TRAVEL / FREQUENT FLYER TIPS

Citi has just put out a new offer on an existing card.  Whereas you would normally get some bonus points for a new card, this offer gives you double points on *everything* for two full years.

So while a bonus offer of say 15,000 points is great – if you spend high volumes and can get 2x points for 2 years, that could be worth way more in the long run.

Remember you can redeem points for airfare with a 33% bonus. So 100,000 points is redeemable for $1,332 in airfare. With double p0oints on all spend, you’re only spending $50,000 to accumulate that $1,332 in free airfare – making this card worth MORE THAN 2% effective cash back.

Want to apply? Here’s the application

Starwood just upped the bonus on the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Credit Card from American Express (personal/consumer card).

The old offer was 10,000 Starpoints. The new offer is still a base 10,000 Starpoints, but with an additional 15,000 Starpoints if you spend just $5,000 within 6 months of cardmembership.

When they’ve done bonus offers in the past, it was usually 15K bonus points for $15K in additional spend, so this is quite a bit easier to qualify for.

There have been slightly better offers in the past, but usually only offered for a few days in a year – so overall this is a solid offer if you can spend the required $5,000.

25,000 Starpoints can get you a night or two in some really amazing properties world-class properties, or up to a whole free week in someplace like Chiang Mai, Thailand (at the Le Meridien).

More info and a link to apply here:

Starwood Preferred Guest SPG credit card – 25,000 bonus points

If you live in the USA and travel around the world, you may be notice an increasing problem with using your US-based credit card to pay for things internationally, especially in automated situations like train ticket machines and at gas stations.

This is because the US still mostly uses “swipe” credit card technology – that magnetic stripe – while most of the world has gone to the “Chip and PIN” style, where a small chip on the side of the card is inserted into a reader and you enter a PIN to confirm purchase.

In a majority of situations, a human with a swipe reader can process the transaction for you “old school” with a swipe reader, but increasingly I’m noticing situations where a chip is required. Bike shares in Europe are one instance.

In the US now, we are seeing the introduction of what is called “Chip and Signature” credit cards. They have no PIN, but will work in almost all Chip-card required situations as long as the amount is under $50. Or with a human taking your card with no limit (you just sign).

When I was in Amsterdam recently, I wanted to buy a train ticket from the airport into town but the machine would not take a card without a PIN. I was able to use my card at a ticket window, but if it had been a bit later and that window was closed, I’d have been out of luck.

Here are two credit cards that offer a “Chip and Signature” version. Just apply for either card and then call up to request a “Chip and Signature” version.

And now a third:

The Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve card

(Two free weekend nights and HHonors Gold Status!)

This is our biggest cash back offer ever for an American Express charge card.

$150 in Amazon gift cards! We’ve done $20, $50, even $100 on the Gold Card from OPEN. But never $150.

And what’s more, you’ll get 25,000 bonus points when you spend just $1,000 (*) in three months.

Now, the Platinum card DOES carry a $450 annual fee. And it’s not even waived the first year.

But the card has a ton of exclusive benefits, and if you were thinking about getting one anyway, maybe this free $150 in Amazon credit will push you over the edge.

For more information, and to apply, please visit our Business Platinum Card from American Express page.

To get the $150, be sure to use the specified link and enter your information so we can send you the reward.

* We got an email indicating this MAY change to $5,000 in three months, so perhaps best o get on this sooner than later – and please VERIFY the bonus on the Amex webpage before applying.

This card won’t be for everyone – but if you buy a lot of airfare and collect Membership Rewards points from Amex, check out the new American Express(R) Premier Rewards Gold Card.  The 3X points on airfare plus no annual fee the first year might make this a winner for you.

Using this link, you’ll also get 15,000 Membership Rewards(R) bonus points when you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months of Card membership (be careful where you signup, not all links offer this!!)

Card benefits:

• Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards(R) bonus points when you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months of Card membership
• Earn Membership Rewards points up to three times as fast: You can earn 3X points on airfare, 2X points on gas and groceries, and 1X points on everything else
• Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards bonus points when you spend $30,000 per calendar year.
• No annual fee for your first year, a savings of $175

Click here to signup for the American Express(R) Premier Rewards Gold Card