Germany and curry make for an unlikely pair. This is a country most famous for colossal cuts of pork served with salted potatoes in every variety — boiled, pan-fried or shaped into cricket-ball-sized dumplings. Black pepper, to many here, is considered a spicy flavour. And yet, currywurst — sliced sausage topped with a tomato sauce flavoured by spices including yellow curry powder, paprika and potentially a few secret ingredients too — has been a German favourite for over half a century. It can be eaten at almost any time of day, and at any level of intoxication. You’ll find versions sold for €4 (£3.40) from shabby stands and haute interpretations costing €25 (£21) and paired with Champagne. It’s the fuel served in factory canteens and there are pop songs dedicated to it, politicians have even posed with it and there are festivals celebrating the best of the wurst. So how did it come to be?
Is Any Rewards Card Worth a $550 Annual Fee?
27.07.2023 - 18:22 / smartertravel.com / Credit Card
While American Express would be loathe to admit it, the purveyor of upscale rewards cards is losing traction with the well-heeled high-frequency travelers the company once considered its exclusive reserve.
Most recently, Chase introduced its Sapphire Reserve Visa card, a frontal attack on the American Express Platinum card, and a clear signal that American Express could no longer take the high end of the market for granted.
Like the Amex Platinum card, the Sapphire Reserve charges a hefty $450 annual fee, and comes bundled with a long list of travel perks that, at least on paper, more than offset the card’s high cost.
But the new Chase card is hardly the only credit card nibbling away at American Express’s core customer base. There are high-end co-branded cards linked to the programs of American, Delta, and United that also charge a $450 annual fee, and also boast plenty of travel benefits.
Related:Trump Administration Blocks Travel-Consumer ProtectionsAmerican Express’s first response to the introduction of the Chase Reserve card came in October of 2016, when it upped the earning rate for airfare purchases, from three Membership Rewards points per $1 spent to five points per $1. Hardly a game-changer, as American Express itself surely understood.
So last week, American Express launched a second counterattack, adding more perks to the Platinum card but also upping the annual fee by $100, to $550 beginning on March 30. The principal added benefits:
$200 worth of free Uber rides Five points per $1 for hotels booked via American Express More American Express airport loungesAs is required of such pricey rewards cards, the potential savings more than compensate for the high annual fee, and indeed the free Uber rides offset the $100 fee increase by a 2:1 margin. But such calculations assume that most of the card’s many benefits will actually be utilized. And the reality may be very different. For instance, I’d be hard pressed to rack up $100 in Uber rides in a year, much less $200. And really, a 22 percent price hike?
No doubt American Express expects the sky-high fees to add to the Platinum card’s aura of exclusivity. But that’s just the sort of marketing arrogance that made the card a viable target of other issuers in the first place.
American Express is no longer the undisputed King of the Hill. The sooner Amex accepts that fact, the sooner it will regain traction with the travel world’s One Percenters. In the meantime, consumers have other options.
Reader Reality Check
Is there an American Express card in your wallet?
More from SmarterTravel: There’s How Much Pee in That Pool…? Travel Fraud – Down but Not Out With Airline Pricing Changes, It’s Now a Bare Fares WorldAfter 20 years working in the
The story behind currywurst, Germany's favourite fast food
8 Best Airline Credit Cards for Points, Free Checked Bags, and Lounge Access
AFAR partners with CreditCards.com and may receive a commission from card issuers. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Compensation may impact how an offer is presented. Our coverage is independent and objective, and has not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are entirely those of the AFAR editorial team.
There's a New Monument Near the Grand Canyon Honoring Tribal Nations
President Joe Biden has designated a new national monument near the Grand Canyon, recognizing tribal nations and indigenous peoples and protecting their sacred ancestral land.
Best travel credit cards for hotels
This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy.
Best credit cards for traveling with kids
This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy.
Top tips for seeing Germany on a budget
Western Europe’s most populous country doesn’t always spring to mind as a low-cost destination. However, in a place this big and diverse, there will always be a smarter way to spend your euros.
Best credit cards for international travel in 2023
This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy.
The best credit cards for airline lounge access in 2023
This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy.
New Starwood Credit Card Offer May Be Best and Last
The Starwood Preferred Guest credit card, issued by American Express, has long been the darling of the miles-and-points set. But with the pending merger of Starwood with Marriott, the card’s future is in doubt.
Amex Ups Platinum Card Benefit in Response to New Chase Card
There’s a storm brewing in the rarefied air occupied by the priciest of the travel-rewards cards.
The New Rules of Travel Rewards Programs
For most of the 35 years since American Airlines’ AAdvantage program made its debut in 1981, U.S. travel-rewards programs have measured loyalty in miles. Fly 1,000 miles, earn 1,000 miles. Earn 25,000 miles and redeem them for a free domestic coach ticket.
Win 1 Million Wyndham Rewards Points – Enough for 66 Free Nights
Enter the Wyndham “Have Points, Will Travel” sweepstakes by March 31, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: 1 million Wyndham Rewards points.