Originally Posted by winterminute
Now that Continental and Alaskan have ... debit card
Is there a bank which offers a UAL miles through a debit card?
Is there a difference (for these millage prorams) between using your debit card for a charge as debit vs using the debit card as credit?
BankOne has provided a United VISA debit for a while now:
http://www.bankone.com/answers/BolAn...PlusTHEONECard
As well as Continental (Chase & Keybank), Alaska (Bank of America) and UAL (Bank1) you can also get debit cards for America West (BofA), USAirways (BofA), Northwest (USBank) and American Airlines (Citibank). (There also used to be a Hawaiian Air card from Bank of Hawaii but they have closed it for new applicants)
Virtually all the debit cards have a $2 = 1 mile earning ratio (ie half that of a credit card) - the sole exception is the American Airlines Citibank Debit Card which has 2 levels -> a regular $2 = 1 mile card (annual fee $30?) and a premium debit card $1 = 1 mile (annual fee $65) - both have the same criteria its just a matter of how much you want to pay in annual fee.
Oh - and you only earn mileage when you choose "credit" for your card transaction (ie when you sign) - PIN transactions = no miles.
If you tend to have money sitting in your check account there is also the Bankdirect and Guaranty Bank mileage checking accounts with AA that you earn 1 mile per $10 in average monthly balance (see AA.com for details) - Australians can get a similar account through Woolworths Ezybanking to earn Qantas points on monthly balances.