Agreed. I can move all of my purchasing to my Cap1 Visa for identical rewards plus a lot more flexibility (Visa is much, much better than AMEX).

FWIW, we have not received this e-mail (yet?)

Fwiw I made a large charge yesterday and it looks like I've received 2x points, as I have been getting on my old Travelocity card.

I'm sure all of us would move spending to a different card if they changed the reward structure. I'm not sure Barclays would care, though. They probably don't like all of the spending we're generating on the old cards.

When is everyone's renewal up?

My card expires in Sept of '13. I'm curious if I'll be switched to the 5/2/1 scheme at my next renewal. I would be surprised -- but not shocked -- if it switched before then.

UNRELATED: Does anyone have experience with their fraud department? Someone made fraudulent charges on my card that posted in mid-December. Barclay's still hasn't removed the charges from my account.

Mine renews in March. I will report back then.

I do not have any experience with their fraud department. I would definitely report the fraudulent activity in writing via certified mail.

Capital One does not offer the same 4% redemption benefit (20k pts for $400 in travel) as the grandfathered Travelocity accounts.

To be clear -- they know about the fraud. They killed the old account number and sent me a new card. I agree with your thoughts about the certified mail, though. Thx!

Right -- my point was that if they take away the grandfathered earning tier, other cards become much more attractive, e.g. Chase Sapphire or Cap1 Venture. Having a Visa or MC as a primary spend card would be more convenient -if- Travelocity/Barclays takes away the 4% earn.

Mine renews in less than 30 days. I will report, too.

Can someone explain to me why a Venture Cap1 card is better than the Travelocity 5/2/1 card?

I have both cards and actually like both of them. IMO, the Cap1 is *marginally* better than the 5/2/1 Travelocity. (The 4/2 Travelocity beats them all by a wide margin, though.)

Here are the pro's:

* Obvious first: Visa is much more convenient than AMEX
* Cap1 points can be turned into cash, not just travel credit. There is a penalty for doing this, but the option is there.
* Cap1 points can be redeemed for (AFAIK) any travel company, not just Travelocity
* Cap1 points can be redeemed for cruises. That's big for us.

For most purchases, the earnings wind up as a tie between the two cards (2%).

Ultimately it's a matter of preference. But for most purchases the earnings are the same and the points are more convenient.

EDIT: Also, in a slight twist of irony, there is an agreement that allows you to earn 1 bonus Cap1 point per dollar spent when you go through Travelocity. So Travelocity purchases earn 3pts/$ with the Cap1 card :)

If you use the RewardBoost mall on Barclays, you can get 5+1 (6 points total) for Travelocity purchases.

Um, yes. I was just pointing out that the Cap1 earnings on Travelocity were better than the normal 2%.

If Travelocity is where you do the majority of your spending, no card is ever going to top it. Even if you get the no-annual-fee card, it will still easily trump any card out there.

If, on the other hand, you only purchase through Travelocity occasionally, there might be other cards out there that are a better fit -- especially if you live in a place where lots of merchants don't accept AMEX.

Grandfathered Travelocity card is the best card I've ever owned.

I earn a measly salary as a resident and have had the card for 3 years with ~$4000 in redemptions and only an annual fee of 69 x2 (one year was free)!

Agreed!
 

I am so glad I found this card a few years ago. It is a true HIDDEN gem. This card is not mentioned in any of the credit card comparison sites that I know of.

I just hope Barclays does not devalue it by modifying the earning or redemption structure. :eek:

I don't have the grandfathered version (I have the 5/2/1 but I still love the card) and mine just renewed until 2017. So I assume they can't modify or until 2017? Or can they?

My renewal has posted. Received a letter with the old earning structure along with renewal reminder. The card is good to go for at least one more year!!