Travel Reward Credit Cards That You Can Use On Any Airline
Those frequent flyer programs of yesteryear are what we now know today as frequent buyer programs. In days gone by it was solely the frequent fliers who had the opportunity to accumulate miles based only on the frequency of their travels and the distance they flew. Now consumers do not have to get on a flight to earn miles. Just by using their credit cards to pay for their everyday expenses that are able to rack up miles for future flights with their feet firmly planted to the ground.
As these programs adapted to consumers' needs and searched for more ways to compete banks came on board as affiliates to airlines and hotels chains but soon came up with ways to provide consumers with these incentives without the partnership. As it stands today all the major financial institutions have developed their own loyalty programs which are completely independent of their hotel or airline counterparts but still offer consumers a way to earn miles that they can use for travel or hotel stays.
Banks have been so successful in their replication of the airlines original programs that consumers are sometimes left wondering at the differences between the two and may not understand how to choose the type that is best for their needs.
Any Airline Credit Cards
Any airline credit cards rather than restricting consumers' choice to one airline give them the opportunity to fly on any airline of their choice and still earn rewards. They can also redeem their rewards for flights on any airline. These cards are advantageous in that they usually have no annual fees, have great introductory rates and can be used daily to accumulate rewards. The downside is that the points are not automatically redeemed. This means that you have to contact your provider and make arrangements for redeeming your points before they expire. Other cons include high interest rates once the introductory period is over and rewards that can be changed at the will of the lender. For instance, if you default on payments or even make a payment or two later than the payment date you can forfeit your points.
Airline Specific Cards
Airline specific cards are best for frequent fliers who might only have one or two airline choices. An example would be Atlanta residents who are primarily served by Delta. With the amount of time that these travellers spend in the air it makes perfect sense to accumulate miles in this way. Some advantages of airline specific cards include bigger and better rewards. As airlines compete to maintain customer loyalty they provide tons of incentives to keep members on board including double reward earnings and extra perks when travelling. Other advantages include exclusive member benefits for travel including free checked baggage, automatic upgrades, in-flight services and more and the rewards are automatically redeemed. Some disadvantages of airline specific cards include restrictions to use of rewards on one airline which is not always convenient for travellers. These programs more often than not have annual fees so members will have to calculate the costs to see if they will benefit from the annual fee that they will be required to pay. A final and frustrating disadvantage of airline specific cards is that fact that they will be restrictions to when the rewards can be redeemed as there might be blackout dates, seat unavailability and designated seating for these bookings.
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| Intro APR: 0.00% | Intro Period: 6 months on purchases | Regular APR: 10.99-16.99% (Variable) | Annual Fee: $0.00 |
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 | - Earn up to $120 in travel rewards--1,000 Bonus miles every month you make a purchase for the first year
- 1 Mile on every $1 you spend - Plus flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 6 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% - 16.99%*
- No restrictions on travel--fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates
- Travel benefits include secondary collision damage insurance when you rent a car with your Miles by Discover card
- Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--15 years in a row! (2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
- Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee
- *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information
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| Intro APR: 0.00% | Intro Period: 12 months on purchases | Regular APR: 17.24-22.24% (Variable) | Annual Fee: $0.00 |
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| - No annual fee
- Travel rewards with no blackout dates or travel restrictions. Redeem with any airline, any car rental, any hotel- anytime
- Pay your bill all at once, or over time. It's up to you.
- Blue Savings Program®: big deals on big brands, all the time
- Rated "Best Airline Credit Card" by Card Ratings Consumer's Choice Awards in 2010
- Get approved in 60-seconds
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| Intro APR: N/A | Intro Period: N/A | Regular APR: 14.99% (Fixed) | Annual Fee: $495.00 |
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| - Made with carbon, not just another piece of plastic; Membership is limited
- 24-hour concierge service at your disposal
- Unlimited VIP airport lounge visits
- Exclusive rewards program; 1% cash back or airfare on any airline - no blackouts or restrictions
- Accepted globally; zero liability protection against unauthorized purchases
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| Intro APR: 0.00% | Intro Period: Until 02/2013 on purchases | Regular APR: 11.90-19.90% (Variable) | Annual Fee: $0.00 |
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| - 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
- Earn 10,000 bonus miles, equal to $100 in travel
- Redeem miles for airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals and more
- No limit on the miles you can earn and miles won't expire
- Fly free on any airline, any time with no blackout dates
- 0% intro APR on purchases until February 2013
- No foreign transaction fees
- No annual fee
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| Intro APR: N/A | Intro Period: N/A | Regular APR: 13.90-20.90% (Variable) | Annual Fee: $0.00 1st year, then $59.00 |
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| - Money® Magazine's "Most Rewarding Card if you crave free airline flights"
- 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
- Earn 10,000 bonus miles, equal to $100 in travel
- Redeem your miles for any travel expense
- No limit on the miles you can earn and miles won't expire
- Fly free on any airline, any time with no blackout dates
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $59 after that
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| Intro APR: 0.00% | Intro Period: Until 09/2012 on purchases | Regular APR: 14.90-19.90% (Variable) | Annual Fee: $0.00 |
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| - Get a 50% bonus on the miles you earn every year
- Earn 1 mile per dollar on every purchase, every day
- Save with 0% intro APR until September 2012
- Enjoy no annual fee
- Get online Quarterly and Year-End Summaries
- There's no limit to the amount of miles you can earn and miles don't expire
- Fly on any airline, anytime, with no blackout dates or seat restrictions
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| Intro APR: N/A | Intro Period: N/A | Regular APR: 13.90% (Variable) | Annual Fee: $0.00 1st year, then $59.00 |
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| - Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
- Get 10,000 bonus miles - just spend $1,000 within the first 3 months
- Receive 5,000 bonus miles by signing up for one or more employee cards
- Enjoy exclusive, award-winning customer service
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $59 after that
- There's no limit to the amount of miles you can earn and miles don't expire
- Redeem miles for travel, cash back, gift cards, merchandise, and more
- Fly on any airline, anytime, with no blackout dates or seat restrictions
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| Intro APR: 0.00% | Intro Period: 6 months on purchases | Regular APR: 10.99-16.99% (Variable) | Annual Fee: $60.00 |
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| - Earn up to $250 in travel rewards--1,000 Bonus miles every month you make a purchase for the first 25 months
- Double Miles on every $1 you spend
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 6 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% - 16.99%*
- No restrictions on travel--fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates
- Flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash
- Travel Insurance benefits, including primary car rental, lost or damaged luggage, travel delay, and trip cancellation when you book with your Escape by Discover card
- Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--15 years in a row! (2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
- *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information
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*Check with the online credit card application for further details about the terms and conditions for each card. Airline Miles Credit Cards has done everything possible to ensure that the information provided is up to date. Any changes made to these programs will be presented in the terms and conditions on the credit card issuer's website.
