Amex's $2,500-Per-Year "Black" Card, Best Award Destinations for Fall & More
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Each Saturday, we round up news stories that you may have missed from the week before, including several that already appeared on The Points Guy, and some more that we haven't covered yet. If you're an avid TPG reader, scroll down for the new stuff. Here's the top miles, points and travel news you may have missed this week:
Get the Scoop on the Amex Centurion Black Card
The Centurion Card from Amex is an ultra-exclusive piece of anodized titanium with a whopping $2,500 annual fee — and some awesome perks. Highlights include Starwood Preferred Guest Gold status; on-site credits at Aman, Mandarin Oriental, St. Regis and other hotels; and Delta SkyMiles Platinum Medallion status. However, don't expect to get either the personal or business card unless you're a major spender — invitations are typically for those who've spent (and paid off) at least $450,000 (or $350,000 for the personal card) across all your Amex accounts in a calendar year. For the full list of card details and benefits, click here.
Singapore Airlines to Resume World's Longest Flight: NY/LA to Singapore
How does a full 19 hours of flying sound? Singapore Airlines just announced that it will resume the world's longest flight on new A350-900 ULRs in 2018. The aircraft will have the capacity to fly 10,000 miles, enough to cover the 9,500-mile trip from New York and the 8,700-mile trip from LA. The new A350 will offer its upgraded seats, though no details on configuration have been released. I'm hoping for some impressive first-class suites, like the ones on the A380 I recently flew. For more on these new routes, read the full post here.
185,000 Miles Earned From 37 Rental Cars in 2 Days
Thanks to an Avis rental promotion offering 5,000 Scandinavian Airlines EuroBonus miles per rental (SAS and Avis are EuroBonus earning partners) valid for any length of time and number of rentals, TPG Contributor Max Bennedich was able to earn 185,000 SAS miles. He chose to rent in Madeira, Portugal and effectively rented 37 cards in a two-day period, shuttling between two different rental car offices and racking up a ton of miles in the process. To read more about Max's adventure, click here.
Choosing The Best American Express Card For You
There are several factors to consider when it comes to picking the best Amex for you. You could choose a card that earns transferrable points, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express or the Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express, if you want the ability to move points to travel partners. Then there are hotel/airline-specific cards, like the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express, with a 25,000-Starpoint welcome bonus after you make $3,000 in purchases within the first three months. Finally, there are fixed-value cards offering either cash back or a currency that can only be redeemed for a set amount, like the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. For more cards and advice on selecting the right card for you, click here.
Award Availability for Fall European Destinations
With fall in full swing, many are craving an escape to Europe. Richard Kerr shares some ideal spots — from Paris to Munich —for an autumn getaway, along with tips on how points, miles and credit cards can help you get there. For the full list of options, click here.
In Other News
Earn up to 25,000 Bonus Alitalia Miles
You can earn up to 25,000 extra miles by purchasing an Alitalia flight before November 5, 2015 and traveling before December 31, 2015. Bonus mile amounts are listed below:
- 25,000 mile bonus for a long-haul international flight
- 10,000 mile bonus for a medium-haul international flight
- 5,000 bonus miles for a domestic flight in Italy
Participants must be MilleMiglia program members who reside outside of Italy, San Marino and Vatican City as of October 7, 2015.
Wyndham Launches Reward Program for Meeting Planners
Go Meet is Wyndham's new reward program for conference planners who are members of the Wyndham Rewards loyalty program. At participating hotels, earn one point per dollar spent on guest rooms, meeting room rentals and food/beverage charges.
Qatar Offers 10% Discount
In honor of the new Qatar website, you can save 10% by using the code NEWLOOK2015. The code is for both economy and business-class travel, and is only valid through October 18, 2015. There are several exclusions to the promotion — you can find them listed here.
WOW Air Coming To Canada in 2016
Icelandic low-cost carrier Wow Air will soon be expanding to Canada. Starting in May 2016, Wow will offer flights between Toronto/Montreal to Europe (via Reykjavik) up to four times per week. Hopefully, the airline will kick things off with the $99 fares we saw back in September.
2x/3x Hilton HHonors Points
HHonors members can receive double points for qualifying Monday-Thursday night stays and triple points for qualifying Friday, Saturday and Sunday night stays through December 31, 2015 with the Triple Your Trip promotion. You must first register for the promotion here. These bonus points don't count toward tier qualification and the points will be posted in your HHonors account 6-8 weeks after the completion of your stay. Some members have also reported getting targeted "surprise" offers after registering, offering 2,000 additional bonus points on their first stay, so make sure to check your email after registering to see if you've been targeted for the extra bonus.
2x/3x Miles for Etihad Guest Members
Etihad Guest members can earn double miles in economy class and triple miles in first and business class for flights booked by October 22, 2015. Travel must be completed by March 31, 2016. Remember to register for the promotion first, and note that the bonus isn't available on redemption or codeshare flights.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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.