Jan 16, 2019, 12:35 pm
Last edit by: jebr
Amex cards were converted to Visa in February, 2020 and the Pathfinder Rewards Visa product was opened to new applicants in December 2020. These benefits are offered by the $95-annual-fee (waived for Honors Advantage members) Visa card:
For airlines: Not the greatest value, around 0.75-0.85 cents per point on one way and RT flights. I did a brief search but it seems RT flights give you around 0.81 cents per point while one way is closer to 0.75 cents per point.
For gift cards: You can buy a $250 Amazon GC for 29,410 points, which is 0.85 cents per point.
Points expire in 5 years.
Few Data Points on Air Credit:
Worked.
1. AA e Gift Card ($100) worked 2/2021
2. AA gift certificate worked 9/2020 2/2021
3. Southwest ticket for $48.xx worked 3/2021
4. Southwest taxes/fees on points booking ($5.60) worked 3/2021
5. Frontier ticket for $31.xx worked 3/2021
6. Alaska ticket ($50ish) which was then converted to travel funds worked 12/2020
7. Alaska first class upgrade ($21)
8. AA seat upgrade ($18.xx)
9. Southwest wi-fi purchase ($8.00)
10. Frontier food/beverage on-board purchase ($23.00 and $10.00)
11. UA Travelbank $50 12/2022
12. DL fare differential (~$40) worked 5/2023
Did not work.
1. UA Travelbank load $50 12/2020
2. Southwest $100 GC purchased 12/20 was not reimbursed. $50 SW GC not reimbursed purchase 01/2021.
3. Delta e-gift card did not work Summer 2020
4. AA lounge food/beverage purchase ($7) did not work 01/2023
5. UA fare differential (over $100) did not work 4/2023
You must be a member of PenFed to apply. Either be an active, reserve, honorably discharged, or retired service member (or their relative), or have a job at a security/defense-related government department, or generally be an employee of a defense-related company, or pay $17 to join Voices for America's Troops or National Military Family Association.
The $95 annual fee is waived for Honors Advantage members, who qualify for such membership either through military service or by having and maintaining a PenFed checking account.
https://www.penfed.org/credit-cards/...vantage-points
$100 Airline Fee Details:
1. $100 annual airline travel credit (calendar year, best card without AF)
2. Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or Pre-TSA (every 5 years)
3. 3x points on all travel purchases. 4x points for Honors Advantage member. 1.5 x on all other purchases
4. 50,000 reward points with $3,000 spending within 90 days
5. Priority Pass basic membership ($99 value) with visits billed at at $32/each
This was the BEST AmEx credit card without annual fee. It had the following benefits:2. Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or Pre-TSA (every 5 years)
3. 3x points on all travel purchases. 4x points for Honors Advantage member. 1.5 x on all other purchases
4. 50,000 reward points with $3,000 spending within 90 days
5. Priority Pass basic membership ($99 value) with visits billed at at $32/each
1. 25,000 reward points with $2,500 spending
2. $100 annual airline travel credit (calendar year, best card without AF)
3. Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or Pre-TSA (every 5 years)
4. 3x points on all travel purchases. 4x points for Honors Advantage member. 1.5 x on all other purchases
Points value: You must use through their portal, which doesn’t provide great value and is generally awful as it requires you to select of time of day which idiotically actually affects the prices you see.2. $100 annual airline travel credit (calendar year, best card without AF)
3. Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or Pre-TSA (every 5 years)
4. 3x points on all travel purchases. 4x points for Honors Advantage member. 1.5 x on all other purchases
For airlines: Not the greatest value, around 0.75-0.85 cents per point on one way and RT flights. I did a brief search but it seems RT flights give you around 0.81 cents per point while one way is closer to 0.75 cents per point.
For gift cards: You can buy a $250 Amazon GC for 29,410 points, which is 0.85 cents per point.
Points expire in 5 years.
Few Data Points on Air Credit:
Worked.
1. AA e Gift Card ($100) worked 2/2021
2. AA gift certificate worked 9/2020 2/2021
3. Southwest ticket for $48.xx worked 3/2021
4. Southwest taxes/fees on points booking ($5.60) worked 3/2021
5. Frontier ticket for $31.xx worked 3/2021
6. Alaska ticket ($50ish) which was then converted to travel funds worked 12/2020
7. Alaska first class upgrade ($21)
8. AA seat upgrade ($18.xx)
9. Southwest wi-fi purchase ($8.00)
10. Frontier food/beverage on-board purchase ($23.00 and $10.00)
11. UA Travelbank $50 12/2022
12. DL fare differential (~$40) worked 5/2023
Did not work.
1. UA Travelbank load $50 12/2020
2. Southwest $100 GC purchased 12/20 was not reimbursed. $50 SW GC not reimbursed purchase 01/2021.
3. Delta e-gift card did not work Summer 2020
4. AA lounge food/beverage purchase ($7) did not work 01/2023
5. UA fare differential (over $100) did not work 4/2023
You must be a member of PenFed to apply. Either be an active, reserve, honorably discharged, or retired service member (or their relative), or have a job at a security/defense-related government department, or generally be an employee of a defense-related company, or pay $17 to join Voices for America's Troops or National Military Family Association.
The $95 annual fee is waived for Honors Advantage members, who qualify for such membership either through military service or by having and maintaining a PenFed checking account.
https://www.penfed.org/credit-cards/...vantage-points
$100 Airline Fee Details:
- Qualified transactions include baggage fees, flight-change fees, in-flight food and beverage, airport lounge day passes, pet kennel fees, and phone reservation fees.
- Ancillary purchases that count for the annual credit can be made at Alaskan Air, American Air, Delta Air, Frontier Air, Hawaiian Air, JetBlue, Southwest Air, United Air, and Virgin America.
PenFed Pathfinder Card [Consolidated]
Apr 8, 2020, 3:40 pm
#151
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
Apr 20, 2020, 2:10 pm
#153
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
my hunch is that the visa reimbursements will work similar to however the BOA travel rewards card works, which IIRC runs off visa too and has some $100 air credit
at some point maybe some custom programming shows up (like what FNBO had as their credit seemed to run different than Amex or PenFed) but PenFed doesn't seem like they would do much more than white label some vendors widget.
at some point maybe some custom programming shows up (like what FNBO had as their credit seemed to run different than Amex or PenFed) but PenFed doesn't seem like they would do much more than white label some vendors widget.
Apr 20, 2020, 6:00 pm
#155
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
i don't have one so the little i know would be from a coworkers experience. however there are some datapoint threads on FM and DoC IIRC so check those sites for more. I suspect regular legit uses work. The problem of course is that its unlikely that those are going to be easily available for the next year. Heck I'm not even traveling to see family 3 miles away. I leave the house once every 7-10 days, just to resupply. And by the end of those cycles, we're definitely sick of frozen vegetables and dried fruit etc.
Apr 20, 2020, 6:16 pm
#156
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 44
Found the DoC thread on the BOA card. Looks like AA virtual gift cards have been working with it, so people may want to try that with the Pathfinder. (I'm waiting for applications to re-open.)
Apr 22, 2020, 6:18 am
#157
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 13
Clarification from PenFed
I contacted PenFed for clarification after my incidental fees with Turkish didn't get refunded. Below is their response.
This looks like it lines up with BOA.
We apologize for the confusion associated with this matter. To receive statement
credits of up to $100 per calendar year toward incidental air travel fees, the
fees must be charged on the eligible card account by select U.S. domestic
airlines. Currently, such U.S. domestic airlines include: Alaskan Air, American
Air, Delta Air, Frontier Air, Hawaiian Air, JetBlue, Southwest Air, United Air,
and Virgin America.
Please note that incidental air travel fees include charges from the approved
airline such as baggage fees, flight-change fees, in-flight food and beverage
purchases, airport lounge day-passes, pet-kennel fee, and phone reservation
fees. Airline tickets, upgrades, mileage points purchases, mileage points
transfer fees, gift cards, duty free purchases, and award tickets are not deemed
to be incidental fees.
credits of up to $100 per calendar year toward incidental air travel fees, the
fees must be charged on the eligible card account by select U.S. domestic
airlines. Currently, such U.S. domestic airlines include: Alaskan Air, American
Air, Delta Air, Frontier Air, Hawaiian Air, JetBlue, Southwest Air, United Air,
and Virgin America.
Please note that incidental air travel fees include charges from the approved
airline such as baggage fees, flight-change fees, in-flight food and beverage
purchases, airport lounge day-passes, pet-kennel fee, and phone reservation
fees. Airline tickets, upgrades, mileage points purchases, mileage points
transfer fees, gift cards, duty free purchases, and award tickets are not deemed
to be incidental fees.
Jun 3, 2020, 11:54 am
#158
Join Date: Dec 2018
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy LT Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 96
Has it been confirmed yet whether the $100 travel incidental credit will be on the new Visa?
For others who don't have this card (like me), a post on MyFico says that new applications will re-open on April 1st.
For others who don't have this card (like me), a post on MyFico says that new applications will re-open on April 1st.
Card was pulled for new applications since. Do you think they'll convert the current pathfinder to a different product soon?
Jun 4, 2020, 8:35 am
#159
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 126
was anyone able to be a new applicant for this card? Saw some Penfed "sign-up for special early access" emails, but didn't see the rush pre-covid.
Card was pulled for new applications since. Do you think they'll convert the current pathfinder to a different product soon?
Card was pulled for new applications since. Do you think they'll convert the current pathfinder to a different product soon?