Several Prestige Credit Card Benefits to be Eliminated Jan 2020 (And I'm Not Happy!)

[Emporium]

Oh look, thanks to this thread - Australian Frequent Flyer wrote up an article about Citi screwing over Prestige cardholders...

Citibank Shuffles Credit Cards, Removes Benefits

 

[cove]

Yes I left today. I still have US Citi credit cards including a Costco one.

 

[SC9]

Just received my new card this week - it's the new style with the numbers on the back (not embossed). Initial thought was the card felt heavier than the old one. Putting it on the kitchen scale and it's 10g vs. 5g of the old card. A nice improvement.

Sadly, despite the premium feel of the new card, i have an intention to close the account at renewal as can't justify the $700 annual fee.

My curious mind saw the letter which arrived with the new card, is signed by a 16-month new Head of Cards and Consumer Lending, previously from Citi HKG.

A theory is new boss in town looked at the Prestige card business and saw it was costing the banks $$$ and decided to enhance the product, and voila..

 

[Emporium]

Yep - the new head of credit cards for Citibank Australia is Choong Yu Lum.

If you're reading this Choong Yu Lum - congratulations on making the Citi Prestige (in many people's opinion the best premium credit card in Australia for several years) now the worst and most worthless.

Eliminate and downgrade EVERY SINGLE BENEFIT besides insurance and priority pass, plus not add any new benefits to make up for the recent changes - and yet still demand a $700 annual fee?!?!?...get lost Choong Yu Lum!

Charge a $700 annual fee if you want (i'm happy to pay), but add some new freaking benefits & privileges to make it worth $700 - like it was before last year's changes.

At least bring back the once a year complimentary night stay at a five start hotel - that's the one benefit MOST Citi Prestige cardholders loved the most and made the card actually feel special (even though Citibank is now LYING to cardholders and saying that fellow cardholders were calling up the concierge department and asking them to remove the benefit). Come on, really Citibank? - even the concierge department have said this is a LIE made up by Citibank and that the free hotel night was extremely popular.

Or do what Citibank does in America with the Citi Prestige - and offer a yearly travel credit for say 200 or 300 dollars, in which travel related expenses (hotel, flights, etc) are automatically credited back to the cardholder.

Right now, it looks like Citi Prestige's benefits for the Australian market is the WORST in the world, compared to Citi Prestige benefits in other countries.

Choong Yu Lum - hope you don't get fired because of all the Citi Prestige card closures due to the recent changes to screw over your most premium & biggest spending/international travelling clientele (many of whom are likely Citi Gold customers with substantial savings/investments with Citibank).

 

[citrusb]

Like others ...after many years with this card, yesterday was the time we parted ways... was offered $175 but would not give fee free even for 1 year...Hard to justify value for me so had to say the 'cancel word'...
Now drawing out funds from cit plus account....Funny but it was like loosing an 'old friend'...

 

[Emporium]

Well it's now been 6 months since the Citi Prestige credit card went from being the best premium card in Australia - to now the coughtiest rip-off card on the market.

Just to recap - Citibank made the below changes to the Cit Prestige card...

* Fourth Night Free Hotel Stay - use to be unlimited, now capped to only being able to use 4 times a year.

* Complimentary Airport Transfer - use to be two free transfers (and can be used globally), now only once a year (and only in Australia).

* Complimentary One Night Stay In A Five Star Hotel - GONE!

* Airport Meet & Assist - GONE!

* Complimentary Golf Course Access - GONE!

Citibank is also still charging a whopping $700 annual fee for this joke of a credit card (they didn't even add any new benefits to make up for them screwing over cardholders).

What I find laughable is back in January when the media were reporting on Citibank deciding to eliminate and downgrade EVERY SINGLE BENEFIT besides insurance and priority pass - Citibank (I assume as damage control) released the below statement...

Citibank tells us that the Citi Prestige card will soon become the first Mastercard World Elite product in Australia. “Citi customers will be the first in Australia to get access to this program, which includes benefits like unique travel experiences, insider opportunities, VIP events and special promotions,” the Citi spokesperson said.

The switch to Mastercard has now already happened, and instead of the Citi Prestige being a Mastercard World Elite credit card (like the Citi Prestige card is in other countries) - in Australia the card appears to be a bog-standard Mastercard.

So besides eliminating and downgrading all the original incredible Citibank benefits, the card has now lost all VISA INFINITE (the world's most premium Visa card) benefits also.

This means the loss of access to Visa Luxury Hotel Collection (it provides VISA INFINITE cardholders with automatic VIP status and best rate guarantee PLUS free room upgrade, free breakfast, free food/beverage credit, free late checkout, plus more VIP perks).

One last interesting observation about this credit card...

Citibank had a high priority customer service department only for Citi Prestige credit cardholders (with it's own dedicated phone number). Note that I am not talking about Citi Prestige concierge, but instead a customer service department within Citibank exclusively dedicated to Citi Prestige cardholders.

It appears this priority department has now shut down, because now when someone calls the dedicated phone number to contact the Citi Prestige customer service department - the call automatically transfers to the general credit card department (which all Citibank credit card customers have to call for assistance).