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American Express hasn’t exactly been hitting it out of the park lately. Between the Amex Platinum fee increase and sign-up bonus claw-backs, it’s becoming clear they’re more discerning than ever when it comes to who they want as customers. It certainly isn’t the travel hacking crowd, though I don’t blame them. That being said, there are several things wrong with the SPG Luxury Card that make it less than worthwhile.
Travel Credit
I know it’s all the rage now for credit cards to have $450 annual fees. The problem is that not all of them are worth paying for. The SPG Luxury card is one of those cards that just tacked on a bunch of benefits similar to The Platinum Card in order to justify the fee. For starters, the $300 annual statement credit is only valid at SPG and Marriott hotels. Understandable, considering this is a co-branded card, but it’s also very limiting. With a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you have way more flexibility in how you use your annual statement credit. Again, I understand it from a branding perspective but I don’t care for it as a consumer.
Sign-Up Bonus
This is probably my biggest annoyance with the SPG Luxury Card: The sign-up bonus. Amex took another page out of every other $450 annual fee card with a 100,000 point sign-up bonus after $5,000 spent in 3 months. Sure, it’s on par with what Hilton Ascend offers, but I’m not a fan of that sign-up bonus either. In my opinion, if you’re going to offer a “luxury” hotel credit card, the sign-up bonus needs to be enough for at least two free nights at a top-tier hotel. That’s how it was back in the day with cards like the Hyatt and IHG Rewards credit cards. I realize things are different now, but if I’m paying more and getting a premium credit card, I expect a better sign-up bonus.
Free Night Award
The positive side of the annual free night award is that it doesn’t require any kind of insane spending requirement. Simply keep the card, pay the annual fee when it’s up and you’ll get a free night to use anywhere. The down side? The free night is restricted to redemptions under 50,000 points. Not entirely terrible, but it may not be worth renewing the card for $450 every year.
Priority Pass Select Membership
This is another one of those generic benefits other “luxury” credit cards are already offering. It’s certainly a nice benefit if you don’t already have it through another credit card. But I think at the same price point, the Amex Business Platinum card offers better value. Not only does it offer Priority Pass Select membership, but access to the coveted Centurion Lounge as well as Delta Sky Club. If I’m going to get an American Express card with a $450 annual fee and lounge access is important, the Business Platinum Card offers better benefits for the same annual fee.
That’s my take on the new SPG Luxury Credit Card. It’s certainly nice for SPG loyalists (and people who don’t have any other $450 annual fee cards), but it’s kind of boring and repetitive for everyone else. That being said, I’d like to hear from you: What do you think of the SPG Luxury card?
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Delta® Reserve for Business
- Annual Fee: $450 fee
- Foreign Fees: No
- Card Type: Travel
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- Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your new Card in the first 3 months.†
- Earn 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 15,000 bonus miles after you reach $30,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in the calendar year.
- Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
- Settle into your seat sooner with Priority Boarding and enjoy 20% savings on eligible in-flight purchases in the form of a statement credit.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas.‡
- Complimentary Delta Sky Club® Access.‡
- Terms and limitations apply
- See Rates & Fees
Delta® Reserve for Business
- Annual Fee: $450 fee
- Foreign Fees: No
- Card Type: Travel
| FTG Review | Reward Breakdown | Points Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
Breakdown
Earn (pt.)
Spend
3 months
0
$3,000
Per dollar on eligible purchases with Delta Purchases
2.00
$1
All Purchases
1.00
$1
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