Apr 6, 2018, 3:33 pm
Last edit by: philemer
NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR NEW APPLICANTS, 10/5/18).
Barclays Arrival Premier costs $150/year, with first year waived but no new account bonus offer. Barclays calls Arrival rewards points "miles".
Arrival Premier earns two "miles" per dollar on all spending, with a 15,000 "mile" bonus awarded at $15,000 and another 10,000 at $25,000 in a year.
Arrival Premier "miles" are transferable to ten airlines, including members of all three international alliances, plus two independent carriers.
To compare with other cards, look at the ratio of dollars spent to airlines miles earned:
One World
Japan Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Qantas
Skyteam
Aeromexico
China Eastern
Flying Blue
Star Alliance
EVA Air
Aeroplan
Independent
Etihad
Jet Privilege
Barclays Arrival Premier costs $150/year, with first year waived but no new account bonus offer. Barclays calls Arrival rewards points "miles".
Arrival Premier earns two "miles" per dollar on all spending, with a 15,000 "mile" bonus awarded at $15,000 and another 10,000 at $25,000 in a year.
Arrival Premier "miles" are transferable to ten airlines, including members of all three international alliances, plus two independent carriers.
To compare with other cards, look at the ratio of dollars spent to airlines miles earned:
Base transfer ratio is $1 = 2 Arrival "miles" = 1.42 airline miles (Exception: Japan Airlines and Aeroplan, $1 = 2 Arrival = 1.175 airline miles )
If you spend $15,000 -or- $25,000 there is a 50% bonus: $1 = 3 Arrival "miles" = 2.14 airline miles (or 1.76 Japan Airlines or Aeroplan miles)
Transfer partners If you spend $15,000 -or- $25,000 there is a 50% bonus: $1 = 3 Arrival "miles" = 2.14 airline miles (or 1.76 Japan Airlines or Aeroplan miles)
One World
Japan Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Qantas
Skyteam
Aeromexico
China Eastern
Flying Blue
Star Alliance
EVA Air
Aeroplan
Independent
Etihad
Jet Privilege
Barclays Arrival “Premier” (DOA RIP)
Apr 7, 2018, 8:37 pm
#91
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, DL PM, Marriott Platinum, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,305
I am a bit surprised that no one else has mentioned this here, nor any bloggers, but I remember taking a survey from Barclays a year or so ago about a high end card that would have more spending bonus, no sign up bonus, transfer partners, no cap on higher rewards, and more perks that would make it a primary card in my wallet. I more or less said yes to most of their questions. Little did I know then that they would launch a card with practically no perks, inferior transfer partners than the other three players, more annual fee than justified and a suboptimal transfer ratio.
Apr 8, 2018, 10:58 am
#93
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
So from a dollar perspective, it's 1 dollar equals 2 Arrival miles, while 1.7 Arrival miles equals 1 airline mile. So therefore 0.7 dollars (1.4/2) equals 1 airline mile, or 0.85 dollars (1.7/2) equal 1 airline mile.
Thus it's 1.4:1 or 1.7:1 going from Arrival miles to airline miles, but it's 0.7:1 or 8.85:1 going from dollars (through Arrival miles) to airline miles.
I'm very familiar with this convoluted arithmetic because Diners Club USA,well over a decade ago (during the Citi days), also used to earn 2 points per dollars and then require 2 points per airline miles, but that equated to 1 airline miles per dollar spent.
Apr 8, 2018, 11:02 am
#94
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
That's also why I'm focusing on why this card doesn't have transfers to AA at any ratio, given that once SPG goes "poof", nothing (other than some other hotel programs) will transfer to AA, and nothing is likely to transfer to AA at even 1:x:1 (1 dollar to 1 AA mile through any intermediary value) at that point.
Apr 8, 2018, 12:08 pm
#95
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: TYS/BNA/ATL
Programs: UR, TYP, MR, C1, AA, UA, WN, BA, AS, AV, AC, Choice, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott
Posts: 1,973
The card earns 2x on everything!
So from a dollar perspective, it's 1 dollar equals 2 Arrival miles, while 1.7 Arrival miles equals 1 airline mile. So therefore 0.7 dollars (1.4/2) equals 1 airline mile, or 0.85 dollars (1.7/2) equal 1 airline mile.
Thus it's 1.4:1 or 1.7:1 going from Arrival miles to airline miles, but it's 0.7:1 or 8.85:1 going from dollars (through Arrival miles) to airline miles.
I'm very familiar with this convoluted arithmetic because Diners Club USA,well over a decade ago (during the Citi days), also used to earn 2 points per dollars and then require 2 points per airline miles, but that equated to 1 airline miles per dollar spent.
So from a dollar perspective, it's 1 dollar equals 2 Arrival miles, while 1.7 Arrival miles equals 1 airline mile. So therefore 0.7 dollars (1.4/2) equals 1 airline mile, or 0.85 dollars (1.7/2) equal 1 airline mile.
Thus it's 1.4:1 or 1.7:1 going from Arrival miles to airline miles, but it's 0.7:1 or 8.85:1 going from dollars (through Arrival miles) to airline miles.
I'm very familiar with this convoluted arithmetic because Diners Club USA,well over a decade ago (during the Citi days), also used to earn 2 points per dollars and then require 2 points per airline miles, but that equated to 1 airline miles per dollar spent.
Apr 8, 2018, 8:26 pm
#96
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Not that the airlines that Arrival Premier are necessarily any "better", but it's a little hard to compare this stuff in abstract, since not all airlines are the same (and not all people all equally versed in the full set of airlines available with each bank).
But with that said, the "simplest" option for many tends to be a domestic airline, and that's where Arrival Premier is so lacking,, compared to Amex and Chase.
Apr 9, 2018, 1:16 pm
#97
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,953
I think AA, DL and UA no longer see much value in participating in domestic payment card multi-partner transfer programs, because they each have a large market share, and these dilute their co-branded card and mileage sales programs. I will not be surprised in Delta or United reduce their participation in these types of programs when contracts are renegotiated.
Apr 26, 2018, 10:14 am
#98
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,953
$30,000 = 60,000 New Marriott Points = 25,000 airline miles (0.83/dollar)
While Arrival Premier offers:
$30,000 = 60,000 Arrival Miles = 42,857 airline miles (1.43/dollar) -or- 35,294 JAL miles (1.18/dollar).
Is there a better way to earn Japan Airline miles?
Apr 26, 2018, 9:05 pm
#99
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: TYS/BNA/ATL
Programs: UR, TYP, MR, C1, AA, UA, WN, BA, AS, AV, AC, Choice, Hyatt, IHG, Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott
Posts: 1,973
If I understand correctly, we now know that the New Marriott/Starwood program credit cards will offer fewer miles per dollar of general card spending:
$30,000 = 60,000 New Marriott Points = 25,000 airline miles (0.83/dollar)
While Arrival Premier offers:
$30,000 = 60,000 Arrival Miles = 42,857 airline miles (1.43/dollar) -or- 35,294 JAL miles (1.18/dollar).
Is there a better way to earn Japan Airline miles?
$30,000 = 60,000 New Marriott Points = 25,000 airline miles (0.83/dollar)
While Arrival Premier offers:
$30,000 = 60,000 Arrival Miles = 42,857 airline miles (1.43/dollar) -or- 35,294 JAL miles (1.18/dollar).
Is there a better way to earn Japan Airline miles?
Apr 27, 2018, 7:18 am
#100
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,953
Apr 27, 2018, 7:56 am
#102
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,953
American Express and Diners Club collect excise taxes only on transfers to domestic USA airlines. At this point Barclays has no domestic transfer partners.
May 11, 2018, 4:57 pm
#105
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: SJC/BUR
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Club Carlson Gold, Starwood Gold
Posts: 1,087
Has anybody trying obtained this card? I called to convert my arrival and the answer was no. I see this as a 2.4% cashback card net of annual fee for first $25K and 2% cashback after that. With opportunity to buy miles as needed for 1.4 cents each (1.7 cents JAL). Having maxed out my Amex BBP, I think this is next best. If I only I could get one though! Not worth a hard pull.
