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The Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card offer is back where you can earn 75,000 HHonors Points after making $2,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. This comes right after the Citi Hilton Reserve offer for two free nights and a $100 statement credit. I’ve recently written about both of these offers but I’m just going to touch on them again.
Here are the perks of the Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card that just came out today.
No annual fee
Earn 75,000 HHonors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months.
Silver HHonors status and fast track to HHonors Gold status after four stays within your first 90 days of account opening or when you make $20,000 or more in purchases each calendar year
Earn an annual loyalty bonus of 10,000 Hilton HHonors Bonus Points at the end of each calendar year in which you spend $1,000 or more on stays within the Hilton Portfolio
This card also offers bonus category earning in the following ways:
Earn 6 HHonors bonus points for every dollar spent within the Hilton Portfolio
Earn 3 HHonors bonus points for every $1 spent at supermarkets, drugstores andgas stations
Earn 2 HHonors bonus points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
I think the 75,000 offer for the Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card is a great offer and it can be even sweeter if you can combine it with the Hilton HHonors Credit Card from American Express that right now has on offer of 50,000 HHonors points. That would put you at 125,000 HHonors points without having to pay an annual fee on either card! I’ve written about these two cards before and explained how much value you could get from the cards.
Personally, I think it depends on what your travel goals/plans are.
If you’re looking to redeem for some of the best Hilton properties for a couple of nights, I think the clear answer is that the Reserve is the way to go. That’s because even with the sign-up bonus of 75,000 HHonors Points of the Visa Signature Card, you will still likely be shy of what’s required for just one night at some of the top Hilton properties. But with the Reserve, you could use your two weekend nights to cover hotels that would cost up to 95,000 HHonors Points per night (which could equate to about $2,000 in value)!
And sure, you’re paying $95 for the annual fee for the Reserve but with the $100 statement credit (for Hilton expenses) and with Gold status, you’re still netting some decent value that, depending on your spending habits, could completely cancel out your annual fee. And don’t discount the value of free breakfasts and potential upgrades.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to stretch your points into maybe a three night (or more) stay or you just want to have the freedom to book nights during the week, the Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card is probably a better option. This is especially true if you’re wanting a no annual fee card that you can open for years to come to help build your credit history.
Final word
Ultimately, if you’re trying to cover more than a couple of stays at “average” Hilton properties, I say go with the Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card and seriously consider going with the Hilton HHonors Credit Card from American Express to beef up your balance of HHonors points. But if you’re trying to go the high-end luxury route think about getting on with the Hilton Reserve.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
The Best Credit Cards with Lounge Access
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There are a number of credit cards that offer airport lounge access, but they all come with pretty hefty annual fees (which are almost never waived) so you want to make sure that you’re going with the card that will benefit you the most before applying for them. Which card will be best for you will depend on factors such as what airline you frequently fly with, which airports you frequent, and how much you value additional benefits that the card offers. Here’s a breakdown of my top 5 credit cards that offer airport lounge access.
Platinum Card from American Express
Annual Fee: $450
The Platinum Card from American Express offers you the “Prestige” level membership to Priority Pass — worth $400 a year. This grants you access to over 850 airport lounges worldwide and you should be able to find a lounge at just about every major airport. Most of the lounges provide complimentary alcohol, refreshments and/or meals, free wifi, comfortable and quiet spaces to relax, a selection of magazines, power outlets, and some even have showers, spa, and bed facilities.
The Platinum Card also provides you with access to American Express Centurion Lounges for yourself and two guests or immediate family members. Centurion lounges are among the best lounges that you’ll find at U.S. airports. They currently have locations at SFO, SEA, LAS, LGA, MIA, DFW and coming this year (2016) they will have one in Houston (IAH).
What’s really nice about the Centurion lounges is that with the Platinum Card you’re allowed to bring in immediate family members or up to two guests for no additional fee. Thus, if you frequent any one of the above airports with Centurion lounges with travel partners or family, you may want to seriously consider the Platinum Card.
Also not to be forgotten is that the Platinum Card provides access to Delta Sky Club lounges; however, you will need to be flying with Delta that day in order to gain access.
The Platinum card allows up to three authorized users to be added for the total price of $175 and each of the authorized users will be offered full benefits like Priority Pass and entrance into the Centurion and Delta Sky Club lounges. If you can max out the authorized users there’s a potential for huge value as you’d getting well over $1,200 in value a year for a mere $175.
Other benefits include:
$200 annual airline credit (essentially reducing the annual fee to $250)
Free Boingo Wifi subscription (worth $120 per year)
Rental car benefits like express check-in, free upgrades, and discounts with status.
Concierge service
The standard sign-up bonus for the Platinum Card is 40,000 Membership Rewards but you can come across targeted offers for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards making the potential value of the Platinum Card very hard to beat.
Citi Prestige
Annual Fee: $450
The Citi Prestige also offers Priority Pass but with the Citi Prestige, you can take up to two guests with you into the lounge for free. Compare this with the Amex Platinum which requires the guests to pay $27 each time for lounge access. If you and your partner do all of your traveling together then this essentially operates as a free membership for them, which means you’re getting about $800 in benefits!
The Club Lounge at MCO accessed via Priority Pass
With the Prestige, you are also offered access to the Admirals Club lounges when you fly American Airlines on that day. Unfortunately, this benefit is not offered to authorized users and can only be utilized by the primary cardholder.
You can add an unlimited number of authorized users to your Citi Prestige for $50 each. Authorized users for the Prestige aren’t given the 4th night free, Admirals Club access, or the Global Entry Credit, but they do get the Priority Pass membership, which means they’re getting a $400 benefit for only $50, so it’s still a sweet deal!
Other benefits include:
$250 airline credit (which can be used for broader expenses, such as airline tickets)
Complimentary night at any hotel of your choice after a minimum 4-consecutive-night booking (Probably the most valuable benefit)
This card will provide you with access to over 40 Admirals Club® lounges and access to other airline lounges, such as Qantas lounges. It also allows you to bring in immediate family members (spouse or domestic partner and children under 18) or up 2 guests traveling with the primary cardmember or authorized user.
A newly added benefit is that authorized users are allowed access to the Admirals Club® lounges, though it comes with some restrictions. For example, the authorized user benefit does not provide: (i) access privileges to the Arrivals Lounge, Flagship Lounge facilities, or other airline lounges or clubs with which American Airlines may have reciprocal lounge or club access privileges, including lounges operated by members of the oneworld alliance. Still, even with some limitations, with no fee to add authorized users, this can be a tremendously valuable benefit.
Other benefits include:
First Checked Bag Free
MileSAAver discount for on MileSAAverawards to destinations selected every other month
Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® Application Fee Credit
25% savings on in–flight purchases of food, beverages, and headsets on flights operated by American Airlines
Priority check-in, airport screening, and priority boarding privileges when traveling on domestic flights
The primary cardmember will earn 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) after spending $40,000 in purchases that post to cardmember’s January through December billing statements
The annual fee is $450 but it’s cheaper than what you’d pay for Admirals Club membership without status ($500).
The sign-up bonus for the Executive Card is 60,000 miles but offers have been as high as 100,000 in the past.
United MileagePlus® Club card
Annual Fee: $450
This card provides you with United Club membership but authorized users will not receive their own United Club membership and are only eligible for United Club access if they are traveling with the primary cardmember, as two guests or one guest and dependent children are allowed access to the lounge with the card. With the Club card, you’ll also have access to hundreds of Star Alliance lounges when departing from those airports on a Star Alliance partner (but be limited to one guest).
Free 1st and 2nd checked bag, priority baggage handling
Close-in booking fee waivers on award tickets booked less than 21 days before departure
Earnings of 1.5 miles for each $1 on purchases.
Primary Cardmember is eligible for Platinum status in the Hyatt Gold Passport program.
Use your miles to book any available seat, any time, on any United-operated flight. If seats are available for sale, they can be redeemed at the MileagePlus Standard Award level
The annual fee is $450 but it’s $100 cheaper than the $550 that you’d pay for United Club membership.
There is no sign-up bonus for miles with the card but you are given a $100 statement credit after your first purchase with the credit card.
Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express
Annual Fee: $450
This card offers you complimentary access to Delta Sky Club lounges and a discounted rate ($29 per person) for up to two guests, so guests cannot get in for free. Authorized users can be added for $175 per card. As of yet, the Delta Reserve Credit Card does not allow access to SkyTeam partner lounges. (You can use this tool to find lounges where you’d be allowed entry with the card).
Other benefits include:
Get 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMS) after you reach $30,000 or more on purchases on your Card within the calendar year and if you spend $60,000 or more, you will be awarded an additional 15,000 bonus miles and 15,000 MQMs.
You and up to eight more passengers in your reservation can board your flight with Zone 1 priority boarding
You can check your first bag free on Delta flights booked with your Card
Delta Reserve Companion Certificate
20% savings on certain in-flight purchases of food, alcoholic beverages and audio headsets, and movies, shows, etc.
Delta Reserve Companion Certificate upon renewal of your card good for a round-trip domestic flight.
The sign up bonus is currently get 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 10,000 bonus miles after your first purchase on the Card.
Final Word
Always consider the airlines you’ll be frequenting and the airports you’ll likely be visiting before jumping on a card for lounge benefits. In addition, some of the additional benefits, especially for the Platinum Card and Citi Prestige can be add up to save you thousands, so always factor in those benefits as well.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
The Citi Premier vs The American Express® Premier Rewards Gold Card
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The American Express® Premier Rewards Gold Card and the Citi Thankyou Premier are two of the best travel rewards credit cards available right now. They both offer great earning potential through bonus category spending and pretty good sign-up bonuses as well. Here’s a comparison of the two cards that will give you a better idea of which card is better for you.
Charge card vs Credit Card
Don’t forget that the Citi Thankyou Premier is a credit card and the American Express Premier Rewards Gold Cards is a “charge card.” A charge card must be paid off in full each month or else you face a hefty monthly fee. The benefit to a charge card is that you’re not restricted to a credit limit and so you have a little more flexibility — you just need to be able to keep yourself in check to make sure you’ll pay off your balance in full each month.
Transfer Partners
Citi Thankyou Transfer Partners
Airlines
Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific)
EVA Air
Eithad Guest
Flying Blue (Air France, KLM)
Garuda Indonesia Frequent Flyer
Malaysia Airlines Enrich
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
Virgin America Elevate (1,000 pts = 500 Elevate points)
I’d probably give a slight edge to American Express for having more hotel partners and for having domestic airline partners like Delta, Virgin America, JetBlue, etc. You can still use some of Citi’s Thankyou partners to book on domestic airlines by booking through alliance partners but it just makes things a little bit more complicated (although a little extra legwork can often save you some miles).
One way that they differ is that Citi allows you to transfer your points to other people – a benefit that makes booking way less of a headache in a lot of scenarios. The only issue with Citi’s transfer policy is that once you transfer the points they expire within 90 days, so make sure you have a plan. Unfortunately, American Express does not offer this benefit.
Just like American Express, Citi sometimes offers temporary specials that offer bonus transfer rates to certain partners. Sometimes these rates will give you great deals like 50% more points when you transfer, so always be on the lookout for them.
It’s important to note that several of these partners are members of both programs like Flying Blue (Air France/KLM), KrisFlyer Singapore Airlines, Virgin, and Hilton HHonors. This makes it really easy to accumulate enough points for business and first class tickets on these airlines.
Membership Rewards can be redeemed for between .5 and 1.0 cents per point for gift cards and only .6 per point for a statement credit/charge. If you go through Amex Travel you can redeem at 1.0 cent per point on air fare but only up to .7 cent per point on hotels.
I think Citi definitely wins this category with its much better redemption rates for flights and statement credits, although I pretty much always advise against travelers using points for statement credits and usually don’t recommend redeeming points through these portals.
Tip: Sometimes these travel portals offer decent deals but other times you can find much cheaper rates by going through online travel agencies (Expedia, Booking, etc.) or by booking directly through the hotel.
Sign-up Bonus
Citi Thankyou Premier
40K to 50K (currently 40K) when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months
Premier Rewards Gold Card
25K to 75K when you spend $1,000-3,000. The 75K offer is highly targeted and rare and the 50K offer, while also targeted, is far more common to receive.
This comparison is a bit close and really hinges on when you catch the bonus. I think the 50K Membership Rewards for spending $1,000 in 3 months is one of the best sign-up bonuses that I’ve come across, so I would say that’s the winner. However, the standard public offer is 25K and compared to the lowest offer of the Premier (40K) that falls short. Most people value Membership Reward points more than Citi Thankyou Points but even with that in mind, I still say the winner is the Premier since the standard public offer is at least 40K versus 25K.
Tip: Try using Incognito/Private browsing windows on the American Express website to get the 50K offer to appear for you.
Bonus category earning potential
Citi Thankyou Premier
3X on Travel (this covers an extremely broad range of expenses).
3X on Gas
2X on Entertainment (This includes movie theaters, some sport events, museums, tourist attractions, amusement parks, and more)
2X on Dining
Premier Rewards Gold Card
3X on Airline Tickets (4X through the Amex Portal)
2X on Dining, Groceries, and Gas
$100 Airline credit for fees and incidentals
This is a tough comparison because the Premier Rewards Gold Card offers 2X on groceries, a category that many people probably spend a lot on. At the same time, the Premier offers 3X on the following items: airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, travel agencies, gas stations, commuter transportation, taxi/limousines, passenger railways, cruise lines, bridge and road tolls, parking lots/garages, campgrounds and trailer parks, time shares, bus lines, motor home/RV Rental and boat rentals and also offers 2x on entertainment.
That’s a long and valuable list for 3x earning opportunities. Thus, while I like that the the Premier Rewards Gold Card is valuable for those who shop a lot at grocery stores, I think the Premier is the better point earner for the average traveller. (I’d just rely on another card like the Premier Rewards Gold Card or Everyday Preferred so that I’d earn a bonus rate on supermarkets.)
Personally, I use both of these cards so I didn’t have to choose just one and I think it would be a good idea to think about getting both if you are interested in earning both Membership Rewards and Citi Thankyou Points.
Tip:“Amex Offers,” which gives American Express cardholders exclusive discounts and rebates for quality stores, can also add a lot of value to the Premier Rewards Gold Card. On average, I probably save at least a couple of hundred dollars per year by using these offers, so it’s definitely something to factor into your consideration.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Both cards have no foreign transaction fees.
Annual Fee
Citi Thankyou Premier
$95 waived the first year
Premier Rewards Gold Card
$195, waived the first year
The Premier Rewards Gold Card’s annual fee is essentially reduced to $95 if you can make good use of the $100 annual airline credit. Still, it’s nice to not have to jump through hoops to get the annual fee down to $95. Thus, I’d give Citi a slight edge for the annual fee.
Final Verdict
I think the winner is the Citi Thankyou Premier, although I wouldn’t recommend on holding out on the Premier Rewards Gold Card. Again, I’m a big fan of building up points for the big three (Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thankyou Points, and Membership Rewards). Thus, I think it’s good to get on board with at least one good rewards-earning card from each program. Both the Citi Thankyou Premier and the American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card fit that bill.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
The Citi Prestige vs The Citi Thankyou Premier
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The Citi Prestige and Citi Thankyou Premier are both two of the best travel credit cards with flexibility in point use. The major difference between the two cards is that the Prestige is more benefit oriented while the Premier is more about earning Thankyou Points with bonus category spend. Still, while the Prestige is more about the benefits, it also offers exceptional point earning opportunities that you don’t find in many other benefit-based credit cards like the American Express Platinum. This article will compare the two cards and see how they stack up to each other.
Transfer Partners
Both cards obviously earn Citi Thankyou Points. Just as a refresher, here are the different Thankyou travel partners.
Airlines
Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific)
EVA Air
Eithad Guest
Flying Blue (Air France, KLM)
Garuda Indonesia Frequent Flyer
Malaysia Airlines Enrich
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
Virgin America Elevate (Get 500 Elevate points for 1,000 pts)
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Hotels
Hilton HHonors (Get 1,500 HHonors Bonus Points for 1,000 pts)
Sign-up Bonus
Citi Thankyou Premier
40K to 50K (currently 40K) when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months
Citi Prestige
50K to 100K (currently 50K) when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months
Personally, I’m holding out on the Prestige until the 100K offer rolls around again but that’s only because I already have the American Express Platinum card, which offers me similar benefits. If I didn’t currently have a card offering me things like Priority Pass, I’d still go for this card even with the 50K offer. The Citi Premier just switched back to 40K from 50K, so I’m not sure when the 50K bonus will be back.
Bonus category earning potential
Citi Thankyou Premier
3X on Travel (this also covers an extremely broad range of expenses like the CSP but is even a little bit broader!).
3X on Gas
2X on Entertainment (This includes movie theaters, some sport events, museums, tourist attractions, amusement parks, and more)
2X on Dining
Citi Prestige
3X on Air fare and hotels (this is more limited than the “travel” category for the Premier)
2X on Entertainment
2X on Dining
I think it’s pretty rare for a benefits-focused card to offer such great bonus earning potential like the Prestige does (the Amex Platinum offers none). The only categories missing from the Prestige are the 3X on gas and broader travel category. This makes the Prestige a pretty decent primary card to use for daily spending.
However, you’d likely want to compliment this card with one or two others that offer rewards in things like groceries, gas, and the broader travel category. Two cards that could fill this role are the Chase Sapphire Preferred (2X on Travel) and the American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card (2X on groceries and gas).
Benefits
Citi Prestige
$250 airline credit (which can be used for broader expenses, such as airline tickets)
Priority Pass Select airport lounge access for you and up to two guests for free (the Platinum requires that you pay $27 per guest for this benefit)
Complimentary access with two guests to American Airlines Admirals Club lounges (when you fly with them)
Complimentary night at any hotel of your choice after a minimum 4-consecutive-night booking (Probably the most valuable benefit)
Rental car benefits like express check-in, free upgrades, and discounts with status.
Add authorized users for $50 each.
Concierge service
If you have the Citi Prestige card you can transfer your Premier points to the Prestige and redeem those points toward American Airlines miles at a rate of 1.6 cents and 1.33 cents for any other airline.
There were three times that I could’ve potentially taken advantage of a fourth night free. With an average cost of $200 per night, that’s $600 worth of value I could’ve got from that benefit alone.
When you add in the airline statement credit that’s another $200
Throw in the Priority Pass lounge access and that’s easily $1,200 worth of value. And if I used my free guest pass for my partner each time, it would have been like getting another $400 in value.
So that’s roughly $1,600 of value and that’s not even counting the value from the sign-up bonus, which could easily add on at least another $500.
As you can see with the statement credit, lounge access, global entry, and the potential for free hotel nights, these benefits can easily total a return value in the thousands — if you play your cards right. You can check out how the Citi Prestige compares versus the American Express Platinum here.
Annual Fees
Citi Thankyou Premier
$95, waived the first year
Citi Prestige
$450, not waived
If you’re a Citigold client and/or a you apply for the Prestige in-branch you can often get the annual fee knocked down to $350.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Both cards boast no foreign transaction fees.
Overall, both cards are solid choices for earning Citi Thankyou Points. However, if I had to choose one it would likely be the Prestige. The Prestige has the potential to earn you thousands if you travel frequently and play your cards right. On top of that, it still has a decent earning potential with its bonus categories. Since I could get so much out of the Prestige, I value it more.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
Top 10 Benefits of the Citi Prestige
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Right now, the Citi Prestige is one of the best benefit-focused travel credit cards out on the market. It comes with a number of different benefits but here is a look at what I believe are the top 10 benefits of the Citi Prestige.
1. Priority Pass Select airport lounge access
This offers you lounge access worth $400/yr. to Priority Pass lounges, which are located in over 800 locations around the world. Most of the lounges provide complimentary alcohol, refreshments and/or meals, free wifi, comfortable and quiet spaces to relax, a selection of magazines, power outlets, and some even have showers, spa, and bed facilities.
What really makes this benefit worth it with the Citi Prestige is that you can take up to two guests with you into the lounge for free. Compare this with the Amex Platinum which requires the guests to pay $27 each time for lounge access. If you and your partner do all of your traveling together then this essentially operates as a free membership for them, which means you’re getting about $800 in benefits!
2. Access to American Airlines Admirals Club lounges
Another benefit is that you are offered access to the Admirals Club lounges when you fly American Airlines on that day. Unfortunately, this benefit is not offered to authorized users and can only be utilized by the primary cardholder. July 2016 update: this benefit will no longer be available as of July 23, 2017.
3. Complimentary night at any hotel of your choice after a minimum 4-consecutive-night booking
This is probably the most valuable benefit of the Citi Prestige. If you book your hotel through the Citi Prestige concierge service then you’re given the fourth night free for a consecutive 4 night or longer stay. This benefit can be applied an unlimited amount of times each year. If you do a lot of stays that are at least 4 nights then you can see how quickly you can begin to save a lot of money with this card.
Some people will even break up longer bookings into segments of 4 nights with a small gap in between their stays at a hotel and actually come out with two free nights with a 10 night stay. You might have to work a little persuasion with the concierge service to get that to fly but a little extra effort could pay off with some big savings.
Also, some are lucky enough to combine this rebate with the other hotel discounts that offer 3rd night, 5th night free, etc. (Usually, if you don’t have to enter a specific code for that additional hotel discount you can have a shot at stacking offers.)
4. Global Entry/TSA Pre-check Credit
While not being an exclusive benefit to the Prestige, Global Entry for free for five years is still a great perk. Global Entry allows you to expedite yourself through customs when you arrive back in the U.S. You don’t have to wait in that long line to get through border control and you get to skip the later customs baggage inspection line (which can get backed up at some airports). This benefit had and will continue to save me tons of time and would be worth it to me even if I only flew a handful of times a year.
5. $250 Airline credit
This is one of the best airline credits currently offered by credit cards right now. The Prestige offers $50 more than the Amex Platinum but also covers much broader expenses. First, unlike American Express, you don’t have to limit you reimbursement to a single domestic airline. Second, also unlike American Express, this credit covers any airline related expense, including airfare. Thus, it’s a lot easier to essentially knock down your annual fee by $250 each calendar year.
6. Free Rounds of Golf
Update: This benefit will no longer offered.
As a Citi Prestige cardholder, you’re entitled to three complimentary rounds of golf each calendar year at over 2,000 public and private golf courses all around the world. Courses include tournament level play, as well as spectacular courses throughout the USA, Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. I haven’t used this benefit but is seems to be quite valuable to avid golfers.
7. Rental Car benefits
As a Master Card World Elite card, the Prestige offers the following status benefits for car rentals.
Avis (First)
National (Emerald Club Executive)
Sixt (Platinum status)
These benefits usually include express lines, eligibility for free upgrades, and special discounts on rentals — all benefits that can make your travels a little more affordable and convenient.
8. Authorized users
You can add an unlimited number of authorized users to your Citi Prestige for $50 each. This is preferable over the Platinum, which allows up to three additional users for the total price of $175. Authorized users for the Prestige aren’t given the 4th night free, Admirals Club access, or the Global Entry Credit, but they do get the Priority Pass membership, which means they’re getting a $400 benefit for only $50!
9. Concierge Service
The concierge service of the Citi Prestige is available 24/7 to assist you with travel bookings and other reservations, such as dinner reservations. Again, I don’t have experience with using the concierge service at Citi so I can’t comment too much on them but if you value concierge services then this benefit should catch your attention.
10. Bonus Category Spending
Don’t forget that this card earns 3X on hotels and airfare and 2X on dining and entertainment. Not many benefit-focused credit cards offer good bonus category spending so this is a great benefit to have with the Citi Prestige. And don’t forget, with the Prestige, Thankyou Points can be redeemed at a rate of 1.33 cents per point for airlines and 1.6 on American Airlines.
Overall, there are a lot of benefits to the Citi Prestige but what really makes the Prestige so valuable to me is the Priority Pass access (with two free guests), the $250 airline credit, and the 4th night free benefit which can very, very valuable if worked the right way.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
The American Express Platinum vs The Citi Prestige
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The Citi Prestige and the American Express Platinum cards offer some of the best travel benefits in the credit card game. However, with those valuable benefits come high annual fees. With such high fees, a lot of people struggle to decide which card to apply for. So here’s a comparison of the two cards with a final verdict at the end.
First, don’t forget that the Citi Prestige is a credit card the American Express Platinum is a “charge card.” A charge card must be paid off in full each month or else you face a hefty monthly fee. The benefit to a charge card like the Platinum is that you’re not restricted to a credit limit and so you have a little more flexibility — you just need to be able to keep yourself in check to make sure you’ll pay off your balance in full each month.
Transfer Partners
The American Express Platinum earns Membership Rewards, which transfer out to several partners. Here are the transfer partners of Membership Rewards.
Airlines
Delta Skymiles
Club Premier AeroMexico
Aeroplan Air Canada
Flying Blue Air France/KLM
MilleMigilia Club Alitalia
ANA
Asia Miles
Avios British Airways
Emirates Skyrewards
Etihad Guest
Hawaiian Airlines
Iberia Plus
JetBlue
KrisFlyer Singapore Airlines
Virgin America
Virgin Atlantic
Hotels
Best Western Rewards
Choice Privileges
Hilton HHonors
SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest)
Citi Thankyou Points
The Citi Prestige earns Thankyou Points and Citi has fairly recently added a lot of new travel partners. These partners are:
Airlines
Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific)
EVA Air
Eithad Guest
Flying Blue (Air France, KLM)
Garuda Indonesia Frequent Flyer
Malaysia Airlines Enrich
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
Virgin America Elevate (Get 500 Elevate points for 1,000 pts)
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Hotels
Hilton HHonors (Get 1,500 HHonors Bonus Points for 1,000 pts)
Typically, the transfer partners are one of my first considerations when considering a travel rewards card but with two cards like these, which are heavy in the benefits department, more weight should probably go to which benefits will fit better into your travel lifestyle.
Still, although I’d give more consideration to the benefits, I would have to say that Membership Rewards edges out Thankyou Points here since at the very least they boast the better hotel selection and offer better airline transfer options. And for someone like me who lives near a United hub, it’s great having both ANA and Aeroplan (along with Singapore Krisflyer) to transfer to and book Star Alliance flights with.
Redeeming Points for Travel
Membership Rewards can be redeemed in the following ways:
Between .5 and 1.0 cent per point for gift cards
0.6 cent per point for a statement credit/charge
1.0 cent per point on air fare
0.7 cent per point on hotels, cruises, and vacation packages.
Thankyou Points can be redeemed for cash back and gift cards at one cent per point but you can get more for air travel. With the Prestige, Thankyou Points can be redeemed at a rate of 1.33 cents per point for airlines and 1.6 on American Airlines. With the new changes, Thankyou points will be able to be redeemed for 1.25 cents on all airlines.
Sign-up Bonus
AMEX Platinum
40K to 100K (currently 40K) when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months.
The 40K offer is the standard offer available to the public, and the 100K offer comes around in three forms but there’s no guarantee that you will ever get it. The three forms it comes in are:
1) Targeted mailings (if you’re already an Amex cardholder your chances of getting this offer in the mail are slim to none).
2) Pre-approval links: Some sites (including the Amex site) that allow you to view your pre-approved credit card offers will show this offer.
3) Incognito/Private browser windows sometimes show this offer (rare)
Tip: When applying for bonuses with Amex cards always remember that bonuses for personal cards are only given once a lifetime (although not 100% enforced).
Citi Prestige
40K to 100K (currently 40K) when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months.
Most value Membership Rewards more than Thankyou Points so with an even bonus of 40,000, the Platinum likely is offering you more value when you consider the value of cents per point.
There’s really no telling when the higher 100K offers will (if ever) return. Amex sometimes sends out targeted 100K offers and a couple of times those offers have leaked to the public. However, your odds of receiving (or taking advantage of a leaked offer) are probably not very high. Also, Citi’s recent trend towards eliminating or reducing sign-up offers makes it feel like the Prestige 100K offer isn’t coming back any time soon.
So, unless you get a little lucky, you’ll probably be stuck with 40K offers for the time being in which case, I’d give the Platinum the edge.
Bonus Categories
AMEX Platinum
1X on all purchases
5X on airfare purchased directly with the airline
Citi Prestige
3X on air travel and hotels
2X on dining and entertainment
1X on all other purchases
Citi Prestige Bonus Categories
One of the biggest knocks against the Platinum is that it doesn’t have any bonus categories for spending. While the Amex PRG and the Everyday Preferred cards can assist with earning MR points, the Citi Prestige has earning capability built in and won’t require you to pay an annual fee for an additional Citi card just to be able to earn more points.
Add up to 3 authorized users for only $175 per year (for all 3)
Gold status with Hilton and Starwood
Free Boingo Wifi subscription (worth $120 per year)
Rental car benefits like express check-in, free upgrades, and discounts with status.
Concierge service
Amex Centurion Lounge at IAH.
Also, while not exclusive to the Platinum, Amex Offers (which are special discounts and rebates given to Amex cardholders) can add up quickly if used efficiently and can certainly act as a considerable benefit to having the Platinum.
Citi Prestige
$250 airline credit (which can be used for broader expenses, such as airline tickets)
Priority Pass Select airport lounge access for you and up to two guests for free (the Platinum requires that you pay $27 per guest for this benefit)
Complimentary access with two guests to American Airlines Admirals Club® lounges (when you fly with them)
Complimentary night at any hotel of your choice after a minimum 4-consecutive-night booking (now calculated on an average nightly rate basis and taxes are not included)
Rental car benefits like express check-in, free upgrades, and discounts with status.
Add authorized users for $50 each.
Concierge service
With the recent changes to the Citi Prestige, the contest between these two cards is a lot closer. The Prestige does offer more valuable Priority Pass lounge access but it doesn’t offer anything above that now. With the Platinum, you get Centurion lounge access, which are some of the best airline lounges in the U.S. (and you can bring up to two guests for free). You also get Delta SkyClub lounge access when you fly with them. Thus, if you regularly fly Delta or fly in and out of airports with Centurion lounges, the lounge benefits offered by the Platinum begin to surpass those offered by the Prestige.
However, the Prestige still has the better airline credit, bonus earning potential, and the fourth night free benefit, so there’s still an edge that can be had with the Prestige.
Protections
The Citi Prestige
Protections for purchases and travel aren’t usually a priority for many but these protections can be extremely valuable when things go wrong. The Amex Platinum has a number of quality protections but not as many as the Citi Prestige. Specifically, the Citi Prestige offers protections on baggage delay, trip delay/cancellation, and price protection.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Both cards have no foreign transaction fees.
Annual Fee
Citi Prestige
$450, not waived* (more like $200/year with airline credit)
*If you are a Citigold member, the annual fee should be reduced to $350. In addition, some have had success with getting the $350 annual fee when they apply in-branch.
AMEX Platinum
$450, not waived (more like $250/year with airline credit)
Highlighting the Differences
So overall, here are some of the key differences between the cards that I would consider when making a decision between the two cards.
The Citi Prestige
Offers a $250 airline credit that can be used even for airfare tickets
Earns a very respectable 3X on airfare and hotels, and 2X on dining and entertainment
Allows two guests to visit Priority Pass lounges for free
Citi Prestige offers Admirals Club access to the primary cardholder when flying on American Airlines.
Allows you to add each authorized user for $50.
The American Express Platinum
Offers a $200 airline credit that is meant to be utilized for fees and incidentals (although there are ways around this)
Earns no bonus category points
Offers gold HHonors and SPG status
Allows no free guests with your Priority Pass and you must pay $27 per guest
Offers access to Centurion Lounges with free access for up to two guests
Offers access to Delta SkyClub lounges when you fly with them
Allows you to add up to three authorized users for $175 total
Gives you access to Amex Offers
The Verdict
The most widely used benefit conferred by these type of cards is lounge access. Now, with the recent changes, the Platinum Card offers better lounge access to a lot of travelers. Some may still be able to get more value out of the Prestige with its airline credit, 4th night free benefit, and more expansive Priority Pass membership but it all depends on your travel habits and goals. Before, I stated that the Prestige was the clear-cut winner in this comparison but now I have to say it’s much more a of a toss-up and that it really depends on how you’ll be taking advantage of the benefits.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.
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