Credit Cards

Category Archives for Credit Cards.

First-Ever 125K Bonus On Chase Sapphire Reserve—$4,950 In First-Year Value

by Gary Leff

Aug 21 2025

Chase Sapphire Reserve® (See rates and fees) Chase’s bonus offer to launch the refreshed Sapphire Reserve product has ended. I assumed we’d see fewer points on offer now, but that’s not what happened! Instead the new offer lets you earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s the most points that have ever been offered for a Sapphire card, period. The launch offer was 100,000 and a $500 travel portal credit after $5,000 in spend. This new offer is 25,000 more points, doesn’t include the travel credit, and requires $1,000 more spend to earn. Some of you will do the math and say the launch offer was bigger. However, It’s no longer available The travel credit required you to book through the portal, the…

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100,000 Miles, A Companion Award, And Status Credit: Alaska Airlines Enters The Premium Card Game For The First Time

by Gary Leff

Aug 20 2025

For Alaska Airlines customers who redeem points with a companion once a year, the annual companion award covers the cost of the annual fee completely. And this card is an Alaska Airlines tool – fee waivers, travel delay credits, points flexibility (family pooling, hotel transfers) and credit towards elite status.

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Amex CEO: We Used To Make Benefits Hard To Use—Now Reveals Plan For Even Higher Fees

by Gary Leff

Jul 20 2025

American Express still sees headroom to charge customers more, and make them feel o.k. with it by selling access to their cardmembers to adjacent brands in exchange for coupons and discounts. That strategy will work until they reach some theoretical limit – but they haven’t found it yet. As long as they keep promising you a somewhat better experience in aspirational portions of your life like travel, you will keep paying and keep spending on their cards.

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Finally, A Travel Portal Worth Using: Bilt Rewards Offers Direct Airline & Hotel Booking, Free Virtuoso Luxury Benefits

by Gary Leff

Jul 17 2025

Bilt Rewards has launched a new travel portal and it promises to fix everything customers hate about travel portals. In fact, it aims to actually make travel better and easier. At a minimum, they’re building along the right lines. And their new ‘Home Away From Home’ brings luxury travel benefits like Amex’s Fine Hotels and Resorts to their members without requiring an expensive credit card.

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Sapphire Reserve New $795 Overhaul: 100K Points & $500 Travel Credit Offer, Up To 8× Earn—The Definitive Verdict On Value

by Gary Leff

Jul 14 2025

The relaunched Chase Sapphire Reserve is now available. Those applying today get the new card value proposition right away. Here’s what I really think about the new card – as a standalone proposition, and about the changes for current Sapphire cardmembers. Should you get the card? Should you keep it?

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