ep1229
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2010
The 125k Marriott points/$5k spend upgrade offer to the Bonvoy Brilliant is good. The best public offer for the SPG Lux/Bonvoy Brilliant was 100k Marriott points with a $5k MSR. There were targeted mailers for a 125k Marriott points with a $5k MSR offer.
However, if you accept the upgrade offer to the Bonvoy Brilliant, you’ll make yourself ineligible for a SUB on the Brilliant if you were to later apply for it separately because you will have “had” the Brilliant card in Amex’s eyes.
One thing you could consider, if you don’t mind adding a personal card to your 5/24 count, is apply for the Bonvoy Brilliant as a new card application — the current public offer on it is a 75k Marriott points with a $3k MSR. Once approved, immediately accept the upgrade offer for another 125k Marriott points with a $5k spend requirement. This will give you a combined $8k MSR over the next 3 months, but it’s a rare shot at double dipping these offers.
P.S. DoC confirmed this works here:
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/can-you-get-an-upgrade-standard-bonus-on-the-spg-luxury-card-yes/
But be sure to apply for the Brilliant as a new card first because of the lifetime language restriction in the application terms, then accept the upgrade offer before it disappears (because Amex realizes you’ve opened a Brilliant card).
P.P.S. The Brilliant does have a $450 AF, so I know asking you to consider 2x$450 AF seems nuts. The card does have a $300 Marriott credit that offsets part of the AF. I’d also suggest holding onto the Brilliant for a year plus the 8-12 weeks it takes for the 50k Free Night Certificate to deposit into your Marriott account and double dip the $300/cardmember year Marriott credit. You’ll likely have to pay the 2nd year AF to keep the cards open for the 50k FNCs to post, during which time you should also double dip that 2nd cardmember year $300 Marriott credit, then you can downgrade one or both of the Brilliant card(s) to the $95 AF SPG/Bonvoy card to get a prorated refund of Brilliant card(s). For more, read my post about this on DISchurners.
The introduction of peak and off peak pricing did not hit the 50k FNC so bad. Cat 6 standard redemption is 50k, off peak is 40k (which is a waste of a 50k FNC), and peak is 60k (which makes a 50k FNC unusable). But Cat 7 off peak is 50k! So there’s a chance to use the 50k FNC at a higher category hotel than previously. 2x 50k FNC makes for a nice weekend somewhere.
Thanks for the replies @vanjust14 and @Lain . That's definitely tempting. Applying for the Brilliant as a new card would put me at 5/24 so I don't think I should do it. That's an amazing double dip though!