New 60,000 Bonus Points Chase Ink Business Cards (Without The Affiliate Link Nonsense)

For a limited time (possibly until May 31, 2014), Chase has increased the sign-up bonus for both their Ink Business Cards from 50,000 to 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $5,000 within the first 3 months. The blogosphere went wild in the past 24 hours with affiliate links plastered across just about every post and forum. You won't find them here. Here are the non-affiliate links to the same deal for both the Ink Bold and the Ink Plus Cards:

• Ink Bold Business Charge Card
• Ink Plus Business Credit Card

What's the difference between the two versions? It's quite simple. The Ink Bold is a charge card, meaning the statement balance needs to be paid off in full every month, while the Ink Plus is a standard credit card, meaning you can keep a balance and pay interest on it (of course, I would never recommend doing that for any rewards card). Otherwise, both are essentially identical in benefits:

• Earn 60,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $5,000 within the first 3 months
• Earn 5x points on the first $50,000 spent annually at office supply stores, and on cell phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services
• Earn 2x points on the first $50,000 spent annually at gas stations and for hotels (when booked directly with the hotels)
• Earn 1x points everywhere else
• No foreign transaction fees
• Annual fee waived for the first year, $95 thereafter

Yes, you can have both cards at the same time, however, I would wait at least a week before applying for the other card (and who knows if the deal will still be around by then). Back in late 2013, Chase began issuing all Ink Cards as Visa Signature products rather than World MasterCard. Technically, after the switch, they are considered "new products", and you should be able to get the bonus again. There is anecdotal evidence that this is true, but as always, YMMV.

Approvals have gotten significantly tougher, as Chase knows some people are fudging the "business" aspect of these accounts, and using them to max out the 5x spending at office supply stores. Be ready to call the Chase reconsideration line for a grilling in case you get denied at first:

• 1-800-453-9719  business credit analyst (8am-10pm M-F EDT)
• 1-888-245-0625  personal credit analyst (7am-10pm M-F, 8am-10pm Sat, 9am-9pm Sun EDT)

Call the business credit analyst for the Ink Cards. I included the personal number for those who are denied for other Chase personal cards. Good luck!

Credit Card Surcharges Coming Soon To A Store Near You?

For those of us who earn miles, points, or cash back on credit card purchases, the past two years have witnessed an unsettling series of events that all seem to be leading to one eventuality: the onset of surcharges for Visa, MasterCard, and American Express payments.

Over a year ago, Visa and MasterCard settled one of the largest private antitrust lawsuits in U.S. history, paying out $5.7 billion to merchants who claimed that both companies had colluded with banks to eliminate competition and increase the price of credit card transactions. Part of that settlement allows for merchants to add a surcharge when customers pay with a credit card.

However, the settlement also stipulates that any merchant who decides to tack on a surcharge to Visa and MasterCard transactions must also do the same for American Express, if they accept American Express. In turn, American Express has its own rule stating that all electronic payments must be treated equally, meaning surcharges would then have to be added to debit cards transactions as well. In a truly bizarre Catch-22 scenario, both Visa and MasterCard specifically prohibit surcharges on debit cards, rendering the entire argument moot.

That is, until this past Thursday. Just one week after a judge finally approved the Visa and MasterCard settlement from last year, an agreement was also reached in a separate class-action lawsuit involving American Express. While there will be no massive payout in this settlement, American Express has quietly relented on their requirement that surcharges be levied across the board, including debit card transactions.

This essentially clears the way for retailers to establish a two-tier pricing system, one for cash, checks, and debit cards, and another for credit cards. While some merchants claim that this will allow them to offer a discount to those paying with cash, there are serious doubts as to whether any savings will actually be passed down to consumers.

Many businesses already take credit card swipe fees into account by building them into the price of goods and services they sell, and there may be little incentive for them to offer a real discount for cash transactions rather than to simply tack on an additional surcharge for credit card transactions.

So what does this all mean for credit card rewards programs? Well, first off, it may get a little more confusing at the register in the future. If the price differential between cash and credit card is large enough, any rewards you earn may be completely worthless given the extra money you are paying up front. While it remains to be seen if the two-tier pricing system catches on with mid-to-large-size retailers, this certainly has the potential to become a game-changer.

In countries like Australia, credit card surcharges are ubiquitous and seemingly arbitrarily set by the retailer, raising the possibility of deceptive pricing. Often times, it makes absolutely no sense to use a credit card given the considerable difference in price, and while traveling across the country, I found myself relying more and more on cash.

If there is a substantial shift in the U.S. to cash and debit card payments, credit card companies may be compelled to lower their fees, which, in turn, may force them to reduce the rewards and benefits offered on even the most premium of products. We witnessed the same effect on debit card rewards programs when the Durbin Amendment went into effect, reducing the swipe fees that banks collected from merchants.

It is still too soon to become alarmed, however, as some states still maintain a ban on all credit card surcharges, despite the settlements. Lawsuits challenging these bans may alter the payments landscape in the future, but that could take years. In addition, a judge must still approve the American Express settlement, not to mention the possibility of further delays due to the appeals process.

You can read more about this story on The New York Times here and here.

Obsessive Behaviors And The Retention Department

I just read this hilarious post from The Points Guy this morning, titled "10 Obsessive Behaviors of Miles and Points Junkies". I guess I haven't gone off the deep end yet, since I only exhibit 8 out of the 10 behaviors listed on a regular basis ;)  All humor aside, there are actually some very good miles/points-earning tips in his post.

One I wanted to emphasize was #5, "threatening to cancel a credit card unless they give you bonus points or waive the annual fee". While it may sound like a terrible thing to do, like I'm blackmailing or hostage taking, this is actually a very normal aspect of owning (and disowning) a credit card, and one of the main reasons why retention departments exist in the first place.

I typically do not keep a credit card past the first year if there is an annual fee, unless it provides a truly worthwhile anniversary bonus, such as a free night at a hotel or a decent amount of miles/points. But even if a card doesn't give you any of those things, it is still important to call in and speak to someone if you are thinking about canceling, because more often than not, they will try their best to keep your business.

This is exactly what I did yesterday with my American Express SPG Business Credit Card. I noticed that the $65 annual fee had posted on my October statement, and I immediately called in. Using the automated menu, I selected the option of canceling my account, and was transferred directly to the retention department. From there, I followed a fairly standard script:

• Even before speaking to anyone, first make sure you have enough leverage, and by leverage, I mean annual spend on the account. The more spend you have, the greater the chances they will provide some sort of incentive for you to keep the card.

• Tell them how you really enjoy the benefits of the card and that you use it regularly, but the annual fee is just too high. Politely ask if there is anything they can do, such as waive the fee. I typically do not ask for miles/points directly, since they may voluntarily give you this option anyway if they can't waive the fee.

• There may be some push back. The agent may tell you how great this card is, and give you a long list of reasons why you should keep it. Respond by bringing up examples of other cards you have that may provide better benefits, such as no foreign transaction fees, or an anniversary bonus.

• At this point, it is either an absolute no, and you may want to go ahead and cancel the card outright, or the agent will ask you to hold for a minute while they see what can be done.

• If a hold occurs, then there is a very good possibility that they are willing to provide some sort of incentive. If they do, decide whether or not to take it, or perhaps to push even harder for more. That's a personal decision on whether or not the offer offsets the annual fee.

In my case, the agent came back and said they could give me a $35 statement credit immediately, bringing my annual fee down to $30. I waivered for a few seconds, then politely asked if that was the best they could do. Sensing my hesitation, the agent actually put me on hold one more time, and then finally came back and said they could waive the entire annual fee by giving me a $65 statement credit. Score!

Of course, success is not always guaranteed, and I have plenty of examples where I struck out and went ahead with closing my account. But, if you have a good amount of spend on your card, and you are thinking about cancelling anyways, why not call in and see what kind of retention offer they can provide? It never hurts to try.

New American Express Credit Card Offers

American Express seems to be on a roll the past few days with new credit card promotions. First off we have the Business Gold Rewards Card, which is offering 75,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $10,000 within the first 4 months. The spend requirement is quite high, so make sure you can actually complete it before applying. Here are the relevant details:

• This offer is only good through August 9, 2012
• Earn 3 points per dollar spent on airfare; 2 points per dollar spent on advertising, gas, and shipping; 1 point per dollar everywhere else
• Annual fee of $175 is waived for the first year
• Per the terms and conditions, the welcome bonus offer is not available to applicants who have had this product or any Business Gold, Green, or Platinum Card account within the last 12 months
• Membership Rewards points will post to your account 6-8 weeks after meeting the spend requirement

In addition, keep in mind that this is a charge card, and all statements must be paid off in full each month. The Membership Rewards program has lost a bit of its luster this past year, as I've written in this post. However, they still maintain some decent airline and hotel transfer partners, and they consistently run transfer bonus promotions throughout the year. 75,000 Membership Rewards points can be valued at more than $1,000 if used wisely, so this is a very good deal you should seriously consider if you can meet the high spend threshold.

If the $10,000 spend is too high, you can also consider the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card, which is currently running their annual summer promotion. The typical sign-up offer for this card offers a maximum of 25,000 SPG points after meeting the spend requirement. However, from now through September 4, 2012, you can earn 10,000 SPG points after your first purchase, and an additional 20,000 SPG points after spending $5,000 within the first 6 months - for a total of 30,000 SPG points. Here are the relevant details:

• This offer is only good through September 4, 2012
• Earn 2 SPG points per dollar spent at SPG Hotels and Resorts; 1 SPG point everywhere else
• Annual fee of $65 is waived for the first year
• Receive credit for 5 nights and 2 stays towards SPG elite status each calendar year
• Per the terms and conditions, the welcome bonus offer is not available to applicants who have had this product within the last 12 months
• SPG points will post to your account 6-8 weeks after meeting the spend requirement

I've written extensively about the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card in the past (see here, here, and here). It is simply one of the best rewards cards out there, and I have not hesitated to pay the $65 annual fee for the past 2 years just to keep it in my wallet.

There is also a business version of this card, which is also offering 30,000 SPG points. However, I have not found a public link for that yet. If you are interested in applying for the business card, I would recommend heading over to Boarding Area and you will find many bloggers there with affiliate links. May I recommend View From The Wing and Rapid Travel Chai's links, as I really enjoy both their blogs and think they are incredibly cool people.

Finally, as you all know, I don't post any affiliate links on my blog, nor do I make any money off of advertising. However, once in a while, there is the chance for me to earn some extra miles and points by referring friends and family to certain credit card offers. Right now, the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card is allowing anyone to refer people to the card, and earn 5,000 SPG points in the process (if their application is approved). If you enjoy this blog and would like to do something extra nice, just send me your name and email address at milesglu@gmail.com, and I will fill out the referral right away (personal card only). You'll receive the same great offer I listed above, and I'll earn an extra 5,000 SPG points. Thanks as always!

The Big List - Credit Card Bonus Offers Galore

It's always frustrating being out of the internet loop for an extended period of time. Case in point, I go on vacation for a week, and there are tons of new credit card bonus offers that have already come and gone. A flurry of credit card deals recently hit the market, some of them lasting only a few days or less. It's unclear if these were meant to be targeted only and thus were pulled prematurely, but many people were still able to sign up and have the bonus offers confirmed.

While some deals may have already expired, there are still many others out there for the taking. Therefore, I've gone ahead and compiled a list of what I feel is the best current bonus offers available. As always, I never use affiliate links, nor do I ever make money off of referring a credit card. Feel free to leave a comment if you know of better promotions!


Chase Ink Bold Business Card - 50,000 Bonus Points (EXPIRED)

I previously wrote about the Chase Ink Bold back in September of last year. Well, a newer version of this card has come out since then, with slightly modified earn rates. Here's the basic rundown on the offer:

• Earn 50,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months
• Earn 5x points per $1 on the first $50,000 spent annually at office supply stores, cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services
• Earn 2x points per $1 on the first $50,000 spent annually at gas stations and hotels (when purchased directly with the hotel)
• Earn 1x points per $1 on all other purchases, with no limits on how much you can earn
• No foreign transaction fees
• $95 annual fee waived for the first year

Last week, for less than a day, there was a 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points offer with the same spend requirement floating around. Unfortunately, the website was pulled very quickly as news spread. Thus, the the offer I detailed above is still the best one that is currently available. However, Gary from View From The Wing just mentioned that even this may be pulled soon. The standard offer now gives you only 25,000 bonus points after your first purchase, and requires a $10,000 spend within the first 3 months to get the remaining 25,000 points. I would go ahead and apply via the link below before it gets pulled!

50,000 Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for a $500 check or statement credit. If you book airfare directly through the Chase travel tool, 50,000 points can be redeemed for tickets worth up to $625. Otherwise, the best way of utilizing these points, in my opinion, would be to take advantage of the 1:1 transfer ratio and move them over to one of the many airline and hotel partners, including United, Southwest, British Airways, Korean Air, Hyatt, Marriott, or Priority Club accounts. There are a number of other (less valuable) ways to redeem your UR points through their website as well. Apply here.


Citibank American Airlines AAdvantage Card - 50,000 Bonus Miles
I previously wrote about the Citibank AAdvantage card back in December of last year. Unfortunately, those links have already expired. However, the same sign-up bonus still exists! Here's the basic rundown on the offer:

• Earn 50,000 bonus AAdvantage miles after spending $3,000 within the first 4 months
• Receive a one-time $150 statement credit after the first eligible American Airlines purchase you make within the first 12 months (there is no minimum purchase amount, so you can buy a drink on your next American Airlines flight and you should still receive the $150 statement credit)
• Receive 2 Admirals Club one-day passes
• Earn 2x miles per $1 on all American Airlines purchases
• Earn 1x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• $85 annual fee waived for the first year

In addition, it has been confirmed that Citibank has added a bunch of new benefits to all of their American Airlines co-branded cards starting April 2, 2012 (including existing cardholders):

• A 10% rebate on miles redeemed that will post each month, up to a maximum of 10,000 miles per year
• First checked bag free for up to four passengers on the same reservation
• $100 American Airlines flight discount after spending $30,000 on the card each year
• 25% off inflight purchases made with the card

Personal Visa
Personal American Express
Business Visa

There are also a number of other current Citibank AAdvantage card offers that vary in sign-up bonuses and benefits. Take a look at the first post in this Flyertalk thread for all the links. I do think the offer I detailed above is the best of the bunch, however.


Chase United MileagePlus Explorer Card - 65,000 Bonus Miles
I previously wrote about the Chase United MileagePlus Explorer Card back in January of this year. That promotion has not expired, since if you log into your United account online, you should still be able to see the 60,000 bonus miles offer (as long as you have a balance of at least one mile). However, an even better deal is now available, giving you an extra 5,000 bonus miles and a $50 statement credit after your first purchase! Note: you must be logged into your United account when you click on the link below. Here's the basic rundown on the offer:

• Earn 50,000 bonus MileagePlus miles after your first purchase. Earn an additional 10,000 bonus MileagePlus miles after spending $25,000 within one calendar year
• Earn an additional 5,000 bonus MileagePlus miles for adding an authorized within 2 months
• Receive a $50 statement credit after your first purchase
• Earn 2x miles per $1 on all United purchases
• Earn 1x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• First checked bag free for you and a companion when you fly on United-operated flights
• Priority boarding privileges
• Two complimentary United Club passes every year
• $95 annual fee waived for the first year

Apply here


Chase British Airways Card - 100,000 Bonus Avios
Chase has offered a 100,000 bonus Avios promotion on it's British Airways card every year for the past three years. This year, the spend threshold has gotten significantly tougher though. Here's the basic rundown of the offer:

• Earn 50,000 bonus Avios after your first purchase. Earn an additional 25,000 bonus Avios after spending $10,000 within the first 12 months. Earn another 25,000 bonus Avios after spending an additional $10,000 within the first 12 months.
• Receive a Travel Together Ticket after spending $30,000 on your card in one calendar year. This is a free companion ticket that can be used when redeeming your Avios for an award flight. It is good for two years. Taxes and fees apply (and they are a doozy).
• No foreign transaction fees
• Earn 2.5x Avios per $1 on all British Airways purchases
• Earn 1.25x Avios per $1 on all other purchases
• $95 annual fee is not waived for the first year

Unless you are a high spender, this is actually a 50,000-75,000 bonus Avios offer. While nothing to sneeze at, do remember that British Airways massively devalued their awards chart last November. However, there are still some good deals to be found in short-haul awards on partner airlines that don't tack on fuel surcharges. Speaking of which, British Airways is known for the outrageous fuel surcharges they include on award tickets, even with partner airlines - so don't be shocked when you see more than $1,000 charged in addition to the Avios points redeemed for a business class flight from New York to London! Apply here.


Citi ThankYou Premier Card - 50,000 ThankYou Points
As I wrote in a detailed post about this card last October, Citibank ThankYou points have not interested me in quite some time. That being said, 50,000 points is still a huge sign-up bonus by any measure. Add to that a recent flurry of rumors that ThankYou points will soon be transferable to British Airways Avios and Singapore Airlines Krisflyer miles (with more airlines on the way) at a 1:1 ratio, and the program has suddenly become a lot more valuable! Here's the basic rundown of the offer:

• Earn 50,000 bonus ThankYou points after spending $2,500 within the first 3 months
• Earn 1.2x ThankYou points per $1 on supermarkets, gas stations, drugstores, commuter transportation and parking merchants
• Earn 1x ThankYou points per $1 on all other purchases
• Receive an annual anniversary bonus calculated as a percentage of the total ThankYou points earned from purchases, starting at 1% after your first year to 5% after your fifth year (increasing 1% every year). Beyond your fifth year, the bonus stays at 5%.
• $125 annual fee waived for the first year

You'll notice on the application that this card can be issued as a MasterCard or Visa. Many people have tried applying for both versions at the same time using two browsers, with some actually getting approved for both and earning 100,000 bonus ThankYou points. Your miles may vary, so proceed with caution.

Redemption is rather limited for Citi ThankYou points - you can redeem 50,000 points for $500 in various gift cards. Otherwise, if you book flights using the ThankYou Travel Center, you can get 33% more value for your ThankYou points, and your 50,000 points can be redeemed for $665 in airfare. However, as I mentioned above, the best value for redeeming points will come when airline transfer partners become a reality very soon! Apply here.

Bank of America Alaska Airlines Card - 35,000 Bonus Miles  (EXPIRED)
Last year, I wrote about the 40,000 bonus miles offer from the Bank of America Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card. While that promotion already expired long ago, a new offer that's almost as good has recently surfaced. Here's the basic rundown on the offer:

• Earn 35,000 bonus Mileage Plan miles upon approval
• Receive a $99 (plus taxes and fees) round-trip companion ticket upon approval and every year on your account anniversary
• Earn 3x miles per $1 on all Alaska Airlines ticket and vacation package purchases
• Earn 1x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• Two complimentary Alaska Airlines Board Room lounge passes that can be used at select airports with an Alaska lounge presence
• $75 annual fee not waived for the first year

Although 35,000 bonus miles doesn't seem like much, there are two very big benefits that set this card apart from the others. First of all, many people on Flyertalk have reported applying for and receiving this card multiple times, and earning the sign-up bonus each time as well. Now, I would still be cautious and wait at least a few months between applications, but at the very least this is still one of the few cards left that can be churned. Second, the $99 companion ticket can be used on any published fare - even first class. And both tickets earn miles for the flight as well! Every other airline that offers these companion tickets heavily restricts the fares they can be used on, and even has blackout dates.

Now here comes the bad part. First, the annual fee of $75 is not waived for the first year like most other cards. In addition, Bank of America has a bad habit of sometimes automatically downgrading an application to a lower-tier card that offers significantly less benefits. For example, if I apply for the Visa Signature card, Bank of America may deem me "not qualified enough" for that card, but instead of an outright rejection, they will send me their Platinum Plus card, or even their Preferred card, which offers only 15,000 and 13,000 bonus miles, respectively. Definitely frustrating and not worth it in those cases. However, if you have excellent credit and high income, you should have no problem getting the Visa Signature card. Apply here.


Chase Freedom Card - 20,000 Bonus Points (EXPIRED)
First of all, I would not recommend applying for this offer. I'm only writing about the Chase Freedom card because while I was on vacation last week, a deal for 30,000 bonus points appeared, and then another for 35,000 bonus points! Unfortunately, those only lasted for less than a day before they were pulled by Chase. Since the 30,000 bonus points offer has appeared multiple times in the past few months, I would bet that it's going to come back sometime this year (perhaps even the 35,000 bonus points offer). However, if you're desperately in need of this card right this moment for some reason, the best deal is the 20,000 bonus points offer.

I've written extensively about the Chase Freedom card here, and I still say it is the best fee-free rewards card out there. You earn 5x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on rotating categories every quarter (up to a maximum of $1500 spend in those categories per quarter), and 1x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on all other purchases with no limits. The categories for 2012 are as follows:

January 1, 2012 – March 31, 2012 
      - Gas stations
      - Amazon.com 

April 1, 2012 – June 30, 2012
      - Grocery stores
      - Movie theaters

July 1, 2012 – September 30, 2012
      - Gas stations
      - Restaurants

October 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012
      - Hotels
      - Airlines
      - Best Buy
      - Kohl's
Apply here

===============================================================

Here is an additional list of links to decent credit card offers that I would highly recommend. However, the first two are just standard offers, and you may want to wait until a better promotion appears. Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest cards have had bigger sign-up bonuses in the past.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card - 40,000 Bonus Points
The standard offer had been 50,000 bonus points for most of the past year. But finally, Chase has reduced that amount to 40,000 bonus points. While not as good as before, 40,000 Ultimate Rewards points is still a fairly decent amount - worth up to $500 in airfare booked with the Chase travel tool, or transferable at a 1:1 ratio to many airline and hotel partners. The $95 annual fee is waived for the first year. Apply here.

AMEX Starwood Preferred Guest Card - 25,000 Bonus Starpoints
Each summer, the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest card seems to come up with a special sign-up offer for 30,000 bonus Starpoints. While we wait to see if they do it again this year, the standard offer still remains 10,000 bonus Starpoints after your first purchase, and an additional 15,000 bonus Starpoints after spending $5,000 within 6 month. The $65 annual fee is waived for the first year. I would be very happy to refer anyone for this card - I get 5,000 Starpoints per referral and you still enjoy the same standard bonus offer. Just send me your name and email address at milesglu@gmail.com. Or if you prefer, you can just apply directly from website. Apply here.

Barclays US Airways Premier World Card - 40,000 Bonus Miles
I've written extensively about this card in a previous post. This is the best current offer for the US Airways Premier World MasterCard, and the only one I know of that waives the $89 annual fee for the first year. There are actually some very good benefits offered with this card, so make sure you read my earlier post for all the details. Best of all, Barclays still allows churning on their cards, although you may need to call in to get multiple cards approved. Apply here.

Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card - 50,000 Bonus Points
I've written extensively about this card in a previous post. Just when it seemed like all the 50,000 bonus points versions of this card were finally pulled, there appears to be one more working link to the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card. 50,000 Rapid Rewards points translates into $833 in Wanna Get Away fares, which would more than pay for two round-trip flights. The $69 annual fee is not waived for the first year, but there is also no spend requirement to get the bonus points (just after your first purchase). Apply here.

Southwest 50,000 Bonus Points Offer Still Alive

Southwest ran a great 50,000 bonus points offer twice in 2011, but each time, the promotion only lasted about a month. Well it appears they are now making the 50,000 bonus points more of a standard offer, at least for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Card. Previously, both the Premier Card and the Plus Card carried the 50,000 bonus points offer - now the Plus Card has been reduced to only 25,000 bonus points.

The offer remains the same as the previous versions: earn 50,000 bonus points after your first purchase, which translates into more than $833 worth of Wanna Get Away fares. In addition, you will receive 6,000 bonus points every year on your cardmember anniversary. The $99 annual fee is not waived, as usual. However, the 6,000 anniversary bonus points essentially translate into $100 worth of Wanna Get Away fares, which covers the annual fee in every subsequent year. The earn rate is two points per dollar spent at Southwest, and one point per dollar spent everywhere else.

For details regarding the Rapid Rewards program, take a look at my previous blog post. There is a personal and a business version of the Premier Card, and evidence on Flyertalk suggests that people have successfully applied for both and received both bonuses, but YMMV as always, so proceed with caution when doing multiple applications. No word yet on when this deal will expire.

EDIT: This deal has expired. The current offers for all versions of the card are now 25,000 bonus points.

Chase Freedom 30,000 Ultimate Rewards Bonus Points Promotion Revived

I posted about the Chase Freedom card in October of last year, when they ran a 30,000 Ultimate Rewards bonus points offer ($300 cash back) after spending $500 within the first three months. The old link died mid-December, but it looks like a new working link for the same offer is back today. You can read a detailed analysis of the Chase Freedom card in my previous post.

In general, I would say this is one of the best cash back credit cards out there with no annual fee. You earn 5% cash back (5 UR points per dollar) on rotating categories that change every quarter (activation required each quarter), though this is limited to the first $1,500 in purchases within the bonus categories. All other purchases earn 1% cash back (1 UR point per dollar), with no limits on those earnings. For 2012, the categories are: 

January 1, 2012 – March 31, 2012 
      - Gas stations
      - Amazon.com 

April 1, 2012 – June 30, 2012
      - Grocery stores
      - Movie theaters

July 1, 2012 – September 30, 2012
      - Gas stations
      - Restaurants

October 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012
      - Hotels
      - Airlines
      - Best Buy
      - Kohl's

No word yet on when this offer will expire, so apply soon!

25,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points With The American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card

Let me preface this post by saying I never post any credit card links on my blog that earn me any referral fees or commission. All of the links that I post here are the best offers currently available, and more importantly, they are public links with no benefits for myself. I've never viewed this blog as a means to make money, and I never will.

However, every once in a while, credit card companies will give existing cardholders the opportunity to refer family and friends to offers that are not publicly available. If these offers are worthwhile, I will post about it on my blog, and I will make clear the amount of referral points I will receive as well.

With that out of the way, a new American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card referral offer has been making its way around the blogosphere lately, so I thought I'd throw my hat into the ring as well. The regular offer for this card is 10,000 bonus Membership Rewards points after spending $1,000 within the first three months. There is also a 15,000 bonus points offer as well. However, with this referral, you will receive 25,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 within the first three months. This is the best current offer for the Premier Rewards Gold Card. The annual fee of $175 is also waived for the first year.

While 25,000 bonus points isn't that much (they can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to several airline and hotel programs), this is still a decent offer if you have an upcoming need for a specific award redemption. Last year, the Premier Rewards Gold Card had targeted offers for 50,000 and even 75,000 bonus points. However, those of us who were not targeted could only get in on the deals by "bumping the bonus" - a practice that has now been completely shut down by American Express. Do I expect to see those mega-offers again this year? It's possible, but more than likely on a targeted basis only. If you are not targeted, then you're out of luck. As far as "public" offers are concerned, I believe this 25,000 bonus points referral is as good as it'll get!

For each approved referral, I will receive 10,000 bonus Membership Rewards points. Referrals must be submitted by February 13, 2012, and referred individuals must apply through the email link by February 28, 2012. This offer is valid for first time Premier Rewards Gold Card members only.

To apply, just email me your first and last name, along with your email address. I will send out your referral right away and you should receive an email from American Express within one day. You may not get the email if you have previously opted out of receiving marketing communications from American Express, so double check your online account settings.

New 60,000 Bonus Miles United MileagePlus Explorer Card

Towards the end of 2011, many United elite members were offered a 60,000 miles sign-up bonus for the new MileagePlus Explorer card from Chase. Unfortunately, those of us with no status were left out in the cold. Well it looks like just a few days ago, United started making the 60,000 miles offer available to almost all Mileage Plus members, with or without status.

There appears to be a few kinks in the system still, but once you log into your Mileage Plus account, you should see the 60,000 miles offer on the front page. If you still see the general 40,000 miles offer, it could be because your account has a zero balance. One solution is to transfer some of your Continental OnePass miles over if you have any. Transferring miles is easy and can be completed here. If you still cannot see the 60,000 miles offer, try logging off of your account, clearing your history and cache, logging back in, and clicking on this link. A FlyerTalk member seems to have found this workaround for those who continuously have trouble accessing the 60,000 miles offer page.

While the offer is good for 60,000 bonus miles, technically it is really for 50,000 bonus miles after your first purchase (which is pretty amazing already). The last 10,000 bonus miles requires you to spend $25,000 within your first calendar year of cardmembership. Other benefits include:

• Annual fee waived for the first year, a $95 value
• First checked bag is free for you and a companion when you fly on United/Continental-operated flights
• Priority boarding privileges
• Two complimentary United Club passes every year
• Earn 2 miles per dollar on United/Continental purchases, and 1 mile per dollar everywhere else

This offer will expire February 29, 2012, but my personal feeling is that another 60,000 bonus miles promotion will most likely make an appearance again sometime later in the year.

Current Citibank AAdvantage 50,000 Miles Bonus Offers

It's been a long while since I've written about the Citibank AAdvantage credit card, and that's mainly because there just hasn't been very many good offers to write about! Ever since the 75,000 mega-bonus died a slow death months after its supposed expiration date in February 2011, there's hardly been a peep from the good folks at Citibank and American Airlines.

Well, two non-targeted offers seem to have arrived in the last two months, offering a decent 50,000 AAdvantage bonus miles and a range of other benefits after the qualified spend:

• Earn 50,000 bonus AAdvantage miles after spending $3,000 within the first 4 months of cardmembership. Also receive a one-time $150 statement credit after the first eligible American Airlines purchase you make within the first 12 months of cardmembership (there is no minimum purchase amount, so you can buy a beer on your next AA flight, and you will still receive the $150 statement credit). Finally, get two Admirals Club one-day passes. The earn rate is 2 miles per dollar spent on all American Airlines purchases within the first 12 months, and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases with no date restrictions. The annual fee of $85 is waived for the first year. This offer expires February 29, 2012. Apply here.

• Earn 50,000 bonus AAdvantage miles after spending $2,500 within the first 4 months of cardmembership. The earn rate is 2 miles per dollar spent on all AA purchases within the first 12 months, and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases with no date restrictions. The annual fee of $85 is waived for the first year. There is no expiration date on this offer, but as always, these things can be pulled at any time. Also, there does not appear to be a personal American Express version of this card like most other offers from Citibank - you can only apply for the personal or business Visa. Apply here. EDIT: This offer has already expired.

I would definitely go for the first offer, as there are quite a few more benefits, and the required spend is only $500 more. However, if you are sure you cannot hit the $3,000 threshold, then the second offer is still a good option. I think in that situation, it might be worthwhile to just purchase $500 in gift cards at a grocery store you would shop at regularly anyways in order to meet the minimum spend.

One quick note: "eligible" American Airlines purchases to qualify for the $150 statement credit do not include car rentals, hotel reservations, American Airlines Vacation packages, purchases of American Airlines AAdvantage miles, duty-free purchases, and AA Cargo products and services.

You can read more about using the 2-browser trick to apply for multiple personal Citibank AAdvantage credit cards at the same time here, but the general rule nowadays is that you are only allowed to apply for a personal card once every 18 months. Some have reported being approved for another card inside the 18-month rule, so YMMV. The business card approval process is on a completely different track, and it appears that you can still do some churning. It is best to wait at least 3 months between business card applications, although even with that precaution, Citibank will sometimes request proof of your business with further documentation, so proceed with caution.

SPG American Express Ups Their Sign-Up Bonus

For the past two summers, the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express credit card has offered a better-than-normal promotion where you can earn 30,000 SPG points after a fairly reasonable spend requirement. These offers typically lasted only a month or two, and then the card would return to the normal bonus, which was 10,000 SPG points after your first purchase, and 15,000 SPG points after spending $15,000 within the first 6 months. Last month, however, SPG reduced the spend requirement on the regular offer, so you could get the latter 15,000 SPG points after spending only $5,000 within the first 6 months.

And now, they've gone a step further and upped the points amount to 20,000 SPG points after spending $5,000 within the first 6 months. And you still get the 10,000 SPG points after your first purchase, for a total of 30,000 SPG points. This pretty much matches the summer promotion (with a tiny bit higher spend requirement), and I would suggest you take advantage of this deal before it ends on December 12, 2011. The annual fee of $65 is waived for the first year. In addition, there is a personal and a business version of this card, and you can receive the bonus for both if approved!

I've written extensively about the benefits of the SPG American Express card both earlier this summer and also just two months ago. You can read about why it remains one of my go-to cards for everyday spending. If you decide to hold off on applying, I fully expect the 30,000 SPG points bonus offer to come back sometime in 2012, so don't worry too much about missing out!

Some Interesting Citibank AA Retention Bonus Offers

I've had two personal Citibank AA credit cards since May of this year. Using the two application trick that I detailed in a previous post, I was approved for both the American Express as well as the Visa Signature card in one swoop. After completing the required spend ($1,500 and $4,000 in 6 months, respectively), I earned 150,000 AAdvantage miles.

Typically for cards that carry an annual fee, I like to cancel before the one year anniversary is up. In this case, each card had an $85 fee that would have been due around May 2012. Lately though, I've been trying to cut down on my available credit just in case I wanted to take advantage of new bonus offers that crop up. For example, I just applied for the Citibank ThankYou Premier card in October and was approved for it.

Last night, I decided to cancel both my Citibank AA cards since I no longer used either of them and they were just taking up excess credit. I first called in to cancel the Visa Signature, and the lady from the retentions department took a look at my account and gave the typical spiel about its benefits. When I asked to continue the cancellation, she then offered an extra 20% on AA miles earned... so effectively the earn rate on the card becomes 1.2 miles per dollar spent. Still not impressed, I told her to go ahead and cancel the account, which she did.

I then called in to cancel the American Express. This time, things got a little more interesting. The gentleman first offered an additional 2 miles per dollar spent (on top of the usual 1 mile per dollar), up to a maximum of 10,000 bonus miles within the next 3 months. I did a quick calculation, and realized that I'd have to spend $5,000 on this card in the next 3 months in order to max out the 10,000 bonus miles. That didn't sound particularly appealing, so I politely declined. He then came back with another offer: spend $500 within the next 3 months, and receive 3,000 bonus miles. This was a much better deal, and I could definitely manage the spend requirement. I agreed to the terms and kept the card (at least for the next 3 months ;)).

Many people who applied for the the Citibank AA cards earlier this year will probably be canceling their accounts within the next few months. It never hurts to call in at least 3 months before your anniversary date since they may offer you some sort of retention bonus. That way, you can take advantage of the offer and still cancel the card prior to your annual fee being charged.

75,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points For The AMEX Business Rewards Gold Card - TODAY ONLY

Jump on this offer if you've been meaning to apply for the American Express Business Rewards Gold card! For one day only (November 3, 2011), you will earn 75,000 bonus Membership Rewards points if you spend $10,000 within the first 5 months of cardmembership. The normal bonus offer on this card is 50,000 points. In addition the $175 annual fee is waived for the first year.

This card is the counterpart to the personal Premier Rewards Gold card, so the earn rates are similar, though on different types of categories. You earn 3x points per dollar spent on airfare, 2x points on advertising, gas, and shipping, and 1x points on everything else. Membership Rewards points, as always, can be transferred at a 1000:1000 ratio to a number of decent airlines, including Delta, British Airways, All Nippon Airways, Air Canada, etc.

If you just recently applied for the normal 50,000 points offer for the same card, you may be able to send a secure message asking for them to "bump the bonus" by citing this offer (Bonus ID 7616). Despite American Express recently cracking down on bumping the bonus using targeted offers, this appears to be a public offer so it's worth a shot.

The spend threshold on this offer is very high, and for that reason alone, I will probably pass. After all, I'm still working on the spend for my Citi Premier ThankYou card!

Chase Freedom 30,000 Bonus Points

To be frank, the Chase Freedom card isn't the greatest card in world, or even close to it for that matter. But strangely enough, I've found myself carrying this card for more than 5 years now, and it is probably the card I've kept the longest in my wallet - ever. It's gone through several incarnations, and the rewards scheme has had multiple "enhancements" over the years, but I still find it to be one of the best rewards cards out there that doesn't charge an annual fee.

Chase Freedom participates in the Ultimate Rewards program, but be aware that even though it shares a name, there are significant differences between the UR points earned with the Freedom card and those earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Freedom UR points are not worth 25% more when redeeming for travel through the UR travel booking tool, and most importantly, they cannot be transferred to airline or hotel partners such as United/Continental, British Airways, Korean Air, Hyatt, Marriott, and Priority Club. The good news is that if you have a Sapphire Preferred card, you can transfer UR points earned from your Freedom card over, and then all the benefits of your Sapphire Preferred UR account will apply.

Despite these limitations, the Chase Freedom card is still very lucrative for earning rewards points. Every purchase earns a base rate of 1% back per dollar spent. In addition, there are rotating categories that earns 5% back (1% base + 4% bonus) per dollar spent. These categories change every quarter, and you must remember to sign up every quarter, although there are plenty of reminders when the time comes. Also note that the extra 4% bonus is limited to the first $1500 in purchases within the bonus categories, which caps your total quarterly bonus earned on special categories at $60. Here are the categories from 2011: 

January 1, 2011 – March 31, 2011  
      - Grocery Stores 
      - Drugstores

April 1, 2011 – June 30, 2011 
      - Home Improvement 
      - Lawn and Garden 
      - Home Furnishings

July 1, 2011 – September 30, 2011 
      - Gas 
      - Hotels 
      - Airlines

October 1, 2011 – December 31, 2011 
      - Dining 
      - Department Stores 
      - Movies 
      - Charity

While this does seem a bit cumbersome, I have to say that Chase has always done a pretty good job of accurately rewarding the 5% bonus. And even when specific purchases aren't reported into the correct category, a call will usually get the adjustments done immediately.

Right now, Chase Freedom is running its largest sign-up promotion ever, giving out 30,000 bonus UR points (worth $300 cash back) after spending just $500 within the first 3 months of cardmembership. If you've ever thought of signing up for the Freedom card, or just need a no annual fee rewards card for everyday use, I'd say take advantage of this offer now!

One final note: if you also have a Chase checking account, you earn even more points back on the Chase Freedom card - 10% extra points per dollar spent (meaning you are effectively getting 1.1% back instead of just 1%), plus 10 extra points per transaction. While minor, this can certainly add up fast.

Chase Marriott Rewards Visa 70,000 Bonus Points

Via Flyertalk, this is definitely the highest bonus ever offered by the Chase Marriott Rewards Visa Signature card! Get 70,000 bonus points after your first purchase, which is enough for 3 nights at a Category 4 hotel. In addition, you get an additional free night stay at a Category 1-4 hotel upon account approval (must be redeemed within 6 months). The annual fee of $85 is waived for the first year, and there are no foreign exchange fees on the card either.

The incentives to keep this card after your first year is high as well. You get 15 nights credit towards your next Elite membership level every year, plus 1 Elite night credit for every $3,000 in spend. And best of all, receive a free night at a Category 1-5 hotel on every anniversary (must be redeemed within 6 months).

The earn rate for this card is as follows:

• 5 points for every $1 spent at all Marriott hotels worldwide
• 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible dining, airline, and rental car purchases
• 1 point for every $1 spent everywhere else
• There are no limits to how many points you can earn

I must say Chase has been inundating the market with mega-bonuses lately, and the only downside is that it's hard to take advantage of all of these great promotions. I'm definitely tempted by this offer since I've never had a Marriott Rewards Visa before, but spacing out your credit card applications is also extremely important so you don't get denials. If you haven't applied for a lot of Chase cards lately, I would recommend jumping on this offer now!

EDIT: The landing page is now broken, but the application page still works. Unfortunately, there is no reference to the 70,000 bonus points promotion on the application page. However, anecdotal evidence shows that it still indeed works. Apply at your own risk!

Southwest 50,000 Bonus Points Offers Are Back!

It looks like Southwest now has 4 different offers running concurrently for their Visa Signature cards. I blogged about the old offer for their Premier Card from this past summer, which gave you 50,000 Rapid Rewards points after your first purchase (of any amount). 50,000 RR points translates to $833 in Wanna Get Away fares, which would more than pay for 2 round-trip flights. The old offer had a $99 annual fee which was not waived for the first year. In addition, it gave you 6,000 RR points every year on your cardmember anniversary. Apparently, this offer is now officially back, and Southwest has even provided a link to it on their new offer page.

The new offer for their Plus Card features a lower annual fee, at just $69 per year. However, the anniversary bonus has also been reduced to 3,000 RR points. Thus, if you plan on keeping this Southwest Visa Signature card for more than one year, this new offer is actually less lucrative since 3,000 RR points translates to only $50 in Wanna Get Away fares, which doesn't cover the annual fee. In the Premier Card offer, 6,000 RR points translated to $100, which basically means your annual fee is waived. In most cases though, I imagine people would probably cancel the card prior to their 1st year anniversary (which is what I intend to do)... so taking the Plus Card offer would make more sense as the annual fee is lower.

The only other minor differences I've noticed is that for the Premier Card offer, you can also receive 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points for every $10,000 in purchases, up to 15,000 Tier Qualifying Points annually. No such option exists for the Plus Card offer. In addition, if you choose to take advantage of the balance transfer bonuses, the Premier Card offer will allow you to earn up to 15,000 points (at 1 point per $1 in transfers) within the first 90 days, while the Plus Card will only net you up to 10,000 points.

For more details regarding the Rapid Rewards program, take a look at my previous blog post. Click on the links above to go directly to the offer pages. I don't see an expiration date on these promotions yet, but take advantage of them soon, as Southwest can always pull them at any time. And just to be complete, there are also business versions of both the Premier and the Plus cards. With both the personal and business versions, you may be able to get 100,000 RR points in one swoop! Apply soon, word is this promotion may end on November 11, 2011. Click on the link below for details on all 4 types of cards being offered right now:

Citi ThankYou Premier Card With 50,000 Bonus Points

I've never been a huge proponent of the Citi ThankYou Rewards program. They have been devaluing the worth of ThankYou points gradually over the past few years, and the redemption options have never been very attractive. However, this thread on Flyertalk caught my eye, and it might be worth considering if you have already applied for every other mega-bonus credit card promotion out there.

Right now, Citibank is offering their ThankYou Premier card with 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,500 within the first 3 months of card membership. The best part of this new offer is that the $125 annual fee is waived for the first year, which has never been the case in the past. You earn 1.2 ThankYou points for every dollar spent at supermarkets, gas stations, drugstores, commuter transportation and parking merchants, and 1 ThankYou point per dollar spent everywhere else. You also get an annual ThankYou points dividend, starting from 1% after your first year to 5% after your fifth year (increasing 1% every year). Beyond your fifth year, the dividend stays at 5%.

Redemption is rather limited for Citi ThankYou points - you can redeem 50,000 points for $500 in various gift cards. Otherwise, if you book flights using the ThankYou Travel Center, you can get 33% more value for your ThankYou points, and your 50,000 points can be redeemed for $665 in airfare. There are some additional (but minor) benefits to this card, including an annual complimentary domestic companion ticket and a 15% discount when you book air travel with their travel benefits provider, Spirit Incentives. One of the biggest downsides of the ThankYou Rewards program is that there are no airline transfer partners whatsoever.

I may consider applying for this card if I am able to get approved for the new United MileagePlus Explorer Visa in November. There are rumors floating around that a 60,000 bonus miles promotion is in the works. Otherwise, I plan on passing on this offer. No word yet on when this deal will expire.

Some Decent Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses

Unfortunately, the stream of massive credit card sign-up bonuses we saw earlier this year has now slowed to a trickle. But despite there being very few mega-bonuses in the past few months, there are still a couple of good deals to be had.

I had previously written about the SPG American Express, and how it remains one of my go-to cards for daily use. I typically don't keep cards beyond one year so as not to incur the annual fee, but I've made a notable exception for the SPG AMEX simply because SPG points are worth more than the average airline miles or hotel points, and because it is so flexible for transfers to other programs. Earlier this summer, there was a promotion on this card for 10,000 SPG points after your first purchase, and then 20,000 more after spending $4,500 within the first 3 months of cardmembership.

That offer has already ended, but American Express has now tweaked the regular year-round offer to make it somewhat easier to earn the full sign-up bonus. Right now, if you sign up for the card, you can earn 10,000 SPG points after your first purchase, and then 15,000 more after spending just $5,000 within the first 6 months of cardmembership. Compare that to the normal $15,000 spend threshold within 6 months! Personally, I would say if you don't have an urgent need for this card, wait until next summer when SPG and American Express might run another 30,000 point sign-up promotion. Otherwise, take advantage of this offer now. The $65 annual fee is waived for the first year.

If anyone plans on applying for this card, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to refer them. That way, you get the same great offer, and I receive 5,000 SPG points also. Just email me your full name and email address at milesglu@gmail.com, and I'll get the referral sent out right away. Thanks!

Another offer that popped up recently is for the Chase Ink Business Bold charge card. Right now, you can receive 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $5000 within the first 3 months of cardmembership. That is a pretty high spend threshold in a short amount of time, so you may need to employ some other spend methods such as buying gift cards or Amazon Payments. Also, even though this is a business card, you typically don't need a registered business... applying as a sole proprietorship with your Social Security Number has worked in the past. But as always, proceed with caution.

I've gone through some of the benefits of the Ultimate Rewards program in a previous post, but in general, points can be redeemed for cash on a 100:1 basis (so 50,000 UR points = $500 USD). Or if you redeem for flights or hotels through the UR travel booking tool, points are worth 25% more (so 50,000 UR points = $625 USD). You can also transfer points on a 1:1 basis to a number of different airlines such as Continental, British Airways, and starting within the past week or two, Korean Air. The $95 annual fee is waived for the first year. This offer expires on November 28, 2011, so apply soon!

Southwest Visa Signature Card 50,000 Points Bonus

It's been years since I've paid any attention to the Southwest Rapid Rewards program. The last time I actually flew them was probably more than 5 years ago. The main reason for this is the very limited (virtually non-existent) partnerships that Southwest has for redeeming on international flights.

However, the RR program has always been fairly lucrative and extremely simple, given that you earn one point for every flight (two points for every round-trip), and 16 points gets you a free round-trip award anywhere Southwest flies. This means you could fly eight round-trips on relatively short (and cheap) hops like SJC-LAX, and then redeem for a cross-country trip.

The new RR 2.0 program that started in March 2011 sort of turns this system on its head. Similar in idea to the Virgin America Elevate program, the value of RR points are now tied to the cost of a ticket and the fare class. The exact details can be found here, but generally, the best value for redemption is now with the lowest Wanna Get Away fares at 60 points per fare dollar. As you go up the fare classes all the way to business fares, the points/dollar needed rises to 120. So while the best values for the RR program has been watered down, you can still get some decent awards if you book the lowest fares at an early date.

Which brings me to the latest offer from the Chase Southwest Visa Signature card. This is probably the best promotion I've seen from Southwest so far, and is the first Southwest credit card application I've actually jumped at. They are offering 50,000 RR points upon your first purchase, which translates to more than $833 in Wanna Get Away fares for redemption. I would say this is one of the better promotions this year, arguably more valuable than the Chase Sapphire Preferred 50,000 points, the Alaska Airlines 40,000 miles, or the US Airways 40,000 miles offer. The offer page says 2 free flights, but that is based on 4 one-way Wanna Get Away fares valued at $208 each (a bit of an arbitrary designation, but whatever).

You earn 2 points per dollar spent on Southwest airlines flights as well as RR hotel and car rental partner purchases, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. You can also receive 1,500 tier qualifying points for every $10,000 in purchases, up to 15,000 tier qualifying points per year. On every cardmember anniversary you will also earn 6,000 RR points. There is a balance transfer option that can net you up to another 15,000 points, but again, the fees make that proposition a fairly expensive one.

The annual fee is $99, and is NOT waived for the first year. The card showed up on my online Chase account with the $99 already charged to it. So actually you are getting a $734 bonus for this application. If you decide to keep this card past the first anniversary, the 6,000 RR bonus effectively pays for the annual fee. This offer ends on August 7, 2011, so if you plan on applying, do so very soon!

(EDIT: This offer has long expired, but the link I've provided still seems to work. You can apply, but there is no guarantee that you will receive the 50,000 bonus points. Proceed at your own risk!)

US Airways Premier World MasterCard 40,000 Bonus Miles

This is the best bonus offer I've seen so far from US Airways and Barclays. 40,000 Dividend Miles after your first use, in addition to 10,000 miles after the first anniversary of your account opening (and every anniversary after that). As with all US Airways promotions, you can also earn another 10,000 miles based on balance transfers within the first 30 days. This is typically not worth it though because of the fees associated with them.

Barclays rarely waives the annual fee for the first year, but this bonus offer actually does just that, saving you an additional $89. You'll earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on US Airways purchases, and 1 mile for every $1 spent elsewhere.

This card is actually quite packed with benefits, including the following:

• Earn 10,000 miles towards Dividend Miles Preferred status (after $25,000 in spend within one year of account opening)
• Up to two $99 companion tickets annually (minimum fare purchase of $250 required)
• Preferred check-in
• Preferred Zone 2 boarding
• One complimentary US Airways Club day pass annually
• Discount on annual US Airways Club membership

Primary cardmembers will also receive a 5,000 mile discount on all eligible award redemptions. So a domestic award within the U.S. will only cost 20,000 Dividend Miles instead of 25,000. Note that this is only for award flights operated by US Airways or US Airways Express.

And finally, Barclays has a bad habit of automatically approving you for a downgraded card with lesser benefits when you apply for their Premier World MasterCard. For example, you apply for the Premier World MasterCard expecting to receive a 40,000 mile bonus, but what you actually receive in the mail is their World MasterCard or Platinum MasterCard with a much lower bonus and benefits. In the terms and conditions for this offer, however, it seems they have specified that both the Premier World MasterCard and the Platinum MasterCard will receive the 40,000 mile bonus. No word on the World MasterCard, so proceed at your own risk.