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I have a Chase SouthWest Visa and the points add up fast! I just booked the whole family (4 of us) round trip from Chicago to Texas using all points. Points add up fast and they give you bonus points for your anniversary, etc.
It looks like I am going to start traveling a lot this coming years
Buenos Aires, London, as far as international and Miami, NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, DC. As far as domestic traveling.
I have Chase Freedom, Chase Sapphire Preferred and Amex Everyday. I keep getting AMEX PREMIER REWARDS the gold card offer in the mail every month but I am not convinced? Not sure if there are better options than that one.
I dont use the AMEX Everyday when I travel because they charge me for foreign transactions.
What kind of CC I should get that would allow me earning mile points, maybe lounge access but not my priority. Are there must CC I should have for me the future frequent traveler?
Thank you all
I have Chase Sapphire Reserve. You can get a list of the benefits available with each card and compare them. The selling points for me were:
1. 50,000 frequent flyer mile bonus;
2. No exchange rate fees on transactions in foreign currencies.
3. Supplemental car insurance when I rent a car in a foreign country.
4. Up to $100,000 insurance paid for a medical evacuation from a foreign country if you are sick or injured there.
5. Free access to many airport lounges in the USA and around the world.
I also have the Chase Southwest Airlines card, the Chase Preferred Card, and the Chase Ink Card which is for only people with a business.
I have a B of A card that has no annual fee & no foreign transaction fees, I found it very handy on a recent trip. You also earn points that you can use to pay for hotel or meal charges ( as a statement credit)
The Bank of America Travel Rewards card is probably the one you have as it has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
Look at the Chase Sapphire Reserve as well as the AmEx Platinum card. Both have similar but different benefits. The CSR is much user friendly - $300 travel credit, Global Entry reimbursement, Priority Pass lounge access, travel/rental car insurance, etc. The Amex gives you $200 travel reimbursement (but you have to designate an airline to use this with), $200 Uber credit (capped at $15/month and a $20 bonus in Dec), Centurion and Delta Sky Club lounge access (Delta access if you're flying Delta), purchase protection etc.
I personally have the CSR and have enjoyed the benefits. Given I no longer travel as much, the Platinum doesn't make as much sense for me.
Both are premium cards that gives you a lot of other benefits as well if you choose to use them. If you're planning on doing a lot of international travel, you may even consider both cards as the benefit compliment more than overlap each other. If you consider the reimbursements - the actual AF for both cards is more like $300 a year as opposed to $1000.
Amex is currently giving a 60K pt. bonus and CSR is 50K. The point value for both cards is around $0.02 (you can get the more exact values at points guy or nerd wallet) - so the bonus themselves are worth $1200 and $1000 respectively - making it a low risk opportunity for at least the first year.
Interestingly, AmX Platinum gave me 75K signup miles back early 2018 (this year, as I write). Did have to spend a certain amount, first three months, but I use for business travel so not a problem.
The quoted is quite thorough. Also: car rental upgrades, like Emerald Club for National which is pretty cool, and similar for Hertz and maybe a third (those are my favorites). I'm a Delta man when I can, convenient for Seattle travel, and enjoy their lounges to the max. Tried Centurion Club the other day when I stumbled across one (in SeaTac, my home base) directly opposite my flight gate ; that was nice, too. Free breakfast, New York Times Sunday Edition, Wi-Fi, and good coffee in a comfy chair at 7am on an Easter Sunday were godsends...I was not thrilled about traveling that day, though was necessary.
I knew my travel would be amping up from once/month to several times month; sure enough it has so that card makes sense. The upgrades are really nice through various hotel groups. The lounges, just pretty soft but also soothing and that is worth a *lot* to this introvert. "I think" will be running up about $8K/month on it, paid off in-toto each month, so the benefits are there pretty clearly.
We'll see what 2019 brings. If I travel less, as happened when I went through this exercise ten years ago with British Airways Visa, I'll dump the AmX and return to my Barclaycard MC for bulk of my expenses.
anyone have marriott platnum status (or whatever the present bonvoy equvalent is)? i have gold but i am wondering if it is worth the effort and a few bucks to get myself to be platinum.
anyone have marriott platnum status (or whatever the present bonvoy equvalent is)? i have gold but i am wondering if it is worth the effort and a few bucks to get myself to be platinum.
I'm at gold too, but don't travel enough these days to justify trying to get to platinum.
I'm at gold too, but don't travel enough these days to justify trying to get to platinum.
gold is pretty easy to obtain and i actually qualify a couple of ways. which makes me think that maybe i should drop my bonvoy business card since i dont need it for that benefit anymore.
gold is pretty easy to obtain and i actually qualify a couple of ways. which makes me think that maybe i should drop my bonvoy business card since i dont need it for that benefit anymore.
That's not surprising as it showed up as gold one day and I didn't do anything special to acquire it.
anyone have marriott platnum status (or whatever the present bonvoy equvalent is)? i have gold but i am wondering if it is worth the effort and a few bucks to get myself to be platinum.
If you are talking about having 49 nights and just need one more, then yes of course it's worth it. Lounge access especially in Europe is quite nice, not to mention the suite upgrades. If you are not close in terms of nights then evaluate your travel habit next year and decide if it's worth it. I know someone who is a lifetime Titanium (not available any more) and now he's out of the rat race and not dying to stay at a Marriott property. I can imagine the toll it takes to reach that status over the decades.
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; that was nice, too. Free breakfast, New York Times Sunday Edition, Wi-Fi, and good coffee in a comfy chair at 7am on an Easter Sunday were godsends...I was not thrilled about traveling that day, though was necessary. 
