Hello All,
Before the pandemic hit I was starting to look for travel cards (travel points, airlines, hotels, etc.) to apply for next. What are some of your favorites and recommendations? I was looking into the Chase sapphire reserve, delta gold, and amex platinum among others.
Right now we only fly once a year, but we travel a lot by car to campgrounds and attractions. So once the NFCU Flagship SUB is back (hopefully next quarter) and I'm eligible to apply for my 3rd card with them, that will be my travel card until we start traveling more internationally/by air.
My go to right now is the CSP. I like my CSP when traveling because of the primary rental car coverage. I also like both the Chase shopping portal and Chase offers for the extra cashback on other purchases that help keep me utilizing the card at 2x or greater. I've never used it for a 1x purchase.
My BoA PR though... it will eventually replace my CSP. When I hit the first level of preferred rewards, I'll probably put the CSP in the SD and only use it for the shopping portal/offers and when renting a car. At the first level of preferred rewards, the BoA PR will earn more (I don't use the Chase travel portal). Currently, my BoA is in the SD and only used for the incidental airline fees.... which I probably won't get to redeem this year since my business trip was cancelled and I don't have any leisure trips by plane planned.
Both cards are ones that I would recommend.
@MT936 wrote:Before the pandemic hit I was starting to look for travel cards (travel points, airlines, hotels, etc.) to apply for next. What are some of your favorites and recommendations? I was looking into the Chase sapphire reserve, delta gold, and amex platinum among others.
IMO, the context question could be important (or not) depending on profile. There are some excellent travel cards out there that can be useful by a variety of profiles. For less frequent travelers, there are some great choices in the $0 to $250 AF range that might be more appropriate than a premium card in the $400 to $550 AF range. Interesting that you mentioned one in the lower and two in the upper range.
AMEX Platinum can be a great card for the right person, but consideration needs to be made if your spend and travel will offset enough of the high $550 AF. It best fits those who fly often, who pay for a lot of airfare themselves, and who value the best card on the market for airport lounges. Paying for airfare not only gets you the 5x MR points on those purchases but allows you to fully use the $200 airline fee credit as long as the bulk of your flights are on one primary airline since you have to designate in advance. Bonus points if you stay at a lot of Hiltons or Marriotts since this card gives you automatic elite status. More bonus points if you already use UBER regularly and can apply the $200 credits without generating additional spending. This card was not a good fit for my profile but I appreciate what it has to offer those who can better use it.
AMEX Delta Gold (or any other airline or hotel specific card) would work well only if that is a brand you patron very often and perhaps have elite status. But why the Gold instead of the Platinum or Reserve if you're considering this card? Those would come closer to mirroring your other choices.
I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve and it fits me best, even with the same $550 AF as the AMEX Platinum. It earns 3x UR points (3%) on travel (in general) and dining out, and I usually dine out often. I like the flexibility of the travel definitions and the fact that it's not brand-specific to one airline or hotel. A lot of my travel is not simply flight or airport-centered. This card has a wide definition of travel that includes not only flights and hotels but also expenses such as rental cars, taxis and limos, cruises, parking and tolls, trains, buses, ferries, and campgrounds. The first annual travel-related charges up to $300 are automatically credited to your account. Getting the credits the last two years have been quick and easy. There are additional credits for TSA Global Entry, DoorDash, and Lyft. The Roadside Assistance is equivalent to a basic AAA plan since it not only coordinates support but also credits the first $50 per call up to 4x annually. (Value about $55 AF in my area.) Airport Priority Pass lounge access is included, one of the networks also offered by AMEX Platinum but AMEX has other networks and more locations. Primary Rental Car coverage is included for no additional fee unlike some other cards including the Platinum, so if there is a claim your personal auto policy deductible or changes to your insurance rates will not be affected. Not only that, but through Visa as a Visa Infinite product, the overall trip protections are some of the best-in-class. (See my link below on a previous posting I made.) Like AMEX, Chase has special offers (similar to one-time use electronic coupons) that can be redeemed through the app or website. If you choose to redeem your UR points through the Chase UR portal, you get a 50% bonus so I effectively get at least 4.5% in UR point valuation on travel and dining-out. Like AMEX, Chase has airline and hotel travel partners where points can be transferred for up to approximately 2 ccp value, similar to AMEX Platinum, although AMEX has more partners. You also have the option of a lower-value cash redemption at 1ccp, but that is still above what you get on the standard AMEX Platinum at about 6/10 ccp. I notice you already have the Freedom card, so you can transfer your earnings in UR points from Freedom to CSR where your 5% quarterly category becomes redeemable for 7.5% value in travel. Same if you add the Freedom Unlimited, which turns it into a flat-rate unlimited 2.25% cash back card. And same for the INK business cards. My INK Cash has no AF. I get 5% (redeemed for 7.5% UR) on my recurring home cellphone and internet-tv bills, as well as office supply stores up to $25K annually. Combining cards to maximize UR point value is nicknamed the bi-fecta, tri-fecta or quad-fecta. Even with the coronavirus, this card has still been quite useful to me and I plan to keep it for the long-haul. (Disclaimer: Chase did automatically offer me a $100 credit due to coronavirus changes to travel and my AF coming due soon, but I had planned to keep it anyway.)
See link for more comparisons on travel protections:
