A Travel and vacations forum. TravelBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » TravelBanter forum » Travelling Style » Air travel
Site Map Home Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Credit card for Infrequent Flier?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old April 8th, 2006, 06:19 PM posted to rec.travel.air
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Credit card for Infrequent Flier?

I don't fly much, perhaps once a year, almost always domestic and for
pleasure. I do use a credit card for about $20K/year, the one I use
gives no rewards.

I never carry a balance, don't want to pay an annual fee.

Which would be the best MC or Visa card to start accumulating miles?


Thanks, Rob

  #2  
Old April 8th, 2006, 06:28 PM posted to rec.travel.air
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Credit card for Infrequent Flier?


wrote in message
oups.com...
I don't fly much, perhaps once a year, almost always domestic and for
pleasure. I do use a credit card for about $20K/year, the one I use
gives no rewards.

I never carry a balance, don't want to pay an annual fee.

Which would be the best MC or Visa card to start accumulating miles?


Thanks, Rob


What is the nearest airport to you ?
And/or where do you want to fly ?
Who do you usually fly with ?


  #3  
Old April 8th, 2006, 06:54 PM posted to rec.travel.air
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Credit card for Infrequent Flier?

Sorry, I should have included that.

I usually fly out of NY LaGuardia for domestic flights but I can use
any of the local NY area airports.

In the past I have flown Continental, United and SW. Fligt are usually
to the western US but may also be to the Carribean and South America.

I also have about 5000 Continental miles from my last trip, anyway to
get these into play with a new card?


Thanks, Rob

  #4  
Old April 8th, 2006, 07:02 PM posted to rec.travel.air
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Credit card for Infrequent Flier?

Which would be the best MC or Visa card to start accumulating miles?

This may help considerably....

http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/31/pf/g...avel/index.htm


  #5  
Old April 8th, 2006, 08:28 PM posted to rec.travel.air
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Credit card for Infrequent Flier?

Which would be the best MC or Visa card to start accumulating miles?

My wife and I just got back from a trip to Belize. Tickets were a no-charge
points ticket from our Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) Air Canada
Aeroplan Visa card. (I realize this doesn't apply for you - It's just for
example's sake).

It pays 1:1 (1 dollar = 1 Aeroplan mile), with select restaurants and other
paying 1:2.

IMHO, the trick with these cards is to put EVERYTHING on them. We are
religious about this. _ANY_ purchase over $5 goes on the card, including
phone bills, groceries, lunch, fuel etc. and we pay the card off in full
each month.

2 or three times a year they provide me with "visa cheques" which provide 1
aeroplan mile for each $2 written on the cheque. Again, we use these
cheques for big ticket items.

I believe if you have the strength of will to behave in this fashion (i.e.
put EVERYTHING on the card) you can accrue points fairly quickly and earn
some free travel.

If on the other hand you "hate" credit, don't use the card for EVERYTHING
(i.e. "I could never pay for groceries on credit"), use multiple credit
cards (i.e. gas company card, dept. store card) instead of putting EVERY
purchase on ONE card, or lack the willpower to pay it off in full each month
then they're not worth the fee.

If you're not the kind of person who can plan rewards travel 6-8 months in
advance these cards are not for you. Ticket availability is often very
restricted so you generally need to plan your holidays FAR in advance.

Also, stay away from the cards that collect points "for use on any airline."
You wind up collecting points in two buckets - The points from the airlines
where you buy tickets and the points from the credit cards.

Just my two bits.

Geoff Glave
Vancouver, Canada


  #6  
Old April 9th, 2006, 06:30 PM posted to rec.travel.air
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Credit card for Infrequent Flier?

Like an earlier poster, unless you are charging quite a bit on one
card, the annual fee card, with miles, is not worth it. However, the
Chase bank MC gives some miles for some purchases, and it is no fee. I
mostly use Discover for the one percent bonus. It is on my frequent
flier card and two hotel chain memberships. I'll take that cashback
bonus each year, and can even double the amount through sdome of their
listed merchants (not many). I then 'discovered' by accident that some
restaurant charges on Discover add miles to my account.

  #7  
Old April 12th, 2006, 12:54 PM posted to rec.travel.air
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Credit card for Infrequent Flier?

In article .com,
" wrote:

I don't fly much, perhaps once a year, almost always domestic and for
pleasure. I do use a credit card for about $20K/year, the one I use
gives no rewards.

I never carry a balance, don't want to pay an annual fee.

Which would be the best MC or Visa card to start accumulating miles?


If you don't fly much, using a credit card that's tied to air milage
does not make much sense. There are better deals out there for people in
your situation. If I were you, I would shop around and find the credit
card offer that offers the most favorable rebate terms.

A great web site to use for credit card shopping is
http://www.bankrate.com
  #8  
Old April 13th, 2006, 04:51 AM posted to rec.travel.air
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Credit card for Infrequent Flier?

On 8 Apr 2006 10:19:35 -0700 in rec.travel.air,
" wrote:

I don't fly much, perhaps once a year, almost always domestic and for
pleasure. I do use a credit card for about $20K/year, the one I use
gives no rewards.

I never carry a balance, don't want to pay an annual fee.

Which would be the best MC or Visa card to start accumulating miles?


If you live on the left coast, Bank of America/Alaska Airlines
Visa. You have to have a frequent flyer account with AS, which
is simply filling out a form.

You can apply at www.alaskaair.com


  #9  
Old April 16th, 2006, 02:55 PM posted to rec.travel.air
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Credit card for Infrequent Flier?

If you fly only once a year, and want to accumulate points, a FF card will
be next to useless.

Try getting a no-fee card - the money you save will pay more for a ticket
than your miles will.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I don't fly much, perhaps once a year, almost always domestic and for
pleasure. I do use a credit card for about $20K/year, the one I use
gives no rewards.

I never carry a balance, don't want to pay an annual fee.

Which would be the best MC or Visa card to start accumulating miles?


Thanks, Rob



 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
rec.travel.europe FAQ Yves Bellefeuille Europe 0 March 20th, 2006 06:33 AM
rec.travel.europe FAQ Yves Bellefeuille Europe 0 February 18th, 2006 06:27 AM
rec.travel.europe FAQ Yves Bellefeuille Travel - anything else not covered 0 February 18th, 2006 06:27 AM
rec.travel.europe FAQ Yves Bellefeuille Europe 0 January 18th, 2006 06:49 AM
rec.travel.europe FAQ Yves Bellefeuille Travel - anything else not covered 0 January 18th, 2006 06:49 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:12 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 TravelBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.