Agreed, I value miles/points only to the extent that it would cover tickets I would have purchased with my own cash, therefore, no more than a .01 - 1.50 cpm.

Agreed, and on this basis I calculate the minimum value $0.0175 and typical value $0.0225.However, most of our spending goes on cards which deliver 1.25 miles per dollar or more, which means that even $0.0175 per mile is 2.1875% return.

Me too--but horrible news in that our Schwab/FIA card will be discontinued in October. Letters should be going out soon. I am struggling to figure out what my new primary card should be. :(

But everyone else should know that you've started a wonderful thread to help with that:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...tion-fees.html

In case you are lazy, my current favorite is the Capital One Venture Visa. 2% practically cash back (can use toward any travel you spend on the card, e.g., cabs, Priceline, little B&Bs, etc.) and better global acceptance being a Visa. Cap1 is good about the fees in general, many other banks have recently taken the fees off their premium cards as well (e.g., Amex Platinum). Read the thread for more ideas.

What I am really waiting for is a card with no intl fees, a good reward and Chip&Pin security. I hate waiting in line at European train stations with my 1980's era magnetic stripe credit card that won't work in "unattended" kiosks.

Thanks for the compliment! :)

Reward Points vs. Cash Back (which option and which card)
 

Hi. There are a number of posts that are similar to what I'm going to ask, but none completely answer my questions. I'm hoping for some help.

My wife and I are looking to get a joint credit card to put all of our joint expenses on (groceries, household expenses, personal travel, etc) and we can't seem to find the right card.

I currently have an Amex Platinum, Corporate Amex, and United Airlines Visa. I'm likely to cancel the Amex Platinum when the year is up because the fee is too high and I don't use the perks enough. The United Airlines Visa is great, but limiting with rewards.

We do like to travel frequently and are always looking for travel deals. Should we just get a cash back reward card is there a stellar travel reward card that can be used to transfer points to hotel, airline, and shopping? We've looked at the Fidelity cash back, SPG Amex, and Capital One Venture. None seem to fit, but maybe one is better.

Thanks for the advice.

check out the Penfed travel rewards American Express card. 5% on airfare purchases, no annual fee, PP select membership, Amex travel benefits, and no foreign exchange fee. This summer it also had 5% back for hotels and dining.

For general purchases I like the FIA Fidelity Amex. If you are loyal to one hotel chain over another then a cobranded card might be worth it; a lot of people seem gaga for the starwood amex.

edited to add: there is probably no single card; you probably need 2 or 3 cards that maximize rewards based on your spending habits. Also, joint credit cards are increasingly rare (speaking about US issuers). More common is making someone an authorized users. You could each get one new rewards card and make each other AUs to capture spending to max. rewards.

Since I have a lot of frequent traveler miles (United, Hilton, Starwood), would you recommend a card that can transfer to my current travel programs?

SPG Amex will be great for general spending and SPG stays.

If you value Hilton points high enough, you will find Amex HHonors (no annual fee) or HHonors Surpass ($75) great for general spending as well. To beat 2% cash back, you need to value 1 Hilton point at 0.7 cent. These two cards also have bonus for category spending. If Hilton Gold or Diamond is not of your concern, then the relevant features are worthless to you.

For United miles, the MP Select Visa (3-2-1 structure) is gone. The new MP Explorer is good but not as good as the old card. For now, Chase Sapphire Preferred which has the 3-2-1 structure is a good card to earn United Miles (actually you earn CO miles but they will be combined). We still don't know at this point if United will be a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) after the merger. I will think so but you really never know until it happens.

Please see my website for some detailed reviews on these several cards.

Sapphire Card
 

I love the Sapphire card, but have a major question. I get double points if I book a hotel on their site, but will it count toward my loyalty rewards programs? I know it will not if I book on expedia, orbitz, etc., but a credit card seems like a different thing. However, I don't want to lose possible rewards nights.

Also, if I book my hotel nights through the regular hotel site and use my Sapphire points, do I still get the bonus points the site lists as long as I use the Sapphire card.

I love the card because it gives so many bonuses and doubles points on all travel, not just planes and hotels.
ProfessorClare

agirard1, it would be helpful to know how much you value a mile/point in each of your programs... this should be based on redemption cost in miles vs. best offer in dollars, for your recent and near future redemptions.

Sapphire Preferred gives 2x on travel/dining - you will certainly get those bonus points as well as hotel credits if you book directly with hotels.

It also gives 1 extra point for travel booked through UR. Hotels booked via UR are treated just as other 3rd party online travel agencies (expedia etc.)

Sapphire Card
 

Thanks, Leonard016,
That's exactly what I needed to know. So if I'm not booking in a hotel program where I'm Platinum or beyond, it's ok to do so on their site, but not otherwise. The other thing is that my actual points change into something much larger when I start a booking on the travel portion of their site (eg 53,000 pts turns into around $660 worth of spending power). I assume I lose that if I then redeem after paying for an out-of-site hotel.

Any further details would be of real help since I am at highest level at both Marriott and Priority Club as well as Delta (though they don't use Delta on their site), so it really matters how I book.
ProfessorClare

If you use the Ultimate Rewards Mall to book at marriott.com or one of the IHG brand sites you will earn bonus points (provided you pay with an Ultimate Rewards credit card) and should still receive all of your hotel chain rewards and benefits because the booking is made through their own site.