I am looking to make a trip to Dubai next year and I am currently looking for the best deal. I fly Delta and I always stay at Marriott and I have both AMEX cards for Delta and Marriott, so I could use them but I realize a package might be cheaper.
Most cards require the use of the card issuer's travel portal to gain the most benefit in terms of rewards, but is there a general card you would recommend that gives you the best of both worlds (hotel + flight) when you book a package (say through expedia)?
Both AMEX and Chase have their own travel portals thought, kind of restricting you to use them to get any value of the cards.
@notmyrealname23 wrote:Chase Sapphire Reserve or AMEX Green is 3x travel, broad category.
@NRB525 wrote:
@CreditPacMan wrote:Both AMEX and Chase have their own travel portals thought, kind of restricting you to use them to get any value of the cards.
@notmyrealname23 wrote:Chase Sapphire Reserve or AMEX Green is 3x travel, broad category.
Wut? The CSR and AMEX Green each get 3x of UR or MR points, respectively, for travel of almost any kind. Airfare, hotels, rental cars, road tolls, ferries, cruises... So an Expedia booking should get three points on each of these cards.
There may be other, additional points for using the card to pay in the Chase Travel Portal.
Let me rephrase, these cards come with high AF with the promise of higher rewards when using their travel portals. So the "Other" category is obviously not what applicants look for in these cards.
I just don't know of any cards that offer a good return on generic travel purchases without the heavy burden of a high AF or the fact that "other" is not the main category.
The US Bank Altitude Connect has 4x points back on travel including airlines, hotels, and car rentals (5x if booked via their travel portal) for a $95 annual fee. So its up there, but not nearly as high an annual fee as some of the other travel cards. Other US Bank cards like the Cash+ and Altitude Go have 5% back on travel if booked through their portal. Those ones don't have an annual fee, but I don't think those are exactly what you are looking for. Unfortunately, US Bank is known to be stingy with their approvals and starting limits.
Good Luck!
@DakotaM Thanks I'll check them out. I've opened 5 accounts in the past 8 months so US bank will probably deny an application from me but at least I know it's an option for when I'm ready to book my travels.