Which New Travel Credit Cards Do We Plan to Apply for in 2016? I'm getting ready to apply for a few new credit cards, although it will probably take a couple weeks until I get around to it due to my current client work load, which always seems to be crazy right after New Year's.
To put our new travel credit card applications in context, until the 2016 AAdvantage Award Chart Devaluation we have highly valued AAdvantage miles. We continue to highly value KrisFlyer miles as well as points that transfer to them. We already have cards such as the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select, Ink Plus, AMEX Business Platinum, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Citi Prestige, Citi ThankYou Premier and Chase Freedom. We've recently had the Citi Executive AAdvantage card, and also aren't eligible for the 50K AMEX Premier Rewards Gold since AMEX personal cards are now once in a lifetime.
Here are the cards I'm currently considering:
1. 60K Ink Plus
- 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $5000 in the first 3 months from account opening (10,000 more points than the usual 50,000 points signup bonus)
- 5X points per dollar on the first $50,000 in combined purchases for office supply store spend, telephone, cable and Internet services
- 2X points on the first $50,000 of combined purchases for spend on gas stations and directly with hotels
- 1:1 point transfer to Singapore Airlines, United, Hyatt, British Airways, Korean Air, Southwest, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, InterContinental, Priority Club, Amtrak, Virgin Atlantic
- $95 annual fee is NOT waived first year
- No foreign transaction fees
- Not available to current cardmembers or to previous cardmembers who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 24 months
If I reapply for this card, it won't be until later this year, since I'm currently in the process of referring other businesses to the card and don't want to miss out on the referral bonus (see Chase Refer a Friend 2016: Earn Up to 50K Bonus Ultimate Rewards Points). But 60K Ultimate Rewards points is a great offer, and since it's been well over 2 years since I received a signup bonus for my current card, it's definitely tempting to close my current card later this year and reapply, if this bonus is still around. Even if not, it's likely to still have a 50K bonus, which is still very solid, in my book.
2. 50K CitiBusiness AAdvantage Card
- 50,000 AAdvantage miles after you make $3000 in purchases within 3 months of account opening
- First checked bag free on domestic trips on American Airlines
- 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- $95 annual waived the first year.
On the one hand it wouldn't seem to make sense to earn AAdvantage miles that will post after the AAdvantage award chart devaluation. On the other hand, even with the devaluation, it's likely we'll redeem for the occasional AAdvantage award for one of us, since we usually travel on separate routes for award travel. Plus, it's hard to imagine not wanting to fly Etihad A380 First Apartment again 🙂
While my husband got this card last year and I've previously had this card, I should be eligible to reapply and earn a new signup bonus.
- 50,000 bonus Avios after $2,000 spend within the first 3 months of account opening
- Additional 25,000 bonus Avios after spending $10,000 on purchases or additional 50,000 bonus Avios after spending $20,000 on purchases within the first year (total of 100,000 Avios for $20,000 spend within the first year)
- 3 Avios for every $1 spent on British Airways purchases and 1 Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases
- Smart Chip Technology
- No foreign transaction fees
- Travel Together companion ticket valid for 2 years after $30,000 spend within a calendar year
- $95 annual fee is NOT waived for this offer
While we haven't redeemed British Airways Avios in awhile, even with the most recent British Airways devaluation Avios can still be handy for certain short nonstop flights. And it pains me to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Avios, when they're worth so much more to me as Singapore KrisFlyer miles. And while the annual fee is NOT waived for this offer, 50K Avios for $95 is under a quarter of a cent per point, so still well worth it.
4. Hyatt Visa
- 2 Free Nights at any Hyatt worldwide including Park Hyatts after spending $1000 in the first 3 months
- New: annual fee waived the first year, then $75
- If you make a Hyatt booking at Hyatt.com, you can apply for the Hyatt Visa with a $50 statement credit. Note that this offer is only available to new cardholders; prior cardholders who have not received a bonus for the Hyatt Visa within the past 24 months should apply via this link.
- Receive 1 Free Night each year on your anniversary in any Category 1-4 Hyatt
- No foreign transaction fees
- 3 Hyatt points per $1
- 2 Hyatt points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly with the airline and at car rental agencies.
- 1 Hyatt Gold Passport point for every $1 spent on other spend
This is another Chase card both of us are eligible for, not having earned the bonus nights within the past 2 years. And while we don't stay at Hyatt hotels frequently, I won't say no to 4 free nights to a Park Hyatt, even if they are rarely (with the exception of the Park Hyatt Sydney and possibly the Park Hyatt Vienna) leaders in their markets.
5. 50K Lufthansa Miles & More Card?
Currently there's only a 35K Miles & More World Elite MasterCard offer, but in the past there have been limited time 50K Miles & More bonus offers. If a 50K offer comes along, I plan to reapply for this card, which my husband got again last year. I like to top up our Miles & More accounts by transferring SPG Starpoints to Miles & More with a 25% bonus (see SPG Airline Partners: Transfer Starwood Points to Miles) but with Marriott Acquiring Starwood, I'm pessimistic that the SPG AMEX will be around in its current form in 12-18 months, assuming the merger goes through. So if the 50K Miles & More offer comes back it would be a good time to earn another Lufthansa First Class award.
Which new travel credit cards do you plan to apply for?
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