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Barclays Arrival Plus, now 70K w/$5k spend

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Old May 14, 2014, 1:15 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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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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)

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Barclays Arrival Plus, now 70K w/$5k spend

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Old Feb 17, 2017, 2:49 pm
  #3676  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 910
All other things being equal, is the downgrade necessary to churn this card?

Has anyone straight closed their Arrival+ (without downgrading to Arrival) and later on applied for Arrival+ again and gotten approved?

Originally Posted by oliver033
My experience was you could not hold both at the same time because "they are considered the same product."

I had social media intervene to close my Arrival and open a Arrival+. I received a sign up bonus for each.
Originally Posted by hyperzulu
Generally I think that's the case - considered the same product. But a hard datapoint to track. For instance, I had the A+, downgraded and then cancelled out for a month before applying for the A+.
NoonRadar is offline  
Old Feb 17, 2017, 3:36 pm
  #3677  
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: JFK
Programs: AA Platinum
Posts: 325
Originally Posted by NoonRadar
All other things being equal, is the downgrade necessary to churn this card?

Has anyone straight closed their Arrival+ (without downgrading to Arrival) and later on applied for Arrival+ again and gotten approved?
I wouldn't downgrade, personally. Easier to PC to a non-Arrival card.
Richard Berg is offline  
Old Feb 17, 2017, 10:20 pm
  #3678  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 256
Originally Posted by NoonRadar
All other things being equal, is the downgrade necessary to churn this card?

Has anyone straight closed their Arrival+ (without downgrading to Arrival) and later on applied for Arrival+ again and gotten approved?
For me, I didn't have to downgrade. Closed my Arrival+ card in July. Applied a little under 4 months later in November. App went to pending and then auto-approved a couple of days later (same thing happened when I first applied).
shinjukuflyer is offline  
Old Feb 18, 2017, 10:44 am
  #3679  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 322
Originally Posted by NoonRadar
All other things being equal, is the downgrade necessary to churn this card?

Has anyone straight closed their Arrival+ (without downgrading to Arrival) and later on applied for Arrival+ again and gotten approved?
I knew I didn't have to downgrade. I took the downgrade because I had a few points left in my account and they offered a bonus to downgrade - which then put me in range of a rebate. So that's what I did - downgraded, redeemed leftover points, closed, reapplied for A+. In the meantime I used the 0% interest as windfall to finance a large purchase I happened upon. All in all a win.
hyperzulu is offline  
Old Feb 18, 2017, 1:17 pm
  #3680  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 910
Originally Posted by hyperzulu
So that's what I did - downgraded, redeemed leftover points, closed, reapplied for A+.
How long aft the closure did you reapply? Was it auto-approved or did it go pending?

I guess another variable they might consider for approval is time lapsed from the previous Arrival+ application to the last one.
NoonRadar is offline  
Old Feb 18, 2017, 2:07 pm
  #3681  
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: KSTP KSPG
Programs: AOPA
Posts: 974
Originally Posted by NoonRadar
How long aft the closure did you reapply? Was it auto-approved or did it go pending?

I guess another variable they might consider for approval is time lapsed from the previous Arrival+ application to the last one.
I have a few data points, you can get the card hold for about 3 months, cancel then reapply again in a week. Multiple people are on #5, #6...
teddy25 is offline  
Old Feb 18, 2017, 3:47 pm
  #3682  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 121
Originally Posted by teddy25
I have a few data points, you can get the card hold for about 3 months, cancel then reapply again in a week. Multiple people are on #5, #6...
what about when Barclay shutsdown (closes) the account (most likely due to MS, for me around 2-3 Cl/Month)?

​​​​​​ I believe the consensus is to wait 6 months and there's a chance to get approved for the arrival+, any ideas about applying again?

Last edited by stuntgoats; Feb 18, 2017 at 4:38 pm
stuntgoats is offline  
Old Feb 18, 2017, 4:51 pm
  #3683  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 910
Originally Posted by teddy25
I have a few data points, you can get the card hold for about 3 months, cancel then reapply again in a week. Multiple people are on #5, #6...
Wow, too aggressive. I'm not saying it hasn't been done, I'd still try to churn it less frequently hoping not to get banned straight out or be put on some kind of internal list that invites more human eyes and eventually results in banning.
NoonRadar is offline  
Old Feb 20, 2017, 12:41 pm
  #3684  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 322
Originally Posted by NoonRadar
How long aft the closure did you reapply? Was it auto-approved or did it go pending?

I guess another variable they might consider for approval is time lapsed from the previous Arrival+ application to the last one.
I waited until just after my next statement would have posted on the Arrival, so about 30 days after closure in my case. Not to say there is any reason for this strategy other than my own... It was auto approved.
hyperzulu is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2017, 11:57 am
  #3685  
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 4
Can't seem to find any DP on whether or not MCC 7999 will work for mile redemption.

It is a helicopter tour with MC 7999 (Recreation Services Not Elsewhere Classified)
kaplanj23 is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2017, 5:55 pm
  #3686  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: SAN
Programs: AA, SPG, UR, MR
Posts: 181
Originally Posted by littlewinglet
I pay for hotels, which I book speculatively, and often don't even end up staying and refund the charges.
Very nice - so we can book a hotel far out, get reimbursed for it through BarclayCard, and then just get our money back? (Effectively get cash back from the BarclayCard)?
sikorloa is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2017, 6:23 pm
  #3687  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 322
Originally Posted by sikorloa
Very nice - so we can book a hotel far out, get reimbursed for it through BarclayCard, and then just get our money back? (Effectively get cash back from the BarclayCard)?
You could do this or something similar. In my case I used Southwest Business Select fares.
hyperzulu is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2017, 6:50 am
  #3688  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: EWR
Posts: 81
Quick Question: my SO applied for Arrival Plus 2 days ago and her application went into Pending. It says We are processing your application and will let you know in 10 days.

Her credit file is very clean. only 1 new card since last 6 month and no credit inquiry on report. So Should we just wait and watch or is it good idea to call backdoor number?
Thanks.
myworld is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2017, 1:10 pm
  #3689  
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Bellingham, Wa
Programs: AA, Alaska, Hilton, Marriott
Posts: 73
Any info out there about when the 50,000 point goes away? Or is it the new standard?

Thanks!
giesen5 is offline  
Old Feb 27, 2017, 8:29 am
  #3690  
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Manchester,UK and NYC
Programs: One Pass, BAEC, AA
Posts: 708
Originally Posted by NoonRadar
All other things being equal, is the downgrade necessary to churn this card?

Has anyone straight closed their Arrival+ (without downgrading to Arrival) and later on applied for Arrival+ again and gotten approved?
Point of clarification please: When people are closing their Arrival+, are you first requesting the credit limit to be transferred to another Barclays card - which is what I do with Chase - OR - do you simply close down the card and "lose" the credit limit, with the view this "will free up" your available credit lines for a new card?

Many thanks.
forextrader is offline  


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