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New JetBlue Credit Cards: Which One is Best?
You can now apply for three new JetBlue credit cards: the no annual fee JetBlue Card, and the $99 annual fee JetBlue Plus and JetBlue Business cards. I’ll compare the benefits of each card so you can decide which is best for you. JetBlue recently moved their credit card branding partnership from American Express to Barclays. Those customers who had the old American Express version have been automatically transferred to a new Barclays JetBlue Rewards card with fees and benefits that are similar to those that were offered by their old American Express version. You can’t apply for that “replacement” card, however this week, Barclays began to accept applications for…
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Should You Pay the Annual Fee for the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) provides a number of additional benefits that the Chase Freedom card doesn’t offer. However, those extras come at a cost. After being waived the first year, the annual fee of $95 will kick in. Is it worth paying? I’ll walk you through the extra benefits and do the math for you with a calculator at the end of this article. The premise behind this exercise is that you are deciding whether to keep your CSP and pay the annual fee or downgrade it to a Freedom card to save the $95 (or simply cancel if you already have a Freedom). To make this determination, my calculator requires only 4 variables:…
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Amex SPG 35k Signup Bonus for Limited Time
American Express is offering a limited time increased signup bonus for its Starwood Preferred Guest Personal and Business credit cards. You can get 35,000 bonus Starpoints after you use the new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. The signup bonus is normally 25,000 Starpoints and I’ve only seen it as high as 30,000 in the past. This limited time offer ends March 30, 2016. Starpoints are a favorite for travelers not just because they have high value when you redeem at Starwood properties like Sheraton, Westin, and W Hotels. Starpoints can also be transferred directly to miles in your frequent flyer program with a 1:1 Starpoints-to-miles exchange rate…
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Increased Signup Bonuses for Hilton Credit Cards
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the merits of the various Hilton branded credit cards. That article also describes the Hilton HHonors points program and its benefits, as well as links to each hotel broken down by reward level. Since then, limited time increased signup bonuses are now available for three of the four cards. Here are the new offers and links to get the better bonuses. These are not referral links–I am not compensated in any way when you click through. Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card Regular Bonus: 40,000 HHonors Points after spending $1,000 in the first 4 months. New Bonus: 75,000 HHonors Points after spending $2,000 in the first…
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Which Credit Card Should You Get if you Stay at Hilton Hotels
There are well over 4000 Hilton hotels and resorts worldwide, across brands ranging from luxurious (Waldorf Astoria) to moderately priced (Hampton Hotels). With such a large global footprint, travelers will often find a Hilton property to be a convenient and comfortable choice for their lodging. The Hilton HHonors program rewards loyal guests with benefits and the ability to earn points that can be redeemed for free nights and, like most loyalty programs, there’s no cost to sign up. You can also earn HHonors points and elite status from certain affiliated credit cards. We’ll go through the benefits of each one, so you can find the card (or combination of cards) that best…
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Miles and Points Programs Expiration Rules – What You Need to Know
Cash back and rewards points earned in credit card programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards, don’t expire as long as you keep your card open. However, when you transfer those points to your airline frequent flier or hotel loyalty account, they become subject to the terms and conditions of those programs, and may expire if you don’t use them. Flexibility is one thing that makes credit card travel rewards points so valuable–they can be transferred to many different partners at will. As a rule, in order to retain that flexibility, you shouldn’t transfer any more points than you need to book a flight or stay.…
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Do Credit Card Points Expire? Not if You’re Careful
You’ve earned all those credit card rewards points from spending and sign up bonuses, it would be a shame to lose them. The good news is that these points typically don’t expire, but if you’re not careful, you can accidentally forfeit them. Read on to make sure that doesn’t happen. Cash back credit cards are consistent and fairly straightforward: your cash-back credits won’t expire as long as your account is open. If your card has no annual fee, there’s no reason to cancel it… Ever! There is no downside to keeping a free credit card account active–even if you rarely use it–and it will help your credit score at the same…
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How to Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Travel Partners
Do you want to get the best value from your Chase Ultimate Rewards points? As I wrote in Chase Sapphire Preferred 50k Bonus Points – How to Use Them Best, the greatest value can be realized when you transfer them to airline frequent flier and hotel loyalty accounts. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process. Introduction The Ultimate Rewards travel transfer option that I’ll be explaining is only available if you have a Sapphire Preferred , Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Plus business card. If you only hold a Chase Freedom, Freedom Unlimited or Ink Cash card, you’ll need to add a premium card to your wallet in order to take advantage of…
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Credit Card Travel Benefits: Worth More Than You Think!
Learning how to leverage your good credit score to obtain multi-benefit credit cards can be daunting, but when it comes to travel, this is where your hard work can really pay off. First-class family travel for free? Yes, it IS possible…here’s my recent example: Last month, my wife, my teenage daughter, and I took a trip to Phoenix for a few days of sun and fun in the desert–at almost NO COST. We also included a day trip to Sedona and the Grand Canyon, both places that we had never been to before. The flights and hotel were paid for using points. This kept the cash outlay for the trip limited to…
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Chase Sapphire Preferred 50k Bonus Points – How to Use Them Best
For a limited time, Chase Sapphire Preferred is offering an increased sign up bonus of 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points (normally 40,000) after spending $4,000, PLUS another 5,000 points when you add an authorized user and make a purchase. This makes one of Chase’s most popular travel rewards cards even more valuable–if you use the points wisely. Before you even consider applying for this card, it’s important to note that Chase has been denying applications if you’ve had more than 5 new credit cards appear on your credit report in the last 24 months–regardless of your credit score. If someone has added you as an authorized user on their card, that…
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