Anyone here get much benefit from airline “miles” credit cards?

September 05, 2022, 04:30 PM

I have two and for my life it’s worth it. I fly about once a month for work.

I also have a Hilton card and stay exclusively in Hilton’s for work.

Between this it pays for flights and hotel stays for one or two vacations a year.

September 05, 2022, 05:35 PM

fwbulldog

We don't do miles, but I do use a Fidelity card that gives 2% cash back on all purchases. I have the rewards set to deposit directly into my Fidelity investment account.

We use it everywhere I would use a debit card, and large purchases that allow credit cards. All my monthly bill paying (utilities/internet/cell/netflix, etc).

It's set to "auto pay" every month, but I usually log in every two weeks when I get paid and pay off the current balance (just to be safe).

September 05, 2022, 06:04 PM

Rey HRH

I've done my own taxes even before there were tax software available. Air mile points is too complicated for me. I do have a card that lets you convert reward points to airline miles and hotel stays and my wife arranged a weekend flight to Hawaii for us all on points.

"It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946.

September 05, 2022, 07:52 PM

scratchy

I have a Capital One card that accrues travel points. We generally pay it off every month and just used the point for airfare to Tahiti.

September 05, 2022, 11:57 PM

corsair

Travel/airline cards can be grouped into two groups: Premium and General

Premium would be the high-reward cards, I have a Chase Sapphire Reserve, there's also Amex Platinum, Citi Premier, Capitol One Venture X. There's a handful of difference/user types for each card but, the annual rate is high, the interest rate is high and the rewards are very flexible. Marriott and Hilton both have premium cards also. If you plan to travel a bunch, you currently eat out a fair amount and enjoy travel planning, these cards are worthwhile.

General cards would be those that you can travel and accrue points/miles but, not like the Premium Cards. Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capitol One Venture, Citi Costco, etc. There's A LOT of options at this level, annual rate is usually $90-125, interest rate will be high but, not horrible and the rewards work for most users. The above Premium cards will also have a more approachable card at this level with more reasonable rates. Much depends on what you want to do with it.

Airline or hotel specific cards, used in conjunction with one of the above, can cover all your major trip expenses. If you live near a specific airline's hub, where there's a high frequency of flights so options are plentiful, getting that company's card is probably the best move.

September 06, 2022, 02:55 PM

arfmel

My bride has an airline miles card. It’s great if you fly. We don’t anymore. I prefer “cash back” cards. Money talks.

September 06, 2022, 05:00 PM

smlsig

After I retired I started looking into maximizing our credit card usage (with the caveat that we pay them off every month).

By using what ever card is offering the best bonus this month etc. we have been able to fly business class on our overseas vacations. As an example we are planning on flying to Chile and Argentina in February and will be doing so with credit card miles….in Business Class.

Currently we are using the Venture X, and the CITI Black card for American Airlines as well as an occasional Hilton Honors Amex.

It has worked well for us.