Family flyer

According to WebFlyer's most recent poll only 52% of respondents use a mileage-earning credit card. (Once you take the survey you'll see how your answers compare with the overall results).

And despite the large charge numbers tossed around these forums, only 7% charge more than $5K/month.

pinniped

Numbers are changing somewhat as the sample size increases: I just took it and the numbers were 69% in favor of mileage-earning and 12% for cashback. (Perhaps you were one of the very first people to vote.)

About 12% of respondents were in the $5k-10k category with another 9% in the $10k-and-up category.

Alysia

Dating back to my graduate student days where I took courses in statistical sampling, regression analysis, and a bunch of other things...

This, of course, is not an accurate poll but is meant to be for fun.

Hoc

Back in 1997, Citibank and I got into it over their failure to comply with various of their obligations. I refused to pay an item that they were required to pay by contract and I closed my account without paying them. Eventually, we settled the dispute, I agreed to pay them half and they agreed to accept it as payment in full without putting anything on my credit report. They breached that agreement, as well.

Since then, they would not issue me a credit card to save their lives, and I would not take one of their credit cards to save mine. Because they are the only bank in the U.S. that issues these mileage cards or Diner's Club cards, I don't have the ability to have a mileage card.

Schutzee

Hoc,

What about the Starwood card from Amex, or cards from Bank One, Chase, etc. ? I hate Citibank also, but the're not the only game in town.

VolleyballFerd

You always have to be careful when you read poll results. Aside from the fact that sample size is important to know (why Webflyer doesn't show this, I don't know) - look at all of the results.

Right now, it is at 74% use a mileage credit card - 68.5% who say "Mileage earning", + 5.6% who said "Both".

I used to be in the survey biz - and don't believe there is a such thing as "an accurate poll" . But some are more accurate than others.

amanuensis

I think the survey questions were flawed, since I primarily use a card that earns me frequent-stay points in Hilton's Hhonors program. Those points are obviously not miles, but neither are they a cash rebate. How should I answer? The "neither" answer would lump me in with those who use a credit card with no points or rebates of any kind.

And another problem with the survey is the fact that there are cards that earn miles and then those that earn pseudo-miles. Is a card that earns pseudo-miles really miles? I don't think so, since when you cash them in the cc company buys you a ticket up to a certain cash value. Thus, it could be argued that cards that give pseudo-miles are actually cash rebate cards, earning cash that you can spend only with the card's sponsoring company, similar to GM's card.

mauld

Since 85% of my travel is on business and the only way I'm reimbursed for those expenses is by using by Banks Corporate card, I don't have much use for a mileage earning credit card. Now, I do use my Starwood Amex for some personal use--but not enough for it to be significant.

Hoc

I guess Starwood is worthwhile, because of the minimum 1:1 transfer rate, but a lot of places don't take Amex. I've never heard about Bank One or Chase offering miles cards. Is there a discussion somewhere, or a link?

Alysia

A lot of places don't take Amex? Huh? About the only place I frequent regularly that doesn't take Amex is Trader Joes.

pinniped

Start at each airline in which you are interested in possibly getting a mileage card. They all have links to the credit cards, and you can easily tell who the issuing bank is. NW uses US Bank. UA uses First USA/Bank One. AA uses Citibank. And so on... In fact, most airlines use someone other than Citibank.

Find the one you like, and then come back to FT and see what people are saying about current promos for that particular card.

If you are more interested in a home-grown points card, a bunch of 'em offer those as well. MBNA runs a popular one called WorldPoints or something like that.

So even if you and Citi don't get along, you've got plenty of choices.

AZ_MISMAN

I just got tired of earning miles that were capacity controls. My cash *is not* capacity controlled. I can fly who I want, when I want AND earn miles.

Just my $0.02.

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Bob

RustyC

I think the poll questions would be much better if they differentiated between points-based programs (which buy a ticket for you after getting to x number of points), and mileage cards where you earn actual FF miles. There are important differences between the two.

I'm very happy with the points-based ScoreCard-affiliated program associated with my credit union Visa card. It's an unwavering $1-a-point, but they have a deal where for 20,000 points you can apply $325 against a ticket on anyone to anywhere. It really rewards people who can do their own airfare searching and booking. I used it last year to get a free ticket to Belgium that counted as a paid ticket and earned about 17,000 miles (including elite bonuses).

Alcibiades

https://www.scorecardrewards.com
What credit or debit cards offer this program ?

Alcibiades

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[This message has been edited by Alcibiades (edited Nov 21, 2003).]