Off Topic - Airline and Credit Card Recommendations?

[flyboy08]

Google...the points guy....his website is full of info on this topic with detailed card to card comparison.

 

[ajtoady]

Me,,,I'm all about the CASH!!!! Points not so much. I carry two cards, Capital One Sparks business, 2% cash back unlimited! My average job on the road I can run about $30 grand thru it. My other that I just got, I left Chase and the miles game, Capital one Savor,,,3% cash back on meals and groceries, 1.5% all else, unlimited. NO fees on either. However to each his, or her, own.

 

[outofofficebrb]

If you're flying to a specific destination in Asia for your LOB, how many airline choices do you have? Even from LAX, there are only so many ways to arrive in, say, Jakarta, on a specific date.

As for credit cards, if I recall, frequent LOB traveler @outofofficebrb has touted the Chase Sapphire Reserve for its travel insurance and other benefits. If you frequently travel on a particular airline, you may want a co-branded card. I use a Delta co-branded Amex card.

Yes.

Expensive annual fee but once you add up the benefits, the net annual fee is low and reasonable given the benefits and travel coverage for interruption and cancellation. Travel merchants and restaurants count as 3X. Free Priority Pass membership, free Global Entry, and you also get a $300 travel credit each year. I usually end up spending that on parking, tolls, liveaboard deposits, etc. The points can be transferred to quite a few airline partners for use 1:1. United, for example, can then be used to book travel on Star Alliance partners. There are others including One World.

Points can be used to book hotels or flights. For flights you can basically book any ticket if it is available for purchase with cash. No blackout dates and games. You can even earn frequent flier points for those tickets sometimes. Points deducted from the account are based on ticket price. I also use a Chase Freedom card and only spend in bonus categories on that card that give you 5X points then transfer them to my Reserve account. I just bought a ticket recently for about 50K points that was retail about $800 USD including taxes. If I had used my airline points or transferred them over, it would have cost 80K points. As you can see, the 5X and 3X points is attractive, especially as you aren’t locked into a specific airline for this card as you would for many other frequent traveler cards.

I’ve claimed trip interruption with them before and was paid out. Great customer service and no silly phone trees to navigate. They pretty much pick up right away.

I have United Premier Platinum/Star Alliance Gold and don’t use their own credit card. Granted, I don’t need to qualify for status every year but I still find the Chase Sapphire Reserve a better option. I bank my miles with UA but generally don’t spend it on UA. More often than not I go through Chase.

 

[JulieM]

Another vote for Chase Sapphire Reserve. Have used Priority Pass in Europe and also Las Vegas, LAX international, and Chicago.

 

[DiveRD]

Thanks for all the great tips! I decided to pick up the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Called in to get my card expedited and should get to me in 3-5 business days.