TPG Staff Picks: What We'd Spend $999 on — Instead of the iPhone X
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This week, Apple released the iPhone X, and while many tech enthusiasts would gladly fork over $999 to upgrade to the new model, TPG staffers thought of some other things — from round-trip flights to London to a beautiful Airbnb stay in Barbados — they'd rather spend a grand on. Here's a look at their ideal product and travel alternatives.
1. "I'd spend the $999 on annual fees for premium travel cards — essentially investing in a great travel card like Chase Sapphire Reserve, The Platinum Card from American Express or the Citi Prestige. — Brian Kelly, The Points Guy
2. "I'd buy a $600 round-trip flight to Paris in economy on a full-service carrier and do a two-night stay in a beautiful Airbnb for $250. That's in addition to oysters, a bottle of Chablis and dinner for two at Brasserie Wepler for $120 — oh, and $29 to ride on the metro." — Alberto Riva, Managing Editor
3. “I'd spend $361 on a round-trip ticket to London on Norwegian in October. Also a one-hour experience in a full-motion BA 747-400 or 777-200ER flight simulator for $593; two meals on each Norwegian flight (four total, so roughly $10 per meal) and plastic aviator wings to celebrate my 'official' pilot status.” — Wallace Cotton, Community Manager
4. "I'd rather spend that money on 10 one-way flights from Newburgh (SWF) to Dublin (DUB), plus a $9 McDonald's breakfast at the airport." — Nick Ellis, Assistant Editor
5. "I'd buy a flight from New York (JFK) to Barbados (BGI) in JetBlue Mint for $633, and spend three nights in this beautiful beachfront property, pictured below." — Brendan Dorsey, Assistant Editor
6. "Let's put it this way: For $48 more, I could fly round-trip from New York to Sydney, Australia — which I'd much rather do than have another gadget." — Kaeli Conforti, Senior Editor
7. "For that price, I can purchase a new piece of luggage so I can pack all my stuff away for $525, in addition to a round-trip flight to Stockholm for $303 and a six-day car rental to explore the rest of the country for $171." — Emily McNutt, Associate Editor
8. "I'd rather spend four nights at the Westin Maui, using the Citi Prestige Card to get the 4th Night Free for $768 — before taxes and resort fees. And $230 worth of Ahi poke at Foodland Farms around the corner in Lahaina." — Zach Honig, Editor-at-Large
9. “Personally, I'd rather spend that exact amount on a new MacBook Air.” — Cindy Augustine, Freelance Editor
10. "I'd spend that on a round-trip ticket to New Orleans in February, particularly the week before Mardi Gras, for $443. I'd also buy Beats headphones so I can drown out noise on the plane for $299. Then, I'd buy two dozen of the best oysters ever at Luke Oyster Happy Hour for $18 — yes, they are only $0.75 cents each. I'd also buy:
- Three tickets to see live music at Tipitina's and on Frenchmen Street = $60 (ish)
- Half-fried oyster and half-fried shrimp po' boy (fully dressed) at Domilise's = $14
- Pita, hummus, shakshuka, avocado toast, etc. at Shaya = $30
- Beignets and a frozen café au lait at Café du Monde = $10
- A Hurricane at Pat O'Brien's = $8.50
- A mozzarella sandwich at St. James Cheese Company = $8.95
- Lobster gnocchi at Restaurant R'evolution = $32
- Fried oysters with brie at Clancy's (yup, that's a thing) = $12.75
- Two SoulCycle classes to burn it all off when I get back = $64."
— Samantha Rosen, Social Media Editor
What would you spend $999 instead of the new iPhone? Let us know in the comments below.
All prices accurate as of date of publication.
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How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023
Rewards Rate
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 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 card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023