What are the best CC companies to go through for air miles? I'm looking to travel to Germany, and would like to save some money on the ticket, I figure since I use my bank cc all the time why not have the miles add up in the mean time. What or which card have you guys found to be most effective.



Thanks,
Saruji

P.S. Just to clarify the way air miles work with cc companies is, I buy thing with my cc and like for every dollar I get a mile? So I buy a 1000 tv and then pay off the tv in the same month, and no interest is added, but I still get my 1000 miles right?

Hi Saruji,

Welcome to the GottaDeal.com forums and thank you for your excellent question!

:2welcome:


What are the best CC companies to go through for air miles? I'm looking to travel to Germany, and would like to save some money on the ticket, I figure since I use my bank cc all the time why not have the miles add up in the mean time. What or which card have you guys found to be most effective.


I do need to warn you that most frequent flier airline credit cards have an annual fee. If you are ok with paying an annual fee, then please keep reading.

Ask yourself which airlines are closest to your airport and which do you prefer flying? For example, you would get an Amex Delta cc if you fly Southwest Airlines the most. So which airlines are at your airport and which do you prefer to fly?


P.S. Just to clarify the way air miles work with cc companies is, I buy thing with my cc and like for every dollar I get a mile? So I buy a 1000 tv and then pay off the tv in the same month, and no interest is added, but I still get my 1000 miles right?


You are correct, purchases will help you accumulate airline miles. Withdrawing cash at the ATM or balance transfers do not earn airlines miles. So if you buy a TV for $1,000 you will earn 1,000 airline miles. Payoff your bill on or before your due date and you have $0 interest charges. The only "catch" is there is an annual fee.

I hope that helps :)

ross - if he wants to fly to germany, southwest is out of the question. however if you're a frequent southwest flier, sign up for their frequent flier card, as you earn flights faster on that than you would on their miles card.

my card is through united - i have no annual fee because they haven't caught on to the fact yet that i'm no longer a college student. hehe. their regular mileage cards however does have an annual fee. i'm no help though, almost every single one i've seen has an annual fee.

ross - if he wants to fly to germany, southwest is out of the question.


Good point but I was just using Southwest as a general example whether it's domestic or international. Perhaps I should have used AA or United instead :)


my card is through united - i have no annual fee because they haven't caught on to the fact yet that i'm no longer a college student. hehe. their regular mileage cards however does have an annual fee. i'm no help though, almost every single one i've seen has an annual fee.


I have a BOFA Alaska airlines cc and have earned 20,000+ miles through it. Since most of my purchases are at the gas station and supermarkets - I may close that airline cc and continue using my CitiBank cc. $0 annual fee and up to 5% cash rebates on certain purchases and 1% on everything else.

The 20,000 miles will be used for two roundtrip tickets in Australia though one of Alaska Airlines partners, Qantas I think.

Thanks for the welcome and the response, I have family in Germany and Russia so I pretty much travel internationally only, so freesia39 i am a student also, would I be able to apply for a united cc and avoid the annual fee?

i am a student also, would I be able to apply for a united cc and avoid the annual fee?
Sometimes they will waive the first year's annual fee but that's it.

Good luck though, please let us know if they can waive your annual fee.

IMO, it's better to get the cash back rather than mileage.

Recent troubles in the air industry is making mileage redemption harder (blackout dates, higher point required, etc). Worse, if there is a bankcruptcy.. even though they probably wouldn't jeopardize the customer loyalty. but you never know.

Earn the cash point, and buy the tickets at a cheap travel agent to get the ticket esp for international travel. for US domestic flights, use the web or the new and smaller carrier for cheap flight (jetblue, Song, Ted, Southwest, etc)

If you are not sure, find out first how many mileage needed to redeem your flight. Then you can calculate how much money you will spend to get that mileage. Compare that with the cash that you can earn with that money spend.

How often do you fly (internationaly and domestically) can be factored in your calculations.

so how does cash back work? Lets say I bought a ticket to France for 500 dollars, and then cancel the trip will I get 5% of that 500 back in form of a check?

Also RossMan what is this AMEX that I see always in front of cc company names? What is the difference between Amex and a regular cc?

NO! Don't do it. Get a Citi Dividend Platinum Select, or whatever order those words go in.

As Rossman pointed out, miles cards usually have an annual fee. Plus some only give you one mile for every TWO dollars you spend. So figure how much you'd have to spend to get a free flight... on the airline website I was looking at tonight (forget which), it's 40,000 miles for continental US. I seem to recall some being 20-25,000 miles for a flight. I dunno, I don't fly much. Let's use 20,000 miles and $1 = 1 mile as your best case scenario. So you have to spend $20,000 to get a free flight.

On my Citi card, I get 1% on most purchases, 5% on gas, groceries, and drug stores. So for the $20,000 you had to spend, I'd get at least $200 and at most $1000 back in CASH. And it didn't cost me $100/year.

so how does cash back work? Lets say I bought a ticket to France for 500 dollars, and then cancel the trip will I get 5% of that 500 back in form of a check?

No, you wouldn't get the bonus if you get a refund. The refund would go on your credit card, they'd know.

NO! Don't do it. Get a Citi Dividend Platinum Select, or whatever order those words go in.

As Rossman pointed out, miles cards usually have an annual fee. Plus some only give you one mile for every TWO dollars you spend. So figure how much you'd have to spend to get a free flight... on the airline website I was looking at tonight (forget which), it's 40,000 miles for continental US. I seem to recall some being 20-25,000 miles for a flight. I dunno, I don't fly much. Let's use 20,000 miles and $1 = 1 mile as your best case scenario. So you have to spend $20,000 to get a free flight.

On my Citi card, I get 1% on most purchases, 5% on gas, groceries, and drug stores. So for the $20,000 you had to spend, I'd get at least $200 and at most $1000 back in CASH. And it didn't cost me $100/year.

isn't it still only 300 max per year in dividends?

anyways, the united college plus, when i was still flying united, i was racking up the miles. it was 300ish miles back and forth from home and school, plus 1000 miles bonus for booking online.

i got i think 5,000 bonus for signing up for the credit card, and then you get 10,000 for graduating. i have 35,000 miles right now, which is enough for a trip anywhere in the continental US plus a free upgrade to business class, or one coach ticket to hawaii. these are the restricted rewards travel, unrestricted obviously has the higher mileage requirements.

unfortunately it was only 1 mile for every 2 dollars, but i charged everything on there when i was in college and paid it off. i still have my miles - i've been using the card for a balance transfer, and the miles expire if you don't use them OR accrue any in three years.

Cool thanks for all the info, I think i'll go with the Citi bank, could somebody please explain to me what AMEX is?

Cool thanks for all the info, I think i'll go with the Citi bank, could somebody please explain to me what AMEX is?
Wise choice, no annual fee, up to 5% cash back, free virtual account numbers (one time use credit card number generator) and great online billing :)

When you are ready to apply for the CitiBank Dividends Platinum Select card please use this link (http://www.ncsreporting.com/LinkTrack/Redirect.asp?LinkID=CDP10724).

AMEX is the abbreviation for American Express (http://www.americanexpress.com) which is a financial services company and offers Amex credit cards. Amex credit cards are not as widely accepted as VISA or MasterCard credit cards are. However they do have good benefits, I would also take a look at the Amex Blue Cash (http://www.ncsreporting.com/LinkTrack/Redirect.asp?LinkID=AEB10724) which offers:

Up to 5% cash back on nearly all purchases
0% introductory APR for 6 months
Pay over time or pay in full - provides great versatility
Fee-free additional cards help you earn more
Includes valuable product return protection
No annual fee


Earn Up to 5% Cash Back
Blue Cash offers you a great way to earn up to 5% cash back combined with a 0% introductory APR. You can earn cash back on everything you buy, and earn cash back even faster at supermarkets, gas stations, drugstores, and home improvement stores. There's no minimum spending required, so you can start earning cash back right away.1

Pay Your Bills with the Card and Get Cash Back
Pay your regular monthly bills automatically with Blue Cash and start earning cash back on everything from telephone and cable bills to parking and transportation expenses. Special payment features may not apply to all long distance calling plans. Not all providers service all markets.

Earn Cash Back Even Faster with an Additional Card
Additional Cards let you share virtually all the benefits and services of the Card with friends or family members. What's more, additional Cards can earn you up to 5% cash back. So go ahead and request your fee-free Additional Cards when you activate this one. Additional Cards can be issued to qualified individuals over the age of 18.

Transfer Balances Fee-free
Transfer balances from your higher-rate MasterCard, Discover, and Visa cards to your American Express ® Card account with no transaction fee (for this offer. Fees may apply thereafter). Then enjoy the low APR: a fixed rate of 4.99% for life of balance (until the balance is completely paid off), on Balance Transfer requests submitted with this application.

Your Year End Summary: Now Available Online
Your new Online Year End Summary of Charges gives you access to important information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Flexible features make organizing your expenses a snap - download the Summary and print it out; sort by date, merchant name, or charge amount; review charges made within a category, such as Travel and Restaurant. Your Year End Summary is an indispensable tool for preparing taxes and budgeting. You may also receive a paper Year End Summary in the mail by calling the number on the back of your Card.

Dedicated Customer Service
American Express is here to help you around the clock, with the kind of Customer Service that keeps Cardmembers loyal for a lifetime. For immediate service, call the phone number on the back of your Card.

Access Your Account Online
You can view up-to-date billing information online, including transactions, charges, and payments.

CoolBlueOffers®
With CoolBlueOffers, you receive special bonus offers and savings deals just for using Blue at the participating merchants.

Online Fraud Protection Guarantee
Use the American Express Card online, and you won't be responsible for any fraudulent charges. Period. No fine print, no deductible - just pure protection, so you can shop with confidence anywhere on the Internet.

Return Protection
If you try to return a designated item within 90 days from the date of purchase and the merchant won't take it back, American Express will refund the full purchase price, up to $300 per item, excluding shipping and handling.2

Buyer's Assurance
With the Buyer's Assurance Plan, you can shop worry-free knowing that the terms of the original manufacturer's warranty will be matched up to one additional year, on warranties of five years or less that are eligible in the U.S.3

Purchase Protection Plan
Shop with confidence and the Purchase Protection Plan, which protects eligible purchases made with the Card against accidental damage and theft for up to 90 days from the date of purchase.4

Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
Did you know that you are covered under the Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance Program - at no additional charge? Simply use your Card to reserve, and pay for an auto rental. See the Description of Coverage or call 1-800-338-1670 for full details.5

Emergency Card Replacement
Enjoy the security and convenience of access to Emergency Card Replacement services by calling 800-964-8542 or visiting one of over 1700 Travel Service Office locations worldwide.

Express Cash
Access your credit line 24 hours a day at more than 500,000 ATMs worldwide with Express Cash. To activate Express Cash, simply call 1-800-CASH-NOW (1-800-227-4669).6

Global Assist® Hotline
Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, you have security and peace of mind 24/7 with medical, legal, financial or other emergency assistance, including medical and legal referrals, visa/passport help, roadside assistance, cash access and more.7

Travel Accident Insurance
Travel Accident Insurance provides up to $100,000 in accidental death and dismemberment insurance while traveling on a common carrier (plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare has been charged to the Card.8

Assured Reservations
Use your Blue Cash to book your hotel rooms, and we'll guarantee your room until check-out time the following day.

isn't it still only 300 max per year in dividends?


Yes. If you think you'll go over that, I'd double it up with one of the other cash back cards that offer > 1% on certain purchases (e.g. I think I've seen some that had x% at restauarants, Costco is 2% or 3% on travel, etc).

Yes. If you think you'll go over that, I'd double it up with one of the other cash back cards that offer > 1% on certain purchases (e.g. I think I've seen some that had x% at restauarants, Costco is 2% or 3% on travel, etc).
Yep it's $300 per card, remember you can have multiple cards :)

The CostCo TrueEarnings (https://www124.americanexpress.com/cards/loyalty.do?page=trueearnings) is awesome.

Doubles as your CostCo membership, 2 cards-in-1
CostCo does not accept credit cards except for American Express.
No Annual Fee
3% cash back at restaurants
2% cash back for travel
1% cash back for all other purchases

for miles, i like using my American Express Preferred Rewards Gold. though it's not a credit card, it's a charge card with a $130 fee.

miles are accumulatede 1 mile per $1, and you gain 2 miles/$1 for places like gas, groceries, and some other common purchases