This is the 10th post in my intro series to travel hacking.  For a list of other posts, check out my post on how to travel hack your way around the world.

While not a bank card, the Starwood Preferred Guest card offers a great alternative to some of the aforementioned programs.

SPG points transfer at a 1:1.25 rate when converted into bundles of 20,000 points.  Unlike Chase and American Express, partner transfers typically run 1-2 weeks. On the other hand, while Chase has only 9 transfer partners, and American Express has 15, Starwood has a staggering array of transfer partners: 31 airlines:

• Airline Partners

Aeroplan (Air Canada) – 1:1
Air Berlin – 1:1
Air China – 1:1
Air New Zealand – 65:1
Alaska Airlines – 1:1
Alitalia MilleMiglia – 1:1
All Nippon Airlines – 1:1
American Airlines – 1:1
Asia Miles (transfers to Cathay Pacific) – 1:1
Asiana Airlines – 1:1
British Airways (Avios) – 1:1
China Eastern Airlines – 1:1
China Southern SkyPearl Club – 1:1
Delta Airlines – 1:1
Emirates – 1:1
Etihad Airways – 1:1
Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – 1:1
Hawaiian Airlines – 1:1
Japan Airlines – 1:1
King Club Miles – 1:1
LAN LANPASS – 1:2
Mexicana Frecuenta – 1:1
Miles and More – 1:1
Qatar Airways – 1:1
Saudi Arabian Airlines Alfursan – 1:1
Singapore Airlines – 1:1
Thai Airways – 1:1
US Airways – 1:1
United Mileage Plus – 2:1
VARIG Smiles – 2:1
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club – 1:1

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This is the 9th post in my intro series to travel hacking.  For a list of other posts, check out my post on how to travel hack your way around the world.

Citi is the ugly stepchild of bank transfers, and their ThankYou points aren’t nearly as flexible as Chase or American Express. However, if you’re maxed out on Chase and American Express they may be a decent alternative, since all signs points to Citi increasing their transfer partners in upcoming years.

Thank You points typically convert to cash at a 100 to $1 ratio. With Citi Premier you’ll get a 33% bonus on travel, so you can convert 10,000 Thank You points into $133 worth of airfare instead of a $100 gift card.

Transferring ThankYou Points

Citi Thank You points currently only have one transfer partner in Hilton, and transfer into HHonors points at a 1:1.5 ratio. Points can be transferred another person’s account, but the transferred points must be used within 90 days.

Citi ThankYou Cards

There aren’t a lot of Citi ThankYou cards with sign-up bonuses worth getting excited about.  At the moment only the Premiere card looks alright, though my understanding is that the bonus periodically increases to 50,000:

Citi ThankYou Premiere Card: 25,000 ThankYou points after spending $2000 in 3 months. No foreign transaction fees. Annual fee of $125 is waived the first year.

Conclusion

While I wouldn’t rush out and start applying for ThankYou cards willy-nilly, Citi’s ThankYou points program is one to keep an eye on.

Although they only have one transfer partner at the moment, it’s quite likely Citi will try to increase its transfer options if it wants to compete at the same level as Chase and American Express. Couple that with a few cards with bonuses of 50,000 points or more and the bonuses they give on occasion for opening a Citibank account (sometimes upwards of 30,000 TY points!) and I’d consider investing in the ThankYou points program.  Until then, I’d stay away.

This is the 8th post in my intro series to travel hacking.  For a list of other posts, check out my post on how to travel hack your way around the world.

American Express’s Membership Rewards has a ton of transfer partners 14 vs. Chase’s 8. Unlike Chase, however, the transfer rates vary.  While most transfer at a 1:1 ratio, some partners transfer at a rate as low as 3:1, while others transfer as high as 1:1.5.

Whereas Chase usually caps their sign-up bonuses at 50,000 points, American Express tends to run bonuses upwards of 75,000 to 100,000 MR several times a year.  They can also be extremely generous with point transfer promotions, such as the 50% bonus to British Airways back in January, or the 35% transfer bonus to Flying Blue last September.

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This is the 7th post in my intro series to travel hacking.  For a list of other posts, check out my post on how to travel hack your way around the world.

Chase’s Ultimate Rewards program is the best in the industry, hands down.  Transferring Ultimate Rewards points into partner programs is quick and painless, taking minutes for some programs (e.g. United and Hyatt) and upwards of 48 hours for others (e.g. Marriott).

Points transfer from Ultimate Rewards into partner programs at a 1:1 ratio.  Partners Include:

• Airline Partners
• United Airlines
• Korean Airlines
• British Airways
• South West Airlines
• Hotel Partners
• Hyatt
• Marriott
• Priority Club (Holiday Inn, Intercontinental, etc.)
• Ritz Carlton
• Other Partners
• Amtrak

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This is the 6th post in my intro series to travel hacking.  For a list of other posts, check out my post on how to travel hack your way around the world.

Credit cards that give you miles or points come in two flavors: cards that give you miles or points for a particular airline or hotel, and cards that give you points in the banks’ own currency.

Airline/Hotel Credit Cards

When you sign up for a card like the American Express Hilton Honors card and receive the 50,000 points those points deposit straight into your Hilton Honors account and are now yours.  The banks buy points and miles directly from companies like Hilton or American Airlines at a reduced rate and then use them as bonuses to lure in new customers.

Should you cancel a co-branded card, the points you received are yours to keep, and will remain in your account.  In rare cases the points can be “clawed back” by the provider, but the general rule of thumb is that this can be avoided by keeping the card open for at least 6 months.

Co-branded cards are probably the easiest to understand. For instance, with the American Express Hilton Honors card you’ll earn 6x points at hilton properties, drugstores, supermarkets, gas stations, and phone/internet/cable purchases, and 3x points for all other purchases.  These points automatically deposit into your Hilton account after your billing statement closes, and are indistinguishable from any other Hilton points you have in your HHonors account.

Bank Issued Credit Cards

Bank issued cards are a different beast altogether.  Using their own currency, these types of cards come in two types: points that effectively become money, or points that transfer into miles or points.

While cards like the Capital One Venture One card give you $1 back for every 100 points you earn, the programs we’re really interested in are the Chase’s Ultimate Rewards Program, American Express’s Membership Rewards Program, and Citi’s Thank You Points program.

Conclusion

While co-branded credit cards are a great way to earn points on your airline or hotel of choice, padding your wallet with a few bank issued cards are a great way to increase your award options.  Over the next few days I’ll cover the 3 major programs.

So you’ve read all about travel hacking, and are ready to dive in to the maddening world of credit card applications.  With so many options out there, and so many variations of the same card (with different bonuses depending on what link you use!) it’s often hard to tell where to start.

As always, come up with a plan first and choose what’s best for you.  Flying 2 in business class seats all the way to Tokyo and staying at the Park Hyatt requires a completely different set of cards then taking a family of 4 to Disney World.

To make things slightly easier, however, I’ve put together a list of some of the better bonuses out there.

PERSONAL CARDS

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card – 40,000 Ultimate Reward Points after spending $4000 in 3 months. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio into numerous partners like United, Hyatt, and Marriott.  2x on restaurants & travel expenses, with an additional 7% annual bonus on all points earned. Annual fee of $95 is waived for the first year.

American Express Gold Card – 50,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $1000 in 3 months. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio into most partners, but American Express offers bonus rates very frequently. 3x on airfare, 2x at gas stations and supermarkets.  Annual fee of $175 is waived for the first year.

Citibank Platinum Select AAdvantage Visa/AmEx  – 50,000 miles after spending $3000 in 4 Months. $150 statement credit off of all American Airline purchases (including gift cards). 2 free lounge passes.  Annual fee waived for the first year.  The application doesn’t give any details, but according to the Flyertalk thread in the link, the sign up is still very much working.

Chase British Airways Card – 50,000 BA miles after spending $1000 in 3 months.  Companion pass after spending a total of $30,000 in the first year. Annual fee of $95 NOT WAIVED the first year.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Card – 50,000 Southwest Rapid Reward miles after spending $2000 in 3 months.  2x points on Southwest and partner purchases. 3000 points awarded annually. This is a really useful card if you’re trying to get the Southwest Companion Pass.  The annual fee of $69 is NOT WAIVED the first year.

Chase Hyatt Card – Two nights at any Hyatt property in the world, such as the Park Hyatt Vendome in Paris, or the Park Hyatt Tokyo after spending $1000 in 3 months. 3x all Hyatt purchases, 2x for dining, airlines, and car rentals.  A free night in a category 1-4 hotel every year by paying the annual fee. Also comes with complementary platinum status, which gets you amenities like free internet. Annual fee of $75 is NOT WAIVED the first year.

Citibank Hilton Honors Reserve Card – Two weekend nights at almost any Hilton property in the world, including their Waldorf Astoria properties (excluding some resorts) after spending $2500 in 4 months [verify]. 10x on all Hilton purchases, 5x on airlines and car rentals, 3x on everything else.  Comes with complementary gold status, which gets you free internet and breakfast. Annual fee of $95 is NOT WAIVED the first year.

Chase Marriott Premiere Visa – A free night in a category 1-4 hotel on approval and 70,000 Marriott Rewards points after spending $1000 in 3 months.  5x on Marriott purchases, 2x on dining, airlines, and car rentals. Every year you’ll get a free night in a category 1-5 Marriott property in exchange for your annual fee.  Annual fee of $85 is waived for the first year.

BUSINESS CARDS

Chase Ink Bold/Chase Ink Plus Cards – 50,000 Ultimate Reward Points after spending $5000 in 3 months. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio into numerous partners like United, Hyatt, and Marriott.  5x on office supplies, cable, and internet expenses, 2x on hotels and gas stations. Annual fee of $95 is waived for the first year.

American Express Business Gold Rewards Card – 75,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $5000 in 3 months. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio into most partners, but American Express offers bonus rates very frequently. 3x on airfare, 2x at gas stations and supermarkets.  Annual fee of $175 is waived for the first year.

Citibusiness AAdvantage Card – 50,000 miles after spending $3000 in 4 Months. $150 statement credit off of all American Airline purchases (including gift cards). 2 free lounge passes.  Annual fee waived for the first year.  The application doesn’t give any details, but according to the Flyertalk thread in the link, the sign up is still very much working.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Business Card –50,000 Southwest Rapid Reward miles after spending $2000 in 3 months.  2x points on Southwest and partner purchases. 3000 points awarded annually. This is a really useful card if you’re trying to get the Southwest Companion Pass.  The annual fee of $69 is NOT WAIVED the first year.

CONCLUSION

Credit card bonuses are probably the single easiest way to accumulate miles and points.  In my next few posts I’ll discuss what to do when it’s time to pay your annual fee, and how transfer partners work for programs like Chase’s Ultimate Rewards.

Additional Reading

– Flyertalk has a great thread detailing all of the best sign up bonuses.

– Unsure whether you have a business or not?  There are several good blogs on the topic.