Citi Select (post March 2013) - ? worth $700 annual fee

[DaveB]

Haven't received any request for survey.
Did the survey cover Priority Pass? Unless Citi get the card for next to nothing, I have never actually used Priority Pass and feel they could definitely scale back from the top tier US$399pa fee to the Standard level of 10 free visits normally having a US$249 fee. Doubt many people forking out $700 on a card aren't going to have other means of getting into better lounges than those typically on offer.

 

[Newk]

Haven't received any request for survey.
Did the survey cover Priority Pass? Unless Citi get the card for next to nothing, I have never actually used Priority Pass and feel they could definitely scale back from the top tier US$399pa fee to the Standard level of 10 free visits normally having a US$249 fee. Doubt many people forking out $700 on a card aren't going to have other means of getting into better lounges than those typically on offer.

yes it did cover PP and with other options including limited visits, access to QP and Virgin lounges.
I agree re PP- the two I've been in hardly thrilled me

 

[deka2]

I received and completed the survey this morning
Agree there were many senarios with differing benefits.
I marked most as not as good as the current benefits, but a couple put up free lounge visits when travelling Virgin or Qantas and I marked them better.
The devil may be in the detail if they offered this.

 

[Jack_OC]

I received and completed the survey this morning
Agree there were many senarios with differing benefits.
I marked most as not as good as the current benefits, but a couple put up free lounge visits when travelling Virgin or Qantas and I marked them better.
The devil may be in the detail if they offered this.

Just realised that I got the survey too - been stuck in my spam folder since Saturday! I agree with you on this - most scenarios were clearly not as good as what we have now, but a few of the scenarios I was asked about were better. From memory, they had similar or better points earning levels to the current card, but with a free domestic flight each year instead of free hotel night, and/or lounge access with QF instead of Priority Pass.

I have yet to use either a free hotel night or the Priority Pass, but I'd definitely use a free domestic flight each year, and if I lose QF Gold status (which sadly I might do soon) lounge access with QF would be a very welcome benefit indeed.

I also took the opportunity with one of the free text comments fields to say the current card is clearly not worth a $700 fee, so they need to either drop the fee or improve benefits.

 

[DeKa]

Not defining "premier miles" was a major fail. I was waiting for the comments section at the end to give them a serve. But there wasn't one

I don't have a Select so didn't get the survey, but I would send a message through Citi Internet banking. They are very good at forwarding the message on go the right person and getting them to reply.

 

[asg29e]

Just realised that I got the survey too - been stuck in my spam folder since Saturday!

Ah! Never thought of looking there. And there I was feeling all left out.

 

[DaveB]

Ah! Never thought of looking there. And there I was feeling all left out.

I am just hoping the pasting the card took the past two months didn't catch up with me. The EDR card would have a fit.

 

[Newk]

I don't have a Select so didn't get the survey, but I would send a message through Citi Internet banking. They are very good at forwarding the message on go the right person and getting them to reply.

Thanks DeKa. I have submitted a comment via their web site

"Your comments have been submitted and, if you've requested for us to contact you, we'll be in touch within five business days.
We are committed to listening to your feedback and, where possible, making improvements to our products and services to give you a better experience."

Cross fingers

 

[747sardine]

I received and completed the survey this morning
Agree there were many senarios with differing benefits.
I marked most as not as good as the current benefits, but a couple put up free lounge visits when travelling Virgin or Qantas and I marked them better.
The devil may be in the detail if they offered this.

Indeed it is. Without knowing the details for a) the Premier points and b) if QF lounge access mandates buying through Citi travel service, who knows what is better or not.

 

[ckbag]

Dug the survey email from my partners deleted mail section

almost missed out on 5000 points phewwwwwww

 

[albyd]

I got my survey yesterday and completed it. Having had the benefit of reading the comments on here, I took the opportunity to elaborate on my concerns in the first couple lf text boxes. I like the option. Of replacing priority pass with Qantas or virgin Lounge passes as I do most of my travel domestically and priority pass doesn't have any Aussie lounges (apart from United airlines in Melbourne international when I last checked). I also marked all the alternatives except one as worse value than the current offering. Hope I won't have to switch cards again - quite liking only having one card.

 

[legroom]

Just realised that I got the survey too - been stuck in my spam folder since Saturday! I agree with you on this - most scenarios were clearly not as good as what we have now, but a few of the scenarios I was asked about were better. From memory, they had similar or better points earning levels to the current card, but with a free domestic flight each year instead of free hotel night, and/or lounge access with QF instead of Priority Pass.

I have yet to use either a free hotel night or the Priority Pass, but I'd definitely use a free domestic flight each year, and if I lose QF Gold status (which sadly I might do soon) lounge access with QF would be a very welcome benefit indeed.

I also took the opportunity with one of the free text comments fields to say the current card is clearly not worth a $700 fee, so they need to either drop the fee or improve benefits.

They did not like me as there is no survey even in the spam box !

 

[DaveB]

Perish the thought of a high points earning card with no add on dribble that costs everyone involved money and require numerous hoops to jump thru to use.
One credit card.... those were the days when mum packed the lunch before setting off each day...

 

[Deewhy]

Have you guys received your latest letter?

Received in the post yesterday, from 1 Feb 2014:
- no more complimentary hotel
- no more $500 voucher for your getaway
- no more limo transfer

For me = no more citi select card!

What do you get for $700??? The hotel was at least a positive.

It's funny that they sent the survey around. I reckon they were going to cut this stuff anyway. Not sure what the purpose of that was.

There are also updates to the eligible purchase definition. I don't know what has changed, but I see that insurance charges are not eligible - does that mean insurance premiums don't earn points?

Either way, time to ditch the card before next renewal. That's a shame.

 

[legroom]

Have you guys received your latest letter?

Received in the post yesterday, from 1 Feb 2014:
- no more complimentary hotel
- no more $500 voucher for your getaway
- no more limo transfer

For me = no more citi select card!

What do you get for $700??? The hotel was at least a positive.

It's funny that they sent the survey around. I reckon they were going to cut this stuff anyway. Not sure what the purpose of that was.

There are also updates to the eligible purchase definition. I don't know what has changed, but I see that insurance charges are not eligible - does that mean insurance premiums don't earn points?

Either way, time to ditch the card before next renewal. That's a shame.

Well, if that is true, it will be a real downer to continue.

Have to reassess again my pattern of spending to justify the $700 annual fee.

 

[Jack_OC]

Well, if that is true, it will be a real downer to continue.

Have to reassess again my pattern of spending to justify the $700 annual fee.

I got the same letter. The no comp hotel as of Feb 2014 is definitely true. The insurance charges issue is a bit more ambiguous. It could mean insurance charges imposed by Citi, eg if you had repayment protection insurance. Either way, if they don't replace the free hotel stay with something good such as a free flight, I'll definitely be cancelling.

 

[diningdecadence]

if the hotel stay is done on a calendar year, really this won't come into effect until 2015?

if you're still interested in the card despite these changes i'd suggest calling up to negotiate - i posted a little while back, a successful halving of the fee by escalating up the line. you'll have to ignore some pretty ordinary offers they try and throw at you the first time round.

 

[Jack_OC]

if the hotel stay is done on a calendar year, really this won't come into effect until 2015?

Only if you manage to use the free hotel stay in Jan 2014! If not you will get no free hotel stay after this year. My renewal is in late Dec and I know I won't use the hotel stay in Jan, so for me it's gone as of now.

Btw, have a look at the revised table showing the "value" of the Select card on their website. No mention of hotel stay there now either. They're now trying to say that points earn + free wine dining out + priority pass + insurance is worth $2,130 per year. I don't think so!

 

[tharaka]

Regarding the Hotel booking I called up a couple of weeks back to book my free stay for this year in Dec. The operator took the dates etc and put me hold to make the booking and after a while he came back and said Citi had not renewed the contract beyond October and he can't get dates for beyond Oct.

I still haven't received this letter notifying the cut down of benefits. But I'm not sure if it's even applicable until 31st Jan 14, as per the information given to me by Pinpoint Travel guy.

Anyone tried to book their free stay beyond 30th Oct for 2013?

 

[legroom]

The current situation is unsatisfactory to us, end consumers.

There is no other Visa / MC on the Australian market with a similar (or even close) to Select in terms of KF mile earn rate (1.33 miles per $).

Westpac Black / KrisFlyer Visa / MC earn rate is 0.75 miles per $ IIRC.

The current 'monopoly' enjoyed by Select is one of the factors they are able to demand such a premium annual fee.

Say you have an average monthly balance of 10K, that works out to be a net difference of 5,800 KF miles per month (13,300 - 7,500).

At the top-up rate (yes, I know it's super expensive) of 4 US cents per mile, that represents about USD232 per month.

Say we halve that to 2 US cents per mile, it still remains a healthy USD116 per month (better than Westpac cards).

So, in that case, approx 6 months later, the card pays for itself.

But if the monthly spend is only $5K, the proposition becomes marginal considering the Westpac cards come (free) with the very competitive AMEX card and the monthly gain over Westpac cards (at 2 US cents per mile) drops to $58.

My thinking is if your spend is closer to $5K monthly, you should not hold on to this card.

More than 10K monthly, you will get somewhere.

Thoughts ?

EDIT: the correct Westpac Krisflyer VISA earn rate is 0.5 miles per $, that of Westpac Black VISA is 0.625 (as Cove pointed out) - not 0.75 as my recollection. That makes a net monthly gain of USD 141 (@ 2 cents per mile rate) for a monthly spend of 10K. If anything, the revised (lower) VISA / MC rate confers greater benefits towards Select cards - unfortunately !