The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier card is currently offering 50,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $2,000 within three months. This is a great deal: those 50,000 points are worth up to 1.66 cents each (when used for “Wanna Get Away” fares), which works out to about $833. Until March 14th, the American Express Business […]
How I Think About Annual Fees, And Justify Some of Them
March 4, 2013 By 3 Comments
Many people will not even consider applying for a credit card that carries an annual fee, but I think that this categorical exclusion is a huge mistake because the vast majority of top-notch credit cards charge an annual fee and provide benefits that greatly outweigh that fee. With that in mind, here are some important […]
Is The $450 Annual Fee For the American Express Platinum Card Worth It?
February 26, 2013 By 5 Comments
I suspect that, for most people who consider this question, the answer boils down to whether the card’s best-known perk – airport lounge access at American, Delta, U.S. Air, and Priority Pass lounges – justifies the $450 annual fee. If the analysis ended there, my answer would be no. I simply don’t place much value […]
The SPG Devaluation By The Numbers: A 6% Mark-Down
February 21, 2013 By 1 Comment
Starwood’s annual category “adjustments” were released today and, as usual, more properties moved up a category (i.e., became more expensive) than down a category (became less expensive). The new categories become effective on March 5, so you can make reservations at the current, pre-inflation rates until that date. The headline numbers of today’s announcement seem […]
An Introduction To The Three Major Flexible Points Currencies, And How They Render Your Airline-Specific Credit Card (Nearly) Obsolete
February 19, 2013 By 4 Comments
The best credit cards earn flexible points, and by that I mean points that can be transferred to a variety of different loyalty programs. The beauty of accumulating flexible points, as opposed to points or miles that are specific to any one particular loyalty program, is that they allow you to defer your redemption decision […]
When You’re Hooked On Both Points and Caffeine, This Happens
February 16, 2013 By 3 Comments
I’m a bit of a coffee fiend, so I was pretty pleased to see that the bonus categories for the Chase Freedom card this quarter are gas stations, drug stores, and Starbucks. As I conceded in my review of the Freedom card, there does seem to be something unholy about the fact that “Starbucks” […]