May 14, 2014, 1:15 pm
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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Regarding official company representatives
Note that there is an official procedure for company representatives to register themselves with the FlyerTalk Community Director and verify their credentials. When that process is completed, the username will turn green in posts, rather than the standard blue.
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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
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)
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.
Very Old Wiki Info ---
Regarding official company representatives
Note that there is an official procedure for company representatives to register themselves with the FlyerTalk Community Director and verify their credentials. When that process is completed, the username will turn green in posts, rather than the standard blue.
Anyone who does not appear in green has not followed this procedure. Those posts should be considered the same as any other user's posts. It is important to remember that the moderation team does not generally monitor the veracity of any posts; it is up to you to judge a poster's content and history yourself.
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)
Barclays Arrival Plus, now 70K w/$5k spend
Aug 10, 2015, 11:17 am
#2791
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: PHX, ORD, MDW
Programs: WN A-List, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, National Executive Elite
Posts: 292
Anyone else get the email from TripIt this morning?
Originally Posted by TripIt
Dear TripIt Pro traveler,
You should have received notice from Barclaycard that as of September 1, 2015, TripIt Pro subscriptions will no longer be auto renewed as part of your Arrival Plus MasterCard® benefits. Current subscriptions will be good through your subscription renewal date. Because we know how important stress-free travel is to you, we are offering you a special TripIt Pro renewal rate of $29 for 1 year ($49 per year thereafter).
In order to take advantage of this offer and avoid interruption of your TripIt Pro service, please take the following steps for your account before your renewal date, May 25:
1. Sign in to the TripIt website and go to Settings.
2. Choose Billing Info and enter your credit card information.
3. Upon your renewal date you will be charged $29.
This special offer will expire when your subscription ends if you don't take action. If you have any questions about your TripIt Pro subscription, please visit our help center. Thank you for your patience.
You should have received notice from Barclaycard that as of September 1, 2015, TripIt Pro subscriptions will no longer be auto renewed as part of your Arrival Plus MasterCard® benefits. Current subscriptions will be good through your subscription renewal date. Because we know how important stress-free travel is to you, we are offering you a special TripIt Pro renewal rate of $29 for 1 year ($49 per year thereafter).
In order to take advantage of this offer and avoid interruption of your TripIt Pro service, please take the following steps for your account before your renewal date, May 25:
1. Sign in to the TripIt website and go to Settings.
2. Choose Billing Info and enter your credit card information.
3. Upon your renewal date you will be charged $29.
This special offer will expire when your subscription ends if you don't take action. If you have any questions about your TripIt Pro subscription, please visit our help center. Thank you for your patience.
Aug 10, 2015, 1:30 pm
#2794
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Aug 10, 2015, 4:37 pm
#2795
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Programs: Delta + United Airmiles
Posts: 703
Here is a more realistic response from Barclay secure message about the prior vs current terms effective date:
"For existing customers since 9/30/2014 or before will have their changes go into effect 11/17/15. For Customer since 10/1/2014 or later will have their changes go into effect 8/16/16. New applicants will automatically have the new benefit changes implemented into their terms. We apologize for the typo in the last response. Please refer to the following link:
http://www.findmybarclaycard.com/bar...val-plus/terms
Again we apologize for the confusion and hope that we have been able to explain this better."
Wonder what native language they use?
"For existing customers since 9/30/2014 or before will have their changes go into effect 11/17/15. For Customer since 10/1/2014 or later will have their changes go into effect 8/16/16. New applicants will automatically have the new benefit changes implemented into their terms. We apologize for the typo in the last response. Please refer to the following link:
http://www.findmybarclaycard.com/bar...val-plus/terms
Again we apologize for the confusion and hope that we have been able to explain this better."
Wonder what native language they use?
Aug 13, 2015, 5:26 am
#2796
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: US CP, DL GM, AA Plat
Posts: 729
So if if I paid the annual fee in Jan, can I get my AF refunded if I cancel my card and cite the benefits changes? I did the same thing with the Club Carlson credit card and they refunded the AF that I paid over 6 months ago.
Aug 13, 2015, 2:11 pm
#2797
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: NYC/CT
Programs: AA, UA, SPG
Posts: 81
When you submit a request for a travel charge that didn't show up as a travel charge initially, how long does it usually take?
Aug 15, 2015, 12:10 pm
#2799
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 91
I received a letter from Barclay that they will now occasionally get employment or income data from third parties to help administer my account and to notify me they updated the Foreign Currency Conversion of my Agreement to reflect how MasterCard does it.
Aug 15, 2015, 11:15 pm
#2800
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
Did you do the request by SM or did you have to call? Every time I call I get some inept agent who doesn't know what they're doing and tells me there's nothing they can do to help.
Aug 16, 2015, 7:53 am
#2801
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 74
My friend had issues calling in and talking to several different CSRs. It may be the type of transaction that is causing you to have trouble. His was related to Universal Studios tickets he had bought online through a website which he thought was a travel agent. Turns out the transaction was placed not through the travel agent's website but was routed through another website that coded as something other than what Barclays determines as "travel". So he had to eat the cost of the tickets and didn't end up using his miles.
Aug 16, 2015, 12:20 pm
#2802
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
I submitted the request online through their website. It was a camping reservation fee I paid at a state park. It coded as "government services" or something like that. They didn't question me at all and sent me a message saying the miles would be redeemed.
My friend had issues calling in and talking to several different CSRs. It may be the type of transaction that is causing you to have trouble. His was related to Universal Studios tickets he had bought online through a website which he thought was a travel agent. Turns out the transaction was placed not through the travel agent's website but was routed through another website that coded as something other than what Barclays determines as "travel". So he had to eat the cost of the tickets and didn't end up using his miles.
My friend had issues calling in and talking to several different CSRs. It may be the type of transaction that is causing you to have trouble. His was related to Universal Studios tickets he had bought online through a website which he thought was a travel agent. Turns out the transaction was placed not through the travel agent's website but was routed through another website that coded as something other than what Barclays determines as "travel". So he had to eat the cost of the tickets and didn't end up using his miles.
ETA: What the hell, the category is AMUSEMENT PARKS, CIRCUSES, CARNIVALS, FORTUNE TELLERS. Shouldn't amusement parks qualify for redemption automatically?
Aug 16, 2015, 3:52 pm
#2803
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 74
But no harm in trying to send them a request online. Good luck.
Aug 16, 2015, 5:34 pm
#2804
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
They won't allow redemption towards amusement parks. This is straight from Barclaycard "You can use your miles to: (a) “pay for travel” (Airlines, Travel Agencies & Tour Operators, Hotels, Motels & Resorts, Cruise Lines, Passenger Railways and Car Rental Agencies)"
But no harm in trying to send them a request online. Good luck.
But no harm in trying to send them a request online. Good luck.
Aug 17, 2015, 12:09 pm
#2805
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Programs: Delta + United Airmiles
Posts: 703
They won't allow redemption towards amusement parks. This is straight from Barclaycard "You can use your miles to: (a) “pay for travel” (Airlines, Travel Agencies & Tour Operators, Hotels, Motels & Resorts, Cruise Lines, Passenger Railways and Car Rental Agencies)"
But no harm in trying to send them a request online. Good luck.
But no harm in trying to send them a request online. Good luck.