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
Aug 2, 2014, 12:14 pm
#871
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
That's good to hear.
BTW, I got email notifying me of my application being approved on 7/23 and I'm still waiting for my card to arrive.
I remember during the application process they offered an option to express mail it. It was something like $30?
Don't they want you to start using it as soon and as much as possible?
BTW, I got email notifying me of my application being approved on 7/23 and I'm still waiting for my card to arrive.
I remember during the application process they offered an option to express mail it. It was something like $30?
Don't they want you to start using it as soon and as much as possible?
Aug 2, 2014, 12:23 pm
#872
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 3,945
Interesting. I checked my card against 5 other plastic chip and no chip cards and the thickness is exactly the same. I got my Arrival+ card end of May 2014, maybe that is the reason and earlier cards are thicker?
Aug 2, 2014, 12:27 pm
#873
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
My other cards used to compare are all OLD cards except the Citi Premium it was a new version mailed earlier this year when Citi upgraded it to World Elite.
I really want to know which countries Brugge could not use his A+.
Aug 2, 2014, 12:30 pm
#874
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 3,945
Mine is brand new, got it in Mid July. So as my Ink Plus Visa, got it in late May.
My other cards used to compare are all OLD cards except the Citi Premium it was a new version mailed earlier this year when Citi upgraded it to World Elite.
I really want to know which countries Brugge could not use his A+.
My other cards used to compare are all OLD cards except the Citi Premium it was a new version mailed earlier this year when Citi upgraded it to World Elite.
I really want to know which countries Brugge could not use his A+.
Aug 2, 2014, 3:01 pm
#875
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: AA LTP, UA, DL, HH, Marriott/SPG
Posts: 585
My Arrival+ did not work in Munich for the S-Bahn tickets (2 weeks ago). I ended up using my Andrew's card each time I bought tickets which worked fine. The Arrival+ worked fine as a chip+ signature card. My ARrival was upgraded to the A+ in May and one of the forms indicated to use the card once internationally as a chip+sig card and then the PIN would work afterwards - but it did not work in Munich.
Aug 2, 2014, 11:02 pm
#876
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: SMF, SNA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum Elite, IHG Diamond
Posts: 175
My Arrival+ did not work in Munich for the S-Bahn tickets (2 weeks ago). I ended up using my Andrew's card each time I bought tickets which worked fine. The Arrival+ worked fine as a chip+ signature card. My ARrival was upgraded to the A+ in May and one of the forms indicated to use the card once internationally as a chip+sig card and then the PIN would work afterwards - but it did not work in Munich.
Had you changed the pin here in the US (via phone or online) prior to going to Europe? If yes, did you get a chance to insert the chip portion of the card into a chip slot at an online cashier terminal here or in Europe upon arrival, after changing the pin, and charging to the card in that method (ie make a payment by inserting into an online terminal's pin slot, not by magnetic swipe)? My understanding is that once a pin is changed, the chip in the card must be physically updated with the new pin by synching with the bank via an online terminal. Definitely a messy and somewhat confusing way of doing it, for sure.
Aug 3, 2014, 1:00 am
#877
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
I don't really understand that process. You're suppose to change the PIN with Barclay's, then find an EMV terminal which is online, so that your card would get updated in that terminal to use the PIN you selected?
EMV terminals have the ability to write to the EMV cards?
Seems like Barclays should have those terminals available for their clients to update their cards with but do they even have retail branches throughout the US?
EMV terminals have the ability to write to the EMV cards?
Seems like Barclays should have those terminals available for their clients to update their cards with but do they even have retail branches throughout the US?
Aug 3, 2014, 1:33 am
#878
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: AA LTP, UA, DL, HH, Marriott/SPG
Posts: 585
Thank you for the data point. I have some follow up questions:
Had you changed the pin here in the US (via phone or online) prior to going to Europe? If yes, did you get a chance to insert the chip portion of the card into a chip slot at an online cashier terminal here or in Europe upon arrival, after changing the pin, and charging to the card in that method (ie make a payment by inserting into an online terminal's pin slot, not by magnetic swipe)? My understanding is that once a pin is changed, the chip in the card must be physically updated with the new pin by synching with the bank via an online terminal. Definitely a messy and somewhat confusing way of doing it, for sure.
Had you changed the pin here in the US (via phone or online) prior to going to Europe? If yes, did you get a chance to insert the chip portion of the card into a chip slot at an online cashier terminal here or in Europe upon arrival, after changing the pin, and charging to the card in that method (ie make a payment by inserting into an online terminal's pin slot, not by magnetic swipe)? My understanding is that once a pin is changed, the chip in the card must be physically updated with the new pin by synching with the bank via an online terminal. Definitely a messy and somewhat confusing way of doing it, for sure.
Aug 3, 2014, 9:58 am
#879
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 3,677
The one that sticks in my memory, as it was the first time, and I missed my tram due to inability to purchase a ticket, was the city tram ticket kiosk in Nice France. Paris Metro was fine, but Nice was a no-go for me, while none of the locals had any problems at all.
Maybe it wasn't the Arrival card that was a problem at all? Maybe no US cc would have worked there, and I only tried the Arrival since it was the only pin card I had?
I may have overstated the problem, due to my frustration when it didn't work, and the fact that there were very few places I actually needed to use a pin. Everywhere the POS was manned, it defaulted to chip and signature.
As soon as I can get CitiGold to let me log on, which right now it won't, I can see where I had to use my ATM card instead of the Arrival.
Maybe it wasn't the Arrival card that was a problem at all? Maybe no US cc would have worked there, and I only tried the Arrival since it was the only pin card I had?
I may have overstated the problem, due to my frustration when it didn't work, and the fact that there were very few places I actually needed to use a pin. Everywhere the POS was manned, it defaulted to chip and signature.
As soon as I can get CitiGold to let me log on, which right now it won't, I can see where I had to use my ATM card instead of the Arrival.
Last edited by Brugge; Aug 5, 2014 at 11:25 am
Aug 3, 2014, 10:11 am
#880
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
OK, just got my card, set up my account online, chose a PIN.
Looks like I can change it at will? But for it to take effect, I'd have to do a chip and signature transaction each time I change it?
Has anyone been able to use the chip and signature at a Walmart?
Looks like I can change it at will? But for it to take effect, I'd have to do a chip and signature transaction each time I change it?
Has anyone been able to use the chip and signature at a Walmart?
Aug 3, 2014, 10:13 am
#881
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: SMF, SNA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum Elite, IHG Diamond
Posts: 175
I don't really understand that process. You're suppose to change the PIN with Barclay's, then find an EMV terminal which is online, so that your card would get updated in that terminal to use the PIN you selected?
EMV terminals have the ability to write to the EMV cards?
Seems like Barclays should have those terminals available for their clients to update their cards with but do they even have retail branches throughout the US?
EMV terminals have the ability to write to the EMV cards?
Seems like Barclays should have those terminals available for their clients to update their cards with but do they even have retail branches throughout the US?
http://www.barclaycardtravel.com/t5/...ight/true#M692
Aug 3, 2014, 9:37 pm
#882
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
I changed the PIN online in the US back in May. I don't recall reading those instructions - but will have to look at Barclay's literature when I get back home. Maybe I totally missed it. I had noted per the instructions to use the card once as a chip and signature outside the US and then the PIN would work. The card worked fine as PIN+ signature while in Europe. The only place I needed the chip+pin was in Munich, which is where this card failed- and I was grateful for having the Andrew's card.
Frankly I dont recall ever receiving a PIN from Barclays when the card comes. There is never a separate mailer for PIN.
Since the function to set PIN is display on the Account Summary screen, under Manage Account, I assume that one would set one's own PIN online.
Aug 4, 2014, 8:48 am
#883
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 83
Back from Italy and Serbia where I used my Arrival+ card heavily. Only one instance where I was prompted to enter the PIN. This was in Italy when purchasing train tickets at a kiosk. Worked like a charm. The rest of my transactions defaulted to signature.
Aug 4, 2014, 10:41 am
#884
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 3,945
In Italy so far all transactions defaulting to signature. Haven't tried buying train tickets
Aug 4, 2014, 11:43 am
#885
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 591
My Arrival+ did not work in Munich for the S-Bahn tickets (2 weeks ago). I ended up using my Andrew's card each time I bought tickets which worked fine. The Arrival+ worked fine as a chip+ signature card. My ARrival was upgraded to the A+ in May and one of the forms indicated to use the card once internationally as a chip+sig card and then the PIN would work afterwards - but it did not work in Munich.
I was also able to use the card in Barcelona and Madrid.