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Which card for travel??

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Which card for travel??

In addition to calling your CC's, if you plan to use your debit card at all make sure you call your bank's debit card operations so that they don't put a freeze on your debit card/checking account.
Message 11 of 24
jaybird201
Established Contributor

Re: Which card for travel??

Personally I'd take the Chase and the Amex. I'd take the AmEx because they've got great travel insurance and, though I'm not sure of the coverage for the Blue Cash, will cover you for expenses incurred if your flight is delayed or your luggage is lost.

 

Also, while I was overseas in France and had to come home due to an emergency, I called AmEx, they put me on the phone with an agent in English-speaking AmEx travel agent France (So that I wouldn't incur international charges for my phone call) and gave me a ticket for a flight home for 1/2 the cost of any other ticket I could find anyplace else. And the flight they got me on was to take off in less than 12 hours!

 

AmEx = Good customer service, insurance, travel agents only a call away, good rewards

Chase = Good customer service, Visa/Mastercard accepted everywhere, good rewards

Wells Fargo = Poor customer service and exorbitant fees.

Citibank = Not great customer service and...what if they fail while you're gone. Smiley Surprised Probably wouldn't affect you anyway. Mostly just because there's nothing especially good about them.

Discover = Hardly accepted outside the US

Message 12 of 24
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Which card for travel??

So Amex sounds like a good back up card for the travel situations--Thanks Jaybird!
Message 13 of 24
Chopbrocoli
Established Contributor

Re: Which card for travel??


@Anonymous wrote:
So Amex sounds like a good back up card for the travel situations--Thanks Jaybird!

 

Ohhh I would think twice before saying that haha. My friends and I had some horiffic encounters with relying on our AMEX cards for travel. I used my charge card to secure my reservation and everything was good. However, during my stay, the hotel calls me for a new credit card as they said the authorization has failed and they need a new card. So I called AMEX and I find out that I have been assigned to "Financial Review." From there, they suspended both of my charge cards and requested 3 months bank statements and tax returns for my business and personal accounts. If I did not comply, my cards would have been closed. But luckily I had my Merrill + card to save me. This same situation has happend to my friends and colleagues. 

 

Although AMEX has some great travel bennefits, I would think twice before relying on their products. Their risk assesment on customers is probably the most screwed up system then any other creditors today.  At any time your card limits can be slashed from a 10K limit to a $500 limit in a matter of seconds. Your cards may be closed just because you had a few delinquents in your past or have too many accounts opend. Or you may attempt to make a purchase at a store, but to find out that your card has been declined, later to find that you have be selected for the notorious FR. The list goes on. 

 

If you travel or fly a lot, I would recommend the Merrill + card  (FIA) or the Continental airlines Presidential Plus (Great bennefits but a steep anual fee). I particularly enjoy the Merrill + since it has great rewards and many tavel perks. More info can be found on their websie at: card.ml.com

AMEX Gold Premier Rewards | SPG AMEX | Bank of America Power Rewards | Merrill Plus | United Presidential Plus | Saks World Elite
Message 14 of 24
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Which card for travel??

miah, as far as currency conversions go i don't think it is really required. as already pointed out st. thomas and st. john are USA and the bahama's (nassau) are on the american dollar standard 1-1 exchange rate and we had no trouble using green backs (even at the flea markets).

 

i did notice that the cruise line we were on (carnival) made us create an account backed by a cc, then gave us a card that could only be used on the ship. the slick thing is every time we made a purchase they authorized the cc acount, but then made a single charge at the end to avoid multiple transaction fee's. the net result was double the amount spent on the ship until the authorizations expired, just something to keep in mind.

Message 15 of 24
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Which card for travel??

Cool Ducky--Thanks for that info!!  I will call my cards and tell them what is going on, and may take some cash for Nassau!  Thanks so much--want this to go without a hitch!
Message 16 of 24
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Which card for travel??


@Chopbrocoli wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:
So Amex sounds like a good back up card for the travel situations--Thanks Jaybird!

 

Ohhh I would think twice before saying that haha. My friends and I had some horiffic encounters with relying on our AMEX cards for travel. I used my charge card to secure my reservation and everything was good. However, during my stay, the hotel calls me for a new credit card as they said the authorization has failed and they need a new card. So I called AMEX and I find out that I have been assigned to "Financial Review."



Het Broccoli--I think i remember reading your story about this.  I plan to take the Amex as a "Back up" card.  believe it or not they have been super awesome to me.  My Blue Cash has a great limit.  But i too like others have been squirmish about the CLD's.  Thanks for reminding me of this.  

Message 17 of 24
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Which card for travel??

no problem, have fun. oh another cool thing we learned was that you can order multiple entre's for dinner at the evening dinner. for example, one night was a choice between lobster, steak, or duck (monsters!). well a veteran cruiser hipped us that we could choose more than one to create a surf and turf.
Message 18 of 24
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Which card for travel??

Thnaks for the tip!  I will remember that!  Smiley Happy
Message 19 of 24
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Which card for travel??

To correct myself, Discover can be used in North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and China.

 

The USD is widely accepted in the Bahamas on a dollar for dollar rate as ducky pointed out..

Message Edited by FaircreditguyFL on 12-15-2008 06:42 PM
Message 20 of 24
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