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Axis Atlas vs Amex Platinum Travel

deusest

TF Select
Hey guys,

I already have an atlas card with 4.6L limit, but I am tempted to get American Express Platinum Travel card. I don’t travel much and therefore I won’t be able to achieve annual milestones anyways. Is it worth it to get the Amex and close the Atlas or just stick to what I have. My international travel might increase significantly in the coming months but still won’t be able to hit even the 7.5L milestone. I’ll use Atlas only for ticket booking, everything else usually goes on my other cards.

What do you guys recommend?

Thanks
 

drsel

TF Legend
Hey guys,

I already have an atlas card with 4.6L limit, but I am tempted to get American Express Platinum Travel card. I don’t travel much and therefore I won’t be able to achieve annual milestones anyways. Is it worth it to get the Amex and close the Atlas or just stick to what I have. My international travel might increase significantly in the coming months but still won’t be able to hit even the 7.5L milestone. I’ll use Atlas only for ticket booking, everything else usually goes on my other cards.

What do you guys recommend?

Thanks
I beg to differ with the others
Atlas is far far better than any Amex card.

Atlas gives 10.00--12.33% return on direct Hotel bookings direct flight bookings and all Traveledge spends. The return is based on milestones
Atlas gives 4.00--6.33% return on all non travel bookings, online and offline spends. The return is based on milestones.

In fact the only card giving a higher return of 4.80--14.00% on offline spends is Magnus Burgundy. The return increases dramatically (nearly 3x) with spends over 1.5 lakhs per calendar month

Amex cards cannot even be considered for offline spends because hardly any merchant will accept them, because the merchant has to pay 3% commission MDR.

Amex rewards are maximum 5.5% with MRCC (1500 x 4 per month, less 885 annual fees x 1.33 years) and slightly less 4.71% for platinum travel, after considering Rs.5900 renewal fee, 10000 hotel voucher worth Rs.6000, 48000 points at 39 paisa (best value for points conversion is Virgin Airlines)

Platinum travel rewards calculator ---
6000 + (48000 x 0.39)=Rs.24720
24720 on 4 lacs is 6.18% return
24720--5900 renewal fee=18820
18820 on 4 lacs spend is 4.71 %
 
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anirban.choudhury

TF Legend
TF Family
Moderator
VIP Lounge
I beg to differ with the others
Atlas is far far better than any Amex card.

Atlas gives 10% return on direct Hotel bookings direct flight bookings and all Traveledge spends.
Atlas gives 4% return on all non travel bookings and offline spends.
In fact the only card giving a higher return of 4.8% on offline spends is Magnus Burgundy.

Amex cards cannot even be considered for offline spends because hardly any merchant will accept them, because the merchant has to pay 3% commission MDR.

Amex rewards are maximum 5.5% with MRCC (1500 x4 per month less 875 annual fees) and slightly lower for platinum travel.
The OP doesn't travel much , his rewards on Atlas won't matter as the EM's can only be converted to miles , but Amex plat travel MR can be redeemed against vouchers too which would suit him more.
 

drsel

TF Legend
The 10000 Hotel voucher is worth Rs.6000.

48000 points on 4 lacs spend cannot be converted to MRCC reward points. (but MRCC points can be converted to Platinum reward points)

So Platinum reward points cannot be redeemed for the 18K gold collection (7000 Amazon pay voucher) so they are worth less than 39 paisa
 
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anirban.choudhury

TF Legend
TF Family
Moderator
VIP Lounge
The 10000 Hotel voucher is worth Rs.6000.

48000 points on 4 lacs spend cannot be converted to MRCC reward points. (but MRCC points can be converted to Platinum reward points)

So Platinum reward points cannot be redeemed for the 18K gold collection (7000 Amazon pay voucher) so they are worth less than 39 paisa
And what would that 10500 EM worth for someone who is not into travel ?
 

drsel

TF Legend
Amex is also counting on many people failing to reach the 4 lacs milestone and hence not being able to get 48000 points and 10000 hotel voucher.
Even if they reach the milestone the reward is 4.71% after deducting the renewal fee 5900.

Loss to Amex is only 1.71%, after considering the merchant commission MDR is 3%.
 

margan

TF Buzz
VIP Lounge
Milestone :
3L for Atlas
4L for Amex Plat travel

more or less return rate is comparable.... > ~4% which is good... for ppl sans DCB, Infinia, Burgandy... like me ;)

The imp thing to consider here is the validity of the rewards. MR Points do not expire... so we can just like that accumulate.. and transfer/convert whenever we are in need ...

No clear info on validity of EM which we get for Atlas... maybe someone can clarify this... read somewhere its 1year only....
If so.. we need to transfer the EM to airline/hotel before 365th day of the first EM... and then keep track of validity of the airline/Hotel programs...

I'm planning to use these two cards primarily(online - amex... offline - atlas ) with annual spend of 7L only.... to accumulate as much... for a intl trip....
 

insight

TF Ace
I beg to differ with the others
Atlas is far far better than any Amex card.

Atlas gives 10% return on direct Hotel bookings direct flight bookings and all Traveledge spends.
Atlas gives 4% return on all non travel bookings and offline spends.
In fact the only card giving a higher return of 4.8% on offline spends is Magnus Burgundy.

Amex cards cannot even be considered for offline spends because hardly any merchant will accept them, because the merchant has to pay 3% commission MDR.

Amex rewards are maximum 5.5% with MRCC (1500 x 4 per month, less 885 annual fees x 1.33 years) and slightly less 4.71% for platinum travel, after considering Rs.5900 renewal fee, 10000 hotel voucher worth Rs.6000, 48000 points at 39 paisa

Platinum travel rewards calculator ---
6000 + (48000 x 0.39)=Rs.24720
24720 on 4 lacs is 6.18% return
24720--5900 renewal fee=18820
18820 on 4 lacs spend is 4.71 %
I've been trying to get this kinda math with more comparative insight. Someone had a made a nice chart/ table with different % age numbers.

Comparison of AMEX Magnus Infinia etc. But it was showing higher numbers (not sure how/ context)

I cant find/ recall where it was. Hence -
Which is the Thread where someone posted a detailed Comparative Table/ Chart of percentages % between AMEX Magnus Infinia & such cards?
 

margan

TF Buzz
VIP Lounge
I've been trying to get this kinda math with more comparative insight. Someone had a made a nice chart/ table with different % age numbers.

Comparison of AMEX Magnus Infinia etc. But it was showing higher numbers (not sure how/ context)

I cant find/ recall where it was. Hence -
Which is the Thread where someone posted a detailed Comparative Table/ Chart of percentages % between AMEX Magnus Infinia & such cards?

Are you referring this ?
 

insight

TF Ace

Are you referring this ?
Not this.

Found this, there was a much larger one someone share in a Table, and I literally said why not keep/ share maintain that as a community spreadsheet of sorts.

Cant recall under what thread it was popped into a reply.
 
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insight

TF Ace
Some more googling.. and here it is:
https://www.technofino.in/community...pay-amazon-shopping-voucher.16673/post-339912

Let me be the kind member... :)

These are not all cards just the top cards as per me.

Magnus assumes 4:5 conversion with Burgundy account.

Vouchers bought through the respective reward multiplier portals.

Point value is taken which can bit conservative.

Though its pretty self explanatory but happy to answer in case of any doubt.

CardSpendProcessing FeeTotal ChargeBase PointsBonus PointsMilestone PointsTotal PointsConversion to MilePoint ValueNet Reward Post ChargesEff Reward Rate
Diners20000767207676651330019951112286.14%
Magnus10000010000600600012000.819609.60%
Amex Plat1000001000025010000125010.56256.25%
Amex MRCC200000200004004002000280010.514007.00%
Amex MRCC6000060001201201000124010.562010.33%
Amex Plat Travel400000040000080008000400005600010.5280007.00%
Amex Gold6000060001204801000160010.580013.33%
Infinia200007672076766526600332511255812.79%
 
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