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.
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
Nov 14, 2014, 12:58 pm
#1411
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 351
Why does it matter who's paying for which portion? I use my Arrival miles to pay for the majority if not all of my eligible business travel expenses. Using Arrival miles is simply another form of payment, I highly doubt your company will care.
Nov 14, 2014, 2:27 pm
#1412
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 556
You can redeem less than the maximum amount by calling a CSR.
Nov 14, 2014, 5:22 pm
#1413
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SNA/LAX... somewhere sunny and warm, but crowded.
Programs: AA/UA/UR/MRP/IHG Plat
Posts: 916
Nov 14, 2014, 10:50 pm
#1414
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: AA, UA, BA, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,074
I appreciate the responses and the interest. if you must know, my firm is paying half the hotel charge and I'm paying the rest. I was hoping to pay for that with some of my Barclay points...and use the rest of my points to pay for an upcoming TATL flight. Thought I had it all worked out how to best use my points balance.
Thanks for your responses and your interest.
Thanks for your responses and your interest.
Nov 15, 2014, 3:26 pm
#1415
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,740
Yup - was looking at it for the PIN capability and the $400 sign up bonus. I have a cap one venture now and spend >15k a year to it so I'd make up the difference in fees based on the extra .2% redemption I'd get with the Arrival+.
I travel internationally 1~2 times a year so need a 0 FTF card which knocks out all 2% cashback cards. I have the USAA chip and pin so it's not absolutely I need the pin capability but the 1% FTF makes it not entirely ideal (In the past I use the Cap One mostly and the USAA card in cases where the chip was necessary).
My Cap One venture I have now has the chip - but it's signature only and I have yet to travel with it so I have no idea how well it's going to work in Europe. I just got it and my next international trip won't be until May.
I do like how Cap One allows gift cards at the full 2% redemption as an alternative. I probably have 1~3k a year in flights/hotel spending so I could potentially use the Arrival+ to it's full potential - but not as often as <$25 cab rides so I'd just have to wait longer to cash out.
Just on the fence - I guess I have some time to decide until my next trip. I could get it and just see which one works better when I'm over there.
I travel internationally 1~2 times a year so need a 0 FTF card which knocks out all 2% cashback cards. I have the USAA chip and pin so it's not absolutely I need the pin capability but the 1% FTF makes it not entirely ideal (In the past I use the Cap One mostly and the USAA card in cases where the chip was necessary).
My Cap One venture I have now has the chip - but it's signature only and I have yet to travel with it so I have no idea how well it's going to work in Europe. I just got it and my next international trip won't be until May.
I do like how Cap One allows gift cards at the full 2% redemption as an alternative. I probably have 1~3k a year in flights/hotel spending so I could potentially use the Arrival+ to it's full potential - but not as often as <$25 cab rides so I'd just have to wait longer to cash out.
Just on the fence - I guess I have some time to decide until my next trip. I could get it and just see which one works better when I'm over there.
It also has rather good customer service on rental car claim per a friend's experience. He had a vandalized tire damage, costed 400 euro to fix which the EiuropeCar (National) refused to help. CapOne wanted some documentations to support the claim, check in the mail for the full amount in less than a month after docs submitted. Friend was very impressed.
Nov 17, 2014, 9:26 am
#1416
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 3,677
Once your cc bill has been paid, Barclays will return the amount spent for the hotel to your card. That's an actual cash balance in your account. Then your next spend of any type on your card will be offset by that balance. Whoever paid the hotel bill originally makes no difference. Even if the entire bill was paid by your company, assuming it was originally charged to your Arrivals card, the amount redeemed goes directly to your card to offset future charges.
Nov 19, 2014, 3:55 am
#1417
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,066
If I downgrade from the Plus version to the no annual fee version, will I lose the privilege of earning Barclay community miles and the ability to apply them to my card at the 150 miles/story rate?
Nov 20, 2014, 10:33 am
#1418
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 171
I got Disney approved. The wife and I bought 2 Annual pass's on Nov 15th. For a little over 1000 dollars. On Monday I checked and it was not listed to redeem, I called in and asked to submit a case for it. He did and a today i see the points are taken out and a credit issues for the Disney annual pass's
Nov 20, 2014, 12:02 pm
#1419
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PDX|AKL|AMS|GVA|AGP|CPT - or somewhere in between
Programs: DL DM; 2MM
Posts: 2,417
RewardsBoost problems ?
After messaging numerous times about missing miles from earlier months dating back to March, I just received a letter that the missing miles will be honored and will be showing in the next statement.
However, while booking thousands of $$$ in travel through the RewardsBoost portal for flights, beds and cars on various websites listed on the RB portal site and saving all screenshots, I once again receive no confirmation (unlike before) and have to make requests repeatedly through SM.
Does anyone using the RewardsBoost shopping portal have problems with miles posting and has had to fight to get their legit miles honored ?
However, while booking thousands of $$$ in travel through the RewardsBoost portal for flights, beds and cars on various websites listed on the RB portal site and saving all screenshots, I once again receive no confirmation (unlike before) and have to make requests repeatedly through SM.
Does anyone using the RewardsBoost shopping portal have problems with miles posting and has had to fight to get their legit miles honored ?
Nov 20, 2014, 2:35 pm
#1420
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
After messaging numerous times about missing miles from earlier months dating back to March, I just received a letter that the missing miles will be honored and will be showing in the next statement.
However, while booking thousands of $$$ in travel through the RewardsBoost portal for flights, beds and cars on various websites listed on the RB portal site and saving all screenshots, I once again receive no confirmation (unlike before) and have to make requests repeatedly through SM.
Does anyone using the RewardsBoost shopping portal have problems with miles posting and has had to fight to get their legit miles honored ?
However, while booking thousands of $$$ in travel through the RewardsBoost portal for flights, beds and cars on various websites listed on the RB portal site and saving all screenshots, I once again receive no confirmation (unlike before) and have to make requests repeatedly through SM.
Does anyone using the RewardsBoost shopping portal have problems with miles posting and has had to fight to get their legit miles honored ?
Nov 20, 2014, 6:25 pm
#1421
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 93
What's the general consensus about cycling the credit line with the Arrival+ card? Just got the card last week, but only with a $5k line. Is it safe to run $15k through this card a month? More? Will Barclays bump my line up if my spending's high (Citi's done that a few times with me)?
Thanks
Thanks
Nov 22, 2014, 4:58 pm
#1422
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Programs: Delta + United Airmiles
Posts: 703
Barclaycard Arrival+ World Elite MC FTF when NOT abroad?
Subtle language received with my unsolicited (and can't be requested) Elite upgrade:
"No foreign transaction fees on anything you buy WHILE in another country".
So if I buy (from US) European train tickets or Airbnb apartments (alert: MUST display in euros to avoid Airbnb 3% sneaky fee), does that mean I get charged a FTF?
Anyone done this that can factually report in?
Thanks!
"No foreign transaction fees on anything you buy WHILE in another country".
So if I buy (from US) European train tickets or Airbnb apartments (alert: MUST display in euros to avoid Airbnb 3% sneaky fee), does that mean I get charged a FTF?
Anyone done this that can factually report in?
Thanks!
Nov 22, 2014, 7:19 pm
#1423
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,952
No, it means that the copywriter included an example to illustrate the most common circumstance in which a foreign transaction fee might be incurred.
Nov 22, 2014, 8:08 pm
#1424
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Programs: Delta + United Airmiles
Posts: 703
So you had a chat with the copywriter? Neat!
If not, what authority do you cite please?
Nov 23, 2014, 1:08 am
#1425
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 3,537
uds, why do you ask post and questions on here if you doubt what everyone says with sarcastic and rude replies? The truth is, collectively, we know FAR more then the CSRs at the major banks...
