The Chase Trifecta is the starting point for most travel hackers. The Sapphire Preferred (or Reserve) earns 3x on dining and travel, the Freedom Flex earns 5x on rotating categories, and the Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5x on everything else. It is a proven system.
But it leaves gaps. Groceries earn just 1.5x with Chase. Flights booked directly with airlines earn 2x at best. And general spending beyond the bonus categories only gets the base rate. The Amex Trifecta fills every one of those holes.
The Amex Trifecta
The Amex side of the strategy centers on three cards that together cover the categories Chase misses.
| Card | Best Categories | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
The grocery and dining workhorse |
4x groceries (up to $25K/yr), 4x restaurants |
$250 |
Best catch-all earning card |
2x on everything (up to $50K/yr) |
$0 |
Premium travel and flights |
5x flights booked directly, 5x prepaid hotels on amextravel.com |
$695 |
Chase points transfer to Hyatt, United, and Southwest. Amex points transfer to Delta, ANA, and Singapore Airlines. Running both gives you access to over 30 transfer partners, covering virtually every airline alliance and hotel program worth using.
Which Card for Which Purchase
Groceries → Amex Gold (4x)
Chase has no competitive grocery category. The Amex Gold earns 4x at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per year. That is up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points annually from groceries alone.
Dining → Amex Gold (4x) or Chase Sapphire (3x)
Amex Gold wins at 4x vs. Chase's 3x. Use the Amex Gold for dining unless you need Chase points specifically for an upcoming Hyatt or United redemption.
Flights → Amex Platinum (5x)
The Amex Platinum earns 5x on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com. Chase's best rate on flights is 3x with the Sapphire Reserve. Clear advantage to Amex.
Hotels → Chase Sapphire Reserve (10x) or Amex Platinum (5x)
Chase earns 10x on hotels through the Chase travel portal, or 3x direct. Amex earns 5x on prepaid hotels through amextravel.com. For portal bookings, Chase wins.
Everything Else → Blue Business Plus (2x)
The Blue Business Plus earns 2x on every purchase up to $50,000 per year with no annual fee. This beats Chase Freedom Unlimited's 1.5x on non-category spending.
Transfer Partner Coverage
The real power of running both ecosystems is transfer partner diversity. Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to Hyatt, United, Southwest, British Airways, Air Canada, and others. Amex Membership Rewards transfers to Delta, ANA, Singapore Airlines, Avianca LifeMiles, Virgin Atlantic, and more. Together, you have direct access to nearly every major airline and hotel loyalty program in the world.
This matters because award availability varies wildly across programs. A flight that costs 80,000 miles through United might cost 45,000 through ANA or 30,000 through Avianca LifeMiles. Having points in both ecosystems means you can always shop for the best deal.
The Chase Trifecta gets you started. Adding the Amex Trifecta removes every gap in your earning strategy.
Managing Annual Fees
Running six cards across two ecosystems means annual fees. The Amex Gold ($250), Amex Platinum ($695), and Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95) or Reserve ($550) add up. But each of these cards comes with credits that offset the fees substantially: the Gold's $120 dining credit and $120 Uber Cash, the Platinum's $200 airline credit, $200 hotel credit, and $200 Uber Cash, and the Reserve's $300 travel credit.
The Freedom Unlimited, Freedom Flex, and Blue Business Plus all carry $0 annual fees. The strategy works best for households spending $3,000+ per month who can take full advantage of the bonus categories and credits.
- Amex Platinum Hidden Perks Hack No. 01: $3,500+ in annual value from the Platinum
- Business Cards Without Affecting Credit Hack No. 13: Add business versions for more bonuses
- The Chase Trifecta Hack No. 05: Build the Chase foundation first
- Transfer Points for 2-5x Value Hack No. 08: Best transfer partner redemptions
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