u/Sufficient_Looks

I want to make sure I am using my CSR to the maximum. On Amex, I've heard the Concierge phone number can be very helpful: they will do everything from book impossible to find concert tickets to arrange flower deliveries.

So far (in my limited attempts), the Concierge has not been very helpful. It takes 2 minutes to read my credit card info to them and verify my identity. It takes them hours to come back with flight suggestions, which are far, far, far, worse than if I just looked on Google Flights myself. Same with restaurant recs: nothing I couldn't get from ChatGPT.

Is there anything I'm not aware of?

Do you guys organically use the CSR benefits?

The reason I ask is I (and most people I know) use Spotify, Uber, etc. I would have never bought a WHOOP if not for the free credit. I got it because its free, and even now I don't use it (WHOOP is terrible)! I don't have a dog, but I've heard the same thing with Pawp: you can talk to a vet for free on Chewy.

I find myself going out of my way to use the benefits. I even downgraded from Spotify to Apple Music (Apple Music is terrible!). The OpenTable CSR Exclusive Tables are mostly mediocre overpriced restaurants I wouldn't ordinarily go to. The Edit hotels are expensive and often marked up on the app. I know there's the price match thing, but I'm just confused who this card targets? Who has time to do this? Besides, I normally stay in hostels anyway unless I'm with my GF, but we're in a long distance relationship so we don't see each other all that often. As far as I can tell, this card seems to target high-earning coupon clippers with too much time to kill (strange combo). My TC is $500K, so money isn't the issue, but at one point, the question I ask myself is: who has time to optimize all this!?

Thoughts?

I'm trying to get a camping reservation in Yosemite for 2 weeks. Does anybody know how well Campflare works? Do a lot of people cancel last minute, or what are my chances?

PS: this is NOT an ad, I just saw them mentioned in another post. Open to any other helping suggestions or apps.

Thank you!