Credit card travel perks

[ksc1984]

Which credit card do you prefer for air miles, travel credits, etc? I'm more interested in air miles than cruise credits, so HAL card probably would not be the way to go, though I have considered that also. The interest rate is not an issue. Thank you for your comments.

[CruiserBruce]

Look at the Chase card for United. Depending on the deal and type of card, you can get bonus up to 50000 miles, as well as triple miles for every purchase at United, and a couple of other bonuses as well.

[LADYLAYLA]

Capital one or American Express

 

I would also make sure it is a card that the mileage points can be used on various airlines, not just say a Jet Blue Amex card.

[m steve]

for allmost 20 years but lately they never seem to have saver seats available.

[GrammieK]

I share your pain, M Steve. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to use miles and have just wound up paying for the tickets! Time to move on to a more friendly card.

[HamburgAvonLady]

I don't like "air miles credit cards" --- just too many restrictions, etc.

(I think they also carry an annual fee which I will NOT pay - if the

card doesn't come "free" -- I don't carry it).

I prefer "cash back" so I can spend my points wherever I choose.

[Twickenham]

Which credit card do you prefer for air miles, travel credits, etc? I'm more interested in air miles than cruise credits, so HAL card probably would not be the way to go, though I have considered that also. The interest rate is not an issue. Thank you for your comments.

 

There was a fairly lengthy thread about this in the Cruise Air board a couple of years ago: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=928281&highlight=reward+credit+card

[CruiserBruce]

for allmost 20 years but lately they never seem to have saver seats available.

 

I share your pain, M Steve. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to use miles and have just wound up paying for the tickets! Time to move on to a more friendly card.

 

And I bet you were trying for the Saver Awards 3 or 4 months in front of the flight, when the Saver Awards are frequently gone within a month of the fares becoming available.

[m steve]

and sedveral months later. Some times I was able to get 1st class seats closer to the flight as they released them. I'm just having trouble getting 1st class seats cross country.

[jhannah]

I don't like "air miles credit cards" --- just too many restrictions, etc. I prefer "cash back" so I can spend my points wherever I choose.

Me, too. I've tried others, and I don't like being restricted to one airline and not having award seats available on my flight. Just give me the cash! Both Chase Freedom and Discover give 5% cash back in selected categories each month or quarter. Now it's home improvement or home fashion. Sometimes it's groceries and/or fuel. It adds up quickly, and it's always nice to look it up and see the cash waiting there for when I need it.

[CruiserBruce]

and sedveral months later. Some times I was able to get 1st class seats closer to the flight as they released them. I'm just having trouble getting 1st class seats cross country.

 

Didn't have any problem getting DW a Saver Award seat SFO-IAD, and EWR-SFO. The departing flight turned out to be super elite loaded, but 330 days out, no problem getting the free seat.

[Hawaiidan]

uNITED.... NO EXCEPTIONS for the largest airline and the largest airline system in the world... Swiss, Luthansa, Singapore,Continental, United, for starters

I gladly pay the $65 a year fee, because the send me free 2 for 1 tickets for the US.

To the the same rewards on AMEX you have to over $100,000 vs 4000 on United....its a no brainer. Understand that any card that promises you all airlines in going to charge you more for less than the Airlines affinity card... Ask, why would an airline allow other credit cards to offer better payoffs than their card???? You have the answer.... they dont.

 

Each year I average over $ 5000 to 10,000 in free airline flights and services.... And I book and use my miles only for interantional First class..

I book 10 months out and always get the flights and the seats I want...

This year I am able to get 2 $9600.00 ($19,200 total) tickets... for $10 @.....

If you fly several times a year its super easy to fly 25,000 miles a year, and at thet level United gives you premimum economy seats free, free baggage, and free first class

Too if you consolidate all your flights on a United /star alliance carrier you will rake in tons of points. Using your card for all purchases your miles will never expire and everytime you buy gas or go the the grocery, book a cruise, buy clothes, pay your insurance you get miles.

 

By the way, Amex is not accepted widely anymore.... except at costco.

[kazu]

Unfortunately, we are in Canada, so my advice won't help.

 

But I can tell you we have a card that costs money. It's an infiinite card. And worth every penny IMO. We are saving over 70 euros per night on our hotel.

 

If they have it in the US look it up (Visa). Not only great FF miles - yes, it's one airline (for us, but there's not much choice in Canada) but I have been successful getting business class to Europe each time and access to great hotels.

 

Might be worth taking a look at if it's available in the US

[Hawaiidan]

If you get cash back of 6% .... thats $600 on every $10,000 you spend.

inorder to tet one forst calss international ticket you will have to spent $320,000 with the cash back card. whereas with the United Affinity card you would earn that ticket by spending $48,600..... a $278,000 savings...

I think Amex gives you $75 for every $1000 you charge so it would cost you $256,000 to get what the united card will at $48,600.

 

I have been with United and their progam since 1984.... and it pays off better than any other ( American, Delta, Hawaiian, Alaska, Discover, Amex,....any one.

 

Consider too whne to use free miles because they are valued at 3.5 cents per mile. If the airline wants 25,000 miles to fly thats $875 your spending and if the ticket only costs $400 you just lost $475.

If , however, it costs you 135,000 ,miles thats $4725 your spending for a $19,200 ticket.......you just saved $14,475 vs loosing $475...

Know your cost and value... it pays. A free domestic coach ticket is costing you a lot.:eek:

[scdreamer]

We have used the Alaska Airlines Visa from Bank of America for years. The miles can be used on many partners (we have used them for Europe, South America, Canada and the USA) and they give you a $99 companion pass every year. There is an annual fee, but since we put just about everything we purchase on the card, the miles add up very quickly, and we feel the companion pass makes up for the annual fee charge.

 

We also have British Airways (Chase) and Capital One ... we have enough miles on the BA for a couple seats to Europe, and we just used the Capital One rewards for a free hotel in Ft. Lauderdale just before our next cruise. We tend to use both of these cards when we are traveling internationally, as neither charges a foreign transaction fee.

[VermeulT]

I've given up on miles. Flights are never available or you need double (50,000 for roundtrip). AND you still pay up to $75 ticketing fee. F that.

 

DH has Amex Blue card? No annual fee. You get points that you turn into credit for any. Travel booked with the card. (you book your flight, room, cruise, car... Call once you are charged and they take point value up to what you spent and apply it as a credit to your statement).

I have HAL's card and like taking $$ off the cruise.

[vbmom87]

We have had good luck with the US BANK Flexperks card. It covers multiple airlines. Points needed are strictly based on the dollar value of the ticket if you were to purchase it outright. There are no blackouts. If a ticket is available you can get it with your Flexpoints. For example, for a ticket costing $400 or less, you would need 20,000 Flexpoints.

[SwissMyst]

United Visa with Chase - so far so good. Most routes and most airlines we like to use.

 

Though once I saved up all my FFM on my AMEX to get first class RT from CA to India on Air France and Air Italia, with all the perks. That was the only way to fly to India and glad I made it pay off for all those miles. No longer happy with Delta so I rarely use my AMEX card any longer.

[diraebrad]

I use Capital One. Any airline, any ticket you book so you aren't working around black-out dates. It's also great for foreign travel since they don't charge fees.

[tooalto]

We aslo use the venture card. What's nice is that we can use our miles for previously booked travel. As an example, I booked the air for our upcoming cruise. Once it posted to our account, I applied for a credit for one of the tickets. This way, we are booked together with no hassels, we can accrue FF miles on our tickets plus we get one free. Good deal all around.

[nowornever]

to the military, the USAA Eagle Points one is excellent + when you're traveling overseas, the fee is 1% rather than the 3% most charge (yes I know the Capital One has no exchange fee but their redemption levels aren't as good as USAA.)

[ksc1984]

Thanks everyone. We are getting ready to pay some college tuitions and thought that might be a way to work in mega points.:o We're going to think about this a little longer before getting a new card.

[fleckle]

Also check to see what additional free travel perks a credit card includes beyond the points or miles, such as extending warranties on purchases, travel insurance coverage when booking travel on the card, and auto insurance coverage when using the card to book rental cars.

 

While airline miles or hotel rooms are the preferred rewards for some people, getting cash back instead works better for others.

[DeirdreTours]

If you get cash back of 6% .... thats $600 on every $10,000 you spend.

inorder to tet one forst calss international ticket you will have to spent $320,000 with the cash back card. whereas with the United Affinity card you would earn that ticket by spending $48,600..... a $278,000 savings...

I think Amex gives you $75 for every $1000 you charge so it would cost you $256,000 to get what the united card will at $48,600.

 

 

Consider too whne to use free miles because they are valued at 3.5 cents per mile. If the airline wants 25,000 miles to fly thats $875 your spending and if the ticket only costs $400 you just lost $475.

If , however, it costs you 135,000 ,miles thats $4725 your spending for a $19,200 ticket.......you just saved $14,475 vs loosing $475...

Know your cost and value... it pays. A free domestic coach ticket is costing you a lot.:eek:

 

I don't think your math is supported by reality. Fully refundable first class fares are available across the atlantic ocean starting at about $6k (less than a third of the 19k you quote as "value"). Even this valuation overlooks the fact that the overwhelming majority of First class seats are occupied by upgraded passengers rather than full fare passengers.

 

Nor do I think air miles are typically valued at 3.5 cents per mile. The highest official valuation I have seen is 2.75 cents per mile (this is the tax value assigned by American Airlines in it's recent mile sweepstakes). I value my American Airline miles at about 2 cents per mile (although I often spend them on tickets where the official valuation is much higher, the reality is that I would NEVER pay those rates in cash. The value to me is "what would I actually be willing to pay in cash for this seat")

 

None of this is to say that the card you are touting isn't a good deal for you, just that the stats you are presenting as evidence aren't applicable to most travelers. Your other point, that international travel awards are usually a better value than domestic one is usually, but not always true. The best bet is to check fares on the actual route one plans to travel and then evaluate whether points or cash offer the beter value.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Cosco amex card cash is king