InfreqFlyer

Yes, the new GoldPoints MBNA Visa card. No annual fee, and earns 3 points per dollar, or 6/dollar at GoldPoints locations like TGIFridays, Radisson, etc. A key here is to have a Radisson-branded GoldPoints account which you "attach" to the card (from www.radisson.com). GoldPoints in these accounts convert -- automatically if you wish -- to 10 or so different airlines at a ratio of 4 points to 1 mile, so using the card nets .75 miles per dollar spent. Not bad for no annual fee... (A non-Radisson GP account converts to 3 airlines at 10 points for a mile.)

Links to details on the card are on the GP website at www.goldoints.com.


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An infrequent flyer trying to change that by earning my miles via alternate methods!
and webmaster at http://www.RewardsLookup.com

mudgal

I'm always amazed no one ever talks about the Traveler Rewards Program (I think that's what it's called, anyway; I've had the card quite a while) offered through what's now the CitiBank MasterCard (used to be Quicken). Fee of $50 or so; no initial points.

The advantage is that $100 vouchers are earned for each $6K in purchases. Combine four for a totally free domestic ticket, or use four against the cost of an internat'l ticket.

Or use the vouchers incrementally. When air fares are cheap, say a fare around $225 r/t to your destination, just redeem 2 vouchers ($12K in purchases), and pay the remainder as a charge. Or pay the ticket with 3 vouchers.

In any event, the trip earns frequent flyer miles! Other slight (to me) drawback: ticket must be booked through their travel agency for $15/fee per transaction (not per ticket).

Works for me!

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It's not a perfect world.

Goldfishhh

I have to laugh. I too use the Quicken Visa (citibank or whatever they want to call themselves...)

I booked a RT trip using 8 certs (4 for me 4 for my wife) going to Pairs. The total for the flight was $420 or something like that. So, in a nutshell, we paid $40 to go to europe.

So I get on the phone with the Quicken travel folks and after telling them what all 8 cert numbers are, the agent remarked, "Wow, $40 to fly to Paris." Which I quickly and humorfuly retorted, "No, not exactly. I paid $48,040 to go to Europe.".

She laughed....

Goldfishhh

To add to the previous post...

I also picked up AA double miles. Wheee! 12,000+ miles for $40! (or $48,040 whichever way you look at it).

emaij

Starwood card is now going to charge $30, correct? Is that deterring anyone?

Paul3456

My Starwood annual fee kicks in in December. Although $30 isn't a huge fee to pay for this card, I will certainly look elsewhere to compare cards before I pay the fee.

Dennis Wong

If you spend $25000 using an airline mile credit card, you earn 25000 miles which is one roundtrip ticket. If you spend $25000 using the Juniper 2% cash rebate credit card, you earn $387 cash! If you can spend $30,625 in a year, you will get $500 CASH!

Spend $12,000/year = $128 cash rebate
Spend $24,000/year = $368 cash rebate
Spend $30,625/year = $500 cash rebate

The Juniper cash rebate mastercard has no annual fee, airline mile cards will charge you at least $40 for annual fee.

I would go for the cash rebate card since it reward you with cash not miles or points. There are many "upto 2% cash rebate" credit card. The Juniper cash rebate card is the best cash rebate card on the market, it gives out the highest cash rebate! The one from Farm Bureau Bank, also called "upto 2% rebate card" only earn $75 for $10000 spent.

there is a convenient credit card cash reward calculator you might want to take a look. It helps you find out how much rebate you can expect with various cash rebate cards base on your own spending level, just follow the link below.

info on the Juniper Cash Rebate MasterCard


[This message has been edited by Dennis Wong (edited 01-19-2002).]

yanxfann

Thru the years I've had most of the cards mentioned above (and I still have the Starwood Amex and Diners cards). In my opinion one worthy card that is overlooked is the Southwest Visa issued thru First USA. You receive 1 SW flight credit for each $1K in purchases, after 16 flight credits you receive two 1-way Southwest Rapid Rewards certificates. The nice thing about these certificates is that they are VERY LIQUID as there is a blank space where you can write in the passenger's name so anyone can use them - much like the old Northwest Worldperks Fly-Rights that went by the wayside several years ago - and there are absolutely no capacity controls so if there is an unsold seat on the plane the voucher can be used.

Now I'm well aware that these Southwest Rapid Rewards certificates - like all frequent flyer awards - aren't supposed to be bought/sold/bartered but the fact remains that there is a HUGE market for them and if you know what you are doing you can clear at least $330 for the two 1-ways, this can be viewed as getting a little more than a 2% rebate on all of the card's purchases. If my memory serves me correctly the annual fee is $35.

scotty00

I also don't see any mention of the comped Gold status for the first year either.
http://www25.americanexpress.com/car...39/20/n&from=0

anthonyanthony

Instead of comping Gold status, they give you "Preferred Plus" status, which is under Gold. With "Preferred Plus", you still have a chance for a room upgrade, and you get the late 4pm check-out, but you don't get the 3 Starpoints per dollar spent at Starwood properties (plus a 4th point if using Starpoints Amex) like Golds do.

[This message has been edited by anthonyanthony (edited 01-05-2002).]

anthonyanthony

dupe

[This message has been edited by anthonyanthony (edited 01-05-2002).]

ILTE_Miles

It shouldn't deter anyone who utilizes the card's benefits (Starpoints, specifically), given that they can far outweigh a $30 fee.

Even if one charges only $1500 to the card over the course of a year, one can garner benefits whose value exceeds $30.

I don't shy away from a card based on annual fee alone...unless one compares an annual fee to the value one would likely obtain from the perk(s) associated w/ the card, one is not seeing the true value of the card--only the initial expenditure associated w/ it...the number cruncher in me sees that as an equation for which an equal sign is being ignored, & a klieg light is being focused on only one variable--yet the "value"-based decision proceeds, nonetheless...

[This message has been edited by ILTE_Miles (edited 01-06-2002).]

Dennis Wong

the fleet fusion card has no annual fee and let you earn one US/Canada roundtrip ticket with no blackout date for everything $25000 spent. the ticket's value cannot exceed $500.

Wolverine

Umberellabank.com has a great air, rental, hotel card for FREE. Redemption cap is 2%+ on the airfare and YES you can earn frequent flier miles with the bought ticket. ONLY barrier is that miles expire after 5 years if unused and a 10,000 mile per month cap.....Check them out.

The other 2 cards in my wallet is Starwood & Amtrak.

[This message has been edited by Wolverine (edited 01-07-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Wolverine (edited 01-07-2002).]

rox59

[quote]<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Dennis Wong:
[b]If you spend $25000 using an airline mile credit card, you earn 25000 miles which is one roundtrip ticket. If you spend $25000 using the Juniper 2% cash rebate credit card, you earn $387 cash! If you can spend $30,625 in a year, you will get $500 CASH!

Spend $12,000/year = $128 cash rebate
Spend $24,000/year = $368 cash rebate
Spend $30,625/year = $500 cash rebate

The Juniper cash rebate mastercard has no annual fee, airline mile cards will charge you at least $40 for annual fee.

I would go for the cash rebate card since it reward you with cash not miles or points. the Juniper cash rebate card is the best cash rebate card on the market.

there is a convenient credit card cash reward calculator you might want to take a look. It helps you find out how much rebate you can expect with various cash rebate cards base on your own spending level, just follow the link below.

info on the Juniper Cash Rebate MasterCard


I dunno, is Dennis Wong Ferret (who is AKA Pozilia) or is Ferret just plagiarizing Dennis Wong?? http://frequentflier.com/cgi-local/index.cgi?read=18058
In any event, it's nice to know who might have an ulterior motive for their advice...

No vested interest here, but if you'd like a cash back card @ straight 2% back (35k=$700 within 3 years or less) try this: http://www.farmbureaubank.com/ They'll even give you 2500 points to start with...