Jan 16, 19, 1:35 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 doesnt 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]
Mar 14, 23, 4:11 pm
#407
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 180
Not sure if this is new, but there is a rewards card option in the GC category. It is a visa debit card with a 6 month expiry. Redemption value is 0.85c per point (same as walmart/amazon GCs). Not bad for cash equivalent redemption.
On a side note, does walmart or amazon GCs ever go on their sale ?
On a side note, does walmart or amazon GCs ever go on their sale ?
Last edited by lanb; Mar 14, 23 at 4:18 pm
Mar 28, 23, 2:38 pm
#409
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 751
Not sure if this is new, but there is a rewards card option in the GC category. It is a visa debit card with a 6 month expiry. Redemption value is 0.85c per point (same as walmart/amazon GCs). Not bad for cash equivalent redemption.
On a side note, does walmart or amazon GCs ever go on their sale ?
On a side note, does walmart or amazon GCs ever go on their sale ?
May 10, 23, 1:13 pm
#412
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 364
Fare differential on UA flight (over $100) did not work. Change was for two people, each of which the fare differential was just under $100, but for both was over $100. The transaction shows on the statement as one above-$100 transaction.
The DL trick used for Amex incidentals (use voucher/eticket for most of transaction and pay rest with card) did work for credit. It was about $80 for two people, transaction showed up as one purchase but was given two credits (~$40 each) as reimbursement.
The DL trick used for Amex incidentals (use voucher/eticket for most of transaction and pay rest with card) did work for credit. It was about $80 for two people, transaction showed up as one purchase but was given two credits (~$40 each) as reimbursement.
May 11, 23, 11:36 pm
#413
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 180
Hmm, I have only seen the same 0.85c/point value for flights and hotels. Which specific travel category gives double the value ?
May 14, 23, 9:47 pm
#414
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Diamond; IHG Diamond; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,762
I've mentioned before that I've found the best redemption of the points to be car rentals, because they seem to offer the lowest $ rates for some reason. It just happened again. After checking all the companies, plus AARP and Chase and Citi travel portals, PenFed portal beat them all again. And, yes, I was extremely careful to check that all the rates I was comparing were pay-at-the-counter and included all the taxes and fees that get piled onto the base rate.
Jul 14, 23, 2:31 pm
#416
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 180
I've mentioned before that I've found the best redemption of the points to be car rentals, because they seem to offer the lowest $ rates for some reason. It just happened again. After checking all the companies, plus AARP and Chase and Citi travel portals, PenFed portal beat them all again. And, yes, I was extremely careful to check that all the rates I was comparing were pay-at-the-counter and included all the taxes and fees that get piled onto the base rate.
