My Birthday Wish List
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Today is my birthday and while I've already gotten myself a gift (a $260 roundtrip ticket to Madrid which I splurged and upgraded both directions, an Air Europa ticket to Barcelona, one night at Le Meridien Barcelona on points and two nights at the Westin Palace Madrid on cash and points), I thought I'd create a travel wish list. You know, just in case the loyalty programs needed any ideas on what to get me ;-). Since 13 is my lucky number, I figured I'd stop there, though I could probably go forever. Feel free to comment below with your wish list for loyalty program/travel improvements.
1) Hyatt announces a Faster Free Nights (one free night for every two stays) promotion that mirrors past promotions: no limit on the number of nights earned or category restriction on redemptions
2) SkyTeam becomes friendlier about first class redemptions. Currently Delta doesn't allow first class redemptions on any SkyTeam partner and Air France only lets their elite passengers redeem for First (at insanely inflated prices). Come on - join the club and open up First class redemptions to all - it's not like your product is superior to Oneworld or Star Alliance!
3) American Express adds new transfer partners to Membership Rewards: US Airways, American Airlines, Emirates, bmi, and Qantas.
4) All credit card companies waive foreign transaction fees. Why the hate for international travelers?!
5) The TSA gets rid of full-body scanners and instead invests in training its work force
6) Starwood offers a 50,000 point bonus on their co-branded Amex card
7) British Airways stops charging fuel surcharges on award tickets
8 ) Delta goes back to a two tier award chart and loads more "low" level awards to be competitive with the other US carriers
9) All airlines decide that angled and recliner business class seats aren't acceptable and install fully lie-flat beds (specifically you, Air France and KLM!)
10) The ANA Award Search tool incorporated a calendar feature so you could search Star Alliance award availability by month (instead of the current day by day)
11) Continental hires more phone agents, especially for their international award booking desk which usually has 20+ minute hold times
12) All hotels follow Hilton's lead and allow award nights to count towards elite status
13) All governments (especially the US Department of State) stop fleecing travelers with absurd passport and visa fees. Seriously - let's encourage people to travel!
[card card-name='Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card' card-id='22125056' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.