Teach me about travel credit card points

[WrenchFan69]

We fly a lot to and from Tampa to NY and Boston with Jet Blue. We took out a JB card which gives us double miles, free baggage check and preferred boarding. We also move our Amex points to JB. Get lots of free flights

Amex charges excise tax on moving points to JetBlue and usually has less than 1:1 transfer rates. Citi may be a better option.

 

[husky429]

We fly a lot to and from Tampa to NY and Boston with Jet Blue. We took out a JB card which gives us double miles, free baggage check and preferred boarding. We also move our Amex points to JB. Get lots of free flights

JetBlue and I don't get along. I've flown them all over the US, to Mexico, Lima, and in the Carribbean. My worst experiences on flights were with JetBlue, especially hostesses.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I use it with my wife. We put everything on that card and pay 100% at the end of month. We are doing scotland and paris on a good amount of points. Oil bill, car payments, loans, we even try to pay my step daughter colleg3

My most used card the last 15+ years is a Fidelity 529 account card. It put 2% of everything into a 529 account.

I know that's not the travel theme of the thread, but for some people it might be a good option.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I have a dedicated Southwest Airlines card. As others mentioned, sometimes there are perks that come with having the airline's card. My most frequent travel is between Providence and Savannah, but also occasionally Florida or the Midwest. Southwest was long the best option. Southwest is dumping the cattle call and will look like the other airlines soon, a front "more space" area at an extra charge, assigned seats, etc.

Now Breeze has changed that, and Jet Blue flying out of Providence as well. So I may dump the Southwest Card for a more general card. Time to do some research again.

 

[Revrat]

Just be careful about chasing points. I could use Delta and my Amex to book a hotel but at the end of the day its generally far less expensive to book my hotel directly or use Booking.com so it ends up being kind of silly. It also locks me into using Expedia which is what Delta uses and there is rarely the pay later or free cancel option.

 

[auror]

My most used card the last 15+ years is a Fidelity 529 account card. It put 2% of everything into a 529 account.

I know that's not the travel theme of the thread, but for some people it might be a good option.

That's interesting. We've got Fidelity 529s. We do monthly additions, but could be another good way of forced savings.

 

[husky429]

Just be careful about chasing points. I could use Delta and my Amex to book a hotel but at the end of the day its generally far less expensive to book my hotel directly or use Booking.com so it ends up being kind of silly. It also locks me into using Expedia which is what Delta uses and there is rarely the pay later or free cancel option.

I've been screwed over booking on 3rd-party sights before. Actively avoid it now. Booking.com is a plague

 

[Travelman6]

Aguas Calientes.

Ya I really disliked that place too.

 

[Excalibur]

lol I fly United almost exclusively and have never have had a flight OUT of Newark cancelled. No issues last Saturday morning either. Flying in? That’s a different story. But EWR is like LGA. The later in the day the more of a mess it is.

I did move my flights away from Newark when I flew to Lithuania last week. Too big of a chance of cancellation, and a non-zero chance that if the flight took off it wouldn't land (at least not in the way I would want it to).

Ended up out of JFK and back to Logan. Car service for the win.

 

[Excalibur]

yep, it all comes down to personal preference ... my focus is the flight experience - require complimentary 1st class and lie-flat bed seats when traveling internationally, early boarding, priority lanes, airport club, etc - makes the entire travel experience fun, even when an airport is experiencing chaos

That can still be done with a CSR card, particularly if you keep most of your travel to one airline.

 

[Richmondhsky]

With that many points, you might be able to actually buy a plane from Spirit.

Why did you buy when you can get some oil country to pay for it and get it to you question

 

[geohusky]

Love this thread because I'm clueless about this stuff - if anyone has an Amex Platinum that they've racked up a ton of points on please weigh in as to the best way to take advantage of them.

Have Amex Platinum Business and Amex Gold personal that are linked use points to book first class flights on Amex website
First class flights get 35% of your points back

 

[Hoophound]

JetBlue and I don't get along. I've flown them all over the US, to Mexico, Lima, and in the Carribbean. My worst experiences on flights were with JetBlue, especially hostesses.

I hear this a lot and I’m baffled. I love JetBlue and so does everyone in my family. Pretty much every bad experience we’ve had flying has been on another airline and we all say “I wish we were on JetBlue”. It’s gotta be dumb luck or something. I have about 500k miles with them.

 

[husky429]

I hear this a lot and I’m baffled. I love JetBlue and so does everyone in my family. Pretty much every bad experience we’ve had flying has been on another airline and we all say “I wish we were on JetBlue”. It’s gotta be dumb luck or something. I have about 500k miles with them.

I flew standy for them many, many times when I was younger. I wonder if it's related to that.

 

[BGesus4]

How do I get access to an airport lounge that isn’t absolutely swarmed by people and less comfortable than being outside the lounge

 

[auror]

How do I get access to an airport lounge that isn’t absolutely swarmed by people and less comfortable than being outside the lounge

Time travel to before everyone got a Chase Sapphire Reserve.

 

[husky429]

How do I get access to an airport lounge that isn’t absolutely swarmed by people and less comfortable than being outside the lounge

All the good people-watching is outside anyways. I love airports for that.

If I need to kill an hour or two I usually just get food in one of the restaurants and make it last a while

 

[HuskyHawk]

How do I get access to an airport lounge that isn’t absolutely swarmed by people and less comfortable than being outside the lounge

I’m rarely in an airport that even has a lounge. Forgot those even existed.

 

[Lafayette]

Chase Sapphire Reserve is for people who travel often as you get lounge status with the card at a lot of airports. You also get Lyft Pink, Dash Pass and I think free Global Entry plus points, travel credits, etc.

But if you are not a frequent traveler that is not the card for you.

 

[husky429]

Chase Sapphire Reserve is for people who travel often as you get lounge status with the card at a lot of airports. You also get Lyft Pink, Dash Pass and I think free Global Entry plus points, travel credits, etc.

But if you are not a frequent traveler that is not the card for you.

Yeah when I was looking the 500$ annual fee was a rough one for me. I generally travel once domestically and once internationally a year. I have a baby on the way and that would go down... Seems like you'd need to be in major airports 5+ times a year to justify it

 

[Excalibur]

Yeah when I was looking the 500$ annual fee was a rough one for me. I generally travel once domestically and once internationally a year. I have a baby on the way and that would go down... Seems like you'd need to be in major airports 5+ times a year to justify it

The $300 yearly travel reimbursement takes the sting out of the fee. It includes tolls, taxis, Uber/Lyft, ferries, etc. We utilize the full amount often without even realizing it.

 

[Flipside]

The $300 yearly travel reimbursement takes the sting out of the fee. It includes tolls, taxis, Uber/Lyft, ferries, etc. We utilize the full amount often without even realizing it.

some cards give reimbursement for Global Entry and TSA Pre ... another $100+ saved

 

[Excalibur]

some cards give reimbursement for Global Entry and TSA Pre ... another $100+ saved

CSR has that. I need to renew my global entry and will be taking advantage.

 

[DaveHuskiesFan]

Chase Sapphire Reserve is for people who travel often as you get lounge status with the card at a lot of airports. You also get Lyft Pink, Dash Pass and I think free Global Entry plus points, travel credits, etc.

But if you are not a frequent traveler that is not the card for you.

Annual fee is being raised to $795. Now is a good time to apply as you’ll get the benefits that come with the increased fee but won’t have to pay that fee for a year.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

I have a baby on the way

Congrats bud! Did we know this or is this your first mention of it? Sorry, I tend to bounce around, skim threads and skip some so I may have missed it.