This Company Will Pay For Your First Passport So You Can Take That Dream Trip
No one said traveling was cheap. When planning a trip, unexpected expenses add up quickly: vaccinations, additional taxes and fees, transportation and even travel documents. For travelers who need to get their first passport, that expense alone costs $145 (on Monday, April 2, the fee for first time passport applicants increased from $25 to $35).
Enter travel company Contiki. It's offering to cover the cost of a new passport for first-time international travelers. To be eligible, you must fall between the ages 18-35 and must book a trip through Contiki's website to either Europe, Latin America, Canada, Asia, Australia or New Zealand. Once you book your trip through Contiki, the company will credit your trip in the amount of $145. Individuals are responsible for everything including payment to obtain their free passport, and they must ensure that applications are submitted at least 46 days prior to international travel.
Contiki is designed for millennial travelers and offers hundreds of pre-planned trips from a "European Discovery Trip" to "Cambodia and Laos Uncovered." In a statement to Elite Daily, Adam Cooper, President of Contiki, said: "We think by instituting this ongoing passport policy, we will help eliminate barriers for young, first-time travelers, and encourage them to travel further and more often." The free passport policy is also a permanent offer from Contiki. The hope is that it will encourage millennials to travel all year long.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.