AmEx Blue Card

[maciec]

Thinking about getting rid of our USAir Visa because the interest rate is so high. There is no annual fee and USAir is all that we fly (due to it being the only carrier out that flies out of our airport). Anyway, I have been checking into ff cards and the American Express Blue or Blue Sky look pretty good.

I have a couple of questions.....

1) if you have either the Blue or Blue Sky what do you think of it?
2) what is the main difference between the 2?
3) how easy is it to redeem for miles?
4) it use to be that not many stores took AMEX is that still true? where will I probably run into problems using it?

Thanks for your help!
Melissa

 

[momrek06]

I really do not know much about it...but I will say my DH just got the BLUE card. We both have the GOLD card and DH did allot of research as he was headed to Europe with one of our DS' and wanted to have the BLUE card in case the different countries they were going to did not take the GOLD card. He is still in Europe...Finland right now and so I cannot ask him.

I will say DH is pretty thorough when researching anything so speaking for him, it must be a good card.

Sorry, I cannot be more help than what I have said.

BTW: I really didn't know AE had a BLUE card until DH said he ordered one for their trip.

 

[DawnCt1]

We have Amex Delta Sky Miles Cards. I love them. There are so many double miles opportunities on a daily basis that it makes the annual fee well worth it. Right now all my purchases through October are double miles. DH hadn't used his very much while in Iraq so he got targeted for TRIPLE miles. Needless to say, everything we spent in Hawaii went on his card. By the time November and December rolls around, there will be double miles again. Of course, gas, groceries, home improvements, etc are always double miles. Six of us just returned from Hawaii on award tickets on Delta Airlines; DH and I had first class seats, and DSs had coach.

 

[maciec]

bumping back up for other responses

 

[Lynn CC]

I've had an AmEx Blue for years and I LOVE it. I use it for everything and have redeemed so many points for so many great items.

My DS got all his dorm things he needed last year and this year for his apartment for FREE using my points! We didn't even pay for shipping. He just got a All Clad 10 peice pan set from Crate & Barrel, a new 20" TV all for free.
Next year I'm going to use the points for me!!!!
I use my card in a lot of places and pay a lot of bills with it just to get the points each month then pay it off at the end of the month. I also use it for gas, groceries,doctor co-pays, dentist etc. I use it online to shop a lot too. There are a few stores that I've run into that don't accept it, but not that many.
They have a lot of double point offers from time to time that I sign up for, and it's free to have the card...no yearly fee!

 

[Alice28]

I have had AMEX blue since it came out 4 years ago or so. No annual fee, great rewards opportunities. I haven't used it for miles, but have gotten some great rewards. We have used it a TON this summer, because it was double points for everything we purchased! I think we will have about 20,000 points by the time all is said and done! (yowza!). I plan on getting some Benihana gift cards for DH and I, and then some other gift cards of some sort for Christmas shopping.

There are only a FEW places that don't accept AMEX anymore. I honestly can't think of any off the top of my head, but I know there have been a few times we couldn't use it.

I think AMEX overall has great customer service and we have a low interest rate on our card, which is nice, as sometimes we do carry a balance. They were GREAT when DH went overseas to Iraq- the card is in my name, but he is an authorized user. Credit card companies in the soldier's name are required to drop the interest rate to 6%. Amex didn't have to do this for us, as it is not a joint account, but they did anyway. Yay Amex! Discover wouldn't do it, so you can guess which card I quickly paid off and didn't use anymore!

 

[RNMOM]

I got the blue card last year but find there are places we can't use it. I charge everything to get points and then put my purchases in my checkbook and mark them off on my statement. I never run a balance on my card this way and it feels good to pay it off every month.

I have had a Chase Visa rewards card for over 10 years and this is by far the better card for us. I have no annual fee but there is a 29 dollar fee for the rewards program. We have gotten so many airfares from them and there are no restrictions. You can use them for any airline as well. It has been a good program for us. We can also redeam for cruises/gift certificates for stores and restaurants. We bought our 800 dollar digital SLR camera from Best Buy with these certificates.

There are a few sites that compare credit card programs. Perhaps looking at one of these will help you decide.

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

We just got the Amex Blue. I've heard nothing but good things about it but haven't used it yet.

Another thing to consider is keeping you current card and asking them to match the interest rate you would get on the Amex Blue. We have the Citi AAdvantage card that we charge almost everything on and pay off monthly for the ff miles (paid for our flights and hotel in Hawaii in June). The card has a $65 annual fee and a high interest rate, but when we asked they waived the annual fee and lowered the interest rate to keep us using their card. Never hurts to ask!

 

[maciec]

We just got the Amex Blue. I've heard nothing but good things about it but haven't used it yet.

Another thing to consider is keeping you current card and asking them to match the interest rate you would get on the Amex Blue. We have the Citi AAdvantage card that we charge almost everything on and pay off monthly for the ff miles (paid for our flights and hotel in Hawaii in June). The card has a $65 annual fee and a high interest rate, but when we asked they waived the annual fee and lowered the interest rate to keep us using their card. Never hurts to ask!

Actually, they just Bank of America just lowered it to 14.24% variable, which isn't that bad of a rate, but it's the variable that I don't like. It was 18% which I didn't realize. They don't have an annul fee which is also good.

I guess that I am dreaming, but I am looking for a credit card that I ca earn ff miles for airfare, no annual fee, and a low fixed interest rate.

 

[LoraJ]

The thing with the AmEx Blue and FF awards is that you only get half the miles you would get on a specific FF card. If I have 8000 points, I only get 4000 miles. But then again, I'm not so sure how the point system works...