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Barclays Arrival Plus, now 70K w/$5k spend

Old May 14, 2014, 1:15 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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 youre actually earning cash back with the card since you cant 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 youre 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
  • 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 Zrich
  • 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)

Print Wikipost

Barclays Arrival Plus, now 70K w/$5k spend

Old Jul 20, 2017, 10:21 am
  #3871  
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 6
Any previous DP of credit working on United's Travel Bank?
Empyrean is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2017, 5:53 pm
  #3872  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,113
Guys - i had a statement close and just got the bill. Now, I took the two transactions on the bill and used points to get travel credit. Do I still have to pay the bill? Thanks
sam007 is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2017, 7:10 pm
  #3873  
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: St. Louis, MO
Programs: Southwest Companion Pass
Posts: 790
Originally Posted by sam007
Guys - i had a statement close and just got the bill. Now, I took the two transactions on the bill and used points to get travel credit. Do I still have to pay the bill? Thanks
Unless you total balance is zero, you will still be required to make the minimum payment.
Critterlynn is offline  
Old Jul 24, 2017, 8:15 pm
  #3874  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 42
has anyone tried buying $100 gift cards from a hotel front desk?

if so, do they code as travel?
MiaSkye89 is offline  
Old Aug 3, 2017, 11:51 am
  #3875  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 36
Originally Posted by frairtuck
DP on downgrading A+

Got first A+ in October 2016, called today to downgrade. They gave me the option of the no AF Arrival or the Barclay Rewards Mastercard. I took the Rewards card.

Planning to get a new A+ in a few months time, will report back.
Applied for second Arrival+ today (10 months after original app, ~2months since downgrade), went to pending. Called recon, denied me for too many accounts in past 24 months. I'm 22 accounts in 24 months. Recon would not tell me what their threshold is for "too many" accounts.
frairtuck is offline  
Old Aug 3, 2017, 12:23 pm
  #3876  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 236
Originally Posted by frairtuck
Applied for second Arrival+ today (10 months after original app, ~2months since downgrade), went to pending. Called recon, denied me for too many accounts in past 24 months. I'm 22 accounts in 24 months. Recon would not tell me what their threshold is for "too many" accounts.
I have a similar number of accounts over the last 24 months and was able to get approved for my 4th Arrival Plus (system approved after a day or two) and 2nd Aviator Red (instant approval). Only one hard pull. Perhaps not calling helped me out.
rjs11 is offline  
Old Aug 3, 2017, 12:40 pm
  #3877  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by rjs11
I have a similar number of accounts over the last 24 months and was able to get approved for my 4th Arrival Plus (system approved after a day or two) and 2nd Aviator Red (instant approval). Only one hard pull. Perhaps not calling helped me out.
How much is "too many", with most banks, (other than Chase 5/24 of course), is YMMV. Just like how much CL with them is "too much", it depends on CR, income, your history with that bank, and the phase of the moon when your app hits.

No personal DPs, I doubt anyone has any, but I too 'guess' that not calling when you are 22/24 would be the better choice. Besides which, I seem to recall people saying in the past that calling doesn't help with Barclays anyway. Either they are going to approve you, or they aren't, and calling doesn't matter. And God help you if you HUCA, since they keep a log of your calls, and get rather steamed if you call twice.
RobertHanson is offline  
Old Aug 3, 2017, 12:42 pm
  #3878  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by rjs11
I have a similar number of accounts over the last 24 months and was able to get approved for my 4th Arrival Plus (system approved after a day or two) and 2nd Aviator Red (instant approval). Only one hard pull. Perhaps not calling helped me out.
Wait, you did two apps the same day? I'd heard that Barclays didn't like to approve more than one card per six months, in some cases per 12 months.
RobertHanson is offline  
Old Aug 3, 2017, 2:17 pm
  #3879  
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,242
Originally Posted by frairtuck
Applied for second Arrival+ today (10 months after original app, ~2months since downgrade), went to pending. Called recon, denied me for too many accounts in past 24 months. I'm 22 accounts in 24 months. Recon would not tell me what their threshold is for "too many" accounts.
Sad to say, but that denial reason is pretty much a death sentence for Barclay cards. Got the same as well, never successful in recon, or other BS excuse I gave.

So what i did is spend the next 6-12 months getting mostly biz cards, and then try for A+ again. At the second round, I got approved (but still had to recon), but at least, they are not so scared off by the # new accounts since biz card accounts are not reported.
gnomey is offline  
Old Aug 3, 2017, 8:40 pm
  #3880  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
Originally Posted by rjs11
I have a similar number of accounts over the last 24 months and was able to get approved for my 4th Arrival Plus (system approved after a day or two) and 2nd Aviator Red (instant approval). Only one hard pull. Perhaps not calling helped me out.
Did you still have any Barclays cards open when you were approved for the new ones?
Superorb is offline  
Old Aug 4, 2017, 10:33 am
  #3881  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 141
Originally Posted by RobertHanson
Wait, you did two apps the same day? I'd heard that Barclays didn't like to approve more than one card per six months, in some cases per 12 months.
Robert, I have been going through Barclays cards faster than that - every 3 to 5 months I would get the new one ( auto approvals). Once I tried to accelerate even more, I think I hit the wall - I applied for Aadvantage at 2 months mark after Choice and it has been pending for awhile now, I think it is going nowhere. But who knows, there could be other reasons, I think I am at 19/24, or maybe my Choice CL is too high or maybe 3 closed Barclays cards did not free credit yet. For my family in the future, we will stay at between 3 and 6 months mark.
boris10475 is offline  
Old Aug 4, 2017, 12:28 pm
  #3882  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Originally Posted by boris10475
Robert, I have been going through Barclays cards faster than that - every 3 to 5 months I would get the new one ( auto approvals). Once I tried to accelerate even more, I think I hit the wall - I applied for Aadvantage at 2 months mark after Choice and it has been pending for awhile now, I think it is going nowhere. But who knows, there could be other reasons, I think I am at 19/24, or maybe my Choice CL is too high or maybe 3 closed Barclays cards did not free credit yet. For my family in the future, we will stay at between 3 and 6 months mark.
So every 6 to 12 is not a hard and fast rule after all. Good to know, thanks. ^
RobertHanson is offline  
Old Aug 7, 2017, 3:08 am
  #3883  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 448
I was denied for my 3rd arrival card (previous 2 have been cancelled). I am waiting on the denial letter before calling in and seeing if I can shift some of my credit from another barclays card. In case that doesn't work, does anyone have any recent data points on how long to wait after a denial before applying again for a Barclays card?
jasonz9238 is offline  
Old Aug 7, 2017, 8:03 am
  #3884  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 910
Arrival+ app showed pending, saying it requires further review which can take up to 10 days, will notify you in writing in 30 days, provided a link to check status online, went through that right after application just to see, shows declined. Anyone knows if this in actuality means the actual auto-decline is final, or merely not auto-approved so pending a human review? My previous few Barclays apps have been auto-approved (except for one that was too soon after closing previous Arrival, but was declined without hard pull) so I am not familiar with their pending scenarios.

Originally Posted by rjs11
I have a similar number of accounts over the last 24 months and was able to get approved for my 4th Arrival Plus (system approved after a day or two) and 2nd Aviator Red (instant approval). Only one hard pull. Perhaps not calling helped me out.
Originally Posted by RobertHanson
Wait, you did two apps the same day? I'd heard that Barclays didn't like to approve more than one card per six months, in some cases per 12 months.
I am also curious if rjs11 applied the same day. I'm guessing all other things being equal and in the scenario where the first app is not auto-approved, doing two apps in same day reduced the chances of second hard pull but might also reduce the chance of a human approving the pending app/s.
NoonRadar is offline  
Old Aug 7, 2017, 8:25 am
  #3885  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4,463
Originally Posted by NoonRadar
Arrival+ app showed pending, saying it requires further review which can take up to 10 days, will notify you in writing in 30 days, provided a link to check status online, went through that right after application just to see, shows declined. Anyone knows if this in actuality means the actual auto-decline is final, or merely not auto-approved so pending a human review? My previous few Barclays apps have been auto-approved (except for one that was too soon after closing previous Arrival, but was declined without hard pull) so I am not familiar with their pending scenarios...
"Declined" means declined. It will follow in a week with a written explanation. They now seem to decline without a hard pull, if the reason is hitting their limit for this one product.
I'm only curious now if that limit is one hard number, or some kind of a formula involving the velocity of apps as well.
MaxVO is offline  

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