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.
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
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
Sep 2, 2015, 8:22 am
#2866
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Second method, manufacture spend up the exact amount that you would need to get to a value that you can actually redeem against.
Sep 2, 2015, 11:47 pm
#2867
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,722
Anyone know if Gogo inflight wifi is reimsursable?
Sep 3, 2015, 1:56 am
#2868
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,112
I would never do it, but I'm curious if Trip It Pro is counted as a travel expenditure. It would be a bit funny, and realistically, I doubt it, but it's interesting to think about.
Sep 3, 2015, 10:23 am
#2869
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2
Does anybody know if purchasing the London Pass (for sightseeing) will count as a travel purchase on the Arrival+?
Sep 4, 2015, 1:19 am
#2870
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,872
Barclay account now requires your AU's SS& Relationship?
I logged in and prompted me to update the AU's info including DOB & SS.
Authorized user information needed
We need some additional information about the authorized user(s) listed on your account. Please select each name below to update the authorized user’s information.
https://www.barclaycardus.com/servic..._fsk=569595056
I logged in and prompted me to update the AU's info including DOB & SS.
Authorized user information needed
We need some additional information about the authorized user(s) listed on your account. Please select each name below to update the authorized user’s information.
https://www.barclaycardus.com/servic..._fsk=569595056
Sep 6, 2015, 3:23 pm
#2871
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Programs: Delta + United Airmiles
Posts: 703
Barclay account now requires your AU's SS& Relationship?
I logged in and prompted me to update the AU's info including DOB & SS.
Authorized user information needed
We need some additional information about the authorized user(s) listed on your account. Please select each name below to update the authorized user’s information.
https://www.barclaycardus.com/servic..._fsk=569595056
I logged in and prompted me to update the AU's info including DOB & SS.
Authorized user information needed
We need some additional information about the authorized user(s) listed on your account. Please select each name below to update the authorized user’s information.
https://www.barclaycardus.com/servic..._fsk=569595056
) or switch to another card if challenged. I've signed a few times as Daffy Duck without skipping a beat. I figured I could claim that I was testing the verification process. 
Of course, any pin or online transaction doesn't care who's using the card as long as they have the card itself. Reminds me to remove the CVV2 on the back once signatures are not allowed.With the $400+ sign-up bonus, why not have them apply individually, then if turned down, call reconsider line and offer to drop them as AUs?
The AF after the 1st year, and the current $100 min expense qualification is the downside I guess.
Sep 6, 2015, 3:39 pm
#2872
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
Sep 6, 2015, 4:28 pm
#2873
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Programs: Delta + United Airmiles
Posts: 703
That would be GREAT! Even more reason to remove it from the back of the card. You don't write your pin on that card (do you?!?) so why should the CVV2 be there either?!? Better yet, let's just consolidate the pin and the CVV2. That way online or in person transactions have the same security code! Also, let's use the same "no CVM" rule threshold for both (and contactless) while we're at it, and require pin every so many transactions randomly.
If the product is delivered to a specific physical address that matches the card used address, that code may not be as needed nearly as much.
Sep 6, 2015, 4:48 pm
#2874
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
That would be GREAT! Even more reason to remove it from the back of the card. You don't write your pin on that card (do you?!?) so why should the CVV2 be there either?!? Better yet, let's just consolidate the pin and the CVV2. That way online or in person transactions have the same security code! Also, let's use the same "no CVM" rule threshold for both (and contactless) while we're at it, and require pin every so many transactions randomly.
If the product is delivered to a specific physical address that matches the card used address, that code may not be as needed nearly as much.
If the product is delivered to a specific physical address that matches the card used address, that code may not be as needed nearly as much.
But yeah, Internet transactions right now are basically no CVM regardless of the amount anyway. Unless it's one of the few online retailers in the US who've actually implemented MasterCard SecureCode or Verified By Visa and your bank is one of the few who's actually implemented it on their end. The reason why it's rare is that it causes so many transactions to be abandoned that for most places, eating the fraud is cheaper. Mandatory CVV2 would be an improvement and wouldn't have nearly that impact on sales. Besides, most cards don't have a purchase PIN anyway and even if they did, the SOP right now is to give you a brand new card number if the card is lost or stolen. Maybe that'll change if mobile payments become more common.
Anyway, back to the main topic of this thread. ^
Sep 7, 2015, 7:43 pm
#2875
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,872
First Tech required a lot of private info, maybe even a credit report, when I started to add an AU so I bailed that process. I am thinking I will just let my "AU" use my card, and where a signature is required either have the AU sign as themselves or me (since that shouldn't matter! ) or switch to another card if challenged. I've signed a few times as Daffy Duck without skipping a beat. I figured I could claim that I was testing the verification process. Of course, any pin or online transaction doesn't care who's using the card as long as they have the card itself. Reminds me to remove the CVV2 on the back once signatures are not allowed.
With the $400+ sign-up bonus, why not have them apply individually, then if turned down, call reconsider line and offer to drop them as AUs?
The AF after the 1st year, and the current $100 min expense qualification is the downside I guess.
) or switch to another card if challenged. I've signed a few times as Daffy Duck without skipping a beat. I figured I could claim that I was testing the verification process. Of course, any pin or online transaction doesn't care who's using the card as long as they have the card itself. Reminds me to remove the CVV2 on the back once signatures are not allowed.With the $400+ sign-up bonus, why not have them apply individually, then if turned down, call reconsider line and offer to drop them as AUs?
The AF after the 1st year, and the current $100 min expense qualification is the downside I guess.
Sep 8, 2015, 3:37 pm
#2876
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
Added the following to the wiki. I called and they opened a case for the unsuccessful one, and I'll update once I hear back.
Successful
Cotai Waterjet (Hong Kong)
TurboJET (Hong Kong)
Ngong Ping 360 (Hong Kong)
Unsuccessful
Disneyland Hong Kong
Successful
Cotai Waterjet (Hong Kong)
TurboJET (Hong Kong)
Ngong Ping 360 (Hong Kong)
Unsuccessful
Disneyland Hong Kong
Sep 9, 2015, 3:15 pm
#2877
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,685
Sep 9, 2015, 3:18 pm
#2878
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,685
Sep 9, 2015, 3:22 pm
#2879
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,685
I have added to the Wikki:
Successful - New York Waterways Ferry. I take it from New Jersey over the Hudson to Manhattan when I take in a Broadway show and dinner.
Unsuccessful - Parking at Port Imperial in Weehawken, New Jersey
Successful - New York Waterways Ferry. I take it from New Jersey over the Hudson to Manhattan when I take in a Broadway show and dinner.
Unsuccessful - Parking at Port Imperial in Weehawken, New Jersey
Sep 15, 2015, 2:33 pm
#2880
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
Just wanted to update this that the manual redemption was successful. I'll update the wiki.