Best rewards cards for earning free flights??

[calablovedisney]

I was hoping some of you budget savvy disers could help me out. I am looking for the best rewards card to earn flights. I already have a disney visa, but I am planning a trip over to Europe this year and I was hoping to charge those flights on a card that would earn me points towards domestic flights which I could use for my next Disney trip!! I am not really looking for a frequent flyer mile card since I don't think I am really a frequent flyer, but I would charge my monthly expenses on the card to earn points.
In my research so far I am looking at Jetblue and Southwest cards. I already have a Discover card which I never use, but saw something called Discover Escape. Would that be a better option than the others?
If any of you are good at earning free flights I would love to hear from you. thanks so much!!

 

[laurie31]

You want a Capital One card. The points are good on any airline, anytime, and you can also use them for hotel and rental car expenses.

Also, if you're going to Europe, Capital One is the ONLY card I know of that doesn't charge a fee to use it abroad. Other cards charge anywhere from 1-3%. That can really add up.

We use our Capital One card for EVERYTHING. This really racks up the points. Also, you can buy your airline tickets outright (thus getting the points for them) then use the points towards your balance to pay for them. It's almost double-dipping, but you get an extra $20 or so in rewards by doing it that way (depending on the cost of your tickets of course).

 

[Psychodisney]

WE have a Capital One Venture card. There is a $60 annual fee but you get 2 points for every dollar spent. The great thing about Capital One is you can use your points on any airline(actually any travel expense like the PP said) with no black outs. Very easy to redeem. For example: you buy a $250 airline ticket, you need 25,000 points($12,500 spent). For a $400 airline ticket, you would need 40,000 points.
To earn even morre points, you can shop through their website. Alot of internet retailers have a shopping portal there that you can earn an extra amount of points.

 

[Pakey]

We also use a Capital One; we've had it about 8 years and have went all over the world with it.

 

[calablovedisney]

The capital one card sounds like a great idea, but I do have another question...
It sounds like you need a lot of points to use towards flights. If I get a
southwest card I would earn 10,000 points just for opening it, and another 10,000 after a purchase of a certain amount, which I would be at easily. It would be enough for RT ticket to Orlando. Doesn't that make it a better deal??? I just get confused about which is best, sorry for that. Can you use capital one points toward other purchases? Like you can with discover?
Not trying to contradict what anyone said here, I just hadn't known about the Capital one card and now that throws another choice into my decision, and I don't make decisions easily.
thanks again for your advice!!

 

[JennSaint]

If you can utilize Delta for flights. They have an American Express card with no annual fee for the first year. You get 20,000 miles for first purchase and can use their pay with miles option which each 10,000 miles equals $100 off. We've done this a few times now.

 

[Orlando Vic]

I was hoping some of you budget savvy disers could help me out. I am looking for the best rewards card to earn flights. I already have a disney visa, but I am planning a trip over to Europe this year and I was hoping to charge those flights on a card that would earn me points towards domestic flights which I could use for my next Disney trip!! I am not really looking for a frequent flyer mile card since I don't think I am really a frequent flyer, but I would charge my monthly expenses on the card to earn points.
In my research so far I am looking at Jetblue and Southwest cards. I already have a Discover card which I never use, but saw something called Discover Escape. Would that be a better option than the others?
If any of you are good at earning free flights I would love to hear from you. thanks so much!!

I would research this on Flyertalk: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz-370/

Those people have an astounding amount of frequent flyer information.

 

[Psychodisney]

Not sure about the Southwest card. I know they have recently changed their program. Also, I've been unable to use my Southwest rewards sometimes(not all flights were available, not sure if this has changed with their new program).
I'd recommend looking beyond the initial bonus points and look at your long term earnings. Also, I think the Southwest cards has an annual fee.
As far as other rewards, yes they have those at Capital One too. I think the best use is travel rewards though.

 

[lurkernj]

We have a continental credit card. I think the cost is now $85 per year (I think the first year is free and you get 25K miles to start). We have had this card for about 16 years and have flown 4 of us to Hawaii (and will again this august) for free and two of us have flown to New orleans, plus we still have over 100,000 miles left, which can fly us anywhere in the continental US. We don't fly frequently, we just charge everything on this card and in a normal year we probably get around 25k miles.

Flights in the continental US are 25k miles (if you buy the saver tickets which usually require some planning ahead), Flights to hawaii are 40K (same saver option). Our Hawaii tickets this year are selling for $1080 each!!!! So we've gotten over $8000 in free airfare, plus still have more left.

Also with this card you get one free bag for each person on your reservation.

I know they just merged with United, but so far the card is still available and the points will transfer over once they combine the card portion of their merger.

 

[nkereina]

JetBlue has a promotion going on right now with their American Express card. Sign up for it and earn 10,000 true blue points, and spend over $500 (I think by April) and receive another 10,000 true blue points - combined its enough for 2 free round trip flights with no blackout dates.

 

[emilymad]

I second checking out FlyerTalk. I have been trying to make this decision too and they have been very helpful.

I think one thing to keep in mind is who the major airlines are at your home airport. Continental is offering 50K in points for opening their credit card but they aren't one of the major carriers out of my airport so that doesn't really help me.

We went with the Starwoods Amex card. 10K in points for joining and another 15K after spending a certain amount. No fee for first year but $65 after that. We liked it because you can earn hotel or airline reward points. For ever 20K in points you transfer to an airline program Starwoods throws in another 5K. You can transfer to most major airlines except Southwest.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I was hoping some of you budget savvy disers could help me out. I am looking for the best rewards card to earn flights. I already have a disney visa, but I am planning a trip over to Europe this year and I was hoping to charge those flights on a card that would earn me points towards domestic flights which I could use for my next Disney trip!! [snip]

Another option is to get a CC that will keep the miles you earn flying to Europe from being orphan miles. Not sure what airline you are flying, but we use our American airlines credit card so that the miles we do earn flying have value to us as well.

This can also be true of the Starwood card already mentioned, as you can transfer Starwood points to many other programs, inclunding those you have already earned miles on. When you transfer 20,000 points to many FF programs, you actually receive 25,000 miles. Unforunately, this does not include United or Continental. Also when you transfer 70,000 points, you can get 5 nights at the Swan or Dophin plus 50,000 miles on many airlines, including American.

My parents used Starwood points to fly Virgin Atlantic to Londan last year before they wen tont he DCL Baltic cruise. This year they may transfer points to Air Berlin to get to Venice for another cruise. Best of luck -- Suzanne