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
Jun 13, 2018, 8:11 pm
#4081
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,508
Jun 16, 2018, 9:10 am
#4082
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Have not need to use that the past 3 years for our 2 to 3 trips in Europe each year. The last time we used it was in Vienna 2014 or 2015.. And the card failed at the parking gate at Monte St.Michel. Had to go to the office to pay anyway. No PIN needed.
Many European countries finally realized that they need to reprogram their machines to accommodate the US-issued card that even it has chip it does not have PIN. Even the Barclays cards transaction hierarchy is NOT PIN first,
Would not pay AF just for this function that no longer seems to be an absolute must.
Many European countries finally realized that they need to reprogram their machines to accommodate the US-issued card that even it has chip it does not have PIN. Even the Barclays cards transaction hierarchy is NOT PIN first,
Would not pay AF just for this function that no longer seems to be an absolute must.
Jun 20, 2018, 3:34 pm
#4083
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 332
Barclay Arrival Plus
I see they have an offer to earn 60000 miles when you spend 3000 in 3 months then another 3000 in 180 days. Anyone have or get this offer? Is this a decent offer? And are these miles good for JetBlue flights?
Jun 20, 2018, 4:14 pm
#4084
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 17,457
You don't transfer them to FF programs. You use them as credits against your bill. You get 2 points per dollar spent. Points are worth 1 cent apiece and you get a 5% points bonus on redemptions. In other words, if you cash in 10000 "miles" you get $100 credit against your bill and 500 "miles" credited back into your account. You have to designate which charges you are redeeming against.
There used to be a distinction between travel and non travel redemptions, with a 10% credit when you redeemed against travel expenses, but that's gone now. Also, there's a time limit (180 days?) in which the expenses qualify for redemption.
The benefits have been devalued since I originally signed up, but I still like the card.
Jun 20, 2018, 4:37 pm
#4085
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,596
If you fly frequently, you might also look into the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve card; but that card is only available to customers who have an existing relationship with the bank -- either a deposit account, or another U.S. Bank-issued credit card.
Occasionally, Amex offers a 50,000-point sign-up bonus for its Premier Rewards Gold card.
Jun 20, 2018, 6:33 pm
#4086
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 332
They're redemption "miles". Really they're points, not miles.
You don't transfer them to FF programs. You use them as credits against your bill. You get 2 points per dollar spent. Points are worth 1 cent apiece and you get a 5% points bonus on redemptions. In other words, if you cash in 10000 "miles" you get $100 credit against your bill and 500 "miles" credited back into your account. You have to designate which charges you are redeeming against.
There used to be a distinction between travel and non travel redemptions, with a 10% credit when you redeemed against travel expenses, but that's gone now. Also, there's a time limit (180 days?) in which the expenses qualify for redemption.
The benefits have been devalued since I originally signed up, but I still like the card.
You don't transfer them to FF programs. You use them as credits against your bill. You get 2 points per dollar spent. Points are worth 1 cent apiece and you get a 5% points bonus on redemptions. In other words, if you cash in 10000 "miles" you get $100 credit against your bill and 500 "miles" credited back into your account. You have to designate which charges you are redeeming against.
There used to be a distinction between travel and non travel redemptions, with a 10% credit when you redeemed against travel expenses, but that's gone now. Also, there's a time limit (180 days?) in which the expenses qualify for redemption.
The benefits have been devalued since I originally signed up, but I still like the card.
Jun 20, 2018, 8:51 pm
#4087
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 17,457
Almost sounds like a cashback type card. If that's the case I wouldn't be interested. I'm looking for something for airline miles. And I understand I can book air and probably get some reimbursement that way. I think. But I am looking for a card for airline miles. Maybe a business card.
Jun 20, 2018, 11:46 pm
#4088
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,792
Because it is, except the cash back is limited only to travel transactions. The Arrival Plus is good for only 2 things, the sign up bonus, and the fact that Barclays is the primary one that issues chip+pin cards that are helpful in Europe.
Jun 21, 2018, 1:35 am
#4089
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 332
Thanks so much for the explanations everyone! And especially thanks for saving me from using one of my */24 status. Will have to keep looking.
Jun 29, 2018, 7:55 pm
#4090
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: HH Gold (again), US/UA/DL non-elite, ZE Presidents Circle, WN reluctant no fee convert.
Posts: 1,449
Browsing the Barclay CC site recently
There used to be reference posts to "downgrading" choices when cancelling the Barclay Arrival Plus past the first year of the AF waiver.
I don't see anything related to this anymore.
Any updated advice before I cancel my Arrival in July?
TIA!
PS. If I go for the Uber, does Barclay still allow for adjusting credit lines before the Arrival closure?
I don't see anything related to this anymore.
Any updated advice before I cancel my Arrival in July?
TIA!
PS. If I go for the Uber, does Barclay still allow for adjusting credit lines before the Arrival closure?
Jul 3, 2018, 7:40 am
#4091
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 254
Barclay Arrival Plus - Redeemed miles for travel, then travel canceled?
Hi All,
I redeemed my last 10,000 miles for a $100+ Hotels.com purchase in April. This week I had to cancel that Hotels.com booking. Will Barclay give me a $100 credit - or will they give me 10,000 miles back? I'm worried because I'm about to get the annual fee and plan to cancel the card - in which case I'd just lose those 10k miles (or have to find some way to quickly spend them)... If I'll just get a $100 credit, that would be great. Any thoughts / suggestions? Thanks,
--Kyle
I redeemed my last 10,000 miles for a $100+ Hotels.com purchase in April. This week I had to cancel that Hotels.com booking. Will Barclay give me a $100 credit - or will they give me 10,000 miles back? I'm worried because I'm about to get the annual fee and plan to cancel the card - in which case I'd just lose those 10k miles (or have to find some way to quickly spend them)... If I'll just get a $100 credit, that would be great. Any thoughts / suggestions? Thanks,
--Kyle
Jul 3, 2018, 9:06 am
#4092
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 559
Hi All,
I redeemed my last 10,000 miles for a $100+ Hotels.com purchase in April. This week I had to cancel that Hotels.com booking. Will Barclay give me a $100 credit - or will they give me 10,000 miles back? I'm worried because I'm about to get the annual fee and plan to cancel the card - in which case I'd just lose those 10k miles (or have to find some way to quickly spend them)... If I'll just get a $100 credit, that would be great. Any thoughts / suggestions? Thanks,
--Kyle
I redeemed my last 10,000 miles for a $100+ Hotels.com purchase in April. This week I had to cancel that Hotels.com booking. Will Barclay give me a $100 credit - or will they give me 10,000 miles back? I'm worried because I'm about to get the annual fee and plan to cancel the card - in which case I'd just lose those 10k miles (or have to find some way to quickly spend them)... If I'll just get a $100 credit, that would be great. Any thoughts / suggestions? Thanks,
--Kyle
Jul 4, 2018, 9:00 pm
#4093
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 84
Linked Travel Community Acct. after downgrade Arrival+ to A?
I downgraded by Arrival + to no-annual-fee Arrival. On my A+, I had it linked to a BarclayCardTravel community profile to earn points for posting travel stories. I now have my new Arrival in hand. Is there any way to link it to my same community profile? I'd really rather not create yet another community profile. When I try to link the card to my old profile name, the Barclay Bank site tells me "That profile name is already taken"?
Has anyone else downgraded and successfully linked to their new card to their old community profile? I have yet to find any phone rep. on the card/bank side who's even heard of the travel community site, let alone know how to deal with it at all.
Has anyone else downgraded and successfully linked to their new card to their old community profile? I have yet to find any phone rep. on the card/bank side who's even heard of the travel community site, let alone know how to deal with it at all.
Last edited by physics; Jul 4, 2018 at 9:14 pm
Jul 4, 2018, 9:13 pm
#4094
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 84
I would add a third thing of the barclaycardtravel community. Not that it's a great website or anything, but one can earn a lot of points there.