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Best CC for VIA Rail
Bit of a niche question. For the last decade, basically, CSR was the winner here - three points/dollar on travel, redeemable at 1.5 cents/point for future travel.
Well, Chase dropped a turd on that with re-farting the card, and I do use VIA a good bit (basically making YUL, YOW, and YYZ mostly-interchangeable). The fancy Alaska card would be a replacement, but BofA has temporarily put the kibosh on that (apparently because I stopped using a card that they gutted, they dropped the credit limit and wouldn't reconsider), so...what's the next-best option here? I'm not sure if the Hyatt card would get 2 points/dollar, there's Amtrak, or isn't there...some other issuer with 3 points/dollar on a broad-based "all travel" category? |
Originally Posted by GrayAnderson
(Post 37396424)
....isn't there...some other issuer with 3 points/dollar on a broad-based "all travel" category?
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Originally Posted by mia
(Post 37396913)
You asked the same question in this thread, and there are several helpful suggestions: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/chas...csr-spend.html
"Transit" is a slippery category. As far as I can tell: -The no-fee Autograph card includes passenger railways as part of "transit" (or perhaps "other travel", but advertising-wise the phrasing is slippery) at 3x but the $95 version doesn't. -The fancy Atmos card covers it as a "foreign purchase" at 3x. -The Amtrak card covers it at 2x (which is perhaps ironic in Florida these days). -Venture X comes in at 2x because everything is at 2x. -The Chase Hyatt card(s) don't. -Chase Sapphire Preferred simply doesn't define "travel" in their offer, so I'd be playing roulette. -I don't think any Amex cards offer a bonus here (not DL/Marriott, for sure). I'm mostly ignoring straight cash-back cards. Am I missing anything big? |
Originally Posted by GrayAnderson
(Post 37397031)
90% of the discussion there was dining-related (the "transit" bit was more "bus pass" than "intercity train"), and dining isn't at issue here.
"Transit" is a slippery category. As far as I can tell: -The no-fee Autograph card includes passenger railways as part of "transit" (or perhaps "other travel", but advertising-wise the phrasing is slippery) at 3x but the $95 version doesn't. -The fancy Atmos card covers it as a "foreign purchase" at 3x. -The Amtrak card covers it at 2x (which is perhaps ironic in Florida these days). -Venture X comes in at 2x because everything is at 2x. -The Chase Hyatt card(s) don't. -Chase Sapphire Preferred simply doesn't define "travel" in their offer, so I'd be playing roulette. -I don't think any Amex cards offer a bonus here (not DL/Marriott, for sure). I'm mostly ignoring straight cash-back cards. Am I missing anything big? https://thepointsguy.com/credit-card...rve-preferred/ |
Originally Posted by GrayAnderson
(Post 37397031)
-Chase Sapphire Preferred simply doesn't define "travel" in their offer, so I'd be playing roulette.
-I don't think any Amex cards offer a bonus here (not DL/Marriott, for sure). American Express Green, 3X on Travel, Transit and Dining: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...ds/card/green/ eligible transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways. |
Originally Posted by GrayAnderson
(Post 37397031)
-Chase Sapphire Preferred simply doesn't define "travel" in their offer, so I'd be playing roulette.
Originally Posted by GrayAnderson
(Post 37397031)
Am I missing anything big?
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If you're okay with business cards, the Amex Business Gold has 4xTransit as an eligible category:
Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways |
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