Category Archives for Credit Cards.
10,000 Marriott points don’t go very far on their own, so this isn’t something to stretch for. But if you have a Marriott card, or more than one (I have two, generating 40 elite nights per year), you might as well register. And if you spend money on these cards more points are far better than fewer points.
“Which program is best” can be a bit like “who was the better ballplayer, Ted Williams or Mickey Mantle?” We may not settle it definitively, but we can get pretty close I think and the thinking process can help you figure out which program is the right one for you.
Did you know that American Airlines has its own credit card, aside from the Barclays and Citibank-issued AAdvantage cards?
The American Airlines Credit Card stopped taking applications in May. It’s a credit card used only for purchases with American. In other words, it’s a store card like a Macy’s credit card or a Best Buy card.
The update to the premium Citi AAdvantage Executive product which goes into effect July 23 seems like a step backwards for consumers. But it’s a step backwards for Citibank, also.
At some banks the controls may have been insufficient, and too many fake accounts were opened for real customers, to earn bonuses or other incentives for employees. But, as with all things, the optimal amount of fraud is not zero.
Back in the fall I wrote that Citi would be ending the benefit of no annual fee authorized users with Admirals Club access, and likely raising the annual fee on the card itself as well. The ability for a single $450 annual fee to generate 11 cards (primary plus up to 10 authorized user cards) each with the ability to enter Admirals Clubs and also bring up to two guests was simply too good a deal.
Sometimes a question really just gets it. Is the Bilt World Elite Mastercard too good to be true?? How can they make money giving so much to cardmembers?
Two Americans vacationing in Costa Rica were charged $29,994.33 for one Uber ride. It was supposed to be 29,994 a single Uber ride due to a suspected currency conversion error. The couple claims that the cost of the ride should have been 29,994 Costa Rican Colón – or US$55.16.
Complaining to Uber, they were told to contact their bank. The bank says Uber’s the one who charged them this way. And since they paid via debit card, their bank account has been fully drained. They shared their story having made it to Guatemala with “no access to funds” for their five year anniversary.
You’re losing up to 4,166 points per month if you rent and do not have a Bilt Mastercard. This card offers something literally no other card does and it can mean a huge difference in your points balance.
A coalition could form to make this legislation viable by bundling rules that would prevent card issuers from discriminating against guns and other disfavored businesses.
At a minimum, Republican legislators concerned about movement in the direction of banning certain types of transactions from incumbent card networks could lead them to support legislation they believe reduces the relative power of those networks.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
