What is your favorite reward credit card?

[94boosted]

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Have you used their customer service yet for fraud or anything more than basic inquiries? I have just been reading on reddit and other places online so far but a lot of people seem to complain about the overseas HSBC support being completely useless and/or extremely difficult to get a hold of English speaking reps.

Day 2 of owning the card they suspected a charge from our vets office for the dog as fraud, got an email warning me, I called them, <5mins later it was resolved, quick & easy. I don't think HSBC has an app specific to their card like Brim and Capital One do (or at least I haven't found it yet), so that's a bit annoying.

[Mitsu3000gt]

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Day 2 of owning the card they suspected a charge from our vets office for the dog as fraud, got an email warning me, I called them, <5mins later it was resolved, quick & easy. I don't think HSBC has an app specific to their card like Brim and Capital One do (or at least I haven't found it yet), so that's a bit annoying.

Thanks. Yeah I read their app was a bit dated as well.

I ended up making a spreadsheet with our spending and with the free supplementary card the Scotiabank Passport just barely edged it out, and I think I am a little more comfortable with a North American bank at the end of the day. I do everything online or from my phone so a good app is important to me. I also learned we should probably spend less at restaurants That is pretty much the only reason the Scotia card comes out on top for us (barely). After a 2 minute online application I was approved and will apparently have the card in 5 business days. Hopefully no surprises haha. If I'm not happy with it, the HSBC definitely looks like the next best thing.

[94boosted]

Nice, we don't spend a ton at restaurants but do spend a fair bit at Costco so that was a factor fur sure.

[adam c]

Don’t let lounge pass ever be a deciding factor, it’s no different than walking up to a lounge and paying to get in, they just make it sound fancy

Unless you’re getting actual passes

[dirtsniffer]

Isn't hsbc the company who came out openly against oil sands while actively supporting Mexican cartels?

[adam c]

Yep

[killramos]

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Isn't hsbc the company who came out openly against oil sands while actively supporting Mexican cartels?

I don’t think you would be happy with the attitudes of any of the major Canadian banks with the oil and gas sector.

So… AMEX?

[ExtraSlow]

Triangle card still good. Spends like cash at all the triangle stores, I seem to be making like $50/mo in rewards. Probably a sign I spend too much, but whatev.

[Mitsu3000gt]

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Don’t let lounge pass ever be a deciding factor, it’s no different than walking up to a lounge and paying to get in, they just make it sound fancy

Unless you’re getting actual passes

So are these some of the good passes or are they worthless?:

Relax and recharge before your flight. You can access over 1,000 airport lounges around the world – regardless of what airline or class of service you’re flying.

Your card gives you (the Primary Cardmember) complimentary Priority Pass™ membership, plus six free visits per year from the date of enrolment. Use the six free passes for yourself or to cover the cost of the lounge visit(s) of anyone travelling with you. Once you have used up your six free passes, each lounge visit will be charged at $32 USD per person.

Enjoy complimentary snacks and refreshments, access the Internet, charge your devices, and feel free to work or relax in comfort before your flight.

Enrol in your Complimentary Airport Lounge Access benefit offered through Priority Pass by visiting prioritypass.com/scotiabankpassport now.

[killramos]

I’ve heard that Priority Pass has been neutered in the last year. Namely losing access to plaza lounges which is a lot of the ones I have found available historically.

Value is $100 bucks or whatever to join the program, and $32/visit depending on how many passes you get. I think I have 6?

The only lounges in Canada that I would truly call luxury are Maple Leaf and the AMEX lounge in TO. There are more in TO, Calgary is basically a joke outside of maple leaf.

The priority pass ones are nice… but borderline no better than just hitting a restaurant

[flipstah]

Because everyone offers Priority Pass, it's been filling up and sometimes it's hard to get a spot. When I went to DFW pre-pandemic, I had to wait for some to leave to get a spot.

TLDR: Priority Pass isn't fancy anymore.

[killramos]

Yea last time I was in Houston I got denied entry to 3 Priority pass Lounges before I trekked across the entire airport to find one.

Not because they were full, but because they were “anticipating getting busier”.

I’f a lounge is available great, otherwise just hit a restaurant.

[flipstah]

The only time I found PP to be beneficial was when I did a multi-leg journey to Asia and I took a shower in Taiwan. Other than that, @killramos is on the money and spend your monies on good food.

[killramos]

Priority from status is the real golden ticket.

For some reason no one gives me status for the 3 times I fly a year.

[RX_EVOLV]

I have the BMO World Elite Mastercard which comes with 4 lounge passes per year under their LoungeKey program but they are not as useful as they look. Sometimes they are not in the airport or terminal you are flying out of. Keep that in mind depending on where and how often you are traveling. A few examples I can think of:

Japan: No lounge in Haneda Airport when I was transferring to Thailand and No lounge in my terminal of Narita airport when I was flying back.

Chicago: No lounge in the terminal I was flying out from.

Amsterdam: Lounge full. Wont let us in.

Thailand: Shitty lounges. They were like internet cafes. No alcohol served.

That said, they are not all bad. The one is Calgary is surprisingly nice. The Paris and Barcelona ones were good as well. Pretty much if you are going to flying out of major airports, great. Otherwise, mah.

[flipstah]

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Priority from status is the real golden ticket.

For some reason no one gives me status for the 3 times I fly a year.

They are so picky with that based on ticket type. I should've gotten status on Delta when I flew to London and Seoul but the miles didn't count due to the type of ticket I bought. Laaaame.

[killramos]

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They are so picky with that based on ticket type. I should've gotten status on Delta when I flew to London and Seoul but the miles didn't count due to the type of ticket I bought. Laaaame.

I got into an enormous flight with AC over that the last time I flew to London in prem Econ. They just straight up declared I wouldn’t get points, regardless of what my literal ticket said for fare class compared to their guidelines.

That’s the only thing holding me back from that AC AMEX. They are just a trash business and don’t deserve my money.

[ExtraSlow]

AC hates customers. They make more money from government.

[Buster]

AC sucks, but WJ is just turning into AC, so...

Premium cards are not worth it for lounge access - except if you have an Amex Platinum and can get access to Amex Centurion lounges.

Aeroplan pts are more valuable for flying star alliance than domestic AC.

[killramos]

I do agree that this seems to be a least worst situation.

I like my “any airline” flexibility, but I’d be lying if I said I usually don’t just fly routes services by WJ or AC 95% of the time anyway.