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PenFed Premium Travel Rewards AmEx [5x/3x/1x, $0 fee, 20K bonus]

Old Jun 14, 2014, 11:24 am
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Last edit by: MDtR-Chicago
This thread is for discussion of the PenFed Premium Travel Rewards Amex Card, described here: https://www.penfed.org/PenFed-Premium-Travel-Rewards-American-Express-Card/

No annual fee
Earn 5 points on airfare purchases
Earn 1 point on all other purchases
20,000 bonus points when you spend $2,500 within the first 3 months of opening the Card account

There are several similarly named PenFed cards. Please see the chart at the top of the
Master Thread: PenFed Family of Cards + Chip & PIN Questions to make sure you post in the correct thread!
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PenFed Premium Travel Rewards AmEx [5x/3x/1x, $0 fee, 20K bonus]

Old Mar 3, 2010, 2:44 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by pbjag
Thanks for posting the additional details, iahphx! I agree regarding the oter rewards being faily useless (except the hotel and airline gft cards). A couple of questions regarding using piints on their website to book travel - does it allow you to "purchase" higher fare categories (to improve upgrade odds) or select the fare category you want (e.g., discounted ffirst class) when booking?
And what does the confirmation/receipt show as the cost - points redemption or $ value of the ticket?

Thanks!
I didn't see an option to "pick your fare bucket" when purchasing a flight. Frankly, given the simplistic nature of this program (it's certainly NOT geared toward flyertalkers!), I'd be shocked if it existed. Perhaps there's a customer service number to call? Logic would say they'd be happy to book you into a higher bucket at the same conversion rate, but I don't know if their systems are set up to allow such logic.

As I haven't actually bought a ticket yet, I don't know what the eticket actually looks like. I'm PRESUMING you get ff credit based on the fare bucket you're booked into, but we'll need confirmation on that.

BTW, I agree with you that the gift cards have SOME reasonable value in this program, but you do get a better than 50% bonus by converting your points into airline tickets over gift cards (or anything else I can find). So unless you absolutely, positively don't need an airline ticket, I would think that's the way to go as far as redemption.
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Old Mar 12, 2010, 3:20 pm
  #32  
DH
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Ashburn, VA (IAD/DCA/BWI)
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No Foreign Transaction Fee after 3/15/2010

I just newsletter from PenFed and it's dropping foreign transaction fee after 3/15/10

NEW! No foreign transaction fee after 3/15/2010
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Old Mar 12, 2010, 7:47 pm
  #33  
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Taichung, Taiwan
Programs: Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 94
Originally Posted by DH
I just newsletter from PenFed and it's dropping foreign transaction fee after 3/15/10
Wow! That makes this card even more attractive. Very few cards with no forex fee, and that earn a good rewards rate on top of it. I'm in.
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Old Mar 13, 2010, 9:23 am
  #34  
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There are some good uses for this card -- I'm a bit surprised the flyertalk community seems to be collectively yawning at it.

The problem, though, is that after the first year, they'll want a $50 annual fee. Unless you're a big airline ticket buyer (or you can churn it!), it's probably not worth the fee. So maybe it's too early to get attached to the card.
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Old Mar 14, 2010, 2:31 pm
  #35  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: DL, HH, SPG, AMEX
Posts: 61
Interesting

This card seems to fit my needs quite well. I just applied and was approved. Can you purchase part of the fare with points and part with $$ or must you have enough points for the full ticket to book it?
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Old Mar 14, 2010, 3:04 pm
  #36  
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Originally Posted by aduncan
This card seems to fit my needs quite well. I just applied and was approved. Can you purchase part of the fare with points and part with $$ or must you have enough points for the full ticket to book it?
Seems to be points-only, unless there's some not-terribly-obvious workaround.
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Old Mar 16, 2010, 7:54 am
  #37  
HCA
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SFO/SJC, CA
Posts: 630
1. Can PenFed points be used to purchase Southwest tickets?

2. Probably will get one if "No foreign transaction fee after 3/15/2010".

[Edit: Too bad. Find out I am not eligible.]

Last edited by HCA; Mar 21, 2010 at 8:07 am
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Old Mar 19, 2010, 8:59 pm
  #38  
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Originally Posted by HCA
1. Can PenFed points be used to purchase Southwest tickets?

2. Probably will get one if "No foreign transaction fee after 3/15/2010".
I doubt you can buy WN tickets due to their non-participation in the regular CRS distribution. I can't recall which interface PenFed uses: it looked a lot like Expedia or Travelocity.
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Old Mar 20, 2010, 9:08 am
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by iahphx
There are some good uses for this card -- I'm a bit surprised the flyertalk community seems to be collectively yawning at it.
Interest may increase with the end of the Travelocity MC coupled with the elimination of foreign transaction fees on this card.
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Old Mar 20, 2010, 9:49 am
  #40  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Originally Posted by pbjag
There are new details up in the terms and conditions section. Basically the conversion value is 62.5 points/$

Ticket cost $250: 15,625 Points
Ticket cost $350: 21,875 Points
Ticket cost $500: 31,250 Points
Ticket cost $750: 46,875 Points
Ticket cost $1,000: 62,500 Points
They've changed the redemption ratios in the Terms and Conditions. Here is what is shown now:


Ticket up to $250: 15,000 Points
Ticket between $251–$350: 25,000 Points
Ticket between $351–$500: 35,000 Points
Ticket between $501–$750: 50,000 Points
Ticket between $751–$999: 70,000 Points
Ticket over $1000: 100,000 Points

Edited to add: But...when you scroll down in the T&C, the previous redemption chart is still there...

Last edited by pbjag; Mar 20, 2010 at 9:58 am
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Old Mar 22, 2010, 2:53 pm
  #41  
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Originally Posted by HCA
[Edit: Too bad. Find out I am not eligible.]
Why not? As long as you are a US citizen, you can join the National Military Family Association for $20 and then be eligible to join PenFed.
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Old Mar 23, 2010, 11:45 am
  #42  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: DL, HH, SPG, AMEX
Posts: 61
Does anyone know if the AmEx purchase return/theft/damage policies are honored with this card or is that only available to AmEx issued cards as apposed to cards just using the AmEx network?

I'm guessing I know the answer...

p.s. the new terms now confirm that there is no foreign transaction fee... ^
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Old Mar 23, 2010, 11:58 am
  #43  
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Originally Posted by MDtR-Chicago
Why not? As long as you are a US citizen, you can join the National Military Family Association for $20 and then be eligible to join PenFed.
I think this expense would be unnecessary. You can join if you have any family who's served in the military. I do but, honestly, I can tell they're not checking. So I guess it depends on your "conscience." As I recall, credit unions are required by law to have some sort of membership requirements, but most are now basically "for show."
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Old Apr 2, 2010, 9:57 am
  #44  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: AA EXP, DL PLT, Mariott PLT, *wood PLT
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Exclamation Words of Caution...

After applying over the weekend, I was truly excited to have this card come through. getting 5%+ back on my $30k+ of annual airline purchases would have been HUGE....

So I jumped through all their hoops. I found a distant relative who served and got the joining fee down to $5 and was told that my application was being fast tracked due to my outstanding credits.

I logged into my PenFed account yesterday to check on the status only to find my application was declined. After 20 minutes on the phone with them they finally informed me that since I indicated the card would be used for business, my application was rejected.


The lesson learned here: ANY INDICATION THAT THE CARD WILL BE USED FOR BUSINESS IS AN AUTOMATIC DECLINE
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Old Apr 10, 2010, 5:18 am
  #45  
mia
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Originally Posted by Donald Draper
getting 5%+ back on my $30k+ of annual airline purchases would have been HUGE....
Welcome to Flyertalk.

You may wish to read this discussion about the American Express Premier Rewards Gold charge card which awards 3 Membership Rewards points per dollar on airfare. Membership Rewards points are easily worth $0.02+ each if transferred to an airline frequent flyer program and redeemed for otherwise expensive tickets, typically intercontinental business class:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...gold-card.html

If you apply for this card be sure to use the link in post #4, which offers are larger activation bonus than advertised elsewhere.
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