Credit Cards for Earning Miles.
My favorite card is the Starwood American Express which lets you earn 1.25 points/dollar in pretty much any airline program you want. What’s more, it’s free the first year and only $30/yr thereafter. (And I’m editing the link in this post — 7/13/02 — to a new offer that includes 4000 Starwood points at signup.)
Right now, there is a truly special offer for signing up for the Northwest Visa (must act by July 15). 25,000 bonus miles for signup.
And you might as well carry a Visa and an Amex, right?
But here’s something that most people miss. Most good mileage earning cards have annual fees. How about the hotel cards? You can pick up a hotel credit card with no annual fee — and what’s more, they offer free bonus points just for signing up. There’s no reason not to sign up for all of them, pocket the bonus points, and either keep and cancel the card once those points post! What’s more, those points can be used for hotel stays or converted into frequent flyer points with most airlines.
- 10,000 bonus points for the free Priority Club Visa (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, etc.)
- 7,500 bonus points for the free Hilton American Express
- 10,000 bonus points for the free Hilton Visa (Yes, you can have the Visa and the AmEx and pocket the points for both)
- 10,000 bonus points for the free Marriott Visa
- 5,000 bonus points for the free Goldpoints Visa (Radisson)
Yes, I have pocketed the bonus points for all of these cards. They’re free. Why not?
