on one card/provider. Also: the flights themselves earn me United points that I can't use if I go through BoA. I would also suspect - though I'm not sure, that you might have upgrade priority if you book direct. Hard to tell though. Thoughts? Last but not least, to the point of this video, I think for a United customer like me, my United Club card is way better than the Amex Platinum for a lot of reasons, the most important being: 1. A little cheaper 2. More tailored to my United experience. The card offers very useful benefits that Amex can't offer, like priority boarding and baggage handling. Priority baggage handling is an often overlooked, but super-useful benefit 3. United lounges (though definitely worse than Centurion lounges, which also don't live up to the hype) are usually much closer to the United departure gates 4. No coupon book nonsense.
@@RevTiberius Booking direct vs on a travel portal probably has no effect on upgrade priority, but I'm not sure on that since I rarely fly United, but I am Premier Silver since I'm Marriott Titainum. If I was a frequent flyer on United, I would 100% have the United Club card over the Platinum as the Platinum gets you into no lounges in United's network. Also, no coupon book like you said, which is a huge plus at this point in my credit card journey.
Love your channel Stan. For some reason, your explanation always makes sense! Platinum at top isn't surprise but #2 was. Love the rest of your setup up too! I love how you actually get cards that you need instead of want. I have a ton of cards that I "want" and sometimes find myself not using them too much. Like, I am in SF/San Jose area, so Southwest is my go to. But also have both Alaska and Alaska business (only because I heard it's miles are valuable by some TH-camrs!!) LOL They have buy one and get one for $99 but haven't been able to use it once in 3 years!.
Thanks Kevin! Yeah, it's definitely not the typical travel card that people think about, but it really depends on the person and what they're looking for in a setup. Hah! You're totally right about the Alaska cards. They are great on paper and have a great cpp value, but like you mentioned, if you don't fly Alaska, it's kind of irrelevant. But the plus with that is you have a foot in the BofA ecosystem, and I'm a big fan of growing your assets with them so you can achieve those higher tier multipliers with Preferred Rewards 👍
Took note of that comment about SMF Escape. I have to say though that the Escape Lounge at SMF Terminal B is the worst lounge I've ever been in. Wish SMF would get something better in the mix or at least expand that one. It's so tiny and cramped and the food is minimal, meh, and often just MIA. If I'm traveling with my family, we just skip it because they absolutely hate that lounge so much.
Definitely agree with you Michelle! It's such a tiny and cramped lounge. If you travel on peak travel days, it's definitely probably worth skipping. Luckily, I tend to travel on off-peak days like in the middle of the week so when I go, the lounge is usually very empty, so it works for me! (for now)
Hello! Great video! What are your thoughts on the LV hotel availability in the Amex FHR program? I noticed a lot of hotels (mgm) are no longer part of the program in 2024. I’m super bummed, just got the card a few months ago and was really looking forward to the benefits in Vegas. Looks like Wynn, Four Seasons and Crockfords are the only participants 😮
Hi, thanks! I use FHR for Las Vegas pretty much exclusively. My experience is that FHR properties have varying prices, but they drastically go down at certain times of the year. I'd check the portal in 2024 to see what the availability is like. Right now, it's hard to tell what will be available and what won't; although I did hear rumors about MGM properties not being available next year, but we won't know for sure until FHR releases their calendar for the next year.
A few reasons. The Platinum card still gives me the most lounge access to where I typically fly. I'm also very wary of a card that will hard pull me 3 times with no guarantee of an approval. I'm pretty conservative when it comes to hard pulls so that by itself is a deal-breaker for me when there are other cards I can get for no hard pull at all.
Hi Stan, I'm sensitive to the dings you get with hard pulls as well but I got the Cap1VX as my first premium card several years ago and don't remember there being 3 hard pulls... how does that happen?@@TheCreditFrog
@@TheCreditFrog Smart. One of the reason I was hesitant also. But They didnt approve me anyway in their pre approval without hard pull tool. I heard, you can actually lock Experian and they will still approve you based on other 2 (trans and Equifax)
@charlesdatri2318 Yeah, you get 1 pull on each credit bureau: Experian, Equifax, and Transunion. To me that equals 3 hard pulls, but some others consider it to be only 1.
Thanks! I really appreciate that, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I use the Sony ZVE-10 (w/ Sigma 16mm f1.4 lens). I tell everyone it was the best purchase I ever made for the channel!
@@TheCreditFrog awesome man, I’m studying here in LA for a few semesters and wish to record some TH-cam videos and i loved your set up! really appreciate your response, and just subbed!
Really fun video here Stan! I'm hoping to pick up the Plat sometime this year to take advantage of a Centurion Lounge being in Seattle and being able to use a lot of the Credits. It's always interesting to hear your thoughts on the Marriott Ecosystem and why you value the Bonvoy Brilliant over the Ritz Carlton with the benefits you get from Platinum Elite Status like free breakfast. Great video as always!
Thanks Matt! Yeah, I think once you pick up a great lounge card that fits your location, it's probably best to stick with that one, unless there are multiple cities where you go to often! For Marriott, Platinum is really where it compares to Hilton Gold because free breakfast is where it's at! Hilton is better usually though because the free breakfast is usually daily, whereas with Marriott it can be hit or miss depending on the property. Some properties do daily breakfast and some only give you a one-time breakfast credit, which is lame!
Love the Centurion Lounge access. I have upped my travel game and the Lounge access is the key. 👍🏽
Awesome! I also love the Centurion lounges and they fit my travel habits too. It's so nice to get to the airport early and get some work done before my flight!
Interesting ranking. Appreciate the insight.
Of course!
When you mentioned combining your Chase United and Ritz card credit limits into one, most people don't realize that requesting/combining/etc. a 'large" credit limit onto a single card product may trigger an immediate or future financial review. So the bank's underwriting may be ok with giving someone $80k of credit spread amongst three products but may get very nervous or even prohibited approving/combing that same $80k credit line onto one product. YMMV.
That's for sure, Sean! I can imagine me combining the two together and then triggering unwanted attention. Even though it's a nice flex to have an $80k card, it's a much safe move to split up the credit limits across multiple cards. Honestly, $25-$30k is more than reasonable for most personal cards, but of course, we all want to climb the CL ladder, hah!
@@TheCreditFrogit's not really a flex because once you travel hack and get 30-50 cards your total limits start to get into the 6 figures easy and then it starts to work to your detriment. I've started call all my old credit cards to lower the limits because for the first time I've started getting declined for credit cards cuz my utilisation is less than 1% at all times😂😂😂😂
I have the 12 beautiful travel cards and this is how I rank my 12 cards:
RANKING:
#12 Southwest Performance Biz
#11 Chase Freedom Flex
#10 JetBlue Plus
#9 C1 Venture X
#8 Amex Gold
#7 Amex Delta Reserve
#6 Chase United Club
#5 Chase Sapphire Reserve
#4 Citi AAdvantage Executive
And My Top Three:
#3 Amex Hilton Aspire
#2 Amex Marriott Brilliant
#1 Amex Platinum 💕
Great rankings Leo! You have a lot of awesome premium travel credit cards that are pretty valuable. Very nice!! Love the Amex Platinum, and I'm glad you love the Brilliant as well as it's also a top pick for me!
Thanks brother. And I am actually adding my “Holy Grail” on August 2024,….. counting the months down for the beautiful Chase Ritz Carlton card. I know you already have this amazing card. I’ll will join the team in August when product change the Boundless to RC. Actually, I really think that the Ritz Carlton card will bump the Hilton Aspire from my 3rd place to 4th place…. Giving the Ritz Carlton the 3rd place in my ranking. Cheers 🍻
Cool, how much is your credit cards annual fee?
@@td4812 My total cumulative annual fee is $5,058 for my 11 cards. I am not counting the 12th card Chase Freedom Flex because this is my only card without an AF. I also have the Chase Marriott Boundless card that I am not counting the the card nor the $95 AF because I only got this card to be able to product change to the Chase Ritz Carlton card once I reach the twelve month (August 2024). Bottom line is I do get a ROI for my current $5,058 AFs.
Thats crap ton of annual fees. I love top 3, as I have all those, I wouldn't pay regular lounge pass cards at $500 or more like you at 4,5,6. AA and united lounges can be.... let's just say, not so great. Even some Delta lounges too.
Flagship, Polaris are where its at! Hope Delta come up with Business plus lounges too!
Amex platinum Card would be number 3 for me AR #2 CSR #1
Great list!
I was shocked to see you have the Barclays Arrival card. With practically zero offers, promos, or effort from Barclays on that card, I thought maybe I was the only person that was still a cardholder. 🤣
Haha! Every year I contemplate canceling this card, but it has more than 10 years of history on it so it's getting harder to do so! This card is terrible, I agree lol! Good to know there's someone else out there with this card, and it's not just me!
@@TheCreditFrog I try every year to do a product change, but they always tell me no. If you come up with any ideas on what to do with this card, please let me know.
Great analysis of your card! I really seeing how different people optimize their setup.
I like your analysis of the Bank of America travel portal. Similarly, I have so many miles, and flight credit,. I wouldn't see myself using a travel portal either.
Thanks LK! Yeah, after giving it a go for about 2 years, it turns out it isn't really for me. I tried to like it, but once they removed Southwest as a carrier, I just never used it anymore.
My travel cards ranked 1- 6... Platinum, Chase Preferred, Hilton Surpass, Hilton Business, Amex Marriott Business, Bilt (especially on rent day!). Honorable mentions Chase Freedom Flex (for now) as I use the grocery 5x for Airbnb and other gift cards. Which also makes the Chase Ink Cash also an honorable mention for 5x on gift cards.
Great lineup of travel credit cards! Platinum #1! It's interesting you have both the Surpass and the Business cards. Before the Surpass refresh, those were essentially the same card. Maybe a nice way to get 2 FNAs with higher spend throughout the year? Lots of great multipliers on your HM no-annual-fee cards (and of course, my new favorite - Bilt!)
@@TheCreditFrog Just got email from Hilton today too that I have Diamond status now! Guess it was because of earning 120k in Hilton points that it was earned! Will make some nice added value for 2024 travels! I got the $15k in spend on my Hilton Biz for a free night and waiting on the free night cert and 130k points for Surpass welcome offer back when it was elevated. Amex customer service isn't sure why I didn't get them yet since hit spend in August.
@@TheCreditFrog Bilt has been awesome! did you take advantage of the special offer on paying certain bills that gave you 1000 points on up to 5 different companies? Killer bonus! Then their black friday extended 2x on broad categories and plus rent day. I have been trying to use the card more as it is great for American Airlines and Hyatt!! Like that they are trying to be innovative with the card and definitely appeal to a younger audience (which I am not lol) with their interface, games, etc
@@TheCreditFrog Oh and related to Bilt...just spent 2 days at the Hyatt Regency in Coral Gables Florida thanks to Bilt points! Lovely place and very central to a lot of great things in that part of south Florida,
@@412foto I loved that 2X on Black Friday weekend bonus! That was such a cool move by them. This card does so much for a NAF card, it’s pretty incredible!
without even finishin the entire video, I am betting on the Bilt in Top 3 if not Top 1
You're a smart dude!
The Bank of America regular black card is great with the $600 sign up. Their normal card with 2.625 with no AF is also great. A little math, the 3.5 for travel and dining - the 2.625 for everything with the card with no AF you would need to spend $10,857 on travel/dining to recover the $95 AF if you were not able to use the TSA or Airline Credits. With the $600 sign up though this "black card" is probably still an excellent option if you can eat way at all into the travel/dining/tsa/airline credits.
Yeah, I think it all comes down to making sure you can use the airline incidental credits because otherwise, as you pointed out, it's going to take a lot of spend to make that annual fee worth it otherwise. I would say that I'd prefer the PR card for the sole reason that it truly is a catch-all card, that gets a bigger multiplier for travel/dining for those weird situations where you don't know if something will code as travel or dining, and it also has no FTFs, making it a great all-arounder!
Loved the video, Stan. I think you'll be better off when you downgrade your BOA card to the regular Premium Rewards. I saw your portfolio doesn't have fan favorites like CSP/CSR or Venture X. Seems like you're with AMEX... for now (I dropped it last May with no regrets). I like the company, but the Platinum no longer is worth it to me. For my travel cards, I love the Venture X (especially free authorized users and good insurance) and BOA Premier. I intend to get the IHG One Rewards Premier as my main hotel card. With a 40000 annual free night, it pays for itself.
Thanks so much Mark! Yeah, I've had a good run with the PR Elite, but I definitely think the PR is going to be a better fit for me. Amex is like half of the cards that I own lol, but I'm looking to downsize in 2024. Glad that you were able to escape Amex and find a setup that works best for you! I think hotel cards are the next great frontier because, as you said, FNAs can be very valuable!
Nice video Stan 👍 It's cool to see the different perspectives/uses of each card. That 3x wallet spend on the Altitude Card is pretty awesome too, since it opens the door for a lot of value. I haven't stepped into the US bank realm yet.
Thanks Darius! Absolutely, everyone has a different perspective so it's awesome to hear how everyone is using their cards! If you can get into the US Bank ecosystem, they have some fantastic cards - although their redemptions are more cash-back focused. Since I run a hybrid setup, it works well for me, and can't say enough good things about the USB AR
@TheCreditFrog Definitely one that I may can an eye out for in the future. Trying to strategize around 5/24 for the coming year has really been a pain for me 😅
I thought that Ritz Carlton card was going to be great for me but then I started looking up properties and every free night was above 100k seemingly making it kind of worthless for me.
Yeah, Marriott has a lot of properties, but their FNAs are capped which makes their awards not nearly as good as Hilton's. It's about finding those sweet spot FNA redemptions that are luxurious, but not too luxurious, which shouldn't be a thing, but that's how we get Bonvoy'ed.
@@TheCreditFrog lol - true😀
I would put the Cap One Venture X on the list, even given the higher fee the last few years, especially for travel. The Cap One travel service is better than Amex's these days (their automatic price credit w/in a certain period of time actually works, the good sized overall credit takes the annual fee down by 50%, and the Hopper features (including price lock and 'best time to purchase' tracking are very useful.) Their new lounges are also state of the art.
I agree! It wasn’t on this list because I don’t have the card. But if I did, it would definitely be up there! It’s a great card and I hope that it continues to get better (although knowing Capital One, it’s more likely to get nerfed). I’ve never been to a C1 lounge yet but they do look beautiful! 🤩
The card is basically free so why not but it’s nothing more than a worldwide 2x visa to take with your Platinum card.
Awesome video Stan! You got me interested in BoA. Do you have a video detailing your investment strategy to get to platinum with them? I have an IRA and a 401k. I may be able to move my IRA with them if it will get me all the nice cards you talk about. I started reading about Merill but not really know anything about them before I found you.
Hey, thanks! Yes, BofA has some powerful cards as long as you're able to be Platinum or higher with them! I don't have a video on my invesmtent strategy specifically, but I can tell you that I use primarily index funds in a Boglehead format. Merrill Self-Directed brokerage is the easiest way to start investing with them, and gets you access to all the basic low-cost index funds. Just as a note, I'm not sure if 401ks count towards the requirement, but I know that IRAs do.
@@TheCreditFrog thank you! This is very helpful!
Great video, appreciate you sharing. Have you used the Ritz Carlton card travel credit yet and if so, how was your experience?
Thanks Beau! Yes, I certainly have. I use it for the typical airline incidental charges like early boarding, luggage fees, seat upgrades. All I have to do is call it in. They ask you which charges to credit and they credit it back the next day. Surprisingly, I've never had to wait on the phone, and got through to them instantly when I call so I was impressed with that experience.
Hey man, I still think you should use that Ritz for 100 people to meet up and get that unlimited Priority Pass Lounge access, then put that card at number 1 😂
That sounds like a great plan! We can all take over a Priority Pass lounge. Meetup idea.
@@TheCreditFrog You know I think I was so tired last night that I had no idea I wrote this comment twice across 2 of your videos 💀 literally think I forgot 🤣
But yes it would be great haha.
Yep
👍
Would the Amex Platinum be worth it if I have a companion pass that allows me to fly around the world close to free? I feel it would be somewhat useless without having to book flights.. however I do like the lounge and hotel perks
I think you'd have to look at the benefits and see if they would be worth it to you. If you're not spending on flights, the benefits would be the only reason to get the Platinum card. Specfically, if there are any lounges in the airports you'll be flying to, whether you'll be using FHR, or if you can make use of any of the airline incidental credits.
I skipped the United discount on Clear so I could get another 40some MR points😂
🤣🤣🤣
None of my cards recognize
The hotels I stay at
That's unfortunate.
Not sure if you’ve talked about this before, but would love to hear your thought on the Credit Card Competition Act and how it could eliminate the perks of cash back or credit points if the bill passes 😤
It's an interesting topic, but definitely haven't looked much into it yet. I think if it had more steam or a higher chance of passing, it may be more worth looking into. It would suck if cash back and points got the big nerf
I like your ranking. Airline credit cards will always go down near the bottom. Why don't you travel more overseas?
Agreed. Airline credit cards are not as great. I don't know - I really need to start prioritizing more. I tend to travel a lot domestically. I'm looking to do some big international redemptions next year though!
If you did travel overseas, what is the best credit card(s) for your own use? Maybe another potential video for yourself. Please also check out my travel and credit card channel~@@TheCreditFrog
Unfortunately Amex is a cards that is not accepted everywhere, so it is kind of useless for travel around the world!!
That's true. I've come into that problem more often than was advertised to me. And this is in the US, I'm sure it's worse internationally!
Let’s go!🫵 Those are some 💪 travel cards! Hard to beat that Platinum card! Great travel cards and setup Stan! 👍
Thank you César! Yes, it's definitely going to take some work to beat the Platinum card!
❤❤
👍💯
underwhelming...you dont have experience with ihg or hilton
Hilton, yes. IHG, no.
I was able to stay 16 nights for 179k points in Phuket and Koh Samui Thailand. The Busines IHG gave me a 165k sign up bonus so it was really worth it!
@@TheCreditFrog
How would you view the Ritz if the AR expanded lounge from 8 to say 25? How do you use the credits from the Ritz typically? It’s an interesting card that has lots of hype but I think it’s biggest strength are its protections which most bypass because Platinum offers 5X. Would appreciate your insight. Great video!!
I think I would still value the Ritz card, but value it less because I could use my USB AR card to get access to the Priority Pass network. The travel credit is an airline incidental credit so bascially for airline incidentals as you would expect. Calling into CS to get the credit is super easy. I never have to wait on hold and just tell them the charge I want deducted. I've never looked into the protections on the card, but yeah, as a VISA Infinite, it certainly could be a cheaper replacement to the Amex Platinum depending on how you use the credits!
Ritz is S tier. It’s a better CSR for less. Has crazy purchase protection. Best PP and free AUs that get PP, it’s insane.
Good to see your somewhat non-traditional perspectives, thanks Stan!
Also good to see my sweetheart USB Altitude Reserve getting some love!
Thanks Dugroz! Happy to feature my new favorite card the USB AR! I actually like your version of the card better - it looks nicer IMO!
Love my Platinum Card, however I can't help but feel there should be an added multiplier for Hotels booked outside of the AMEX portal. In my experience, unless there is an AMEX offer going or I use it for FHR, I'd rather just book directly with the hotels due to typically lower prices.
I totally get where you're coming from. I'm the same way. I'd like to use my Platinum card for hotels too, but the only way I'll do so is with Amex FHR. Booking direct is not only cheaper, but usually when issues come up, it tends to be better than booking through a third-party, but of course, there are always exceptions.
@@TheCreditFrog Not to mention they create a bit of a conflict with the card as well, by offering status for both Hilton and Marriot properties. Makes it even harder not booking direct.
Awesome video Stan! Definitley helps out when people share their personal experience with each card. Maybe I'll have to consider the Plat 150k offer 👀
Thanks Jake! Yes, personal experiences is what makes each card fun! Ooooh, yes! But make sure it's a Plat 150k offer and not a "up to 150k" offer. Rude lol.
One question I never see answered in these videos is a comparison between redeeming miles on an airline portal (e.g. United) vs. through a bank (e.g. BoA). Example: I live in a United hub, fly mostly United, and often enough to earn the lowest frequent flyer tier. I do have a United credit card, but I'm also a United premium honors customer. I agree that the multipliers on that card are pretty attractive. Nonetheless, I usually do my travel spending on the United cards, and redeem my miles through United directly. Is there any difference between the two redemption options? Intuitively, I would think that as a UA frequent flyer, it makes sense to redeem my miles through them, but I am not sure if that's actually true.
It depends on the portal really. Some portals have an upcharge if you book through them, but some don't. From my experience, BofA is exactly the same price as on the direct website. I know Capital One does a price match thing. In general, spending on the airline is going to be the highest yield in terms of multiplier. For example, the Chase United Club card gets 4X at United, whereas the CSR would get 3X. Amex Platinum gets 5X on flights, but of course, can't transfer to United (directly). Travel portals just give you options, but IMO, I would always stick with direct bookings, if possible, because if issues arise, dealing directly United is going to be better than dealing with a third-party.
@@TheCreditFrog Thank you. First of all, I meant BoA Platinum Honors customer, not United, but I think you caught that.
And I agree - booking through the airlines directly is better in case of problems alone. Also: I don't want to spread my points across different cards and providers. It's hard enough to accumulate enough points for meaningful benefits even if you concentrate spending on one card/provider.
Also: the flights themselves earn me United points that I can't use if I go through BoA.
I would also suspect - though I'm not sure, that you might have upgrade priority if you book direct. Hard to tell though. Thoughts?
Last but not least, to the point of this video, I think for a United customer like me, my United Club card is way better than the Amex Platinum for a lot of reasons, the most important being:
1. A little cheaper
2. More tailored to my United experience. The card offers very useful benefits that Amex can't offer, like priority boarding and baggage handling. Priority baggage handling is an often overlooked, but super-useful benefit
3. United lounges (though definitely worse than Centurion lounges, which also don't live up to the hype) are usually much closer to the United departure gates
4. No coupon book nonsense.
@@RevTiberius Booking direct vs on a travel portal probably has no effect on upgrade priority, but I'm not sure on that since I rarely fly United, but I am Premier Silver since I'm Marriott Titainum. If I was a frequent flyer on United, I would 100% have the United Club card over the Platinum as the Platinum gets you into no lounges in United's network. Also, no coupon book like you said, which is a huge plus at this point in my credit card journey.
Love your channel Stan. For some reason, your explanation always makes sense!
Platinum at top isn't surprise but #2 was. Love the rest of your setup up too! I love how you actually get cards that you need instead of want. I have a ton of cards that I "want" and sometimes find myself not using them too much. Like, I am in SF/San Jose area, so Southwest is my go to. But also have both Alaska and Alaska business (only because I heard it's miles are valuable by some TH-camrs!!) LOL They have buy one and get one for $99 but haven't been able to use it once in 3 years!.
Thanks Kevin! Yeah, it's definitely not the typical travel card that people think about, but it really depends on the person and what they're looking for in a setup. Hah! You're totally right about the Alaska cards. They are great on paper and have a great cpp value, but like you mentioned, if you don't fly Alaska, it's kind of irrelevant. But the plus with that is you have a foot in the BofA ecosystem, and I'm a big fan of growing your assets with them so you can achieve those higher tier multipliers with Preferred Rewards 👍
How about IHG Cards as a travel card?
Those cards are great! But I don’t have them so they weren’t on this list.
Took note of that comment about SMF Escape. I have to say though that the Escape Lounge at SMF Terminal B is the worst lounge I've ever been in. Wish SMF would get something better in the mix or at least expand that one. It's so tiny and cramped and the food is minimal, meh, and often just MIA. If I'm traveling with my family, we just skip it because they absolutely hate that lounge so much.
Definitely agree with you Michelle! It's such a tiny and cramped lounge. If you travel on peak travel days, it's definitely probably worth skipping. Luckily, I tend to travel on off-peak days like in the middle of the week so when I go, the lounge is usually very empty, so it works for me! (for now)
Hello! Great video! What are your thoughts on the LV hotel availability in the Amex FHR program? I noticed a lot of hotels (mgm) are no longer part of the program in 2024. I’m super bummed, just got the card a few months ago and was really looking forward to the benefits in Vegas. Looks like Wynn, Four Seasons and Crockfords are the only participants 😮
Hi, thanks! I use FHR for Las Vegas pretty much exclusively. My experience is that FHR properties have varying prices, but they drastically go down at certain times of the year. I'd check the portal in 2024 to see what the availability is like. Right now, it's hard to tell what will be available and what won't; although I did hear rumors about MGM properties not being available next year, but we won't know for sure until FHR releases their calendar for the next year.
I am planning to product change to the Ritz-Carlton and apply for the AmEx Platinum in 2024. Great list!
Solid plan Kaina! Hope you get a great welcome offer on the Amex Platty!
Any reason why you don’t have VX?
A few reasons. The Platinum card still gives me the most lounge access to where I typically fly. I'm also very wary of a card that will hard pull me 3 times with no guarantee of an approval. I'm pretty conservative when it comes to hard pulls so that by itself is a deal-breaker for me when there are other cards I can get for no hard pull at all.
Hi Stan, I'm sensitive to the dings you get with hard pulls as well but I got the Cap1VX as my first premium card several years ago and don't remember there being 3 hard pulls... how does that happen?@@TheCreditFrog
@@TheCreditFrog Smart. One of the reason I was hesitant also. But They didnt approve me anyway in their pre approval without hard pull tool.
I heard, you can actually lock Experian and they will still approve you based on other 2 (trans and Equifax)
@charlesdatri2318 Yeah, you get 1 pull on each credit bureau: Experian, Equifax, and Transunion. To me that equals 3 hard pulls, but some others consider it to be only 1.
@kevin5953 I've heard that too! I'm interested to try it, but if it's going to hurt my chances, I'd rather not. It's tough to know if it will or not!
Yes #2 was a shocker 🤣. Good explanation though I’ll give you that!
Haha! I know, maybe not the "best" travel credit card, but definitely one of the best for me 👍!
Yup #2 was a shocker
First!
Aren’t you supposed to be working? 😁
Congrats CJ! You are FIRST today!! 🏆🥇
@@Leoprieto74 CJ can multitask 🙌
@@TheCreditFrogthat’s right, I can multitask 😇
@@Leoprieto74😂😂
This is such a nicely done video, loved the insights on the chase and plat card specifically! What kind of camera do you use ? (: looks great
Thanks! I really appreciate that, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I use the Sony ZVE-10 (w/ Sigma 16mm f1.4 lens). I tell everyone it was the best purchase I ever made for the channel!
@@TheCreditFrog awesome man, I’m studying here in LA for a few semesters and wish to record some TH-cam videos and i loved your set up! really appreciate your response, and just subbed!
@@vitomorris Awesome! Good luck with the schooling, and get into TH-cam when you can! It's never too late to start!
Third! it was a fun video Stan!
Thanks man! Yes, it was a lot of fun to rank these cards! 👍
Thank you for this!
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!