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]
#47
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
MPX / REI triggered the Pathfinder Air Incidentals Credit.
$100 on 3/25 transaction date looking like MPX/REI, credit arrived on 3/28
While it was pending it was listed as MPX/United.
$100 on 3/25 transaction date looking like MPX/REI, credit arrived on 3/28
While it was pending it was listed as MPX/United.
#48
Join Date: May 2011
Location: CMH
Programs: w/+1: AS MVPG; IHG/Marriott Plat; Hilton/BW Diamond; Hertz Prez; SG Silver
Posts: 1,188
I just spoke to a PENFED travel rep who claimed that 1000 points (the minimum) can be redeemed towards $10 worth of airline travel for example. From what I read here and on Doctor of Credit, she is dreaming. I also want at least 1 cpp. Just in case AMEX app limits apply to this card, I'm not sure i want to blow a cc app for $100 annual travel credit.
#49
I just spoke to a PENFED travel rep who claimed that 1000 points (the minimum) can be redeemed towards $10 worth of airline travel for example. From what I read here and on Doctor of Credit, she is dreaming. I also want at least 1 cpp. Just in case AMEX app limits apply to this card, I'm not sure i want to blow a cc app for $100 annual travel credit.
#50
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: DFW
Posts: 50
Want to use my PenFed Pathfinder's $100 travel credit. The MPX app is not working. (I keep getting the "purchase failed" error.) Does anyone know if you can use the United Mileage Plus eGift Cards website to purchase gift cards to trigger the credit?
#51
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
First try logging out of the app and then signing in again. If that doesn't work, try deleting and reinstalling the MPX app. Sometimes that fixes buggy stuff.
#54
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
Wow.
Separately, has anyone tried an airline GC purchase recently (post 6/22) and gotten reimbursed.
There are lots of DPs that on regular Amex issued cards that WN, AA, DL are no longer working for reimbursement.
It would seem surprising to still work on Pathfinder - given that they all run on the same payment network - but just wanted to ask.
Separately, has anyone tried an airline GC purchase recently (post 6/22) and gotten reimbursed.
There are lots of DPs that on regular Amex issued cards that WN, AA, DL are no longer working for reimbursement.
It would seem surprising to still work on Pathfinder - given that they all run on the same payment network - but just wanted to ask.
#55
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: DFW
Posts: 50
Thanks for this DP. I used the MPX portal to purchase a GC almost 2 weeks ago. I'm gonna sit tight for a while and see what happens.
#56
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
#57
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: DFW
Posts: 50
#58
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Western US
Programs: Costco Executive Member, Amazon Optimus Prime
Posts: 1,251
Last one was most recent, sometime this spring.
These all seem to be YMMV, with data points all over the place.
Snoop around the reddit churning datapoint threads to see others that work/don't
#59
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: DFW
Posts: 50
Aah, ok. I will. Thanks for the help.
#60
Join Date: May 2011
Location: CMH
Programs: w/+1: AS MVPG; IHG/Marriott Plat; Hilton/BW Diamond; Hertz Prez; SG Silver
Posts: 1,188