Ferdinand Magellan

Here is a list of credit cards that offer more than one mile per dollar for all spending. This list does not include more than one mile per dollar in limited categories (like gas, or "everyday spending"), and it does not include occasional promos, like DL Amex double miles for a couple of months. It also does not take into account sign-up bonuses. I'll add to the list cards that others identify, and new offers.

2+ - Amex Knot and Nest Cards, tied to MR. With the threshold bonus (10K at $15K), and MR transfer bonuses (often to DL and CO), this works out to more than 2 miles per $ at the $15K threshold.

2 - At least through 9/30/07, AA MC and Amex cards are offering threshold bonuses of 10K at $10K for two years.

2- - By mail, at least, Amex has been offering Gold Business MR cards with a threshold bonuses totaling 25K MR at $50K. With MR transfer bonuses, that works out to almost 2 miles per dollar spent.

1.5+ - Everyone's favorite (apparently), Starwood Amex, offers the 5K bonus for $20K in spend and transfer. What sometimes puts this at 1.5+ is the occasional transfer bonuses to BA, DL, etc. (In Summer 2004, the BA transfer bonus equaled 2.5 miles per dollar, probably a record.)

1.5 - The US MC card from Juniper was offering 1.5 US miles per dollar spent, unlimited, for one year. Mine is good through December 2007.

1.5 - The perennial Diners Club 50% bonus on transfers to BA, and smaller bonuses to other airlines.

1.4 - Amex DL threshold bonuses on various cards work out to this.

1.25 - Amex MR bonuses to DL and CO at this rate seem common.

1.2 - Periodic Merrill+ Visa transfer bonus to BA (per Mia, below).

1.2- - Aloha Airlines Visa/MC offers 1.5 miles per dollar. The miles can be used only on Aloha and UA, though. The UA partner awards have higher mileage requirements than UA's own rewards. The "exchange rate" works out to around 1.2 miles per dollar for UA coach, and under 1 mile per dollar for UA business and first. The best Aloha award is UA coach from North America to Australia, which is only 80K Aloha miles (vs. 80K UA miles).

Status mile bonuses for all spending (somewhat different subject):

DL Amex Plat: 10K status miles for $25K, 20K status miles for $50K (= 1.4).
US MC Premier: 10K status miles for $25K (= 1.4).
United Visa Plat: 5K status miles for $35K (= 1.15).

Any other cards?

mia

Very good idea to compile this list ^^ .

I don't see the rationaile for excluding temporary earnings bonuses, while counting temporary redemption bonuses. I think that a recurring bonus of either type is of interest, with the caveat that recurring is not as good as permanent because there is no guarantee it will be renewed.

American Express Knot and Nest cards participate in Membership Rewards Express and Express points cannot be tranferred to airlines. The points become eligible for transfer only when linked to a Green, Gold, Platinum or Centurion card that participates in full Membership Rewards or Membership Rewards First. This is an excellent deal for anyone (in the USA) who already participates in Membership Rewards because there is no annual fee.

Merrill+ VISA has twice offered a transfer bonus to British Airways. If I recall correctly the 2006 bonus was 5000:6000 and the 2007 offer was 5000:6500.

Diners Club (USA) offered 50% transfer bonus to Midwest Airlines May - July 2006, then 25% June - July 2007. Midwest miles can also be redeemed on KL/NW.

acf573

YX miles can also be laundered through Amtrak (only to CO at this point, and only 25k/yr--but that does get you all of Skyteam).

Maybe it makes sense to compile this info in a Wiki entry (so everyone can update the info, not just the OP) and have this thread serve as a discussion for it? Not that I'm volunteering...