Visa or Mastercard that has good transferability to airline miles?
Jul 3, 2009, 9:00 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: GRB/RSW
Programs: DL (Plat), FL, AA, CO, Priority Club (Plat), Best Western, HHonors, Wyndham, Marriott, Hertz
Posts: 9
Visa or Mastercard that has good transferability to airline miles?
I am looking for something like the Starwood preferred American Express Card that allows accumulation of miles to be credited at a decent conversion rate to airline travel. My preferred airlines are NW/DL, AA, Southwest and FL. I used to have the Diners Club Mastercard but let it lapse and now it looks as though that option is gone. I pursued a Wyndham Rewards Mastercard but that, too, seems to be obsolete. Any suggestions?
Jul 4, 2009, 7:26 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: MHT/BOS <--> World
Programs: AA Plat 2.8MM
Posts: 4,629
I am looking for something like the Starwood preferred American Express Card that allows accumulation of miles to be credited at a decent conversion rate to airline travel. My preferred airlines are NW/DL, AA, Southwest and FL. I used to have the Diners Club Mastercard but let it lapse and now it looks as though that option is gone. I pursued a Wyndham Rewards Mastercard but that, too, seems to be obsolete. Any suggestions?
As for other cards:
Merrill+ Visa points can be transferred 1:1 to BA - no annual fee
Chase Flex Rewards can be transferred 1:.8 to BA or CO - no annual fee
Amtrak Guest Rewards points can be transferred 1:1 to CO and a couple others
My suggestion is you use the SPG Amex everywhere you can, and choose either AA, WN, or FL to get that airline's Visa/Mastercard for everything else. I would suggest AA, as AA miles earned from all sources count towards million mile status - eventually you can earn lifetime AA status from CC spend.
Jul 17, 2009, 8:03 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
I am looking for something like the Starwood preferred American Express Card that allows accumulation of miles to be credited at a decent conversion rate to airline travel. My preferred airlines are NW/DL, AA, Southwest and FL. I used to have the Diners Club Mastercard but let it lapse and now it looks as though that option is gone. I pursued a Wyndham Rewards Mastercard but that, too, seems to be obsolete. Any suggestions?
http://www.wyndhamrewards.com/earn/mastercard/
It says "login to apply online", so I guess you can't apply until you've set up a WynhamRewards account (but it costs nothing to do so).
Except: If you click on the Terms and Conditions link, it gives an application form! But it still requires your WynhamRewards member number there, so even though can look at the app this way first, you still should set up an WyndhamRewards account before you apply for the card (since who knows if they'll automatically assign you an account correctly if you don't do it yourself first?).
... As for Diners Club, they are not taking new applications for personal cards, but it wouldn't hurt to call and ask if you can reinstate your old card, if it hasn't been too long. If they don't treat that as a "new application" by whatever methodology disallows them from doing "new applications" (supposedly it has to do with them trying to sell the program to another company, not with technical app stuff), then maybe you could get a recently-enough cancelled card reinstated even if you can't apply for a brand new one. (You'll never find out unless you try, because I haven't heard of any one else on FT being in the same situation and thus we have no track record of whether this can work or not.)
Jul 17, 2009, 11:46 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 134
I am looking for something like the Starwood preferred American Express Card that allows accumulation of miles to be credited at a decent conversion rate to airline travel. My preferred airlines are NW/DL, AA, Southwest and FL. I used to have the Diners Club Mastercard but let it lapse and now it looks as though that option is gone. I pursued a Wyndham Rewards Mastercard but that, too, seems to be obsolete. Any suggestions?