I also prefer to fly out of DCA and alot of times that means AA, but not enough for us to justify the card over CSR. We also fly JetBlue, United, Delta, and Southwest. Not like if we were in Dallas or Atlanta, where one airline can provide you direct access to everywhere.

I also had some feelings like PP noted, I don't want to feel pressured to fly AA.

Anonymous wrote:I have the CSR but everywhere I fly regularly is an AA hub (DFW, Miami, Chicago), so I'm considering getting the AA card as well. We accrue a LOT of points (~300k/year) on Chase, but adding the AA card would get us free baggage + access to the AA lounge when the PP lounges are inaccessible or crowded. Plus we have 4 people in the house and Global Entry has to be renewed every 3 years, so having both would mean we could stagger which card we pay with and cover all four through benefits.

Still haven't pulled the trigger but I'm thinking about it.

You would need the AA card with a much higher annual fee ($600) to get AA lounge access. I don't think OP is looking at that option. Those lounges are nothing special and I would say not worth it unless you are traveling monthly on AA.

I have the CSR but everywhere I fly regularly is an AA hub (DFW, Miami, Chicago), so I'm considering getting the AA card as well. We accrue a LOT of points (~300k/year) on Chase, but adding the AA card would get us free baggage + access to the AA lounge when the PP lounges are inaccessible or crowded. Plus we have 4 people in the house and Global Entry has to be renewed every 3 years, so having both would mean we could stagger which card we pay with and cover all four through benefits.

Still haven't pulled the trigger but I'm thinking about it.

Anonymous wrote:I don't fly AA but I do have a Chase Sapphire Preferred card for travel and the value has decreased over the past 2 years. I still accrue lots of points but in theory, the points for travel are valued at 20% more than cash when used through their portal. I used to find decent deals through the portal....ex: searching google flights ticket prices were $450 and in the portal were $420 AND my points were worth $1920 instead of $1600 so my money went pretty far.

What I've found today is that when I search google flights, the prices are 20% LOWER than when I search in the travel portal. There is zero value now to booking through the portal, so my points are not going as far.

No no no!! You are doing it wrong. I suggest you google 10x travel and take their free 'course'. Essentially, you need to transfer the points to the airline to get the value for them. I'm not promoting anything, but this is how I learned.

Well, I'd get both!

I hate AA but in your case it probably makes sense to fly them. I'm only living in the area for a year and I came from a city that's a Delta hub, and I hate the fact that Delta just doesn't have much of a presence here. I have the Delta card for the free bags, but I also have the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card.

I don't know much about this AA card but if it's an AMEX, you're going to have big issues using it overseas as a LOT of places just don't accept them. That's where my Chase Sapphire (visa) comes in -- no foreign transaction fees, I get the lounge access, and other good benefits.

I will say that domestically, the lounges you have access to with the Chase card (Priority Pass) suck -- big time. I have yet to go to one that's good, domestically. Locally, it gets you into a small lounge at BWI (that's probably the best one and that's saying a lot), DCA you get credit for food at a restaurant, which was pretty good but they're so busy! and at IAD, again it's a restaurant. Both were decent, but it's not a lounge.

Overseas, it's hit or miss. I've been to some really nice ones, but I've also been to some crappy ones too.

I also have a Amex Platiumn card that gets me into the Delta Sky clubs and Centurion lounges which are much, much nicer than the domestic priority pass lounges.

Also everyone knows not to use the portal; you have to transfer the points to a partner. You are doing it fully wrong.

Preferred and Reserve are hugely different. Preferred is just a waste.

I don't fly AA but I do have a Chase Sapphire Preferred card for travel and the value has decreased over the past 2 years. I still accrue lots of points but in theory, the points for travel are valued at 20% more than cash when used through their portal. I used to find decent deals through the portal....ex: searching google flights ticket prices were $450 and in the portal were $420 AND my points were worth $1920 instead of $1600 so my money went pretty far.

What I've found today is that when I search google flights, the prices are 20% LOWER than when I search in the travel portal. There is zero value now to booking through the portal, so my points are not going as far.

No DcA lounge. Just the credit at American tap room. CSR gets you so much more than venture X generally. I live in the Boston Sapphire lounge. I may add the Venture X once the DCA landing opens, depending on quality.

Where is the lounge at DCA? Priority pass? I already have the venture x but my understanding is it can only be used for credit at restaurants.

I’d do both for different reasons. AA gets you the bags so book trips on it. Chase Sapphire Reserve gets you the priority pass with maximum access. $26 for each DCA trip, but the real value is in the lounges. Yesterday alone I had a 5 course meal, 3 cocktails and a half hour chair massage. All courtesy of my CSR.

In your situation I'd go with the AA card. Your spending might also bump you up to a premier level.

I don’t love them but I’m a cheap traveler. Only fly economy domestic and like routes American has through DCA. Usually nonstop where delta or united include long layovers. I do have some international plans for next summer and beyond so thinking ahead for points.

I would never choose the AA card, because then it would impel me to fly American, which I consider to be the worst of the three legacy airlines. But you don't seem to mind this, so maybe it's fine.

I’m shopping for a new card. The venture I’ve used and I like it. I do have an ink business for cashback but no other chase cards. I fly out of DCA primarily and mainly use American Airlines for most of the domestic cities and places we want to go to. I don’t have an American Airlines card, however and I feel like this would be a huge benefit for family for the baggage alone. However, everything I’m reading, says that Chase Sapphire preferred card is a better card value when talking about traveling. Does anyone have an opinion? I’m leaning strongly towards the American Airlines card. Unfortunately, they are not one of the travel partners that Chase has for transfers of miles. Do people fly other airlines out of DCA? Honestly, I think I’ve only ever flown American Airlines for the direct routes.