MilesBuzz! - Best mileage award earning charge cards (CRTL)

In todays mail the current Consumers Reports Travel Letter analyzes in detail and rates the nations most popular credit cards.

Among the more salient findings/suggestions:

Miles One Visa Platinum card from CapitalOne. $19. ann fee and 1 pt for every $ spent with a minimum coach award of 18k mi was determined to be the best BANK card. Call 1-800-553-2194.

Delta's Amex Platinum was tops among AIRLINE cards. 15k bonus w/ enrollment (5k counting as Elite status mi), one free companion ticket with each renewal year, fee $135 ($80 w/ qual Amex card hoders), and additionally you get 10k Elite status mi for every 25k charged. So get this one and charge everything on it and your Elite without ever taking a flight! (a little strange/ hypocritical to my way of thinking, but nonetheless this is the current program!
Call 1-800-sky-mile

From my experience, nothing beats the American Express Sheraton Clubmiles card.
No fee & can convert clubmiles to virtually
all airline programs.

Do you get a better deal by transferring the miles from Sherton to the airlines than you would from membership rewards to the airlines?

Also, membership rewards has bonus opportunities pretty often (grocery stores and other things), do you have the same opportunities with the Sheraton card?

GCR - the answer to both of your questions is yes. There are more airline choices with the Optima and a 5K bonus if you transfer 20K points. There are less hotel choices (one actually) with the Optima, but you get much better conversion ratio with Sheraton Optima than with Amex (come to think of it you can also get Hilton points from the Sheraton Optima card by transferring through an airline). The Optima is participating in the current double grocery points. I am underwhelmed by the bonus opportunities with membership rewards (I recently signed up and was charged a $75 annual fee for my corporate card).

The Sheraton Optima has to be one of the best kept secrets.

[This message has been edited by pgupta011 (edited 09-16-1999).]

I used to have the Sheraton Optima, but I got rid of it right after I got the sign up bonus.

The reason I like AMEX is that I can use the miles for stays at Ritz Carltons and other vaction spots. Can you transfer points out for stays at other hotels?

By the way, if you want a rebate card that gives something other than miles, the Carnival Cruise card by MBNA gives 4% on purchases toward a cruise, with a cap of $500 per year or $800 per two years (I think). Definitely a good card if you like cruises.
4% is the highest rebate that I've seen -- and its for any purchase.

Can you transfer points out for stays at other hotels?

As I had mentioned, you can use your points from Sheraton Optima at Starwood (better conversion rate than Membership rewards) and Hilton (same conversion rate as MR where also you have to transfer through an airline to maximize hotel points, but again the 5K airline bonus makes the Starwood Optima slightly better). Starwood and Hilton - that is a pretty big selection. I have never stayed at the Ritz, how much do you need to charge to your American Express card to get a free night at the Ritz with Membership Rewards?

Ritz-Carlton's are fine, even if they are having some difficulties these days maintaining their very high standards.

Yet the cost is extremely high. For example, if you go for the stay through Marriott points, which convert at 1:1 with Amex MR pts, you would have to spend literally $60,000. to get the 60k needed for one night- and that's just for one WEEKEND night, I believe- and also I think that's just at the 8-10 participating RC properties that Marriott owns. Not a wise way to go in my book but erhaps there's a better way I'm overlooking.

Why cancel the Starwood Optima which has no fee anyway? Isn't it better to keep open as one of the better cards in the industry

Also, the CRTL atudy only dealt with three Hotel cards
Hilton Amex Optima
Marriott Rewards ($30. fee waived 1st year)
Sheraton/Starwood Optima Starpoints

Didn't the Consumer Reports article miss the provision that UAL Premiers and higher have no earning limit with Fisrtcard?
Also, unless I missed it, I don't think the article listed the various cards' policies as to foregin currency mark-ups.

Don't forget the Diners Club Card. They are continuously adding merchants who accept the card and regularly offer 2 for 1 mileage exchanges with BA/DL and Hilton.

$80 fee is now cheap compared to AMEX cards, and you get automatic discounts at some great restaurants around the country, plus OUTSTANDING customer service (real people answer your call).

Aaron - there is a card that has higher than a 4% rebate that you mentioned above. It is a travel card, sort of (stretching the definition)...

It is the GM card. It earns 5% of ALL purchases towards a new GM car (excluding Saturn, Saab, and EV-1). And a car, by definition is travel! You can earn up to $500/year for 7 years - total of $3,500 off a car (after any other rebates and offers and after the best negotiations that you can do with the dealer). The card has no annual fee.

You can also use it towards travel vacations with GM's travel partner. Redeem 50, 100, or 150 GMCard Earnings and receive $25, $50, or $75 off your next vacation or cruise when you book with GM Vacations (using your GM Card). Call 1-800-846-6000 for more information.

see: http://www.gmcard.com/

[This message has been edited by steve100 (edited 09-17-1999).]