Originally Posted by
smacktim
Looking into something similar, planning a trip in 2013 to Australia & New Zealand, possibly one of the nice little islands too (Fiji, Cook Islands) and I need to sign up for a CC as the one I currently have doesn't offer any points right now.
I'm most concerned with hotel stays for the trip and trying to get & use points!
I am open to hotel chains.
Also interested in what CC would be best for flights between Australia & New Zealand?
I'm sorry if this isn't the right threat, but it looked very similar to what I am looking for!
Thanks for your help!
The Hyatt credit card gives 2 free nights at any Hyatt with $1000 spend and payment of the $75 annual fee. They say it is "any" Hyatt but their entry-level room has to be available (no "Deluxe"). Also, I think the award is only good for 12 months, so don't apply for the card until a year before you plan to go.
The Sapphire Preferred card would give 40,000 points on signup, which I think would be worth a $500 credit toward hotels if booked through Chase. (I know it works that way for flights, and I think for hotels also, but I'm not positive.) You could also transfer 44,000 Chase points to Hyatt and get two nights at one of their top properties, or possibly more nights at a lesser venue.
When looking at credit cards, keep in mind that most give one point per dollar spent but the redemption rates are different. The top award room at Hyatt is 22,000 points, while I think that for Hilton it's 50,000 points. So a Hyatt point is much more valuable than a Hilton point.