LAX

I have read at many places that AA, UA, & NW all offer no fee credit cards with small sign on bonus and not so hot 1 mile/$2 ratio. I am a big fan of no fee cards--I just don't see the value of paying an annual fee no matter how attractive the sign up bonus is (just my personal value) when there are numerous attractive no fee cards available. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone out there with these cards and have received periodic perks (ie: discount/companion certificates, bonus miles offer, discounted award redemption, etc.). Thanks in advance.

LAX

ExitRowAisle

When I threatened to cancel my fee-based US Bank NW credit card this past year, they gave me a few miles to change to their no fee card. Even with this no-fee card, I received the 4k discount certificate for domestic award tickets. However, I remember reading that this perk may go away in the future for the no-fee card.

On another note, this card conversion also appears to have met the requirements for one of NW's current promotions. Whether this was intended or not is another question.

pgary

I know, this doesn't directly answer your question. But I have not seen the need for these types of cards. I never pay a fee for a card, except for the small $30 fee for the Starwood Amex, or except when the up front miles make the fee very worthwhile (like the 20,000 UAL miles for $65 offer). But I always seem to have several free for a year 1 mile/$1 spent cards in my wallet. Currently AA will give you a personal one free for 6 months, or a business one free for a year, with lots of up front miles. The Delta Amex can always be had for free for a year. And you can always get UAL miles via the free Amrtak card.

Info on a great many free cards appears on the Free Cards page of the Credit Card section of my website, Free Frequent Flyer Miles.

RobUAIntl

The united miles credit card offered me a free 1 mile for $2 card when I called to cancel. I cancelled anyhow and got a HH Amex card which is free. Now I'm UA 1K again and they refund the united miles credit card annual fee.

LAX

I am more interested in the perks, if any, that come along with the cards--not necessarily the enticing sign up bonus. I love getting miles, but I would avoid buying them-I love cash more (ie: annual fee for sign up bonus). Plus, I don't want to cancel a card after a year or so to avoid the fee because I am not sure how this would affect my credit rating if it's done repeatedly (not to mention the hassles). Obviously, there are a number of no fee hotel affinity cards that allow me to convert points to miles, but if the no fee airline cards also give me promotional discount certs/lower redemption levels that one wouldn't have known unless they are members, I will definitely favor them. I guess such wonderful card may not exist and I might just settle for what best out there, but I thought I might try my luck and ask the masses on FT.

LAX

Stefan Daystrom

Well, first of all, the perks are never enough to get you to a free flight all alone, so why do you not care WHICH airlines you get the cards for? (I mean, you can get no-fee cards most easily for smaller airlines like Frontier or Midwest through Juniper, but if you're not in a city that's served by them and you never use any other partners and thus will never get to a redemption point, who cares?)

Meanwhile, at least SOME of these no-fee cards for MAJOR airlines are not available for DIRECT sign-up. They're ONLY offered for people who threaten to cancel (or ask to downgrade from) a nominall-for-fee card that they tried for a while (typically with a fee waiver for the first 6 months or a year). So, for example, the only way from what I've heard to get an AAdvantage no-fee Bronze card is to sign up for the 6-months-free AAdvatnage Gold or Platinum, and then when it's time for the annual fee call and ask to be switch to Bronze.

But each credit card company has a different policy, and most of the US majors are each with a different credit card company.

In the case of UA specifically, First USA/Bank One/Chase/whatever they're called this week [grin] had no problem converting a GENERAL no-fee card of mine to a no-fee United card, so I presume you can get a no-fee UA card from the right off the bat (but dunno if you can get any signup bonuses for it).

The thing you should look at is whether 1 miles/2$ makes any sense for you compared to cashback cards. It's not hard to find no-fee cashback cards which give you 1% back on everything (and perhaps 3% back on gas). You should make sure that the way you use your miles will be worth at least that much, or you'd be better off consolidating into the best cash-back card you can get. (It depends a lot on whether you use miles for cheap economy domestic flights or pricey premium int'l flights or upgrades.)

LAX

Stefan Daystrom: Your points are well taken. I agree that I would be better off using cards that give cashback of up to 5%. However, the important point for me is ther PERKS (if they exist) that may come along with the card. For example, if I get discounts off UA tickets when purchased with a no-fee UA credit card, then wouldn't it make sense to have one of those in your wallet? Perhaps, I can get an award ticket on AA at a discount if I have a no-fee AA credit card. Get the point? Carry one doesn't necessary mean it will be my primary card. However, I definitely do want one of those handy when those promotions/perks are available.

The reason I am posting my question here is so that the insiders may be able to shed some lights on this issue before I dive blindly into something that may not exist. Thanks for those who have given advice already, but I am still waiting for anwers for the real question. Thanks in advance.

LAX

ExitRowAisle

Can we assume you are not interested in the NW WorldPerks card or are you concerned that the benefit may go away in the future?

SuperSnoop

As a consultant, I have an ethical problem with using a cash-back card for my expenses. Accenture got sued by the government for billing full priced airfare, while getting a cash-back rebate from the airlines at the end of the year. By using a miles card, I haven't received anything of "value." If I received cash, I'd be oblicated to discount the expenses I charge to my clients.

LAX

NW's no-fee card sounds good and I am interested--Thanks for the info, by the way. However, I do have substantially more miles with UA/AA than NW. If UA/AA do not offer similar perks, I would most likely get the NW card and start stockpiling WP miles to take advantage of the 4K discount offer.

LAX

PS: I suppose if the attractive features of the NW card go, so goes my business!

steve100

SuperSnoop - I kinda see your point, but not really.

Do you use an AmEx card and earn Membership Rewards points for your charges? If so, those can be converted directly to cash without going through any weird conversions...

It isn't the best rate, and I wouldn't advise it, but it is there nonetheless. 20,000 points = $100. That is a conversion rate of 1/2%. See: http://www.membershiprewards.com/Pro...=168&aid=55707

What is the difference if you charged the original amount an AmEx Cashback card versus an AmEx with Membership Rewards (which can become cash?)

The cashback card just pays back more cash (over 1% back). See footnote #1 at the link for the actual cashback rates: https://www66.americanexpress.com/ca...9/20/n&from=10