re: Credit Card Rewards and Points Discussion

Ok, masterminds of this awesome stuff, I come to you again in need of advice.

At some point next year, I'm going to take my wife to St. John for a nice carribean vacation.

90% sure I am going to want to stay at the Westin resort.

What card or combination of cards do you think I should use to maximize my potential savings.

I'm thinking one of the starwood credit cards. Would it be good to supplement this one with a capital one venture rewards.

I have excellent credit. Have used Hilton American Express and Southwest Visa mostly in the last few years.
Put about $4000 a month on my cards.
Thanks so much for your help.


Edited to add- I just looked up the information about the SPG American Express and it looks like after the bonus I should have enough for two free nights or close to it. Looks to be around $600 per night during a slower part of the season for standard rooms.

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At some point next year, I'm going to take my wife to St. John for a nice carribean vacation.

90% sure I am going to want to stay at the Westin resort.

What card or combination of cards do you think I should use to maximize my potential savings.

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I'm a longtime lurker, but I love the rewards game.

If you're set on Westin, the SPG AMEX is probably your best bet. Straight forward to the hotel, and you can use the extra points you earn and transfer them to one of the many airline partners (you get a 5000 bonus when you transfer 20000 points if I remember correctly).

Another option, you could get the AMEX Premier Rewards Gold Card instead of the SPG. It has a higher fee, but you'll earn more rewards (3x on airfare, 2x on gasoline at U.S. stand-alone gas stations and at U.S. stand-alone supermarkets, 1x everything else). Also, you'll get 15,000 extra points if you spend $30,000 in a year (which it seems like you'll easily be able to do). Then you can all the points and transfer them to SPG (not a good conversion rate) and/or an airline like Delta.

Regardless of the AMEX you pick, I would also get the Barclay Arrival. Big signup bonus, 2x points on everything, 10% kickback when you use your points for travel, tripit pro subscription (if you care), and it's a mastercard so you can use it at places you can't use the AMEX.

Just my opinion on it.

Any info on best card for no international fees plus point system?

I've got a Chase Saphire and Chase Freedom (both with large limit), and pay them off every month when used, which isn't that often.

Will be going ot the Bahamas in a month and would like something that doesn't have international fees.

Was thinking of getting the Chase United Airlines card...any thoughts?

The Chase Saphire Preferred doesn't have international fees, but the regular does.....I might just switch to the Preferred.

They're talking about foreign exchange fees hoss

I know this has been discussed in all of the pages previous but can I get a consensus on Venture Rewards Credit Card versus CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED® CARD? All of my banking is through C1, but I don't know if Ishould stray away to Chase?

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Was thinking of getting the Chase United Airlines card...any thoughts?

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I just got that card a few weeks ago for a targeted 55,000 mile point offer after spending $2k in three months. IF you look around you should be able to get that offer. There is a link for it on Flyertalk I believe in the Chase UR forum.

Since I can group these with my Chase UR points, that is what I am using it for. Transfer Chase UR into United, book flight to overseas destination. Really works great in international economy where the devaluation doesn't hurt you much, and you'll likely not be on a United operated flight except for your domestic connecting leg.

I got the card to restock up points for Thailand/Cambodia next year, as I used some Chase points for 2 tickets to Boston (Southwest), a ticket to Miami on American via BA, and Barcelona on Lufthansa in December.

The points game is great, I've paid $500 out of pocket for $3000 in airfare this year, and that's because I actually had to pay full rate on two tickets to Boston the week before the Southwest trip to Boston so I could book all these other trips. love it

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Any info on best card for no international fees plus point system?

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No experience with them yet, but there are great deals with US Airways and American Airlines credit cards right now. Might want to check into those. Won't be good for Bahamas since you are going next month, but down the road, and eventually, someday, those accounts will merge.

Can one make the Jump to the Amex centurion from the gold or do you really have to get the platinum and have the spending habits?

Htownjeep, have you heard of magnum engineering?

It is a small world after all