Yeah, I feel this one. The card has slowly lost all the little things that made the fee feel worth it. Cutting the restaurant Priority Pass benefit was huge, and the lounges being packed half the time just kills the whole point. Paying that fee and then standing in a 45 minute line is ridiculous, especially with a pregnant spouse in tow.
I’m in the same boat and planning to downgrade at renewal. The value math just doesn’t work anymore unless you live in an airport with great lounges and zero wait times.
I’ve been looking at Amex Platinum, but honestly it has the same crowding issues and even more hoops. Capital One Venture X is probably the closest to what CSR used to feel like. Lower fee, decent lounge access, and it hurts less when things go sideways.
Feels like peak enshittification of premium travel cards lately.
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