Confused with so many types of Mileage and reward Credit cards out there?
Here’s my review on the best mileage/reward credit card deals out there.
-
American Airlines AAdvantage card by Citi.
The reason I love this card is because this is still one of the few airlines that offers award/mileage tickets at levels not many airlines offer. For example a one way business class ticket to South East Asia will only cost you 67500 miles along with $5 in taxes if you can book this at least 21 days in advance to avoid a $75 close in booking fee. There is a 50,000 mile bonus offer currently in place if you spend $3000 with the first 3 months and also has no annual fee for the first year ($95 per year after that). This one way ticket to South east Asia/Far east or even the middle east on one of its partner airline such as Etihad, Qatar or Cathay Pacific can easily cost you in excess of $2500 on business class for a one way ticket. AA is also one of the few carriers to offer a 20,000 mile one way economy ticket to most European destinations during low season travel.
You also get first checked bag for free anytime you travel economy which can be a savings of $50 RT as well as priority boarding privileges and reduced mileage awards.
For this reason 67500 miles for a one way ticket this is my card of choice for mileage accumulation vs 80,000 miles with some one the other airlines(discussed below).
2. Citi ThankYou Premier Card.
With this card you can earn 50,000 bonus ThankYou Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening – redeemable for $500 in gift cards, $625 for airfare, or other rewards which I will tell you in a separate post why you should never do.
Bonus ThankYou Points not available if you have had a Citi ThankYou Premier card opened or closed in the past 18 months
Earn 3X ThankYou Points on Travel including Gas, 2X ThankYou Points on Dining out and Entertainment, and 1X ThankYou Points on Other Purchases.
ThankYou Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for airfare, hotels, cruises and car rentals through thankyou.com, as compared to gift cards but again I will have a post as to why you should never use these points for purchases other than travel to airline or hotel partners.
This card has no foreign transaction fees and does come with the first year of no annual fee and then $95 for subsequent years. It also has one of the largest number of airline partners you can transfer your points to such as:
Asia Miles, EVA Air Infinity MileageLands, Etihad Guest, KLM Airfrance Flying Blue, Garuda Indonesia Frequent Flyer, Malaysia Airlines Enrich, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and Hilton HHonors Worldwide.
3. Chase Saphire Preferred.
This card offers 40,000 bonus points after spending $3000 in the first 3 months of receiving your card along with a 5000 point bonus if you add an additional card member which adds up to a total of 48,000 points after you have completed the minimum spending.
Keep in mind this card comes no annual fee for the first year but then you get billed $95 annual membership fee after the first year.
The best part about this card is the versatility of partner redemptions listed below:
POINT TRANSFER TO PARTICIPATING FREQUENT TRAVEL PROGRAMS
Transfer points to participating frequent travel programs at full value – that means 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points equal 1,000 partner miles/points. Travel programs include British Airways Executive Club, Korean Air SKYPASS, Singapore Airlines Kris Flyer, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®, United MileagePlus®, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Amtrak Guest Rewards®, Hyatt Gold Passport®, Marriott Rewards®, IHG® Rewards Club and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®.
There are no foreign transaction fees when using this card overseas so that’s a savings of 2%-3% of fees you would normally pay if you used a card that charged you foreign transaction fees.
4. Chase INK.
The Chase INK card is a business card that offers a 50,000 point bonus after a $5,000 minimum spending within the first 3 months.
Many people think in order to qualify for a Business card you need to have a registered business, but that’s not true. all you need to do is apply as a business with your full name as the business name and use your social security number in the “tax identification number” field and your income in the “annual business revenue” field.
This card also comes with similar benefits as the Chase Saphire Preferred such as no foreign transaction fees as well as a no annual fee for the first year ($95 after the first year).
With this card you can earn 2X and 5X points in the below categories:
Earn 5X points per $1 on the first $50,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV services each account anniversary year.
Earn 2X points per $1 on the first $50,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel each account anniversary year.
5. United Mileage Plus Explorer by Chase.
One of cards that were around from the Continental days also provides a 30,000 mile bonus upon spending only $1,000 in the first three months along with a 5,000 mile additional bonus for adding an additional user to the account. This card also gives you 10,000 bonus miles upon spending $25,000 or more in 12 months. I am told that some people may also receive a targeted offer of 50,000 miles for applying for this card.
There is no annual fee for the first year however a $95 annual fee after the first year. This fee could very well be worth it if you are a frequent United airlines traveler as they credit you the first bag fee for you and a companion which could be a savings of $100 per round trip travel.
This card also comes with no foreign transaction fees and your united miles never expire as long as you have the card in good standing(United unused miles normally expire every 18 months). Primary Card members and their companions traveling on the same reservation will be invited to board United-operated flights prior to general boarding. To receive priority boarding, just add your MileagePlus® number to your reservation and refer to your boarding pass for your boarding group number.
6. Gold Delta Skymiles by American Express.
Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you make $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within your first 3 months, and a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months.† Special Offer Expires on June 30, 2015. $0 Introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $95.
This card too comes with no foreign transaction fees, however like many American express cards If they identify you as currently having an American Express® Card account, you may not be eligible for this welcome bonus offer. This offer is also not available to applicants who have or have had this product.
First checked bag is free when your ticket is booked with this card which is a $50 per round trip savings. You are also given priority boarding privileges when your Delta airlines ticket is booked with this card.
You also receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card.
7. American Express Platinum.
The biggest misconception people have about this card is that this card is for the elite. Now let me tell you just because it has a $450 annual fee (and many cards nowadays have that kind of a fee) it comes with a plethora of benefits. Many people receive targeted offers for this card with bonus points ranging from 40,000 to 100,000 after a minimum spending of $5000 in the first 3 billing cycles. That in itself is a round trip ticket to Europe on Business class.
The benefits that come with this card are endless if you are a frequent traveler. The best value that’s almost 50% of the fee is the $200 airline credit. You can use this credit on any 1 airline you select for the year and can be used towards, baggage fees, change fees, in-flight purchases etc. You are also eligible to apply for Global Entry and Amex picks up the $100 application fee (as long as you charge it to your Amex Platinum). You can also get free Boingo which is internet access at airports and thousands of other locations in addition to access for you and your family at any of the Centurion lounges worldwide.
Amex also gives you a free membership with priority pass, however the one issued through Amex has never been accepted at any of the US airports only internationally. Keep in mind that while the lounge will let you bring as many guest as you like they don’t tell you this but Amex actually bills you $27 per guest that you take with you automatically to your card.
They offer a concierge service that I have never been impressed by that can do anything from making restaurant reservations to sending flowers to your loved ones or almost anything you like. You can save a lot of money with their “Fine Hotels & Resorts” program that gets you a free 3rd night at almost all Hotels that they participate in world-wide in addition to free breakfast for 2, early check in(subject to availability), a guaranteed 4 pm checkout and a $100 hotel credit or some amenity worth $100.
They have a double the manufacturers warranty and I have used this on several occasions where there are no questions asked in the event you need to fix something or replace something that within the Amex double manufacturers warranty.
One of my favorite benefits with Amex Platinum (which you have to enroll) is the Premium Car Rental Protection. This covers you for $19.95 for up to 30 days of car rental as primary coverage. Most people thing by charging your car rental to your credit card covers you for damage or collision, however most credit cards will only cover you as secondary coverage. This means that the car rental company will first come after you or your Insurance company and in the event you do not have auto insurance, your credit card company steps in. You should always read the fine print on car rental coverage from your credit card company.
Amex’s membership rewards points can be transferred to:
Air Canada Aeroplan, All Nippon Airlines, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Alitalia, Aero Mexico, El Al, Emirates, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic, Starwood, Hilton, Best Western, Choice Privileges.
8. American Express Business Gold Card.
If you have an Amex Platinum card (details above) there is a 6 out of 10 chance you will be selected for a business Gold card either by mail or by checking your offers under member ship reward offers under your portal(separate article to be published on that). This targeted promotion can offer you up to 75,000 membership reward points after spending $5000 in the first 3 billing cycles and the best part about this card is that the first year is free with $175 for the next year.
Some of the benefits include:
3X points on one category of your choice from the list below: Airfare purchased directly from airlines
U.S. purchases for advertising in select media
U.S. purchases at gas stations
U.S. purchases for shipping
U.S. computer hardware, software, and cloud computing purchases made directly from select providers
2X points on the 4 remaining categories
1X points on other purchases
3X and 2X apply to the first $100,000 in purchases in each of the 5 categories per year, 1X point per dollar thereafter.
Like my post mentioned for the chase Ink card, you do not need to have a business to open this card and you can enter your Social Security number and you personal name as the business name.
9. Citi Prestige Card.
Another card by Citi with the ThankYou rewards, this card comes with a whopping $450 annual fee but like the Amex Platinum this too comes with a variety of benefits.
You receive a $250 airline credit ($50 more than Amex Platinum) to use against baggage charges, Change fees, upgrades etc. You also enjoy complimentary access to American Airlines Admirals Club® lounges, plus hundreds of VIP lounges through Priority Pass Select.
Another very important benefit is that you get the 4th night free at any hotel(unlike Amex Platinum that gives you the 3rd night free but only at its select properties), however you must book your hotel through a specific travel agent stated by Citi which sometimes can be a few bucks higher than discount sites.
There is also no foreign transaction fees on purchases as well as Complimentary greens fees at more than 2,400 public and private golf courses around the globe which can be a great value for avid golfers.
You get: 3 ThankYou Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Hotels. 2 ThankYou Points per $1 spent on Dining Out & Entertainment. 1 ThankYou Point per $1 spent on other purchases.
10. Venture Rewards by Capital One.
With this card you earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase. Plus, earn 40,000 bonus miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months. The only caveat with this card is that these points are not transferable to any airline or hotel partners. What that means is if you spend $30,000 you receive 60,000 points which is worth $600 in airline tickets at 1 cent per point. While 60,000 points can get you a one way business class ticket to Europe which could be a $2500-$4000 value the same can’t be said with this card as you cannot transfer these points to an airline.
The card comes with a no annual fee for the first year and then $59 for subsequent years and is good for those travelers who want to accumulate miles for domestic Hotel or air travel and want to travel on hard to get mileage seats on blackout dates as you can redeem these just as cash towards travel at the value stated above.
Some great benefits of this card are free credit score tracker, concierge service, and extended warranty some of which Amex offers at a hefty annual fee.
One thought on “Best Mileage Credit Cards”