Category Archives for Credit Cards.
American Airlines has two card issuers, Citibank and Barclays. I have (3) different American Airlines credit cards. One of those cards has a weird new perk, and it’s more versatile than I initially realized.
Back in December I wrote that based on local documents that had been uncovered the current The Club space at the Phoenix airport’s terminal 4 B concourse would be expanded and turned into two lounges, an Escape Lounge and an American Express Centurion lounge. I’ve been tracking progress on this project for over a year.
American Express is now confirming details of the Phoenix lounges, and providing renderings.
The question, I think, is whether the feature will be used in the future to pre-reserve a limited number of spaces in the lounge. It’s the only way I can see this feature being useful at all.
Now that Barclays has pulled new applications for the Arrival Plus card from the market, as they re-evaluation their branded card (and lending) strategy, what are the best Barclays credit card options?
There are some gems in the portfolio, and in fact the one card I feel like I missed out on is a Barclays product.
Last week American Express added Qantas Frequent Flyer as a Membership Rewards transfer partner.
Normally points transfer 1:1 from American Express to Qantas in 500 point increments. However through June 30 they’re offering a 20% bonus on transfers from American Express to Qantas.
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card and Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business cardholders gained the ability to transfer to airline frequent flyer miles late last year.
At the time Capital One shared they’d be adding airline points transfer partners. And when they ran an Emirates miles transfer bonus in March they shared that there would be more transfer bonuses to come. They added JetBlue as a transfer partner, and highlighted it with a transfer bonus in May.
American Express Membership Rewards points now transfer to Qantas. Points transfer 1:1 in 500 point increments instead of the usual 1000. Qantas is also a transfer partner of Capital One and Citibank, so there are plenty of ways to get and pool points into Qantas Frequent Flyer for US customers.
Citibank pulled out of advanced negotiations with Apple to be the new issuer of a co-brand card that will now launch from Goldman Sachs this summer. According to a report “J.P. Morgan Chase, Barclays and Synchrony, also bid on the business.”
One bank staffer is said to have texted a Goldman Sachs executive, “Dude, if that portfolio ever makes money, I’m buying you a beer.”
American Express confirmed that Priority Pass cards they provide to customers will no longer provide a dining credit at airport restaurants effective August 1.
That naturally leads to a great deal of speculation about whether other card issuers will do the same thing. Here’s what I’ve uncovered.
American Express has confirmed to me that U.S.-based cards offering Priority Pass will no longer provide credit in participating airport restaurants going forward.
Effective August 1 “the Priority Pass Membership benefit offered on American Express Platinum and Centurion Cards and Hilton Ascend, Hilton Aspire, and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ Cards will no longer include complimentary access to non-lounge airport experiences.”
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 »
