Question
I have heard over the years about a card(s) that offers *no annual fee* and allows you to direct your mileage earnings to a select partner airline of choice.
This would be a great alternative for those of us who pay annual fees (Mileage Plus Visa is $60 a year unless you have 1P status) for card usage.
Are these cards real, if so, what are the names/websites? Any hidden details that should be known about them?
Answer
Some free mileage earning card options are:
1. MBNA Amtrak CC : miles are earned on Amtrak but can be transfered to CO or United without loss up to 25K miles per year.
2. Some mileage earning cards (eg citibank) offer a fee free option where you earn 1 mile for every $2 spent instead of the usual 1 mile/$
Answer
Take a look at the Free Cards page of the Credit Cards section of my website, Free Frequent Flyer Miles (http://www.freefrequentflyermiles.com/index.htm).
I think the Starwood card would suit your purposes. Free for first year, with a 4000 point bonus. And if you charge enough on it and pay your bills on time, you can probably get the low $30 annual fee reduced or eliminated each year.
Answer
The downside is that no fee mileage cards usually earn 1 mile per $2 spent. AA, UA, NWA, etc all have them. Best bang for your buck is the Starwood Amex.
Answer
The downside is that no fee mileage cards usually earn 1 mile per $2 spent. AA, UA, NWA, etc all have them. Best bang for your buck is the Starwood Amex.
There's also the Delta Skymiles AMEX that comes with 10K for your first purchase and no annual fee for the first year.
My favorite backup card has been the Juniper/Frontier Airlines No Fee MC.
Yes, it's $2 for 1 mi but you get:
* 2.5K miles from your first purchase
* Vail resorts lift tickets are 2500 mi/ea
* Plane tickets are 15K mi/ea
* Tickets to Mexico are 25K mi/ea (sometimes discounted)
-g
Answer
The downside is that no fee mileage cards usually earn 1 mile per $2 spent. AA, UA, NWA, etc all have them. Best bang for your buck is the Starwood Amex.
AA has an offer for free for first year with up front miles. Look at the Annual Fee Cards page of the Credit Card section of my website, Free Frequent Flyer Miles (http://www.freefrequentflyermiles.com/index.htm).
Answer
FWIW, the Hilton AMEX card is fee-free, and provides 3pts/$for ordinary expenses, and 5 pts/$ for Hilton spend. Usually a 10K points signon bonus.
I know, it's not miles (though you can exchange HH points for miles at a loan shark type discount rate :) ), but, hey! You have to stay someplace when you get off the plane!.
For my travel profile, hotel points are as valuable as airline miles, if not more so. After all, if I scuffle around, I can get a flight to Europe for less than $500, but that nice hotel room over there might run $300 - $500 or more a night, and I like multiple nights.
Just my .015 euros worth.