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Which travel card?

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Which travel card?

I'm looking to get a CC for travel - my goal is to earn enough miles to cover airfare to Jamaica for 2 people once per year.  It would be nice if points could be used for hotels also but the airfare is what I'm really interested in.  I want to make sure I get a good initial CL, hopefully over $10,000 since I intend to put all my spending through the card until I rack up enough miles for the airfare to Jamaica.  I'm looking at the Capital One Venture Rewards card.  What do you think about this card?  Do you have suggestions on another travel rewards card that you really like?

 

My credit scores have been sitting around 749 for a while.  HH income is over $100,000 if that helps at all regarding potential CL.  I have substantial SL debt and my DH has a mortgage, but we have no other debt.

 

Thanks in advance for your insight - I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to travel rewards!

Message 1 of 11
10 REPLIES 10
Anonymous
Not applicable

EaRe: Which travel card?

http://milecards.com/12/mile-credit-card-calculator/

 

Input your spending and it compares lots of travel rewards cards for you Smiley Happy

 

I think Chase Sapphire right now is the best though.

Message 2 of 11
tntexans72
Valued Contributor

Re: EaRe: Which travel card?

If you are a PIF spender than app for Amex platinum. They have NPSL. If you plan on carrying a balance than look at chase sapphire preferred if you only fly continental/united. Sapphire PF will allow you 2 Pts in dinning so your miles will rack up fast. If you fly other airlines, take a look at Amex SPG. They may start you off with a smaller CL but after 60 days, you can request a CLI at 3x and you'll get a bump. Good luck.
Message 3 of 11
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: EaRe: Which travel card?

Also, remember that a low CL is only annoying because you have to pay it more often.  Having a lower CL won't affect the points you can earn every month.

Message 4 of 11
Walt_K
Senior Contributor

Re: EaRe: Which travel card?

I would not recommend Amex platinum for earning points.  It's pretty much a straight 1 point per dollar (4x points at bonus mall).  The main benefit of Amex platinum is lounge access for frequent travelers.  OP sounds like they just want to earn some reward travel off of spend but don't necessarily travel all the time where they could take advantage of lounge access.  The $450 for the platinum card would probably be much better saved toward one of those tickets to Jamaica.  Amex PRG is a much better points earning card.  But the AF is still fairly high.

 

OP, if you already have a mortgage and are planning to stay there for a while, you're probably best off earning your travel via the signup bonuses as opposed to the actual spend you put on the card.  Check out sites like frugaltravelguy.com, thepointsguy.com, millionmilesecrets.com, etc.  Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 50K bonus points right now.  If both you and your husband were to get one, provided you can meet the spend requirement, you'd have 100,000 points between the two of you.  Those can be transferred 1:1 to Continental.  They are redeemable on more than just CO/UA because you have to remember that you can redeem them on partner airlines as well. 

 

The Citi AA links for 75K bonus points I believe are still active according to thepointsguy yesterday.  You could apply for a personal amex and visa, and then a business card for a total of 225K miles for each of you.  That's 450K miles possible between the two of you.  Again, provided you can meet the spend requirements.  There's lots of tricks out there if you don't have big purchases coming up and can afford the inquiries and the hits to AAoA.  Don't take the plunge too quickly, read through the info.  Obviously your credit is a very valuable asset.  But the sign-up bonuses are where people that don't put alot of spend through their cards can really clean up.

 

As for which card to keep and use for your daily spend card, Cap One's venture card is basically a 2% cashback card where you are restricted to using your awards for travel redemptions.  They can call them "miles" but they are pennies.  They always redeem at the same value.  That can be a good deal if you normally book coach airfare, but if you would like a card that will allow you to book for business/first class, cards like the Venture card are not your best bet.  You'd have to put way too much spend through the cards to get there.  True miles earning cards are better bet for up-front airfare.

 

I'm not real sure about redemptions to Jamaica.  Maybe search around on Flyertalk or Milepoint and see if anyone has good recommendations.   


Starting Score: ~500 (12/01/2008)
Current Score: EQ 681 (04/05/13); TU 98 728 (01/06/12), TU 08? 760 (provided by Barclay 1/2/14), TU 04 728 (lender pull 01/12/12); EX 742 (lender pull 01/12/12)
Goal Score: 720


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Message 5 of 11
Walt_K
Senior Contributor

Re: EaRe: Which travel card?


@tntexans72 wrote:
If you are a PIF spender than app for Amex platinum. They have NPSL. If you plan on carrying a balance than look at chase sapphire preferred if you only fly continental/united. Sapphire PF will allow you 2 Pts in dinning so your miles will rack up fast. If you fly other airlines, take a look at Amex SPG. They may start you off with a smaller CL but after 60 days, you can request a CLI at 3x and you'll get a bump. Good luck.

I thought Chase Sapphire Preferred was also a charge card. [Visa Signature, my mistake.] In any event, if you are regularly revolving balances, then none of the travel cards are a good bet.  The interest will outweigh the rewards.


Starting Score: ~500 (12/01/2008)
Current Score: EQ 681 (04/05/13); TU 98 728 (01/06/12), TU 08? 760 (provided by Barclay 1/2/14), TU 04 728 (lender pull 01/12/12); EX 742 (lender pull 01/12/12)
Goal Score: 720


Take the FICO Fitness Challenge
Message 6 of 11
tntexans72
Valued Contributor

Re: EaRe: Which travel card?

@waltK....you are exactly right but not everyone is a PIF. That's why he/she needs to decide what is best. IMHO...those cards are prestigious so they'll get the best service and rewards. I believe chase sapphire & preferred are great cards. The rewards are great if they are planning an abroad trip and if they flu continental/united.
Message 7 of 11
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: EaRe: Which travel card?

OP what is your home airport? That is also a good question as flights to Jamaica can vary in price depending on where you are of course. An airline card costs the same to redeem a flight regardless of price, the Venture depends on price.

 

But I can tell you your choice is pretty much between the capital one venture and an airline card.

 

To figure out which card is best you just have to do the math. How many miles to redeem a flight vs the cost. Also what class of ticket will you be buying? Coach or first/business? When will you book the trip? Is this something you will plan a few months in advance? Or a few weeks? Since costs of tickets go up the closer towards the date of departure, if you are a last minute trip planner then the Venture would not be a good choice. Also how flexible are you in your travel plans? Will you be in Jamaica for a week or two and it doesnt matter what day you leave? Or do you have very specific days set in stone? If you are dead set in the days you travel the Venture might be a better bet since an airline will most likely not have a saver award on the day you want.

 

 

Now I don't know about the cost and how many miles for Jamaica and the carribean but I have went though a similar question myself of what card I want. I'll walk you through how I decided that the Venture is my goal over an airline card.

 

My reward goal is free flights to europe. Once I build up my credit enough to get a prime card of course. Looking at the airlines my only two choices are United and American since my home airport is small. The times I will be flying to europe would be primarily during off peak travel times, like November - April. Plus as a big soccer fan european leagues take place during that time. US Soccer plays in europe anytime during the year though.

 

Where the Venture really shines over airline miles is for domestic travel. International travel and the edge starts going toward airline cards.

 

 

I'll give you an example I worked out. Right now flights round trip from my home airport to London england are about 700 dollars a month or two in advance. Lets say I want that flight free and want to spend the least amount to get it.

 

With Cap One Venture it would take 70,000 "miles" to get that free flight. Yes I know taxes and government fees apply but I am only looking at the base fare, with an airline card you still have to pay the fees as well so comparing base fares is the only fair way.

 

70,000 cap 1 miles = 35,000 dollars spent.

 

The same flight is available on American airlines AAdvantage for 40,000 miles. The Citi AA card earns 1 mile per dollar. United has the flight for 60,000 miles year round since they dont have off peak mileage awards, which would be 60,000 dollars spent on their card.

 

40,000 AA miles = 40,000 dollars spent.

 

So in this particular case the Venture card edges out the airline card.

 

There are also times I have seen the same flight for 1,100 dollars. In which case redeeming airline miles is the better deal. However if you are someone who shops around for the best deal and plans in advance, and has flexible travel dates you will usually be able to find a good fare, which would almost always take less capital one spending over an airline card.

 

 

However if the spending on each card is roughly equal to earn the free flight, one thing you need to look at is what perks come with the card of the airline of your choice? I know both United and Delta have cards where you get your first bag free. If you are going for a week or longer, you will definitely have to check a bag. With Capital one you have to "break even" on the annual fee and then pay baggage fees when traveling. With an airline card with perks the money you save on bag fees wipes out the annual fee, and then some.

 

I can tell you since AA is my airline of choice they have off peak saver awards to Jamaica for 25,000 miles. regular saver awards are 35,000 miles. Which would be a good deal in my case since flights to Jamaica for me would cost 500-700 dollars. So if my goal was flights to Jamaica, I would go with the AA card, but that might obviously not work for you depending on your home airport.

Message 8 of 11
tntexans72
Valued Contributor

Re: EaRe: Which travel card?

Chase Sapphire Preferred has a 50,000 pts sign up right now...hard to beat that. This card has no FTF and if book through Chase Ultimate Rewards, your 50,000 pts will go 25% further and you'll get 2pts for each dollar by booking through Chase Ultimate rewards. Not to mention you'll get 7% dividend in points at the end of the year.

Venture is a great card with no restrictions but the signup bonus can't match Chase Sapphire Preferred.

There's another CC I can't think of right now from the top of my head that will give you a free companion ticket if you book a business class ticket for international flight. OP may chim in here.

 

Message 9 of 11
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: EaRe: Which travel card?

Oh yeah forgot about the chase saphire. One other benefit to the Saphire card is your points can transfer to many airline programs, I believe most airlines where Chase is the official partner.

 

Say for example you have 60,000 saphire points and it just happens to work better to redeem miles for a flight, those 60,000 points would transfer to 60,000 miles. So you can have the choice if the fare is low enough it might take less saphire points to redeem for the flight, if it takes more saphire points you can just transfer them to miles and redeem that way. Of course with the Saphire card you won't get any perks like priority boarding and free checked bags, and the annual fee is pretty steep at 95 dollars. If you make it your main card and spend enough to offset the annual fee, and with a goal of earning a free flight for two people to Jamaica every year you would need to spend quite a bit anyway so I would say the Chase Saphire card would be your best bet.

Message 10 of 11
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