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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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
Jul 10, 2014, 2:21 pm
#766
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
I notice that ALL banks padded the exchange rates if the transactions were done on the day before weekend or holiday of the Host Country, i.e. the transaction would not be converted to host currency until after the holiday / weekend. This has happened in all the cards and ATM withdrawals we have done in Europe, Asia and Australia.
These days I try to time ATM withdrawals with the holiday / weekends of the host currency country in mind to minimize the exchange loss.
Jul 10, 2014, 4:06 pm
#767
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 40
I had this card since Aug 2013, cancelled in March 2014
when is the next time I can churn? I tried looking around but did not find a definite answer.
Some says you can churn while card being open, some says every 6 month to 8 month after card closes, just wondering if anyone with personal experience can step in here?
Thank you all
ps, cheers to my first post and many moreee
when is the next time I can churn? I tried looking around but did not find a definite answer.
Some says you can churn while card being open, some says every 6 month to 8 month after card closes, just wondering if anyone with personal experience can step in here?
Thank you all
ps, cheers to my first post and many moreee
Jul 11, 2014, 8:33 am
#768
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: MDT
Programs: DL, AA
Posts: 390
Not saying this might be the cause of your Costa Rica case.
I notice that ALL banks padded the exchange rates if the transactions were done on the day before weekend or holiday of the Host Country, i.e. the transaction would not be converted to host currency until after the holiday / weekend. This has happened in all the cards and ATM withdrawals we have done in Europe, Asia and Australia.
These days I try to time ATM withdrawals with the holiday / weekends of the host currency country in mind to minimize the exchange loss.
I notice that ALL banks padded the exchange rates if the transactions were done on the day before weekend or holiday of the Host Country, i.e. the transaction would not be converted to host currency until after the holiday / weekend. This has happened in all the cards and ATM withdrawals we have done in Europe, Asia and Australia.
These days I try to time ATM withdrawals with the holiday / weekends of the host currency country in mind to minimize the exchange loss.
Jul 11, 2014, 10:57 pm
#770
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 83
Successful redemptions so far for my upcoming trip to Italy include tickets to the Vatican and tickets to the Roman Colosseum.
Jul 12, 2014, 12:01 am
#771
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Programs: SPG/Marriott Gold, National Emerald Executive
Posts: 66
FWIW, I applied online on June 29 and was approved and just received my card today (July 11). So expect the "Arrival" to take a while to arrive.
Jul 12, 2014, 2:35 pm
#772
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Wine Country, Finger Lakes
Programs: LFFRS BOD
Posts: 1,355
yep. 11 days to arrive.. I applied July 1st and received card today.
Jul 13, 2014, 4:33 am
#773
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: BOS
Programs: Chase Ultimate Rewards
Posts: 624
The Arrival does take awhile to arrive. It took over a week just to ship the card, but they expedited it for free because I was leaving for an extended overseas trip.
I have noticed that there are discrepancies in currency conversion. An airfare flight purchased in euros was about ~$3 higher than I expected. I'll continue to use my CSP, as almost all of my purchases abroad are on dining and travel.
I have noticed that there are discrepancies in currency conversion. An airfare flight purchased in euros was about ~$3 higher than I expected. I'll continue to use my CSP, as almost all of my purchases abroad are on dining and travel.
Jul 13, 2014, 8:12 am
#774
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ *G; HH Diamond;
Posts: 1,644
I think we would need the following information:
Date of transaction (time of transaction, if possible)
Date of posting
Amount in Euro?
Amount in dollar as posted?
Why you believe $3 discrepancy?
Thanks!
Jul 13, 2014, 9:41 am
#775
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,762
I'm very confused and don't know what information is correct or what. If a bank says there is no fireign transaction fee, that means to me they are eating the 1% visa/mc fee. Under the rules of the settlement of that suit, banks must sort out and list the exchange rate being charged on credit card (not debit card and not Amex, it app.ies only to mc and visa to the best of my knowledge) separately. Now, for example, USAA advertises it passes along the 1% visa/mc fee and on their statement, if something purchased in London is converted to say $10.00 US it will list under the transaction the 1% fee (10¢). I use the BA 1-2-3 card, the successor to the Schwab card and they advertise no foreign transaction fee on these grandfathered cards and I don't see any fees listed, which the settlement of that law suit requires so I believe they eat the 1% visa/mc fee as well or they are in violation of the settlement of that law suit.
FIA processes my Fidelity Amex and since that lawsuit only applied to mc and visa, I don't see any listing of fees even though they do state they pass along the 1% visa/mc fee. I would have to use the Amex card at a very close time to the visa card to make sense of it. But to me no ftf means they eat the 1% fee which they would be required to show on a mc/visa purchase!
FIA processes my Fidelity Amex and since that lawsuit only applied to mc and visa, I don't see any listing of fees even though they do state they pass along the 1% visa/mc fee. I would have to use the Amex card at a very close time to the visa card to make sense of it. But to me no ftf means they eat the 1% fee which they would be required to show on a mc/visa purchase!
Jul 13, 2014, 1:23 pm
#776
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 21
Just got approved for the card today.
Are there any 'hidden' benefits not mentioned very publicly besides the following?
-FICO scores
-TripIt Pro for a year
-200k accident/trip insurance
Are there any 'hidden' benefits not mentioned very publicly besides the following?
-FICO scores
-TripIt Pro for a year
-200k accident/trip insurance
Last edited by willtree; Jul 13, 2014 at 1:29 pm
Jul 13, 2014, 1:34 pm
#777
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
I'm very confused and don't know what information is correct or what. If a bank says there is no fireign transaction fee, that means to me they are eating the 1% visa/mc fee. Under the rules of the settlement of that suit, banks must sort out and list the exchange rate being charged on credit card (not debit card and not Amex, it app.ies only to mc and visa to the best of my knowledge) separately. Now, for example, USAA advertises it passes along the 1% visa/mc fee and on their statement, if something purchased in London is converted to say $10.00 US it will list under the transaction the 1% fee (10¢). I use the BA 1-2-3 card, the successor to the Schwab card and they advertise no foreign transaction fee on these grandfathered cards and I don't see any fees listed, which the settlement of that law suit requires so I believe they eat the 1% visa/mc fee as well or they are in violation of the settlement of that law suit.
FIA processes my Fidelity Amex and since that lawsuit only applied to mc and visa, I don't see any listing of fees even though they do state they pass along the 1% visa/mc fee. I would have to use the Amex card at a very close time to the visa card to make sense of it. But to me no ftf means they eat the 1% fee which they would be required to show on a mc/visa purchase!
FIA processes my Fidelity Amex and since that lawsuit only applied to mc and visa, I don't see any listing of fees even though they do state they pass along the 1% visa/mc fee. I would have to use the Amex card at a very close time to the visa card to make sense of it. But to me no ftf means they eat the 1% fee which they would be required to show on a mc/visa purchase!
If you SM Chase on their no forex fee cards, they ALWAYS tell you Visa would charge 1% Network fee - Look, it is not called Forex fee, but "Network" fee.
FIA amex card specifically tells you there would be 1% process fee for transactions ORIGINATED outside US. Personally I have other cards carry 0% forex fee and earn at least 1%, so no reason to even bring the FIA amex with me on trips.
BTW, since it is NOT called "forex" fee, the 1% is BUILT IN the exchange rate, NOT a separate line item as stipulated by the legislation.
You can ban your head against the wall on this but will NEVER get a clear-cut answer. My take is, this is how the banks get away from charging the 1% and have no need to list it separately.
This also applies to the Fido and Schwab ATM cards. When the banks charge the 1% separately on the withdrawal slip, Fido would NOT reimburse it. I have the experience with BNP at Aix-en-Provence, where the BNP has 1 euro listed as "purchase" on a 100 euro withdrawal. Fido said that was the 1% Visa Network fee and would not be reimbursed.
I use the same BofA 123. I also carry other cards from Chase / Citi / CapOne that have 0% forex fee. More often than not, I found the 1% Visa fee is more like 0.5% or less. No reason to spend lots of time and energy to just "figure it out". Just treats it as a very tiny increase of your total trip cost and be done with it.
Last edited by Happy; Jul 13, 2014 at 1:40 pm
Jul 13, 2014, 5:54 pm
#778
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 299
Instant approval for my wife. 2 apps in the last 6 months; last Barclay app 1 year ago. 1 Barclay card open; closed Barclay NFL 1 month ago. FICO 774 according to Barclay themselves.
Last edited by waingro; Jul 13, 2014 at 8:56 pm
Jul 14, 2014, 7:54 am
#779
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 266
Is Busch Gardens in the travel category for Barclay Card travel merchants?
My family is looking to go to Busch Gardens and I am wondering if they are classified as a travel merchant under the Barclay Arrival Card categories. I know Barclay recently expanded the travel category.
Jul 14, 2014, 8:39 am
#780
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: SMF
Programs: Hilton Diamond-Marriott Platinum-life
Posts: 1,015
Did you call and check with Barclays??