Well, that was an easy 50,000 points...

I've complained about the Amex Platinum a lot recently. My most recent mis-adventure trying to use the Delta credit was sorta the straw that broke the camel's back, though. There have just been way too many cutbacks and nothing new or exciting to replace them.

I gave Amex a call and asked to cancel my card. I cited my reasons, and also let them know that the card's one "killer feature" – 5x on airfare – isn't a slam-dunk with me because it doesn't offer trip delay insurance like the Chase Sapphire does. I'm not going to book, for example, our January Mexico trip on the Amex because it so reliably gets screwed up by New York winter weather.

Renewed for another season

The rep was quick to quote back to me exact totals for all of the card's benefits I'd used, but the bottom line for me is that the trend right now is negative – all cuts, no improvements. I asked straight up if the was a retention offer available and there was: $500 statement credit or 50,000 miles. I took the miles. The only requirement is that you leave your account open for a year after the miles are deposited.

Hopefully by then they'll come up with something new and exciting (trip delay insurance, new lounge access plan), and/or they'll simplify their existing benefits so they aren't so danged hard to use (stop metering the Uber credits and uncomplicate the travel credit!).

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