Educational Posts on Loyalty Programs

Reward credit cards have become commonplace as banks and credit card companies use these perks to draw in customers, so it’s easy to forget exactly what they exist to reward in the first place.

Who Is American Express Membership Rewards Good For?

Like Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards is a transfer program. It’s not intrinsically tied to any one hotel or airline, so accruing points with it allows you to redeem for a wide variety of travel options.

I’ve seen it time and time again.
Your friends do it.
You see them doing it and enjoying it!
And you get curious.

Who Is American Airlines AAdvantage Good For?

Long a favorite among frequent flyers, American Airlines AAdvantage has garnered the Freddie Awards (the top honor for frequent flyer programs) for the Program of the Year and the Best Elite Program for three years straight. But it’s in a really interesting position these days for two reasons: its merger with US Airways and the huge changes going on with the United and Delta programs.

When it comes to earning miles for fabulous and nearly free vacations, don’t limit yourself in the ways in which you earn those precious miles. Sure, flying nets plenty of miles, as do credit-card sign-ups, but there are tons of everyday ways to build up your cache of miles or points. Something as simple as grocery shopping for your family can help you achieve your goal to fly somewhere for free or get a few free nights at a hotel.

Who Is Starwood Preferred Guest Good For?

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) is much more than it seems. On the surface, it looks like a simple hotel program, not much different than the reward program run by other industry heavyweights like Hyatt, Hilton or Marriott. But Starwood’s currency, Starpoints, actually unlocks a world of travel far beyond hotels.

There was a time when transcontinental travelers dreaded the flight from New York to Los Angeles or San Francisco. Aircraft comfort and amenities seemed to be going downhill. That’s changed.

Who Is Barclaycard Arrival Good For?

The newest travel award program on the scene, Barclaycard Arrival, takes a very different approach than Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards. There are no transfer partners. No bonuses when you redeem for travel with airlines or hotels. Just use your miles to pay for travel directly.

There has been a lot of talk lately about a shift in the industry to revenue-based frequent flyer programs, where travelers are awarded miles based on the cost of the ticket and not the number of miles flown.

Who Is Delta SkyMiles Good For?

Delta has been taking flak from frequent flyers for years, for a variety of valid reasons: Their awards are much harder to come by than those of most major domestic airlines; you cant book one-way awards without a huge penalty; and its often a huge time suck to find the award you want to book on their website.

When it comes to buying airline tickets with a credit card and earning extra bonus miles or points while you’re at it you have a lot of choices. If your wallet is full of rewards cards, you may wonder which one will best leverage the money you spend on plane tickets each year.

Who Is British Airways Executive Club Good For?

If you take a lot of flights around America (North, Central or South), Avios may be the best program for you. Because of its close partnership with American Airlines, you can use Avios to book pretty much any American flight for a fraction of the miles, since the Executive Club uses distance-based awards rather than zone-based awards.

What holds you back from getting travel reward credit cards? It’s something I ask almost everyone I meet these days.

Next month my family and I are headed to Japan and France on the way back for a four-week vacation. This big trip has been my goal ever since I started collecting points and miles. At first, I wondered if it would be possible. I wasn’t sure if I could ever rack up enough miles to do it, especially because I wanted to book flights for four people in business class.

Who Is Chase Ultimate Rewards Good For?

Unlike many airline programs that have been around for decades, the Chase Ultimate Rewards program is very new on the scene just five years old this month which may explain part of why it is such an attractive offering.

We don’t want to scare you, but things can go wrong after you book an award but before you take the flight. The problem can happen immediately upon making the reservation or weeks and even months later. Your job isn’t done once you reserve the award flights you want. Instead, be vigilant. Check your reservations on a regular basis. Well show you why.

United Airlines has good domestic coverage, with several hubs in the middle of the U.S. for varied domestic and international routing options, and a very wide network of international air and hotel partners through Star Alliance and individual partnerships.

Frequent flyer miles can be used for a number of things besides flying. You can book hotels, car rentals, and even train travel if you have the right mileage currency. Rail travel can be especially useful to navigate Europe once you get there on miles. European cities and towns are so close to one another that the state-of-the-art rail network there gives airlines a run for their money with its speed and efficiency.

Congratulations! You’ve decided to take the plunge into miles credit card land. It’s a nice plunge. I promise. There are gourmet meals on airplanes, luxury hotel rooms with private Jacuzzis, and lounges with sleeping cabanas and massages in your future.

Want to do some serious diving on Fiji and see New Zealand? It’s possible in one trip because you can use fewer miles flying to Fiji via New Zealand than just flying straight there.