Has anyone looked at different credit cards offered by hotel chains like Hilton, etc.? Which ones offer the best rewards? I've the one by Hilton and have accumulated some points but it's hard to book rooms using those points and was thinking about going for the one offered by Best Western.
Not sure if this is straying from the topic of financial planning...
I don't think there's any hotel/airline card that can do better than just getting 1% cash back (there are several that offer even more). That way you can just shop around for the best hotel deal when you travel and you don't have to worry about points expiring, blackout dates and the like. [If you get 1 point per dollar spent and if it takes
20000 points to get a hotel room, it is worth it only if you can't find a similar room for
Well, I'm not sure discussing the various cards is, indeed, appropriate. However, I have to put in that my Alaska Airlines Visa card is better than that 1%. I get 1 mile for every dollar, and it takes 20,000 to redeem for a domestic flight - more to Mexico, Canada, or Russia. Alaska has numerous "partners" so these miles are useable on other airlines, though that would cost more miles. Since a round trip to just Seattle costs more than $400, though I wouldn't spend my miles on such a short trip. I just returned from Maine, where a ticket costs >$900, and I used miles. I have another trip planned this fall to Florida when I will use miles, and that trip costs
groceries, internet, gas, dinner out, etc. We also get an annual $50 companion fare with this card. Yes, my Platinum card has a $75 annual fee, so it's not free, but that seems a wise use of my money since I plan to fly several times a year.
Elizabeth Richardson
My point was that there is at least one airline card that is substantially better than a cash back card. The miles don't expire and you get them for everything you purchase, including double miles for purchased airline travel.
Elizabeth Richardson
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