credit cards

[paults]

What are some of the best credit cards to get for frequent flyer miles?

Also are you limited on what days and times you can pick?

 

[Lew]

I would suggest the best card for you would be the one associated with an airline that flys out of an airport you use to the destinations you fly to most often.

Most airlines severly limit the free air miles seats available on each flight. It's best to make your air miles reservation as far in advance as possible.

 

[DebbieB]

The problem with the airline cards is that they have high annual fees. USAir's classic card is $50 annual, gold is $70, platnium is $90. You get bonus miles with the first purchase 3,000, 4,000, or 7,000. Getting a ticket is another thing. I have enough for a free ticket between September and February, earned through flights not the card. I was checking online for Las Vegas for the end of Sept or beginning of October, nothing. I checked for Orlando for our early December trip, nothing for the date we wanted and the day before had 1 early morning flight through DC with a long layover. My Mom needs less than 5,000 miles for a free ticket so she was thinking of getting the card to get the miles she needs, but it's not worth it if you can't get seats.

 

[TIdoublegaER]

We have AmEx for Delta Skymiles. We've had the card for a year and have already redeemed 2 free tickets for our July trip and we are more than half way to another free ticket. We also get a free companion ticket by renewing annually (many, many restrictions, probably won't ever get to use).

The basic program is 1 mile for every dollar, with double miles at grocery stores, gas stations, wireless phone bills and some others that I can't remember. With the platinum card, if you spend $25,000 in a year you will get 10,000 bonus miles (yes, we did get the bonus miles). It takes 25,000 miles for a ticket. There is an annual fee, but I don't remember how much it is.

We charge EVERYTHING and pay off the bill monthly. I write the expenses in my check book just as if I had used my debit card or check so the money is always there when the bill comes in. We don't buy things we wouldn't normally buy, but just charge everything we do buy to get the miles.

We also have a MilesOne card from Capital One for any place that doesn't take AmEx.

 

[KNWVIKING]

My Navy Federal Credit Union M/C offers what amounts to a 2% rebate: $15000. in purchases gets any airline ticket up to $300.00. It actually moves up to 2.5% above $40000. in purchases. But only Navy and Marine vets are eligible. Other then that, your probably better off with a Discover Card that gives 1% back in cash.

 

[Dizzie]

We have both an AmEx Delta Skymiles card and a Northwest Visa through USBank. It is getting harder and harder to redeem miles because of restrictions and the lack of discounted seats. I tried to get seats on NWA for WDW in October and there is nothing available. I tried for another location for May and it takes a minimum of 36,000 points and up to 50,000 points for a seat. Every dollar spent is 1 point. We have had much better luck with Delta, but my DH is gold medallion flier so he has fewer restricions. We have 4 free seat to HH in July and 4 seats to WDW in Oct! Maybe consider a card that redeems point on any airline, hotels, restaurants, etc. I just saw a mastercard that does that so you can choose your reward. I just traded my NWA card for the Disney card! Also consider annual fees, my AmEx is $135. And if you don't pay the entire balance every month the finance charges will negated the price of the "free" ticket.

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by Lew
I would suggest the best card for you would be the one associated with an airline that flys out of an airport you use to the destinations you fly to most often.
Most airlines severly limit the free air miles seats available on each flight. It's best to make your air miles reservation as far in advance as possible.

What Lew said above is very true. We fly out of Cleveland(Continental Hub) so we have the Continental Mater Card.We do the same as "TIdoublegaER" posted. We charge EVERYTHING, and pay off the balance when bill comes.
We have already booked 3 rt tx to San Antonio this June.We got them for 20,000 miles each(60,000 total). We have already accumulated 100,000 more miles in less than 1 year from charging and flying.There is a $60 fee for our Platinum card, but it is well worth it.
As long as you are pretty flexible with dates, it is your advantage to have a FF credit card.

P.S. I can't believe this thread hasn't been moved yet.

 

[E&B's Mom]

We have the USAir card and charge everything, but ti always gets paid off monthly (I think the interest rate is pretty high). We have had it for years and have never had a problem getting flights when we wanted until this trip coming up in May (we haven't flown since 2000). I always call 11 months ahead as soon as the flight schedules are out, and had to cut our planned 6 day Disney trip to 5 days because there were no frequent flyer seats into Providence, RI on the day we wanted , and this was as of he day the schedule opened up! I think airlines are far stingier with frequent flyer seats than they were a couple of years ago.

 

[jaysue]

Are the points essentially useless and you lose them?

Thanks
Jason

 

[E&B's Mom]

I think so. Unless you already hold a ticket you purchased with points, the it's possible another airline may honor it. That used to happen years ago, but with this economy, who knows.

 

[NancyIL]

Originally posted by jaysue
Are the points essentially useless and you lose them?

Thanks
Jason

It depends on whether the airline continues to operate after filing for backruptcy. United filed for bankruptcy, but people's FF miles are still intact.

Personally, I like the Starwood American Express card. You get 1 point for every dollar charged, and you can use the points for free nights at Starwood hotels (Swan and Dolphin, for examply), or transfer them to a number of airlines. When you transfer 20,000 Starwood points to an airline, Starwood adds 5,000 bonus miles! There is no annual fee the first year, and a $30 annual fee thereafter. http://www66.americanexpress.com/cards/Fmacfservlet?csi=6/20/b/3/0893183231/089151943430/0/n&from=0