October 11, 2008
- Roseburg, Oregon
The catch behind airline rewards cards
By Herb Weisbaum
Airlines need to increase revenue. They've already cut flights and boosted fares. They now charge for food, premium seats, and, in some cases, checked baggage.
So what's next? Make frequent fliers pay to use their miles. American Airlines already charges a $50 processing fee for an award ticket booked between seven and 21 days in advance. It's $100 if you wait longer than that. US Airways and Delta add their own fees in August. Both will charge you $25 to redeem your miles for a free domestic round-trip ticket and $50 for a free round-trip ticket to Hawaii and international destinations. And of course, with fewer flights, there are fewer opportunities to cash in your miles for a ticket on a flight you want. To me, this is one more reason to ask yourself -- do your really want a card that rewards you with miles on a specific airline. Or would you be better off with a card that earns points that can be used for airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cards, and much more. Bill Hardekopf of lowcards.com says, "There are good reward cards available with low rates that do not charge an annual fee." These would include Miles by Discover, Capital One No Hassle Miles Rewards and Bank of America cards with Worldpoints. More Information: Beware the dark side of rewards cards |
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