Originally Posted by tom911

Never hurts to sign up for a carrier's frequent flyer program. United, as an example, has miles that don't expire, so if you fly coast to coast once a year, that's 5,000 miles. Some other programs may have miles that expire without some account activity every 18-24 months, so if you credit elsewhere just keep an eye on that. You don't need to fly to keep frequent flyer accounts alive by flying - all sorts of partner activity will qualify from dining to airline mall purchases.

Airlines typically offer their own branded credit card for less than $100 a year. Alaska, as an example, and something that is unique to them, offers a companion ticket each year with their credit card. For $99 plus taxes, a companion can fly with you. Airline credit cards may offer things like free checked bag or seat selection, in addition to bonus miles for signing up. I just signed up for a United credit card that came with a $250 credit plus 25,000 miles - one that was hard to resist even though I don't fly United a lot. Once you settle on an airline that you might want to fly each year, you might find a credit card that's worth having at least the first year for the signup bonus which might be enough to cover a free trip on domestic routes. You can always switch to a cash back card later. I have a 2% cash back card but it only came with a $100 signup bonus, worth a lot less than what's out there for airline credit cards.

Originally Posted by beachmouse

Delta and Southwest mile no longer expire either.

Part of the question is just how much you enjoy going down the rabbit hole in terms of trying to figure out angles to get free tickets. If you want to keep it pretty simple, using the 2% back you get from a Citi double cash card as your travel fund can be a sensible way to go. If you like puzzles, then something like the American Express Everyday no annual fee card can be useful because it lets you get Member Rewards points in a number of different ways (they have a partnership with the Rakuten shopping web site that can be pretty lucrative depending on your sho[ping habits) and then transfer to 10 different airlines and 3 different hotel programs.

Does the phrase- "I took advantage of the 40% transfer bonus for Member Rewards to Iberia Avios and then used my Iberia Avios to book a first class ticket on American airlines to California" intrigue you or sound like something like it would be too much to bother with? Either answer is perfectly acceptable- if the answer is 'mo' go the cash back card route, but if you want to learn more, then a lot of folks around here can explain how to execute the sentence above and get you that nice plane ride for the cost of a few taxes and fees.

Originally Posted by EstherS12

Thank you, tom911! I see what you're saying. But wouldn't I do better signing up for a Chase card that will get me Ultimate Rewards instead? I'm not particular to any airline (I think I'd prefer to have the flexibility for flight times, locations, etc). From what I'm reading, it seems like UR is considered rather "liquid" and I can therefore transfer to various airlines.

Originally Posted by beachmouse

The Chase Sapphire Reserve and other large annual fee cards generally only make sense for very frequent flyers who are pretty sure they�re going to get more in card benefits than the annual fee.

The airline specific cards with about a $100 fee- their sweet spot is people who fly the same airline 3-5 times a year and like to check bags since you get more value in bag fees than you pay in annual fees. They can be worth the sign up bonus for once or twice a year flyers if the offer comes with the annual fee waived the first year.

The no annual fee airline specific cards generally will give you a sign up bonus roughly the same number of miles as a domestic coach ticket. They�re not the most exciting cards from a bonuses and benefits standpoint but they can be a useful way of dipping your toe into the award game pond and seeing if it�s for you.

Originally Posted by tom911

Depends what you value the signup bonuses between the various cards - does 60,000 miles from an airline (UA is offering that today) outweigh the bonus from whatever Chase card you're looking at? You can always cancel the card come renewal time and switch to something else, or, for that matter, get a couple cards if you can meet the minimum spending on each for the account opening bonus. You don't need to lock yourself into one specific card.

I have a Chase Sapphire Reserve that came with a hefty bonus that is no longer being offered, and keep it because of the travel-related benefits (mostly Priority Pass but also some insurance aspects). There's only one hotel partner I regularly transfer to that I find a good value (Hyatt) - just because they offer redemptions through hotels does not mean the exchange rate is a good value. I will transfer miles to UA if I'm short of what I need for an award ticket there.

Not sure I'd recommend you paying the $450 annual fee for that one as you won't get a lot of value out of it with one trip a year to recoup that fee. I've never looked at their lower price card (Preferred) as it doesn't meet my needs.

Originally Posted by suka110

I'm based in NYC and my SO is moving to London shortly for a year. I anticipate visiting often and would like to maximize reward points travel. Can someone recommend an airline and tips on how to maximize benefits (credit card, etc.)? I typically get JetBlue status for domestic but am not beholden to any international airline. I have a chase saphire CC and a American Express gold card (that I rarely use). I'd ideally like to mix it up and fly a mix of business class and economy.

Any tips and recommendations would be much appreciated!