I logged into my USAA account today and was browsing products and noticed I had a new offer for a new credit card with USAA called the Eagle Navigator Visa Signature card. I have never heard of this card before so wanted to post about it. The account has a 95.00 annual fee and comes with 3% back on travel and 2% back on anything else that isn't travel, however it looks like if you redeem for cash back you get a little less (70 per 100 worth of points).
Cash back can be redeemed into a USAA banking account or as a credit to your credit card account.
The travel category seems to include many services that are considered travel so this may be a good travel credit card for some that spend a lot on that category. It also comes with these bonus rewards...Up to $100 TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry® credit every four years and Annual 10,000 bonus points (equals $100 in travel) after booking hotel or car through the USAA Rewards Center. It also has auto rental collision damage waiver insurance and several other travel related insurances when travel is booked with the card. Cell phone protection is also included when you pay your monthly bill with this card.
And to all the travel card experts out there, does this card look any good?
If anyone has any additional information about this card, or any experience with it, please post any information you have about it for people it may help in the future. Thanks in advance 
Hmm, looks like an inferior version of the NFCU Flagship Rewards. You get the same 3x on travel / 2x everything else with $100 TSA Precheck/Global Entry credit but for $49 instead of $95 annual fee. Not to mention they cover a year of Prime occassionally too. 
@user979797 wrote:I logged into my USAA account today and was browsing products and noticed I had a new offer for a new credit card with USAA called the Eagle Navigator Visa Signature card ...
And to all the travel card experts out there, does this card look any good?
Thanks for the heads-up on the new USAA Eagle Navigator card, @user979797. This looks like a pretty decent lower-AF travel card, IMO. I can see arguments both for and against it but it offers a good value for the $95 AF.
This card reminds me of the potential value of the Bank of America (original) Premium Rewards card where the $95 AF is completely offset by easy credits and additional value added back into your hands, even with very little usage of the card. Personally, I think that can make it a "keeper" as it's harmless to hold onto even if it's more of a backup card.
- (+) $95 AF
- ... less 10,000 points ($100 travel value) = (-) $5
- ... less TSA Global Entry credit (average $25 annually) = (-) $30
- Like Premium Rewards, they are paying you $30 in value if you keep the card and use it for at least $100 annually on a travel portal hotel or rental car reservation; and if you purchase TSA Global Entry once every four years ($100/4 = $25 average annually.)
- This makes it cheaper up-front to carry than a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which only rebates $50 annually of the $95 AF when hotel purchases are made in-portal, yielding an effective AF of $45 versus -$30 for USAA.
The "wild card" to me is if the travel portal, where the best redemption value is found, is market-competitive or if it is more expensive. Redemption-wise, the 0.7 cpp for cash redemption is disappointing so that means if the travel portal isn't market compeitive, this would greatly diminish the value of the card. The 2x points on everything else would be worth 1.4 cpp in cash and the 3x points on travel would be worth only 2.1 cpp in cash. Meh. Travel redemption would need to be the goal. Compared to the Navy FCU Flagship Rewards, the rewards structure lags for cash redemption since NFCU would pay 1 cpp minimum or 2% cash back value as a baseline.
The value that USAA gives in their travel portal, compared to CSP, becomes even more important since CSP gives 25% more value for travel portal purchases and offers many transfer partners for additional value. USAA has no partners.
Another upfront negative that I see is that there is no SUB. 
For example, compared to the Chase Sapphire Preferred (also a $95 AF) with a 60K UR SUB, you're starting out $600 in cash behind (or $750+ in travel redemptions.) Also, the Navy FCU Flagship Rewards has a $400 value SUB and a lower $49 AF.
Benefit-wise, it offers a pretty good collection of travel protections for a $95 AF card. Secondary rental car CDW (same as NFCU FSR, as opposed to primary CDW for CSP.) Travel accidental death/dismemberment insurance of up to $500K (none on CSP, $1M on Chase Sapphire Reserve; $250K on NFCU FSR in comparison.) Trip cancellation of $1500 per person (CSP offers $10K per person; none on NFCU FSR.) Baggage Delay Insurance (starting at 4 hours for up to 3 days versus CSP starting at 6 hours for up to 5 days.) Cellphone protection (not available on CSP or NFCU FSR.) Comparable Purchase Security for theft or damage in first 90 days up to $1K per claim/$10K per cardholder versus CSP and NFCU FSR - $500 per claim and $50K per account. Comparable Extended Warranty coverage extension on both USAA and CSP for warranties of no more than three years. (Not offered on NFCU FSR.) Travel and Emergency Assistance available on all three cards. CSP does offer a TRIP delay benefit when trip is delayed more than 12 hours - up to $500 per claim. All three cards offer no FTF, which would be important in a travel card. And NFCU FSR has a *LOST* (not delayed) baggage reimbursement of up to $3,000 per trip.
The travel category appears fairly generous, even including third-party websites:
The Travel category includes Qualifying Purchases made at businesses that are included in a merchant category identified as: airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, vacation rentals, cruise lines, travel agencies, third party travel websites (including the USAA Rewards Center), car rental agencies, taxis, rideshares, limousines, buses, ferries, boat rentals, parking lots, parking meters and garages, tolls and bridge fees, passenger trains, campgrounds, recreational trailer parks, motor home and recreational vehicle rentals, truck and trailer rentals.
Points don't expire as long as the card is open. Minimum redemptions may apply, but USAA isn't completely transparent about what those are in the language. ( ... each available reward benefit may require a minimum number of Points to be redeemed to receive the reward benefit. Minimums, as well as any additional terms, conditions, disclosures, and agreements that apply will be available before you redeem. The minimum number of Points required may vary significantly by reward benefit, is subject to change without notice and is not guaranteed until you redeem your Points.)
In some ways, this card reminds me of the Navy FCU Flagship Rewards with 2x/3x earnings and a low AF. Depending on if NFCU continues to offer Amazon Prime credits, the USAA card may have a better credit system against the AF even though their AF is higher ($95 versus $49.) USAA Eagle Navigator has better benefits IMO, however.
For someone who is looking for a low-cost travel card that they can use as a daily driver, I'd say this is a competitive solution.
@Aim_High Thank you so much for such a thoughtful and detailed review of some of the cards features with pros and cons.
I could see this being a great card for people who may prefer to bank with USAA and have a need for a decent travel card with it's travel categories and insurances.
@CreditCuriosity wrote:Ya not really sure where this fits into market segment honestly as CSP is superior to this card as 1CPP is 1CPP and partner and transfer Bonus and Primary rental car and sign-up bonus etc .. I guess if someone burnt chase or other reasons I just don't see it being that special personally. Sure the AF is offset somewhat either by global entry/tsa and points, but points aren't 1cpp, etc. I don't see it being a substitute for say CSP/CSR nor is the flagship imho. Although if it makes a person happy then that is all that is important i the end.
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@user979797 wrote:
@Aim_High Thank you so much for such a thoughtful and detailed review of some of the cards features with pros and cons.
I could see this being a great card for people who may prefer to bank with USAA and have a need for a decent travel card with it's travel categories and insurances.
I'm glad it was helpful, @user979797. Those cards (Chase Sapphire Preferred and NFCU Flagship Rewards) were just two of the cards in that niche that I would consider competitors, but they provided a good framework to contrast features and benefits of that card segment. For frequent travelers, there are certainly better cards. I believe this one is aimed more at the casual traveler or one who is more AF-averse. While the high AF cards are expensive, they pack a LOT more value for the right person. But these cards are a good compromise for many consumers and have more universal appeal.
I agree with @CreditCuriosity that CSP is superior in many aspects, although not all. With CSP, it would tilt the scale if you're using travel partners, if the 25% portal bonus gets better redemption value for you with Chase, or if someone was using CSP significantly for the potential enhanced earnings for travel portal purchases. But the CSP is limited for the 1.0 cpp earnings for uncategorized spend when rewards are redeemed for cash at 1%. If cash redemption is a priority, I would couple the CSP with at least a CFU for 1.5% on everyday spend or a 2% card from another issuer.
The USAA Eagle Navigator would definitely be good for those who already bank with USAA or may have burnt relationships with other lenders such as Chase. And like the NFCU FSR, for someone who wanted a low-cost travel rewards card to work as a simple daily driver, I could see the Eagle Navigator being a competitive option.
I noted that USAA says that I am "preselected" for their cards including Eagle Navigator, but not sure how solid their preselections. They closed my Rate Advantage card in March due to inactivity, and I've considered adding another one back at some point. However, my application velocity has been pretty high for the last 12 months so I'm hesitant. I'm currently 6/12 for personal cards and 8/12 including business cards. 
(See >this last approval post< for my approvals/dates.) I'm honestly surprised I haven't gotten any denials in the past 12 months!
