Need new card advice please
 

Hi all. I am in need of a Visa/Mastercard that accrues some sort of points or miles. I main objective is to collect points which can be redeemed for airline travel somehow. I don't mind going through a third party (like a hotel card which can be transfered to an airline for example) if it would help me acquire more points.

I already have an AMEX which I like because I can pretty much transfer points to whoever I need to.

I'm also not tied to any particular airline at this time.

I do more than a few thousand dollars a month with a couple companies that do not accept AMEX and I'm just throwing away these potential points!

Which Visa/Mastercard would give me the most bang for my point buck?

Thanks in Advance

Jelliott04

Please give us more information
 

What airline do you fly most often OR which airline dominates at the airport closest to your home? If you're after a credit card to get airline miles, you'll want to pour all miles into one card/airline.

The hotel points exchanges are pretty worthless IMO. I carry a Hilton card but only because I stay at their chain and use the points for rooms (not because I'm planning to transfer points for miles)

Diners Club MasterCard.

The annual fee is high but its points can be transferred to all of major US airlines.

http://www.dinersclubus.com/dce_content/home

How much is the annual fee? I'm trying to find the info on the site but it keeps bouncing me around from personal to corporate etc. I'm going to keep searching but figured since you knew it was high, you'd know what it was. :)

Jelliott04

Update: I found the link for card comparrison in case anyone is interested. Here's the link http://www.dinersclubus.com/dce_cont...mparisonmatrix

Hi DarcyMae. Thanks for your reply. I honestly don't think any airline dominates at the New Orleans airport and I don't fly one airline all the time. After checking the statistics at the airport website, I see that SW dominates the airport with Delta and Continental following. Normally I'm either searching by price or by schedule. We fly a few times a year (business and pleasure) so we tend to use an airline that has either the best rate or the best schedule that fits into our plans. I can say that our most used airlines are NW, USair or AA (only because we had $$$ in vouchers to use up). But I wouldn't be opposed to Delta or Continental either.

I was really hoping to find another card similar to the AMEX but a Visa or MC, where I could transfer points to whichever airline I needed to at the time. I wouldn't be opposed to picking an airline if the points/price was right but if I was able to pick such things I'd go with a card that I could transfer anywhere.

Thanks for your response to my query.

So far what you have described, DC seems the best if you can swallow $95 fee.

FT's favorites are DC and SPG AmEx; SPG AmEx's fee is $35 after the first year.

Is there any trick to getting the DC annual fee waived for the first year? I already have an AMEX but I'm in need of a V/MC for those companies who do not accept AMEX.

Also, what does SPG mean?

You can also check out www.bankrate.com. They have a good filter where you can put in your preferences and it will generate a list.

If you have a Citigold relationship (100,000 combined deposit in all accounts: checking, money market, CD, brokerage etc) then not only the first year but the rest of the life, DC is free.

Starwood Preferred Guest

Its points are second most flexible after DC Rewards points. Starpoints can be transferred to most of US major airlines, 1 to 1 (except UA), in addition to using them for Starwood hotel stays. When you transfer 20K points to its airlines partners, you get additional 5K bonus miles.

Please check its website for more details.

If you are looking for Visa/MC, then DC or your choice of airlines card.

Starwood Preferred Guest
You receive accelerated points for staying at a Starwood hotel – Sheraton, Four Points, St Regis, W’s…

The benefit that most discuss is that if you have 20,000 SPG points, you can transfer into CO 25,000 – something like that.

I am looking for advise on this same subject as well. Most have directed me to the Diners Club MC – also I have been looking at the Citi Premierpass Elite card

http://www.citibank.com/us/cards/car...D30AABAA8C94EB

Thanks for the url. I may call them tomorrow to ask some questions, like how do I get reward travel. I would prefer to just call and have the points transfered to whichever airline I want rather than going through them. I like the bonus 15K and the companion ticket idea. The annual fee is also a little less than DC.

I'll have to compare the two side by side. Thanks everyone for your replies and information.

Jelliott04

What makes the SPG card better than DC it that SPG AMEX doesnt charge that ridiculous fee to transfer to airlines that DC does. Makes it not worth having a Diners Club card

Ken in Phx

AmEx MR also charges fee for transferring ponts to miles.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; it depends on what you value most. I value ability to transfer to more airline partners and wider acceptance of MC.

As much as I like SPG AmEx (had it since '97), I have to use either Visa/MC because of many of biz I charge do not accept AmEx.

P.S.
I would agreed that SGP was better card before DC's conversion to MC.