American Introduces AAdvantage Car and Hotel Rewards
Non-flight rewards are nothing new, but they usually offer very little value (less than a penny a mile return). However, American launched their new portal and at first glance, it seems to have the potential to offer great value for those frequent flyers who may not want to use their miles for flights. They are even offering 10-20% introductory discounts if you have AA Elite Status, thus enhancing the value of these rewards.
Initial research (I don't have AA Elite status)
I always get slammed with hefty bills while renting cars in NYC, so I did a search for a compact rental picking up this Saturday at LGA.
Cost from AA Rewards- 3,200 miles+tax
Cost from Nationalcar.com for the same car- $68 (plus tax)
Value of AA mile: 2.1 cents (WOW)
I checked out Los Angeles hotels for Nov 20-21 and saw an "Exclusive deal" for the Intercontinental Century City
Cost from AA Rewards- 18,500 miles (which includes taxes)
Cost from intercontinental.com for the same room- $249 (without tax)
Value of AA mile: 1.4+ cents depending on final tax (which was not shown on intercontinental.com)
I wanted to see if I could book a suite at the W South Beach Dec 15-20 and sure enough, multiple room types, including suites, were available. Not only that, but they have a buy 4 nights, stay for 5 promotion.
Cost from AA Rewards- 241,500 miles (which includes taxes)
Cost from spg.com for the same room- $4005 (incl tax, $801/night)
Value of AA mile: ~1.7 cents
While this wasn't the most comprehensive sampling, I think this program is a serious enhancement to the AAdvantage program.
Things to note:
1) I doubt stays/rentals will earn points and count towards elite status, but it's possible
2) Most reservations are non-refundable but can be changed for $30 change.
3) Boutique hotels are not included in the program. It seems to be all major chains.
4) Suites can be reserved, which is a nice feature
5) Exclusive specials seem to generally be a great value
6) For Hilton redemptions, remember that you can transfer AA miles to Hilton at a 2:1 ratio. So if you want to stay at a Hilton, check to see if transferring and redeeming through Hilton will require less miles.
7) Some car rentals don't include tax, but hotels do. Resort fees may apply for hotels.
8 ) No blackout dates- if theres a hotel room/car available, it should be available through the portal.
Please feel free to post your comments/experiences with the program below. Overall, I see this as a win and hope the other Car/Hotel portals (ah hem, that means you Delta and United) up their game!
[card card-name='Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard®' card-id='22144516' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
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Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
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- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
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- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month