Wanting to start to travel more so I'm seriously considering picking up a card that has airline benefits. Is there a decent standard card to start off with? I'm not a Credit Card guru like some of you people.

10/20/2015 9:57:27 AM

The first question is would you travel on the same airline all the time? What kind of benefits do you want? Just 2-3 points for travel or actual airline specific benefits (priority boarding, free checked bag, club access, etc)?

Each airline has a couple cards you can choose from depending on which one you think you would fly most frequently.

For Delta the Delta Amex is good. For United the United Chase card is alright. Both offer good sign up bonuses, priority boarding, free checked bags, extra points for airline tickets or other related purchases, and a couple other things. I've used the Citi AA cards before too.

If you want a non-airline specific card the Chase Sapphire card is great for food and travel as it's 2 points per dollar spent and no foreign transaction fees but you lose the airline specific benefits of the above cards.

10/20/2015 10:18:10 AM

If you want to travel more and you're ok with a small annual feed then the Capital Venture card is the way to go.

[Edited on October 20, 2015 at 1:16 PM. Reason : ]

10/20/2015 1:10:03 PM

The Delta AMEX is nice, 50k sign-on points @ $1000 +$50 statement credit, priority boarding, 1st bag free, no-fee first year. I cancel after a year and sign up again a few months later and get another 50k points.

10/20/2015 1:13:29 PM

^Doesn't work anymore. Amex offers the bonus 1 in a lifetime.

10/20/2015 1:17:23 PM

Quote :

"If you want to travel more and you're ok with a small annual feed then the Capital Venture card is the way to go."

I think the tricky part about this is that 1 Capital Venture point does not equal one airline point. These points have a slightly lower value than airline points usually. While you do get 2 points per dollar spend everywhere you have to buy the tickets through Capital one. You can't transfer them to an airline and use them. This sometimes results in spending way too many points.

For example with United many times you can get a really good redemption for your United Points via an economy saver flight for only 30k points (15k each way for example). If you booked the same flight with Venture points you might have to spend a lot more. Very similar to how you can book a flight through Chase directly with Chase points (but many times it makes more sense to just transfer them to your United account and purchase them through United).

A big benefit of something like the Chase Sapphire card is you get 2 points on dining and travel AND you can directly transfer those points (free of charge) to various airlines for a better point redemption value. Plus if you have 15k United points and 15k Chase points you can combine them for a 30k flight redemption. Something you couldn't do if you had 15k Venture points.

One reason many people say the Venture card isn't that great of a travel card but it does work for some people.

10/20/2015 2:06:36 PM

Blah. Meant to say the Barclay Arrival card.

10/20/2015 2:13:05 PM

Interesting Credit Card story:
http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2015-how-amex-lost-costco/

I am a bit in credit card limbo. Was an AMEX customer for years, cycling through SPG, Gold Premier, and Platinum. Slowly, but steadily, the benefits decreased while the costs did not. Cancelled all the AMEX cards. Went to Barclay Arrival +. It has paid us back probably $2500 in the last year, but the card is unexciting. Other than travel (and no foreign transaction fee), there isn't much there.

AMEX would be wise to go ahead and offer a Platinum card with all the existing benefits of platinum, but with the points program of the gold, and I'd come back.

10/21/2015 2:30:01 PM

Quote :

"AMEX would be wise to go ahead and offer a Platinum card with all the existing benefits of platinum, but with the points program of the gold, and I'd come back."

You hit the nail on the head there. For dining and travel I just use Chase Sapphire. I like the flexibility to cash out your points or transfer to a bank but it isn't too exciting. My REI card is a little exciting as with the membership you get a total of 15% cash back on all REI purchases. I use it for groceries too (2%).

But yeah I've always wanted the benefits of an Amex Platinum with the ability to get points as well.

10/21/2015 2:56:58 PM

Canceling my Platinum this year and moving to Citi Prestige. American is my preferred airline so lounge access is nice and Prestige has category bonuses for points which can be transferred travel loyalty programs.

10/21/2015 4:52:41 PM

Quote :

"^Doesn't work anymore. Amex offers the bonus 1 in a lifetime."

That's what they told me a two months ago when applying over the phone, but then suddenly the points showed up on my Delta account a couple weeks ago

10/22/2015 11:34:50 PM

Sure it wasn't a biz card?

10/23/2015 11:14:58 PM

Help me out here if there's an easier way to do this, but I'm trying to see what I can do to gain the most Delta Skymiles from my Hilton Hhonors rewards.

I stay in hotels regionally for business but rarely have to fly so I usually cash out my Delta skymiles almost yearly whereas I rarely need to use my Hilton points. I know Hhonors points are severely inflated (0.5ish cents each) but it's the common brand my company uses so I go ahead and get them as a fringe benefit. The problem is I prefer to travel for leisure overseas, generally with Delta due to family/locations/hubs and other than my basic Gold Skymiles card the rewards gain is sluggish at acruing (1 point per dollar basically).

Tonight I noticed that Delta would take 10000 Hhonors points and give me a 10:1 ratio per Skymile which is downright horrible even for Hhonors points but Amex, being reasonably close partners with both Hilton and Delta would give me 1 Amex point per 1.5 Hhonors points. Amex allows transfers of its own points out to Delta at a nominal 1:1 ratio. Points transfers are almost always losing propositions I know but in this way, my 900k points becomes 600k sky miles (much more valuable to me this way) instead of 90k skymiles. Is this legit? Has anyone basically used Amex as a middleman for rewards points? Other than sign up bonus offers and churning (can't fly more for business) I don't see any other way of using what I have to gain more skymiles. Please guys, I have a match tonight.

TL;DR Can I use Amex points for laundering my rewards points? Or is there some legalese hidden somewhere that would stop me from doing that?

[Edited on November 4, 2015 at 9:29 PM. Reason : .]

11/4/2015 9:29:19 PM

Pretty sure you can Xfer amex pts to Hilton but not Hilton pts to amex hence the flaw in your logic.

11/6/2015 1:23:59 PM

Yeah, that's what I'm finding. I could've sworn I saw Amex MR as an exchange points option when I logged into my Hhonors account but I must have been seeing American Airlines. I think seeing all the various websites talking about points exchange rate/value I read them as Hhonors->Amex MR and not the other way around. Well that sucks, but I figured something must be up if I've never heard of that as an option before.

11/7/2015 11:02:39 PM

Doesn't seem like there are as many good promotional sign up bonuses like there use to be.

11/13/2015 12:56:48 PM

Looks like Bruce's biz is about to take a hit

Quote :

"We are making changes to the Chase Ultimate Rewards® point transfer program. Here are a few things you need to know: - Starting November 15th, when you transfer points to participating frequent travel programs, you can only transfer points to yourself or an owner of the company who is listed as an authorized user on your card account. - If you previously saved your frequent travel program numbers on Chase Ultimate Rewards, you will need to reenter them. - Please make sure the name on your Chase account matches the name on your frequent travel program accounts. "

11/13/2015 6:10:49 PM

Quote :

"The Delta AMEX is nice, 50k sign-on points @ $1000 +$50 statement credit, priority boarding, 1st bag free, no-fee first year. I cancel after a year and sign up again a few months later and get another 50k points."

Delta platinum amex also offers a free ticket (voucher I think) every year on your renewal. Annual fee is I think 195 but its well worth it (voucher I think is 250).

And yes they only allow you to get 1 promotion bonus any more. Tried it when I got my DPA a few months back.

11/13/2015 6:59:03 PM

^^ Hah, was thinking the same thing.

^ Not for biz cards.

11/15/2015 11:07:49 PM

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/17/business/marriott-to-buy-starwood-hotels.html?_r=0

Be interesting to see how this affects their rewards programs.

11/17/2015 8:15:17 AM

I am actually excited that it is going to fuck amex up a little more. They need to have the shit kicked out of them a bit more to actually start offering cards that are worth having.

11/17/2015 9:44:25 AM

If anyone needs two United Club passes, pm me, have two that expire in June 2016 from chase sign up I won't use, Pm me and I'll give you the price. Also have $250 in AA credit with no expiration if you're looking for a few bucks off American.

Quote :

"Doesn't seem like there are as many good promotional sign up bonuses like there use to be."

Chase sapphire Pref is up to 50K UR sign up bonus for 4k spend, very solid.

[Edited on November 17, 2015 at 4:33 PM. Reason : .]

11/17/2015 4:32:16 PM

yeah I wanted that Sapphire bonus but I got my first denial in a long time for "too many cards" (4 in the last 12 months, 1 in the last 6) opened. I think it's because 2 of those were SW cards in Dec/Mar. Guy wouldn't even let me plead a case on the recon line.

[Edited on November 17, 2015 at 4:46 PM. Reason : .]

11/17/2015 4:43:53 PM

Quote :

"Doesn't seem like there are as many good promotional sign up bonuses like there use to be."

Not sure what you're talking about. I just hit my last spend requirement to get 100K amex pts, 50k lufthansa miles, and 50k citi points in the last three months.

11/17/2015 7:33:32 PM

What was the citi card?

11/18/2015 10:03:57 AM

prestige, got the premier the quarter before

11/18/2015 9:29:17 PM

I have the other 2. The prestige has a 450$ annual fee.

11/18/2015 10:00:09 PM

I'll get $500 flight credit in addition to the pts.

11/18/2015 10:03:50 PM

Plus admirals club access when flying AA, Global/TSApre statement credit, and 4th hotel night of a 4 night stay refunded when booking through citi travel site. The prestige is the best value going.

[Edited on November 19, 2015 at 4:10 PM. Reason : .]

11/19/2015 4:07:59 PM

^^prestige benefits page only shows a $250 airline travel credit. Did you get a special offer?

11/19/2015 4:54:11 PM

No, $250 annual pssst. The year ends in 5 weeks.....

11/20/2015 12:25:41 AM

So it's calendar year, not membership year? That's pretty sweet

11/20/2015 12:35:02 AM

Quote :

"No, $250 annual pssst. The year ends in 5 weeks..... "

Statement hits mid dec for me so I've already hit it for 2015, 2016 is easy enough......Jan 1 2017, do it again, Mid Jan 2017 statement closes with third $250 credit,....statement prior I have hits Dec 17 2016 with 37 days to cancel the second AF from Dec 17 2016....one AF paid, three credits, 14 months of admirals club, 50k ty points, global entry reimbursed and the other crap (golf, one night free out of 4, etc etc), all for $450, we shall see if it works.


[Edited on November 20, 2015 at 2:37 PM. Reason : .]

11/20/2015 2:35:33 PM

Cashed in a little over half a million miles and hotel pts for a dream trip from rdu to lax syd Melbourne Christchurch. Sitting up front in 1A now on virgin Australia drinking champagne.

12/28/2015 1:15:17 AM

Awesome Have a great trip! Certainly makes all that effort worth while.

12/28/2015 1:58:46 PM

Can't take this debt to the grave :^)

12/28/2015 2:50:07 PM

Well worth the points. Two $7500 tickets for 320K miles. They even had a fully stocked bar on board and the chairs were like automatic recliners with a dozen different settings.

12/28/2015 7:37:21 PM

Assume this was a UR to Virg Atl. transfer. What type of international taxes did you incur with the flight on top of the 320K UR redemption? Two first class roundies to Sydney on VA I assume?

12/29/2015 10:56:18 AM

It has always been impossible for me to dispense away so many miles on first class. I know the perceived value. But we always book economy and upgrade to better seating when possible, preserving most of our points. But then again, I haven't flown to the other side of the world. The farthest I go is Europe There has been talk of a Bora Bora sailing trip, but we need 3 other couples to make that happen.

12/29/2015 3:36:23 PM

^^

Nah, didn't fly Virgin Atl. Flew using Delta miles with their partner Virgin Australia.
Two one ways to Syndey and two more one ways from Christchurch. Fees were quite reasonable.


Taxes, Fees and Charges
United States - September 11th Security Fee(Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fee) (AY)
$5.60 USD
Australia - Passenger Service Charge (WY)
$21.40 USD
Total Charges $27 USD
TOTAL TICKET VALUE 80,000 Miles and $27.00 USD

Taxes, Fees and Charges
New Zealand - Passenger Service Charge (KK)
$12.78 NZD
New Zealand - Passenger Security Charge (IA)
$13.48 NZD
United States - Custom User Fee (YC)
$7.60 NZD
United States - Immigration and Naturalization Fee(Immigration User Fee) (XY)
$9.70 NZD
United States - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Fee (APHIS User Fee - Passengers (XA)
$6.90 NZD
Total Charges $50.46 NZD
TOTAL TICKET VALUE 80,000 Miles and $50.46 NZD

^
I flew economy to Europe and that was pretty easy, but we're talking 7.5 hours vs 15.
Also, at the time I had over 600,000 delta miles so wasn't too hard to rationalize the spend, especially since I almost never fly Delta domestic.
Aside from the lie flat seats, there was also great food (steak, cured meats, nice cheeses), booze flowing nonstop, crazy level of service, personal tv with games, movies, music with remote control, noise cancelling headphones, private entrance/exit, and an amenity kit with pjs, slippers, and a few other things. We also had international lounge access which was top notch as well.

12/29/2015 4:22:03 PM

very impressive. nice work

12/29/2015 4:30:52 PM

Looks like the serve and bluebird fun is over. Mass cancellations going out this morning. Myself included. RIP Serve.

Quote :

" We are writing to let you know that we have observed unusual usage patterns on your American Express Serve Account. Because of this, effective immediately, you will no longer be able to add money to your Account.1 We have made this change in accordance with Section 15.d of our Consumer User Agreement, which you can view here. Please be aware that you continue to have full access to the funds on your Account and can withdraw them at any time. Any applicable monthly fees continue to apply. Once your balance reaches $0, please close your Account online via your Profile page accessible here. Scroll down to the Close Account section and click "Close Account." If you have any questions or would like to inquire further about this issue, you may write to us at the following address: American Express C/O Customer Relations 02-04-40 4315 S 2700 W Salt Lake City, UT 84184-0440 Thanks, The American Express Serve Team"

1/8/2016 10:33:04 AM

I dodged it but gf got the email.

1/8/2016 8:14:57 PM

Alright guru's. My turn to talk CC's and see what you guys think.
It took me a LONG time paying off a car and removing debt to take my score from 585 to 730 but I wanted to get a new car so I had it paid off and bought a new one. When I did that I said, hey I already have all these credit hits...why not apply for credit cards. Well here is what I have and I am counting on you guys to rip me a new one/tell me how to make this the best thing I have done.

1. Got approved for the First Citizens Cash Rewards Credit Card. 1% on all purchases, bla bla and they gave me 18K in credit. (I can transfer balances at 3% up until April from other CC's and plan to do so and NOT use this card at all---no bonus for spending in a 3 month time frame etc.) -Question, would it be smart for the ones I DO use for bonuses to transfer their balances in April when I do all this? Especially if I spend high on each one.

2. Got Approved for PNC Cash Rewards Credit Card. 1.75% on all, and unlike the above I am using for daily purchases for now. (Want to transfer my balance to FC at the end of March unless this is stupid.)

3. I got accepted for BOTH Southwest Chase Premiere AND Marriott. I only fly with Southwest and Stay with Marriott and am about to be gold. I want to spend the money to get the 50K points and the 70K with Marriott. Other than that once I reach those, should I transfer the balances to the above and just let those sit/use only internationally/when I book Southwest and Marriott? ----to NOTE...I own my own Travel Company and want to book a ton of my clients hotels, flights with these two and have them pay pal me and pay it right off. Any other strategies?

Lastly, I am an authorized user on my gf's credit card and I owe probably 3K....is it easy to get that transfered to the #1 above to surprise her? Again, thanks for the help....and now that all these cards were accepted my score dropped all the way from 772 to 660. Is it bad if I run my credit anymore/what to do? Thanks guys.

1/20/2016 9:55:54 PM

Quote :

"I dodged it but gf got the email."

BB is all but over, most people who avoided the shutdown have encountered errors when trying to load.

^, First and foremost, things like balance transfers and APR should never come into the picture for obvious reasons in this game....Neither of the first two cards are good, plenty of 2% cash back cards out there, citi has the double cash with no AF. Cap1 has some 2% options plus sign up bonuses out there but they are tougher to get approved. Credit line is usually irrelevant (unless we are talking the stingy folks at Barclay). As for #3, I would have applied for both SW Personal and Bus cards on same day in early Jan to help me reach the 110K points toward companion pass, read up on the terms online. Signup and min spend on the two SW cards would get you 100K (50 + 50), and you'd need to manufacture or legit spend 10K which running business expenses through would make it easy. Your credit shouldn't drop over 100 points for a couple hard pulls, it's something else.

1/21/2016 11:01:59 AM

Serve too?

^^ Cards 1 and 2 are a bust. Like he said, you should have gotten two southwest cards to get the companion pass and four credit cards hit should not have dropped your score that much.

1/22/2016 4:16:19 PM

When I did my car loan as I mentioned it ran like 4 different ones. It dropped 60 points, not 100.

1/22/2016 6:50:41 PM

Why did it run 4 different ones?
How did you know it ran 4 different ones?
If your credit already dropped 60 pts why apply for a bunch of cards?

1/23/2016 12:53:15 PM

credit is complete bullshit. i hope bernie gets rid of it.

1/24/2016 2:31:35 PM

Quote :

"When I did my car loan as I mentioned it ran like 4 different ones. It dropped 60 points, not 100."

I'm guessing that form you signed at the dealership in the fine print gave them the authority to run your credit and they decided it would be a good idea to do it four times? Crappy on their part for doing that to you. I'd worry about getting my score above 700 and lay low. The premium cards usually need a 720+ unless you have a long lasting relationship with the issuer. I'd also be inquiring to the dealership in a very demonstrative fashion. I'd also be blowing them up on social intrawebz.

Quote :

"credit is complete bullshit. i hope bernie gets rid of it."

Wrong thread.

1/25/2016 9:41:03 AM