May 14, 2014, 1:15 pm
Last edit by: rrgg
This thread is a continuation of the discussion posted here from 12.08.2012 - 5.13.2014: Barclays Arrival/Arrival Cards (1.05%/2.1% travel credits)
Current offer for Arrival Plus is 70K pts w/$5K spend & AF waived 1st year.
Barclays says that you earn “miles” but you’re actually earning cash back with the card since you can’t transfer your Barclays miles to airlines. But you can redeem them for statement credits at 0.5 cents per mile (poor value) or 1.05 cent per mile if you redeem for travel.
You get 5% of your miles back if you redeem for travel, so 40,000 miles gets you $400 towards travel and 2,000 miles back (5% of your miles back). You must have at least 10K 'miles' in your acct if you wish to redeem as a travel credit. 2500 'miles' can be redeemed for a stmt credit though.
If you want, you can redeem miles to cover a portion of a travel charge instead of the full amount. For example, if you have 80k miles and a $740 airline charge, you can choose to redeem just 70k to cover $700 of the charge.
You earn 2X miles on all purchases, so you’re effectively getting 2% cash back for each purchase. But since you get 5% of your miles back when you redeem for travel, this is effectively a 2.1% cash back card when miles are redeemed for travel.
This makes the Barclaycard Arrival PlusTM World Elite MasterCard® (with 2.1% cash back for travel) better than the Capital One Venture card which offers only 2 miles per $1 or 2% cash back, only if you spend $30k+ per year after first year, because Arrival Plus AF is $30 more than Venture.
If you receive a call from 302-255-8000 after applying for this or any other Barclay's card, it is a legit number! You can also call them back directly at 866-951-1437.
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Regarding official company representatives
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Let's crowd source things that have counted towards travel redemptions that are not so obvious
="3"%Successful
Don't forget travel purchase needs to be > $100 charge for 10K mile redemption
Airlines that post purchases of multiple tickets as one amount or split them:
One Amount
BA (USD based award ticket)
Multiple Transactions
UA (award)
DL (award)
Current offer for Arrival Plus is 70K pts w/$5K spend & AF waived 1st year.
Barclays says that you earn “miles” but you’re actually earning cash back with the card since you can’t transfer your Barclays miles to airlines. But you can redeem them for statement credits at 0.5 cents per mile (poor value) or 1.05 cent per mile if you redeem for travel.
You get 5% of your miles back if you redeem for travel, so 40,000 miles gets you $400 towards travel and 2,000 miles back (5% of your miles back). You must have at least 10K 'miles' in your acct if you wish to redeem as a travel credit. 2500 'miles' can be redeemed for a stmt credit though.
If you want, you can redeem miles to cover a portion of a travel charge instead of the full amount. For example, if you have 80k miles and a $740 airline charge, you can choose to redeem just 70k to cover $700 of the charge.
You earn 2X miles on all purchases, so you’re effectively getting 2% cash back for each purchase. But since you get 5% of your miles back when you redeem for travel, this is effectively a 2.1% cash back card when miles are redeemed for travel.
This makes the Barclaycard Arrival PlusTM World Elite MasterCard® (with 2.1% cash back for travel) better than the Capital One Venture card which offers only 2 miles per $1 or 2% cash back, only if you spend $30k+ per year after first year, because Arrival Plus AF is $30 more than Venture.
If you receive a call from 302-255-8000 after applying for this or any other Barclay's card, it is a legit number! You can also call them back directly at 866-951-1437.
Very Old Wiki Info ---
Regarding official company representatives
Note that there is an official procedure for company representatives to register themselves with the FlyerTalk Community Director and verify their credentials. When that process is completed, the username will turn green in posts, rather than the standard blue.
Anyone who does not appear in green has not followed this procedure. Those posts should be considered the same as any other user's posts. It is important to remember that the moderation team does not generally monitor the veracity of any posts; it is up to you to judge a poster's content and history yourself.
Let's crowd source things that have counted towards travel redemptions that are not so obvious
="3"%Successful
Don't forget travel purchase needs to be > $100 charge for 10K mile redemption
- 9/11 Museum and Memorial - NYC
- Accuracy Limo (via Square, Salt Lake City, UT limo service)
- ACE Adventures (West Virginia White Water Rafting), had to call in to get it processed manually
- agoda.com
- AirAsia Flights (airasia.com)
- airbnb bookings
- airbnb GC purchased on United MPX site
- Alaska Airlines checked baggage fee $25 charge
- Amazing Bike Tours Thailand
- AA Gift Card
- American Airlines telephone booking (including booking fee)
- Amtrak train ticket >$25 (ALB-NYP)
- Amtrak train ticket >$25 (unknown destinations)
- Arrival+ Annual Fee
- Argosy Cruises (SEA, classified as RECREATION)
- Autoeurope.com
- BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) San Francisco
- Balloons over Bagan
- Bieber bus tickets
- Boston MBTA Charlie Card reload & Commuter Rail passes & tickets
- Burj Khalifa observation decks
- Buying Lifemiles from Avianca
- Capitaine Train Tickets (capitaine.com)
- Carmel Limo (NYC car service)
- carrentals.com
- cheaptickets.com hotel
- Chinese Visa Application Fees (had to call in. Credit showed up in account in 2 business days. See Post 912 and 921 for details)
- City Taxi (Tampa)
- CostcoTravel
- Cotai Waterjet (Hong Kong)
- CT Limo
- Daily Getaways purchase of HHonors points
- DB Bahn Trains Germany (bahn.de)
- Disneyland Hong Kong (Manual redemption required)
- DriveNow - all locations in EU/US
- Dublin Bus Tours Hop on, Hop off (Green)
- Eiffel Tower (manual redemption by phone allowed)
- Empire State Building tickets
- Enterprise rent-a-car, paid at the counter when returning the car (used Chase United Visa initially for primary coverage, but asked to pay with a different card when returning the car)
- Eurostar Train Tickets (eurostar.com)
- Europcar.com
- Expedia.com
- Hertz Rent-a-Car (booked on hertz.com)
- Hong Kong Airport Express Pass
- Hotel bookings through Rocketmiles (even refundable bookings or those tied to other promotions)
- Hotels.com
- Hotwire
- ItaliaRail (online booking agency for TrenItalia)
- LA Swamp Tours, Steamboat cruise, Haunted History Tours (New Orleans)
- Lahaina-Maui Ferry Tickets - booked online at www.go-lanai.com
- Las Vegas Show Booked through hotel
Las Vegas show tickets booked online (Mandalay Bay Box office) - Limo Charges - Two limo charges that I made in March PRIOR the the recent changes to what qualifies as "Travel" showed up as eligible travel charges. I guess with the changes to what's covered, and for how long, these got pulled back in.
- Lyft
- M-Life advance reservation deposit
- Montway Auto Transport (deposit)
- New York City MTA Subway Cards
- New York Waterways Ferry (between NJ and NYC)
- Ngong Ping 360 (Hong Kong)
- Norwegian Cruise Line purchase made from telephone order from vacationstogo.com
- Norwegian Cruise Line (deposits and payments)
- NS Hispeed Train Tickets (nshispeed.com)
- NYC Taxi
- Orbitz.com purchase
- ORCA card for Seattle area tolls (considered the very typical GOVERNMENT SERVICES NOT ELSEWHERE CLASSIFIED)
- Paris RATP Metro/VATP (buy 10-ticket pack for >$25 and save cost)
- PeruRail (Machu Picchu train)
- PMRF Beach Cottages (Kauai)
- Priceline
- Primetime Shuttle (Worked from LAX-SNA)
- rail europe on Travelocity
- rail JR Rail in Japan, load as tourist attraction, call in to get it credit (Post#938)
- Safari Helicopter Tour (Kauai)
- Sandals.com resort booking (unique vacations) was not redeemable last year. Is redeemable online now
- SEASTREAK LLC - NYC (Commuter Ferri)
- Singapore Cable Car
- Southwest $100 gift card
- Southwest Early Bird Check-in (billed separately from airfare charges)
- Spirit of NY Dinner Cruises - www.spiritcruises.com, which have cruises in several other cities as well.
- Starwood Vacation Ownership (SPG Timeshare) Westin Princeville Kauai (coded as Timeshare).
- St Pauls Cathedral (manual redemption by phone allowed)
- Super Shuttle (mixed, worked in SF when (billed SUPERSHUTTLE EXECUCARS), worked in Boston (SUPERSHUTTLE BOSTON), failed in LA (SUPERSHUTTLE), Worked in Cancun.
- Taxi in Zürich
- Top of the Rock tickets - NYC
- Trenitalia Online
- Trimet (Portland OR public transportation)
- Trip Advisor Rental
- TurboJET (Hong Kong)
- Uber
- Uber GC through MPX $100 (re-confirmed 11/1/2018, using Arrival Premier)
- United Baggage Fee
- Universal Studio Orlando tickets (had to call in)
- Viator (sightseeing/tours)
- Victoria Clipper (passenger ferry)
- Wedding at the Stratosphere's Chapel in the Clouds (billed as stratosphere)
- Windsor Castle (manual redemption by phone allowed)
- Wine purchases from different wine tasting rooms
- WMATA (Washington DC Metro) - [[COLOR="Red"]reconfirmed 10/5/15]
- Zipcar
="3"%Unsuccessful (please mention the amount redeemed - important as anything under$25$100 cannot be reimbursed)
Partial redemptions are possible - however you cannot redeem against that charge again. So if you have a $500 charge and you spend 40K points against it, you cannot redeem 10K points for the remaining $100 of that charge. - www.b-europe.com (SNCB rail)
- Amtrak (possibly due <$25 charge)
- Blue Water Rafting. Merchant category "Recreation Services -- Not elsewhere classified"
- Brazil airline GOL booked online codes as DIRECT MARKETING/DIRECT MARKETERS--NOT ELESWH ..
- Broadmoor Hotel Food and Beverage (Colorado Spring, CO)
- budgetair.co.uk (charged >$200)
- Car2go
- De Palm Tours, Aruba (classified as Recreation. Called Barclay twice.)
- Description: ZERVE *CA WHALES Merchant Category: THEATRICAL PRODUCERS (EXCEPT MOTION PICTURES), TICKET AGENCIES...Tickets to whale watching tour purchased over the phone.
- Evan Evans Sightseeing tours (UK based)- http://www.evanevanstours.co.uk
- Fastrak tag autoload for San Francisco bridge tolls ($25)
- Global Entry
- Gotobus.com Long Distance Buses, ~$100
- Homeaway.com, posts as real estate. Barclays said they'd make a one-time exception but future purchases won't count as travel.
- Hostelbookers.com deposit (maybe the charge which is >$25 will count?)
- Hotels.com Gift Card
- IHG points and cash hotel redemption
- Malaysian Overnight Train KUL-SIN (ktmb.com.my)
- Monterey Aquarium
- Parking at DCA - $136 (7/9/19)
- Parking at HSV ($96 in parking at Huntsville International Airport)
- Parking at IAH (Houston Intercontinental - on airport) -$76 (PARKING LOTS AND GARAGES)
- Parking at LAS
- Parking at LGA $204
- Parking at Port Imperial, Weehawken, NJ
- Parking at SNA (John Wayne Airport)
- San Francisco Clipper Card public transit (autoload from website)
- Skyjump at Stratosphere Hotel LV $150 (01/14) - not charged by hotel.
- Space Needle and Chihuly Garden Tickets
- Starwood points purchase (BUSINESS SERVICES NOT ELSEWHERE CLASSIFIED)
- Taxi Magic /Curb- Taxi service
- Thello train (France-Italy night train, codes as rail-freight)
- Trenitalia (both online and in stations, posts as rail-freight)
- UBER eGift Card (bought through the UBER app) for $100 - Not coded as "travel," so couldn't redeem online and they wouldn't do it over the phone, either.
Airlines that post purchases of multiple tickets as one amount or split them:
One Amount
BA (USD based award ticket)
Multiple Transactions
UA (award)
DL (award)
Barclays Arrival Plus, now 70K w/$5k spend
Jun 29, 2015, 8:07 am
#2431
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Programs: Delta + United Airmiles
Posts: 703
Very good point about the small .2% difference. Also great to know you keep the points even if downgrading! That was one concern of mine.
The only complicating thing for me is I may be moving overseas. I'll have to find flyertalk international and re-read and learn over again which cards are worth it, haha.
The only complicating thing for me is I may be moving overseas. I'll have to find flyertalk international and re-read and learn over again which cards are worth it, haha.
Jun 29, 2015, 11:48 am
#2432
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 556
The signup bonus point is a good one, though I've read reports that some people are finding it difficult to get approved for the A- while holding an A+.
Jun 29, 2015, 11:53 am
#2433
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Washington DC
Programs: AA Nothing, Marriott Gold
Posts: 581
Nope, you keep them.
That said, you should almost definitely downgrade to Arrival- and open another 2% card. $90 a year requires close to $50K of spending to make it worth getting a 2.2% card over a 2% card. You shouldn't use the signup bonus to purchase extra years of annual fees when there are other 2% cards out there (Double Cash, FIA Amex).
That said, you should almost definitely downgrade to Arrival- and open another 2% card. $90 a year requires close to $50K of spending to make it worth getting a 2.2% card over a 2% card. You shouldn't use the signup bonus to purchase extra years of annual fees when there are other 2% cards out there (Double Cash, FIA Amex).
Jun 29, 2015, 12:02 pm
#2434
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Programs: Delta + United Airmiles
Posts: 703
Barclay did not allow me to get Arrival+ while I had Arrival-. They said to call reconsideration again after Arrival- was paid off and account closed. I did after a few days and the Arrival+ (including $400 bonus again) was approved. Just needed to plan a bit to exhaust points before closing account.
Jun 29, 2015, 8:17 pm
#2435
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 91
Sounds like it is just luck of the draw from what others are saying. I have my sites on a specific October flight I want to use my sign-up bonus on. I may just close my account after I do that. Is that terrible for credit? haha. Pay it all off on time but close it after like 5 months. My average credit card history will shoot back up at least....
Jun 29, 2015, 9:59 pm
#2436
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 441
Sounds like it is just luck of the draw from what others are saying. I have my sites on a specific October flight I want to use my sign-up bonus on. I may just close my account after I do that. Is that terrible for credit? haha. Pay it all off on time but close it after like 5 months. My average credit card history will shoot back up at least....
Jun 30, 2015, 6:13 pm
#2437
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 91
edit: i see that it is calculated for 10 years past closing date. Interesting. It seems I should definitely choose wisely if I get a 3rd card!
Anyone know if USAA would update a card or make me carry two? I qualify for their "preferred cash rewards" program rather than the regular cash rewards. I was thinking to get it, but wasn't sure if they'd "convert" my current account that is a decade or so old, or just add a new one, thereby lowering the age even further.
Last edited by penguintalk; Jun 30, 2015 at 6:19 pm
Jul 1, 2015, 1:31 am
#2438
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 441
Care to suggest any links? It was explained to me by a point-hoarder at work that once you close an account, it no longer is figured into the average. I'd like to know if he was wrong, haha. If so, I will just keep the Arrival+ and convert it to the fee-free version and never use it.
edit: i see that it is calculated for 10 years past closing date. Interesting. It seems I should definitely choose wisely if I get a 3rd card!
Anyone know if USAA would update a card or make me carry two? I qualify for their "preferred cash rewards" program rather than the regular cash rewards. I was thinking to get it, but wasn't sure if they'd "convert" my current account that is a decade or so old, or just add a new one, thereby lowering the age even further.
edit: i see that it is calculated for 10 years past closing date. Interesting. It seems I should definitely choose wisely if I get a 3rd card!
Anyone know if USAA would update a card or make me carry two? I qualify for their "preferred cash rewards" program rather than the regular cash rewards. I was thinking to get it, but wasn't sure if they'd "convert" my current account that is a decade or so old, or just add a new one, thereby lowering the age even further.
Try myfico.com, which has some good info to get a better handle on exactly what is used to calculate your CS. It never hurts to call and ask them for a PC...the worst they can say is no.
Jul 1, 2015, 9:27 am
#2439
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 119
Looks like they pulled the ability to app for the Arrival+.
Jul 1, 2015, 9:31 am
#2440
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Washington DC
Programs: AA Nothing, Marriott Gold
Posts: 581
Jul 1, 2015, 3:17 pm
#2442
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,263
Rumors are redemptions will be increased to $100 increments and the points refund will be cut from 10% to 5% back...
Jul 1, 2015, 3:29 pm
#2443
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 91
Yes, he was very wrong. Glad to see you googled and found your answer. Closing a cc today will have no effect on your CS for ~10 years so closing a newly opened card is not going to really hurt you. I would definitely not close any cards that you have had for a very long time though.
Try myfico.com, which has some good info to get a better handle on exactly what is used to calculate your CS. It never hurts to call and ask them for a PC...the worst they can say is no.
Try myfico.com, which has some good info to get a better handle on exactly what is used to calculate your CS. It never hurts to call and ask them for a PC...the worst they can say is no.
Jul 1, 2015, 3:30 pm
#2444
Jul 1, 2015, 3:33 pm
#2445
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 15
While those wouldn't be drastic changes, for someone like me who was considering applying for the A+ soon, this might push the card back in my queue behind some better offers.
